*IDENTITY OF A CATHOLIC PRIEST*
‘… _Bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest…he is to present it to the Lord with the gesture of offering, so that you may be acceptable_ .’ – *Lev 23:11*
Every time a Catholic priest is in the news, it is NEWS. The content of the news betrays a gaping ignorance about who a priest really is. Often one gets the impression that an angel has suddenly become human or that an impostor has been shown for what he truly is. Consider this my attempt to paint you a portrait of a priest:
• A priest is first of all a baptised man who has heard God calling him to serve him in the ministerial priesthood. He is ordained almost after a decade of training.
• Holy Orders (ordination) is a sacrament, a special blessing from God which occasions a transformation in him. Through ordination, he receives a new identity, that of Christ. This means that when he carries out his ministry (not a job!), he is acting in the power of Christ. With St Paul, he can say: ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’ (Galatians 2:20). _The Catechism of the Catholic Church_ (CCC) describes Holy Orders as ‘The sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time…’ (CCC 1536).
• The priest, living in the midst of the people of God, is a co-worker with the bishop in his ministry or call to teach, sanctify and lead them through service.
• Everything a priest does in his ministry flows from what he becomes at his ordination: presiding at Mass, absolving sinners, anointing the sick, proclaiming and explaining the Gospel, giving blessings, and his pastoral leadership of building up a local community of faith.
• Catholic priests are either *diocesan priests* who belong to the diocese they’re located in or *religious priests* , whose affiliation is with a particular religious group. A diocesan priest, upon being ordained, makes a promise of obedience and celibacy (not an oath!) to his bishop. Religious priests are known by the religious group they belong to, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, Augustinians etc.
• A diocesan priest wears a soutane. A religious wear a the “habit” as a sign of his consecration to God in the religious group he belongs to. He also takes vows of poverty (by which he renounces “the power of ownership”), chastity (faithfulness to God by being celibate), and obedience (to do the will of God through his superiors).
• A diocesan priest is on the payroll of his parish and is allowed to run a bank account and acquire property. A religious priest only gets a monthly stipend to take care of his personal needs. He can neither run a personal bank account nor own properties since he has relinquished that right through the profession of religious vows.
• Priests may receive gifts for blessing people and ministering to them but he never charges any fees for his services. It is sinful and sacrilegious for a priest to ask for money while performing his sacred ministry.
• A priest cannot be “sacked” from his ministry. It is not a job. He cannot resign and return to the lay state of life either. He is a priest forever in the order of Christ, the eternal High Priest.
• Perseverance in the priesthood is impossible without the grace of God. This grace is made available through prayer. Only priests who pray can persevere. The people must also pray, in our day as never before, for their priests. The salvation of souls hinges on the fidelity of priests to Christ.
St. John Vianney, whom the Church venerates as the patron saint of parish priests, ministered effectively to his parishioners. He regularly visited the sick and families, collected and managed funds for his charitable and missionary works. He embellished and furnished his parish church, cared for the orphans, provided for the education of children, and enlisted lay persons to work with him. His life is worthy of emulation by all priests today.
*Prayer*
Lord, bless those you have called as priests to serve your people. Reward their fidelity, self-sacrifice and devotion. May they grow in holiness, knowledge and wisdom.
