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CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY
DIRECTORY
FOR THE MINISTERY
AND THE LIFE OF PRIESTS
NEW EDITION

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Cover :
Victor Meirelles (1832-1903)
First Mass in Brazil, 1860, 268 cm x 356 cm
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro
© Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana - 00120 Città del Vaticano
Tel. 06.698.81032 - Fax 06-698.84176
ISBN 978-88-209-8996-…………….
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PRESENTATION
The phenomenon of “secularisation” – the tendency to
live life in a horizontal projection, setting aside or neutralising
the dimension of transcendence while nonetheless accepting
religious discourse – has for several decades been involving all
baptized persons without exception to such a degree as to en-
gage those, whose task it is by divine mandate to guide the
Church, to take resolute positions. One of the most relevant
effects of this is the departure from religious practice, with a
refusal – at times conscious, and at other times induced by ha-
bitual forms of conduct insidiously imposed by a culture de-
termined to dechristianise civil society – of the depositum fidei as
authentically taught by the Catholic Magisterium, as well as the
authority and role of the sacred ministers called by Christ to
Himself (Mk 3:13-19) to cooperate in his plan of salvation and
to lead men to the obedience of the faith (Sir 48:10; Heb 4:1-
11; Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 144 ff.).
Hence the special commitment deployed by Benedict XVI
from the outset of his pontificate, at times with a revaluation
of Catholic doctrine as the organic ordering of the wisdom au-
thentically revealed by God, and which in Christ has its fulfil-
ment, doctrine whose true value is within the grasp of the in-
telligence of all men (CCC, n. 27 ff.).
If it is true that the Church exists, lives and is perpetuated
in time through the mission of evangelisation (cf. Vatican
Council II, Decree Ad Gentes), it is nonetheless clear that the
most deleterious effect on it caused by rampant secularisation
is the crisis of the priestly ministry. On one hand this becomes
evident in the appreciable decline in vocations and, on the
other hand, in the spread of a true and concrete loss of the su-
pernatural sense of the priestly mission; these forms of non au-
thenticity, which in their most extreme degenerate expressions
have often brought to the surface situations of grave suffering.
For this reason the reflection on the future of the priesthood
coincides with the future of evangelisation, and hence that of
the Church itself.
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In 1992, Blessed John Paul II, in the post-synodal Apos-
tolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, had already brought abun-
dant light to shine on what we are saying, and was then the
driving force behind serious consideration being given to this
issue through a series of statements and initiatives.
Undoubtedly to be recalled in a particular way among the
latter is the Year for Priests, 2009-2010, celebrated in such a
meaningful way in connection with the 150th anniversary of the
death of St. John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish
priests and priests caring for souls.
These were the fundamental reasons why, after a lengthy
series of consultations, we undertook to prepare the first edi-
tion of the Directory for the Ministry and Life of Priests in 1994, an
instrument suited to shedding light and to be a guide in the
commitment to spiritual renewal of the sacred ministers, in-
creasingly disoriented apostles, immersed in a difficult and
constantly changing world.
The fruitful experience of the Year for Priests (whose
echo still resounds), the promotion of a “new evangelisation”,
the further and most precious indications provided by the Mag-
isterium of Benedict XVI, and, unfortunately, the sorrowful
wounds that have tormented the Church due to the conduct of
some of its ministers, have exhorted us to consider a new edi-
tion of the Directory that could be more consonant with the
times we are living, while nonetheless maintaining substantially
unchanged the layout of the original document, as well as,
naturally, the perennial teaching of the theology and spirituality
of the Catholic priesthood. From the Directory’s brief introduc-
tion its intentions are already clear: “It seemed opportune to re-
call those fundamental doctrinal elements that are at the centre
of the identity, the spirituality and the ongoing formation of
priests so they may help deepen the meaning of being a priest
and heighten his exclusive relationship with Jesus Christ, Head
and Shepherd: this will necessarily be to the benefit of every-
thing a priest is and does… This Directory is a document for the
edification and sanctification of priests in a world both secular-
lized and indifferent in so many ways”.
It would be worth the effort to consider some of those
traditional themes that have been gradually overshadowed or at
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times openly rejected in favour of a functional vision of the
priest as a “professional of sacredness”, or the “political” con-
ception that confers dignity and value on him only if he is ac-
tive in social affairs. All this has often overwhelmed the most
characteristic dimension, which could be defined as the “sac-
ramental” dimension of the priest, that is to say the minister,
who, while bestowing the treasures of divine grace, is the rep-
resentation of Christ in his own right and, while ever remaining
with the limits of a humanity wounded by sin, is a mysterious
presence in the world.
First and foremost is the priest’s relationship with the Tri-
une God. The revelation of God as Father, Son and Holy
Spirit is linked to the manifestation of God as Love which cre-
ates and saves. Now, if redemption is a sort of creation and an
extension thereof (in fact it is called “new”), then the priest,
the minister of redemption and in light of his being a source of
new life, thereby becomes an instrument of the new creation.
This already suffices to project the greatness of the ordained
minister, independently from his capacities and his talents, his
limits and his miseries. This is what led St. Francis of Assisi to
write in his Testament: “I am determined to reverence, love and
honour these and all the others as my superiors. I refuse to
consider their sins, because I can see the Son of God in them
and they are my superiors. I do this because in this world I
cannot see the most high Son of God with my own eyes ex-
cept for his most holy Body and Blood which they receive and
they alone administer to others”. That is the Body and Blood
which regenerate humanity.
Another important point ordinarily underscored all too lit-
tle, but stemming forth from which are all practical implica-
tions, is the ontological dimension of prayer, where the Liturgy
of the Hours occupies a special position. Often stressed on the
liturgical level is how it is a sort of prolongation of the Eucha-
ristic sacrifice (Ps 49: “Those honour me who offer praise in
sacrifice”), and, on the juridical level, how it is an irrevocable
duty. However, in the theological view of the ordained priest-
hood as ontological participation in the “headship” of Christ,
the prayer of the sacred minister, no matter what his moral
condition may be, is to all effects and purposes the prayer of
Christ, with the same dignity and the same efficacy. Moreover,
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with the authority the Pastors have received from the Son of
God
earth
to
for
“commit” Heaven regarding
the good of the sanctification
oqfuebsetliioenvesrsre(sMoltv1e8d:1o8n),
it fully complies with the Lord’s command to pray always, at all
times and without ever losing heart (Lk 18:1; 21:36). It is good
to insist on this point. “We know that God does not listen to
sinners, but if one honours God and does his will, God will lis-
ten to him” (Jn 9:31). Now, who more than Christ in person
honours the Father and perfectly fulfils his will? Therefore, if
the priest acts in Persona Christi in everything he does in his par-
ticipation in redemption – with the due differences; in teach-
ing, in sanctification, in guiding the faithful to salvation – noth-
ing in his nature as a sinner can obfuscate the power of his
prayer. This obviously must not induce us to minimise the im-
portance of the minister’s upright moral conduct (just like that
of any baptized person), whose measure must be the holiness
of God (Lev 20:8; 1Pet 1:15-16); rather it serves to highlight
how salvation comes from God, how he needs priests to per-
petuate it in time, and how unnecessary are complicated ascetic
practices or particular forms of spiritual expression, so all men
may be able to benefit from the beneficial effects of Christ’s
sacrifice also through the prayer of pastors chosen for them.
Stressed yet again is the importance of the priest’s forma-
tion, which must be integral and without privileging one aspect
to the detriment of another. In any case, the essence of Chris-
tian formation cannot be understood as a sort of “training”
that touches on human spiritual faculties (intelligence and will)
in what we could call their external manifestation. Formation is
the transformation of the selfsame being of man, and each on-
tological change can only be brought about by God himself
through the Holy Spirit, whose task, as we say in the Creed, is
“to give life”. “To form” means to give shape to something, or
in our case to Someone: “We know that by turning everything
to their good God cooperates with all those who love him, and
all those that he has called to his purpose. They are the ones he
choose specially long ago and intended to become true images
of his Son” (Rm 8:28-29). Since the priest is, as we said above,
a sort of “co-creator”, his formation requires an exceptional
act of abandonment to the workings of the Holy Spirit, avoid-
ing, albeit in the enhancement of his personal talents, the dan-
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ger of activism, or belief that the efficacy of his pastoral work
depends on his own skills. When considered in depth, this is a
point that may certainly inspire confidence in those who, in
this extensively secularised world deaf to the appeals of the
faith, could quite easily slip into discouragement, and from that
into pastoral mediocrity and tepidity, and ultimately into ques-
tioning that mission they had so enthusiastically embraced at
the outset.
Good knowledge of the human sciences (in particular of
philosophy and bioethics) in order to deal head on with the
challenges of laicism; the valorisation and use of the means of
mass communication enhancing the efficacy of the announce-
ment of the Word; Eucharistic spirituality as a specificity of
priestly spirituality (the Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ
who becomes an unconditioned and total gift of love to the
Father and his brothers), and on this depends the sense of
celibacy (which is opposed buy certain voices as it is badly un-
derstood); the relationship with the ecclesiastic hierarchy and
priestly fraternity; love for Mary, the Mother of priests, whose
role in the economy of salvation is in the forefront as an ele-
ment neither decorative nor optional, but essential. These and
other themes are taken up in this Directory, in a clear and
complete paradigm helpful in purifying equivocal or distorted
ideas about the identity and function of the minister of God in
the Church and in the world. The Directory can therefore be,
above all, of assistance to each priest in feeling proud to be a
special member of that marvellous plan of God, which is the
salvation of humankind.
MAURO CParredfe.cPt IACENZA
TitulCarEALSrOchMbisSOheoRcprGeotAaf rIyARUlbZaUmBaIrEitTtiAma
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INTRODUCTION
Benedict XVI, in his address on 12 March 2010 to the par-
ticipants at the Conference organized by the Congregation for
the Clergy, recalled that “the theme of priestly identity is cru-
cial to the exercise of the ministerial priesthood, today and in
the future”. These words mark one of the central questions for
the life of the Church, this being the comprehension of the or-
dained ministry.
Some years ago, drawing inspiration from the Church’s
rich experience regarding the ministry and the life of priests
condensed in diverse documents of the Magisterium1, and in
particular the substance of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhor-
tation Pastores dabo vobis2, this Dicasterium issued the Directory on
the Ministry and Life of Priests3. When published, that document
responded to a fundamental requirement: “The pressing pas-
1 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
on the Church Lumen gentium: AAS 57 (1965), 28; Decree on Priestly
Formation Optatam Totius: AAS 58 (1966), 22; Decree on the Pastoral Office
of Bishops Christus Dominus: AAS 58 (1966), 16; Decree on the Ministry and
Life of Priests Presbyterorum Ordinis: AAS 58 (1966), 991-1024; PAUL VI,
Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus (24 June 1967): AAS 59 (1967), 657-697;
SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular Letter Inter ea (4
November 1969): AAS 62 (1970), 123-134; SYNOD OF BISHOPS, Document on
the Ministerial Priesthood Ultimis temporibus (30 November 1971): AAS 63
(1971), 898-922; Codex Iuris Canonici (25 January 1983) can. 273-289; 232-264;
1008-1054; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Ratio
Fundamentalis Institutiones Sacerdotalis (19 March 1985), 101; JOHN PAUL II,
Letters to all the Priests of the Church on Holy Thursday; Catechesis on
Priests, in the General Audiences from 31 March to 22 September 1993.
2 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis (25 March 1992): AAS 84 (1992), 657-804.
3 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Directory on the Ministry and the
Life of Priests, (31 March, 1994), LEV, Vatican City 1994.
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toral task of the new calls for evangelisation the involvement
of the entire People of God and requires new fervour, new
methods and a new expression for the proclamation of and
witness to the Gospel. This task demands priests who are
deeply and fully immersed in the mystery of Christ and capable
of embodying a new style of pastoral life”4. In 1994 this afore-
mentioned Directory constituted a response to this need, as well
as to the requests made by numerous bishops both during the
Synod of 1990 and in the course of the general consultation of
the Episcopate conducted by this Dicastery.
After 1994, the Magisterium of Blessed John Paul II
abounded with material on the priesthood; a theme which
Pope Benedict XVI in his turn has deepened with his numer-
ous teachings. The Year for Priests 2009-2010 proved to be an
especially propitious time for meditating on the priestly minis-
try and promoting an authentic spiritual renewal of priests.
Lastly, with the passage of competency over seminaries
from the Congregation for Catholic Education to this Di-
castery Benedict XVI wished to indicate quite clearly the indi-
visible bond between priestly identity and the formation of
those called to the sacred ministry.
It therefore seemed necessary to prepare an updated ver-
sion of the Directory that would include the riches of the more
recent rich Magisterium5. This new version quite obviously re-
4 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 18.
5 Cf., for example, JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter issued in Motu
Proprio, Misericordia Dei (7 April 2002): AAS 94 (2002), 452-459; Encyclical
Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 April 2003): AAS 95 (2003), 433-475; Post-
Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores gregis (16 October 2003) AAS 99
(2007), 105-180; Letter to Priests (1995-2002; 2004-2005); BENEDICT XVI,
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis (22 February 2007)
AAS 94 (2002), 452-459; Message to the Participants at the XX edition of the Course
for the Internal Forum, Organised by the Apostolic Penitentiary (12 March 2009);
Insegnamenti V/1 (2009), 374-377; Speech to the Participants at the Plenary of the
Congregation for the Clergy (16 March 2009): Insegnamenti V/1 (2009), 391-394;
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spects in general terms the layout of the original document,
which was very well received in the Church, especially by priests
themselves. Kept in mind when outlining its content were the
suggestions received from the entire world episcopate, consulted
expressly to that end, the outcome of the proceedings of the
Plenary Congregation held in Vatican City in October 1993,
and, lastly, the reflections of many theologians, canonists and
experts on the matter from different parts of the world and ac-
tively present in today’s pastoral situations.
In updating the Directory an effort was made to place the
accent on the most relevant aspects of magisterial teaching on
the sacred ministry developed from 1994 to our present day
and time, with references to the most essential documents of
Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Retained as well have
been the useful indications of a practical nature for undertak-
ing initiatives, but without entering into those details that only
legitimate local practices and the real conditions of each Dio-
cese and Episcopal Conference will be able to counsel to the
wisdom and zeal of pastors.
In light of today’s cultural climate it is opportune to recall
that the identity of the priest as a man of God is not outmoded
and never will be. It seemed opportune to recall those funda-
mental doctrinal elements that are at the centre of the identity,
spiritual life and ongoing formation of priests so they may help
deepen the meaning of being a priest and heighten his exclusive
relationship with Jesus Christ, Head and Shepherd: this will nec-
essarily be to the benefit of everything a priest is and does.
Moreover, as stated in the Introduction to the first edition
Letter Proclaiming a Year for Priests on the Occasion of the 150th Anniversary of the
“Dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney (16 June 2009): AAS 101 (2009), 569-579;
Address to the Participants at the Course Organised by the Apostolic Penitentiary (11
March 2010): Insegnamenti VI/1 (2010), 318-321; Address to the Participants at the
Theological Conference Organised by the Congregation for the Clergy (12 March 2010):
AAS 102 (2010), 240; Vigil on the Occasion of the Conclusion of the Year for Priests
(10 June 2010): AAS 102 (2010), 397-406; Letter to Seminarians (18 October
2010): AAS 102 (2010), 793-798.
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of the Directory, neither does this updated version intend to offer
an exhaustive exposition on the ordained priesthood, nor is it
limited to a mere repetition of what has already been authenti-
cally declared by the Magisterium of the Church, but rather it is
intended to respond to the principal questions of a doctrinal,
disciplinary and pastoral nature posed to priests by the chal-
lenges of the new evangelisation, in view of which Pope Bene-
dict XVI saw it fit to create a special Pontifical Council6.
Therefore, by way of example, special emphasis has been
placed on the Christological dimension of the priest’s identity,
as well as on communion, friendship and priestly fraternity,
which are considered vital goods in light of their impact on a
priest’s existence. The same may be said about a priest’s spiri-
tual life insofar as it is founded on the Word and the Sacra-
ments, especially the Eucharist. Lastly, some advice is offered
for suitable ongoing formation understood as a source of assis-
tance for deepening the meaning of being a priest, and thereby
joyfully and responsibly living one’s vocation.
This Directory is a document for the edification and sancti-
fication of priests in a world both secularlised and indifferent
in so many ways. The text is mainly addressed, through the
Bishops, to all the priests of the Latin Church, even if much of
its content can be of benefit for priests of other Rites. The di-
rectives contained herein concern, in particular, the secular di-
ocesan priests, although many of them, with due adaptations,
should also be taken into consideration by the priest members
of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic
Life.
As mentioned at the outset, however, this new edition of
the Directory represents a source of assistance for formators in
seminaries and candidates for the ordained ministry. The semi-
nary represents the moment and the place for the growth and
6 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio,
Ubicumque et semper in which the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the
New Evangelisation was established (21 September 2010): AAS 102 (2010),
788-792.
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maturation of the knowledge of the mystery of Christ and,
with it, the awareness that while the authenticity of our love
for God is gauged externally on the love we have for love for
our neighbours and brethren (cf. 1Jn 4:20-21), interiorly speak-
ing, love for the Church is true only if it is the consequence of
an intensive and exclusive bond with Christ. Reflecting on the
priesthood is therefore tantamount to meditating on He for
whom a person is prepared to leave everything and follow
Him. (cf. Mk 10:17-30). In this manner the work of formation
is identified in its essence with knowledge of the Son of God,
which through the prophetic, priestly and kingly mission leads
each person to the Father through the Spirit: “And to some,
his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to
some, evangelists; to some pastors and teachers; so that the
saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up
the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in
our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we
become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of
Christ himself” (Eph 4:11-13).
It is therefore hoped that this new edition of the Directory
for the Ministry and Life of Priests may be for each man called to
participate in the priesthood of Christ, Head and Shepherd, a
source of help in deepening his own vocational identity and
growing in his interior life; a source of encouragement in the
ministry and in carrying out his own ongoing formation, for
which everyone bears primary responsibility; a point of refer-
ence for a rich and authentic apostolate for the good of the
Church and the whole world.
May Mary make echo in our hearts, day after day, and es-
pecially when we prepare to celebrate the Sacrifice at the Altar,
her words at the wedding in Cana of Galilee: “Do whatever he
tells you” (Jn 2:5). We entrust ourselves to Mary, the Mother of
priests, with the prayer of Pope Benedict XVI:
Mother of the Church,
we priests want to be pastors
who do not feed themselves
but rather give themselves to God for their brethren,
finding their happiness in this.
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Not only with words, but with our lives,
we want to repeat humbly,
day after day,
our “here I am”.
Guided by you,
we want to be Apostles
of Divine Mercy,
glad to celebrate every day
the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar
and to offer to those who request it
the sacrament of Reconciliation.
Advocate and Mediatrix of grace,
you who are fully immersed
in the one universal mediation of Christ,
invoke upon us, from God,
a heart completely renewed
that loves God with all its strength
and serves mankind as you did.
Repeat to the Lord
your efficacious word:
“They have no wine” (Jn 2:3),
so that the Father and the Son will send upon us
a new outpouring of
the Holy Spirit 7.
7 BENEDICT XVI, Act of Entrustment and Consecration of Priests to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary (12 May 2010): Insegnamenti VI/1 (2010), 690-691.
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I. THE IDENTITY OF THE PRIEST
In his post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vo-
bis, Blessed John Paul II depicts the identity of the priest: “In
the Church and on behalf of the Church, priests are a
sacramental representation of Jesus Christ – the head and
shepherd – authoritatively proclaiming his word, repeating his
acts of forgiveness and his offer of salvation – particularly in
baptism, penance and the Eucharist, showing his loving
concern to the point of a total gift of self for the flock, which
they gather into unity and lead to the Father through Christ
and in the Spirit”8.
The Priesthood as Gift
1. The entire Church participates in the priestly anointing
of Christ in the Holy Spirit. In the Church, in fact, “all the
faithful form a holy and royal priesthood, offer spiritual sacri-
fices through Jesus Christ and proclaim the greatness of Him
who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light
(cf. 1Pt 2:5.9)”9. In Christ, his entire Mystical Body is united to
the Father through the Holy Spirit for the salvation of all men.
The Church, however, cannot pursue this mission alone:
all her work intrinsically needs communion with Christ, the
Head of his Body. Indissolubly united to her Lord, from Him
does she continuously receive the effects of grace and truth, of
guidance and support (cf. Col 2:19), so she may be for one and
all “a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God
and of unity among all men”10.
8 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores dabo
vobis, 15.
9 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2.
10 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution,
Lumen gentium, 1.
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The ministerial priesthood finds its reason for being in
light of this vital and operative union of the Church with
Christ. As a result, through this ministry the Lord continues to
accomplish among his People the work which as Head of his
Body belongs to him alone. Thus, the ministerial priesthood
renders tangible the actual work of Christ, the Head, and bears
witness to the fact that Christ has not separated Himself from
his Church, but continues to give life to her through his ever-
lasting priesthood. For this reason the Church considers the
ministerial priesthood a gift given to Her through the ministry
of some of her faithful.
This gift, instituted by Christ to continue his mission of
salvation, was initially conferred upon the Apostles and con-
tinues in the Church through the Bishops their successors,
who, in their turn, transmit it in a subordinate degree to priests
as co-workers of the Episcopal order; this is the reason why
the latter’s identity in the Church stems forth from their con-
formation to the mission of the Church, which, for the priest,
is realised in its turn in communion with his Bishop11. “The
priest’s vocation is thus most exalted and remains a great
mystery, even to us who have received it as a gift. Our
limitations and weaknesses must prompt us to live out and
preserve with a deep faith this precious gift with which Christ
has configured us to him, making us participators in his saving
Mission”12.
Sacramental roots
2. Through the sacramental ordination conferred by the
imposition of hands and the consecratory prayer of the
Bishop, there is established in the presbyterate “a specific on-
11 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree, Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 2.
12 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Participants at the Theological Conference
Organised by the Congregation for the Clergy (12 March 2010): l.c., 242.
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tological bond which unites the priest to Christ, High Priest
and Good Shepherd”13.
Thus, the identity of the priest stems from the specific
participation in the Priesthood of Christ, whereby he who is
ordained becomes, in the Church and for the Church, a real,
living and faithful image of Christ the Priest, “a sacramental
representation of Christ, Head and Shepherd”14. Through con-
secration the priest “receives a ‘spiritual power’ as a gift, which
is participation in the authority with which Jesus Christ,
through his Spirit, guides the Church”15.
This sacramental identification with the Eternal High
Priest specifically inserts the priest into the Trinitarian mystery
and, through the mystery of Christ, into the ministerial com-
munion of the Church in order to serve the People of God16,
not as an attendant to religious matters, but as Christ, “who
came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ran-
som for many” (Mt 20:28). It is not surprising, therefore, that
“the internal principle, the virtue which animates and guides
the spiritual life of the priest inasmuch as he is configured to
Christ the Head and Shepherd, is pastoral charity, as a
participation in Jesus Christ’s own pastoral charity, a gift freely
bestowed by the Holy Spirit and likewise a task and a call which
demand a free and committed response on the part of the
priest”17.
At the same time it must not be forgotten that each priest
is unique as a person, and possesses his own ways of being.
Everyone is unique and irreplaceable. God does not cancel the
personality of a priest; on the contrary, he wants it in its en-
tirety, wishing to avail himself of it – grace, in fact, builds on
13 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores dabo
vobis, 1.
14 Ibid., 15.
15 Ibid., 21; cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree,
Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2; 12.
16 Cf. Ibid., 12.
17 Ibid., 23.
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nature – so the priest may transmit the deepest and most pre-
cious truths through its characteristics, which God respects
and others must respect as well.
1.1. The Trinitarian dimension
In communion with the Father, the Son and the Spirit
3. Each Christian, by means of Baptism, enters into com-
munion with God, One and Triune, who communicates His
divine life to him in order to make him become adoptive son
in His Only Son; therefore he is called to recognise God as Fa-
ther, and through divine filiation to experience the paternal
providence that never abandons its children. If this is true for
each Christian it is equally true that the priest, by virtue of the
consecration received with the sacrament of Holy Orders, is
placed in a particular and special relationship with the Father,
with the Son and with the Holy Spirit. In fact, “our identity has
its ultimate source in the charity of the Father. He sent the
Son, High Priest and Good Shepherd, and we are united sac-
ramentally with the ministerial priesthood through the action
of the Holy Spirit. The life and ministry of the priest are a con-
tinuation of the life and action of the same Christ. This is our
identity, our true dignity, the fountain of our joy, the certainty
of our life”18.
Therefore, the identity, the ministry and the existence of
the priest are essentially related with the Most Holy Trinity
with a view to the priestly service to the Church and to all
men.
In the Trinitarian Dynamics of Salvation
4. The priest, “as a visible continuation and sacramental
sign of Christ in his own position before the Church and the
world, as the enduring and ever-new source of salvation”19,
18 Ibid., 18; Message of the Synod Fathers to the People of God (28 October
1990), III: “L’Osservatore Romano”, 29-30 October 1990.
19 Ibid., 16.
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finds himself inserted into the Trinitarian dynamics with a par-
ticular responsibility. His identity springs forth from the minis-
terium verbi et sacramentorum, which is in essential relationship
with the mystery of salvific love of the Father (cf. Jn 17:6-9.24;
1Cor 1:1; 2Cor 1:1), with the priestly being of Christ, who per-
sonally chooses and calls his ministers to be with Him (cf. Mk
3:15), and with the gift of the Spirit (cf. Jn 20:21), who com-
municates to the priest the necessary force for giving life to a
multitude of children of God, called together in His one Peo-
ple and journeying towards the Kingdom of the Father.
Intimate relationship with the Trinity
5. From this it is possible to perceive the essentially rela-
tional characteristic (cf. Jn 17:11.21)20 of the priest’s identity.
The grace and indelible character conferred with the sac-
ramental anointing of the Holy Spirit21 therefore place the
priest in personal relationship with the Trinity since it is the
wellspring of priestly being and action.
From the very outset the conciliar Decree Presbyterorum Or-
dinis underscores the fundamental relationship between the
priest and the Most Holy Trinity, with distinct reference to
each of the three Divine Persons: “Because it is joined with the
Episcopal order, the office of priests shares in the authority by
which Christ himself builds up and sanctifies and rules his
Body. Hence the priesthood, while presupposing the sacra-
ments of initiation, is nevertheless conferred by its own par-
ticular sacrament. Through that sacrament priests by the
anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character
and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a way that
they are able to act in the person of Christ the head. […]
Therefore the object that priests strive for by their ministry
20 Cf. Ibid., 12.
21 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF TRENT, Sessio XXIII, De sacramento
Ordinis: DS, 1763-1778; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Pastores dabo Vobis, 11-18; General Audience (31 March 1993): Insegnamenti
XVI/1, 784-797.
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and life is the procuring of the glory of God the Father in
Christ”22.
Therefore, the priest must necessarily live this relationship
in an intimate and personal manner, in dialogue of adoration
and love with the three divine Persons, conscious that the gift
has been received and has been given for the service of all.
1.2. The Christological Dimension
Specific identity
6. The Christological dimension, like the Trinitarian di-
mension, springs directly from the sacrament which ontologi-
cally configures the priest to Christ the Priest, Master, Sancti-
fier and Pastor of his People23. Moreover, priests participate in
the one priesthood of Christ as co-workers of the Bishops: this
determination is specifically sacramental in nature and hence
cannot be interpreted in merely ‘organisational’ terms.
Bestowed upon those faithful who, remaining in the com-
mon or baptismal priesthood, are chosen and constituted in
the ministerial priesthood is an indelible participation in the
one and only priesthood of Christ in the public dimension of
mediation and authority regarding the sanctification, teaching
and guidance of all the People of God. On one hand, the
common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hier-
archical priesthood are necessarily ordered one for the other,
because each in its own way participates in the only priesthood
of Christ, and, on the other hand, they are essentially different
and not only in degree.24.
In this sense the identity of the priest is new with respect
to that of all Christians, who, through Baptism, already partici-
22 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2.
23 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 18-31; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2; C.I.C., can. 1008.
24 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution,
Lumen gentium, 10; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2.
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pate as a whole in the one and only priesthood of Christ, and
are called to bear witness to Him throughout the earth25. The
specificity of the ministerial priesthood, however, is defined
not on the basis of its supposed “superiority” over the com-
mon priesthood, but rather by the service it is called to carry
out for all the faithful so they may adhere to the mediation and
Lordship of Christ rendered visible by the exercise of the min-
isterial priesthood.
In this his specific Christological identity the priest must
be aware that his life is a mystery totally grafted onto the mys-
tery of Christ and of the Church in a new way, and that this
engages him totally in the pastoral ministry and gives sense to
his life26. This awareness of his identity is particularly impor-
tant in today’s secularised cultural context where “the priest
often appears ‘foreign’ to the common perception. This is
precisely because of the most fundamental aspects of his
ministry, such as, being a man of the sacred, removed from the
world to intercede on behalf of the world and being appointed
to this mission by God and not by men (cf. Heb 5:1)”27.
7. This awareness – founded on the ontological bond with
Christ – maintains due distance from “task performance” no-
tions that have sought to look upon the priest as nothing more
than a social worker or administrator of sacred rites “at the risk
of betraying Christ’s Priesthood itself”28 and reduce the life of
the priest to the mere expedition of duties. All men have a
natural religious yearning which distinguishes them from all
other living beings and makes them seekers of God. Therefore,
persons seek in the priest the man of God in whom they can
25 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Apostolicam actuosi-
tatem: AAS 58 (1966), 3; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Christifideles laici (30 December 1988), 14: AAS 81 (1989), 409-413.
26 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 13-14; General Audience (31 March 1993).
27 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Participants at the Theological Conference
Organised by the Congregation for the Clergy (12 March 2010).
28 Ibid.
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discover His Word, His Mercy and the Bread of heaven, which
“gives Life to the world” (Jn 6:33): “God is the only treasure
which ultimately people desire to find in a priest”29.
Insofar as aware of his identity, the priest will see exploita-
tion, misery or oppression, the secularised and relativistic men-
tality that casts doubts on the fundamental truths of our faith,
or so many other situations of the post modern culture as oc-
casions for exercising his specific ministry as shepherd called
to proclaim Gospel to the world. The priest is, “chosen from
among men and appointed to act for men in their relations
with God” (Heb 5:1). Before souls he announces the mystery
of Christ, only in the light of which is the mystery of man un-
derstood in full30.
Consecration and Mission
8. Christ associates the Apostles to his selfsame mission.
“As the Father has sent me, I also send you” (Jn 20:21). The
missionary dimension is ontologically present in Holy Ordina-
tion itself. The priest is chosen, consecrated and sent forth to
render effectively in our time this eternal mission of Christ31,
whose authentic representative and messenger he becomes. It
is not a matter of a mere function of extrinsic representation,
but constitutes a true instrument for the transmission of the
grace of Redemption: “He who hears you, hears me; he who
despises you, despises me; and he who despises me, despises
him who sent me” (Lk 10:16).
It can therefore be said that the configuration to Christ
through sacramental consecration defines the priest within the
People of God, making him participate in his own way in the
29 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Participants at the Plenary of the
Congregation for the Clergy (16 March 2009).
30 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Gaudium et
spes 22: AAS 58 (1966), 1042.
31
Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH,
Declaration Dominus Iesus on the Oneness and Salvific Universality of Jesus
Christ and of the Church (6 August 2000), 13-15: AAS 92 (2000), 754-756.
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sanctifying, magisterial and pastoral power of Jesus Christ him-
self, Head and Pastor of the Church32. Becoming increasingly
like unto Christ, the priest is – thanks to Him, and not himself
– a co-worker in the salvation of his brethren: it is no longer he
who lives and exists, but Christ in him (cf. Ga 2:20).
Acting in Persona Christi Capitis, the priest becomes the minis-
ter of essential salvific acts, transmits the truths necessary for sal-
vation and feeds the People of God, leading it towards holiness33.
Nonetheless, the conformation of the priest to Christ
takes place not only through his evangelising, sacramental and
pastoral endeavours. It also transpires in self-oblation and ex-
piation, that is to say in accepting with love the sufferings and
sacrifices proper to the priestly ministry34. The Apostle St. Paul
projected this qualifying dimension of the ministry with these
well known words: “It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I
am suffering now, and in my own body to do what I can to
make up for all that still has to be undergone by Christ for the
sake of his body, the Church” (Col 1:24).
1.3. The Pneumatological Dimension
Sacramental Character
9. In priestly Ordination the priest has received the seal of
the Holy Spirit, which has made him a man marked by the sac-
ramental character in order to the minister of Christ and the
Church forever. Assured by the promise that the Consoler will
always abide with him (cf. Jn 14:16-17), the priest knows he
will never lose the presence and the effective power of the
Holy Spirit in order to be able to exercise his ministry and live
pastoral charity – the source, criterion and measure of love and
service – as total gift of self for the salvation of his own breth-
32 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 18.
33 Cf. Ibid., 15.
34 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordi-
nis, 12.
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ren. This charity determines in the priest the way he thinks,
acts and conducts himself.
Personal Communion with the Holy Spirit
10. It is also the Holy Spirit who by Ordination confers on
the priest the prophetic task of announcing and explaining the
Word of God with authority. Inserted in the communion of
the Church with the entire priestly order, the priest will be
guided by the Spirit of Truth whom the Father has sent
through Christ, and who teaches him everything, reminding
him of everything Jesus said to the Apostles. Therefore, the
priest, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the study of the Word
of God in the Scriptures, and in light of both Tradition and the
Magisterium35, discovers the richness of the Word to be pro-
claimed to the ecclesial community entrusted to his care.
Invocation of the Spirit
11. The priest is anointed by the Holy Spirit. This entails
not only the gift of the indelible sign conferred by anointment,
but the task to ceaselessly invoke the Paraclete – the gift of the
Risen Christ – without whom the ministry of the priest would
be sterile. Each day the priest asks for the light of the Holy
Spirit in order to imitate Christ.
Through the sacramental character and identifying his in-
tention with that of the Church, the priest is always in com-
munion with the Holy Spirit in the celebration of the liturgy,
especially in the Eucharist and the other sacraments. In fact, it
is Christ who acts on behalf of the Church through the Holy
Spirit invoked in his efficacious power by the priest who cele-
brates in Persona Christi36.
35 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Dei Verbum: AAS 58 (1966), 10; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 4.
36 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis , 5; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1120.
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Thus, the sacramental celebration draws its efficacy from
the word of Christ, who instituted it, and the power of the
Spirit invoked by the Church in the epiclesis.
This is particularly evident in the Eucharistic Prayer in
which the priest, invoking the power of the Holy Spirit on the
bread and on the wine, pronounces the words of Jesus so that
the transubstantiation of the bread into the “given” body of
Christ and of the wine into the “shed” blood of Christ may
take place, and rendered sacramentally present may be his one
redeeming sacrifice37.
Strength to guide the Community
12. It is thus in the communion with the Holy Spirit that
the priest finds the strength to guide the community entrusted
to him and preserve it in the unity willed by the Lord38. The
prayer of the priest in the Holy Spirit can be patterned on the
priestly prayer of Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 17). Therefore, he must
pray for the unity of the faithful so they may be one in order
for the world to believe that the Father has sent the Son for
the salvation of all.
1.4. The Ecclesiological Dimension
“In” and “in the forefront of” the Church
13. Christ, the permanent and ever new origin of salvation,
is the germinal mystery springing forth from which is the mys-
tery of the Church, his Body and his Bride, called by her
Spouse to be a sign and instrument of redemption. Through
the work entrusted to the Apostles and their successors Christ
continues to give life to his Church. It is in the Church that the
ministry of priests finds its natural locus and carries out its mis-
sion.
37 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacra-
mentum caritatis, 13; 48.
38 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordi-
nis, 6.
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Through the mystery of Christ, the priest, exercising his
multifaceted ministry, is inserted into mystery of the Church,
which “becomes aware in faith that her being comes not from
herself, but from the grace of Christ in the Holy Spirit”39. In
this sense, while the priest is in the Church, he is also placed in
the forefront of it40.
The eminent expression of this position of the priest in
and in the forefront of the Church is the celebration of the
Eucharist, where “the priest invites the people to raise their
heart to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving, and associates
them to himself in the solemn prayer which he, in the name of
the entire community, addresses to God the Father through
Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit”41.
Participation in the Spousal Nature of Christ
14. The Sacrament of Orders makes the priest partake not
only in the mystery of Christ the Priest, Head and Shepherd,
but in some way also in the mystery of Christ, “Servant and
Spouse of the Church”42. This is the “Body” of Him who has
loved and loves to the point of giving himself for her (cf. Eph
5:25); who renews her and purifies her continually by means of
the Word of God and the sacraments (cf. ibid. 5:26); who
works to make her ever more beautiful (cf. ibid. 5:27), and
lastly, who nourishes her and attends to her with care (cf. ibid.
5:29).
The priests – co-operators with the Episcopal Order –
constitute with their Bishop a unique presbyterate43 and in a
39 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 16.
40 Cf. ibid.
41 Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani (2002), 78.
42 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis , 3.
43 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium 28; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 7; Decree Christus Dominus, 28;
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subordinate degree participate in the only priesthood of Christ.
In likeness to the Bishop they in some way participate in that
spousal dimension regarding the Church, which is so well ex-
pressed with the consignment of the ring in the Rite of Epis-
copal Ordination44.
The priests, who “in each local assembly of the faithful
represent in a certain sense the Bishop, with whom they are as-
sociated in all trust and generosity”45, must be faithful to the
Bride and, much akin to living icons of Christ the Spouse, ren-
der fruitful the multi-form donation of Christ to his Church.
Called with an absolutely gratuitous act of supernatural love,
the priest loves the Church as Christ loved her, consecrating to
her all his energies and offering himself with pastoral charity
unto the daily oblation of his own life.
The Universality of the Priesthood
15. The command of the Lord to go to all nations (cf. Mt
28:18-20) constitutes yet another modality of the priest being in
the forefront of the Church46. Sent – missus – by the Father by
means of Christ, the priest belongs “in an immediate way” to
the universal Church47, whose mission is to announce the
Good News unto “the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8)48.
Decree Ad gentes, 19; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Pastores dabo vobis 17.
44 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium 28; Pontificale romanum, Ordinatio Episcoporum, Presbyterorum et
Diaconorum, ch. I, n. 51, Ed. typica altera, 1990, 26.
45 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 28.
46 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 16.
47 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Letter
on the Church as Communion, Communionis notio (28 May 1992), 10: AAS 85
(1993), 844.
48 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio (7 December
1990), 23: AAS 83 (1991), 269.
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“The spiritual gift received by priests in Ordination pre-
pares them for the fullest and universal mission of salvation”49.
In fact, by virtue of the Orders and the ministry received, all
priests are associated with the Episcopal Body and in hierar-
chical communion with it they serve the good of the entire
Church according to vocation and grace50. The fact of incardi-
nation51 must not enclose the priest in a restricted and particu-
larist mentality, but rather open him to serve the one Church
of Jesus Christ.
In this sense each priest receives a formation that permits
him to serve the universal Church and not only become spe-
cialized in a single place or a particular task. This “formation
for the universal Church” means being ready to face and deal
with the most disparate of circumstances with constant readi-
ness to serve the Church at large in an unconditional manner52.
The Missionary Nature of the Priest for a New Evangelisation
16. The priest, participating in the consecration of Christ,
partakes in his salvific mission according to his ultimate com-
mand: “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave
you” (Mt 28:19-20; cf. Mk 16:15-18; Lk 24:47-48; Ac 1:8). Mis-
sionary tension is a constituent part of the existence of the
49 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis,
10; cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis,
32.
50 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 28; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 7.
51 Cf. C.I.C., can. 266, § 1.
52 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 23; 26; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Directive
Notes Postquam Apostoli (25 March 1980), 5; 14; 23: AAS 72 (1980), 346-347;
353-354; 360-361; TERTULLIAN, De praescriptione, 20, 5-9: CCL 1, 201-202;
CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Letter Communionis notio
on some aspects of the Church understood as communion, 10.
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priest – who is called to become “bread broken for the life of
the world” – because “the first and fundamental mission that
we receive from the sacred mysteries we celebrate is that of
bearing witness with our lives. The wonder we experience as
the gift God has made to us is Christ gives new impulse to our
lives and commits us to becoming witnesses of his love. We
become witnesses when, through our actions, words and ways
of being, another makes himself present”53.
“Priests are called by virtue of the sacrament of Orders to
share in concern for the mission: ‘The spiritual gift that priests
have received in ordination prepares them, not for any narrow
and limited mission, but for the most universal and all embrac-
ing mission of salvation’ […] (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 10). All
priests must have the mind and the heart of missionaries –
open to the needs of the Church and the world”54. This need
of the life of the Church in the modern world must be felt and
lived by each priest. This is why each priest is called to have a
missionary spirit, that is to say a truly ‘catholic’ spirit, which,
beginning from Christ reaches out to all so “they may be saved
and reach full knowledge of the truth” (1Tm 2:4-6).
It is therefore important for the priest to be fully aware of
this missionary reality of his priesthood and live it in total har-
mony with the Church, which, now just as in the past, feels the
need to send her ministers to the places where more urgent is
their mission, especially among the poorest55. Also issuing
forth from this is a more equal distribution of the clergy56. In
53 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum
caritatis, 85.
54 JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, 67.
55 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular Letter The
missionary identity of the Priest in the Church as an Intrinsic Dimension of the Exercise of
the Tria Munera (29 June 2010), 3.3.5, LEV, Vatican City 2011, 307.
56 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium 23; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 10; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis 32; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR
THE CLERGY, Directive Notes Postquam Apostoli (25 March 1980);
CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES, Pastoral Guide for
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this regard it must be recognized how those priests who de-
clare their willingness to exercise their ministry in other dio-
ceses or countries are a great gift for the both the local Church
where they are sent and the local Church which sends them.
17. “There is today, however, a growing confusion which
leads many to leave the missionary command of the Lord un-
heard and ineffective (cf. Mt 28:19). Often it is maintained that
any attempt to convince others on religious matters is a limita-
tion of their freedom. From this perspective, it would only be
legitimate to present one’s own ideas and to invite people to
act according to their consciences, without aiming at their con-
version to Christ and to the Catholic faith. It is enough, so they
say, to help people to become more human or more faithful to
their own religion; it is enough to build communities which
strive for justice, freedom, peace and solidarity. Furthermore,
some maintain that Christ should not be proclaimed to those
who do not know him, nor should joining the Church be pro-
moted, since it would also be possible to be saved without ex-
plicit knowledge of Christ and without formal incorporation in
the Church”57.
The Servant of God Paul VI was addressing himself to
priests as well when he affirmed: “It would be useful if every
Christian and every evangeliser were to pray about the following
thought: men can gain salvation also in other ways, by God’s
mercy, even though we do not preach the Gospel to them; but
as for us, can we gain salvation if through negligence or fear or
shame – what Saint Paul called ‘blushing for the Gospel’ (cf. Rm
1:6) – or as a result of false ideas we fail to preach it? For that
would be to betray the call of God, who wishes the seed to bear
fruit through the voice of the ministers of the Gospel; and it will
depend on us whether this grows into trees and produces its full
Diocesan Priests of the Churches that are Dependent on the Congregation for the
Evangelisation of Peoples ( 1 October 1989), 4: EV 11, 1588-1590; C.I.C., can. 271.
57 CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Doctrinal Note
on Some Aspects of Evangelisation (3 December 2007), 3: AAS 100 (2008), 491.
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fruit”58. Therefore, never more so than today must the cleric feel
himself apostolically committed to uniting all men in Christ, in
his Church. “All men are called to this catholic unity which pre-
figures and promotes universal peace”59.
Inadmissible, therefore, are all those opinions, which, in
the name of a misunderstood respect for local cultures, tend to
distort the missionary action of the Church, called as she is to
carry out the one and the same universal ministry of salvation
that transcends all cultures and must give live to them60. Uni-
versal dilation is intrinsic to the priestly ministry and therefore
inalienable.
18. From the initial days of the Church the apostles
obeyed the last command of the Risen Lord. Following in their
footsteps, the Church down through the centuries “always
evangelises and has never interrupted the journey of evangeli-
sation”61.
“Evangelisation, however, is undertaken differently ac-
cording to the different situations in which it occurs. In its
precise sense, there is the missio ad gentes directed to those who
do not know Christ. In a wider sense, the term ‘eveangelisa-
tion’ is used to describe ordinary pastoral work”62. Evangelisa-
tion is the action of the Church proclaiming the Good News
with a view to conversion, a call to the faith, a personal en-
58 PAUL VI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi (8
December 1975), 80: AAS 68 (1976), 74.
59 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium 13.
60 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES,
Pastoral Guide for Diocesan Priests of the Churches that are Dependent on
the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples: l.c., 1580-1650; JOHN
PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, 54; 67.
61 J. RATZINGER, Conference for the Jubilee of Catechists (10 December
2000): http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents
/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20001210_jubilcatechists-ratzinger_it.html.
62 CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Doctrinal Note
on Some Aspects of Evangelisation (3 December 2007), 12: AAS 100 (2008), 501.
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counter with Jesus, becoming his disciple in the Church, and
undertaking to think like him, to judge like him, and live as he
lived63. Evangelisation begins with the announcement of the
Gospel and experiences its ultimate fulfillment in the holiness
of the disciple, who, as a member of the Church, has become
an evangeliser. In this sense evangelisation is the global action
of the Church, “the central and unifying task of the service
which the Church, and the lay faithful in her, are called to ren-
der to the human family”64.
“The process of evangelisation, consequently, is structured
in stages or ‘essential moments’: missionary activity directed
toward non-believers and those who live in religious indiffer-
ence; initial catechetical activity for those who choose the
Gospel and for those who need to complete or modify their
initiation; pastoral activity directed toward the Christian faith-
ful of mature faith in the bosom of the Christian community.
These moments, however, are not unique: they may be re-
peated, if necessary, as they give evangelical nourishment in
proportion to the spiritual growth of each person or of the en-
tire community”65.
19. “Nonetheless, we do observe a progressive process of
dechristianisation and loss of essential human values, which is
cause for great concern. In the continuing evangelisation of the
Church today, the large majority of the human family does not
find the Gospel, that is to say the convincing response to the
question: ‘How am I to live?’ […]. All men need the Gospel;
the Gospel is destined to all and not only to a specific group of
people, and hence we are obliged to seek new ways to bring
63 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, General Directory for
Catechesis (15 August 1997), 53: LEV, Vatican City 1997, 55-56.
64 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles
laici, 37.
65 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Directory for Catechesis (15
August 1997), 49.
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the Gospel to all”66. Albeit a cause for concern, this decristiani-
sation cannot lead us to harbour doubts regarding the ability of
the Gospel to touch the hearts of our fellow men. “Someone
may ask if the men and women of the post-modern culture, of
the most advanced societies, will still be able to open them-
selves to the Christian kerigma. The answer must be positive.
The kerigma can be understood and embraced by any human
being at any time and in any culture. In addition, even the most
intellectual or simplest environments can be evangelised. We
must also believe that even the so-called post-Christians can be
touched anew by the person of Jesus Christ”67.
It was Pope Paul VI who said that “the conditions of the
society in which we live oblige all of us to revise methods, or
seek by every means to study how we can bring to modern
man the Christian message in which alone he can find the an-
swer to his questions and the strength for his commitment to
human solidarity”68. Blessed John Paul II projected the new
millennium in the following terms: “Today we must coura-
geously face a situation which is becoming increasingly diversi-
fied and demanding, in the context of globalisation and of the
consequent new and uncertain mingling of peoples and cul-
tures that it characterises”69. What has therefore begun is a
“new evangelisation”, which, however, is not a “re-
vangelisation”70 because the proclamation is always the same.
66 J. RATZINGER, Conference for the Jubilee of Catechists (10 December
2000): http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents
/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20001210_jubilcatechists-ratzinger_it.html.
67 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular Letter The Missionary
Identity of the Priest in the Church as An Intrinsic Dimension of the Exercise of the Tria
Munera (29 June 2010), 3.3.
68 PAUL VI, Address to the Sacred College of Cardinals (22 June 1973):
AAS 65, 1973, 383, cited in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 3.
69 JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte (6 January
2001), 40: AAS 93 (2001), 294-295.
70 JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Assembly of CELAM, Port-au-Prince
(9 March 1983): AAS 75 (1983), 771-779.
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“The Cross stands high over the revolving world”71. It is new
insofar as “we seek, above and beyond the never interrupted
and never to be interrupted continuing evangelisation, a new
evangelisation able to make itself be heard by that world which
fails to find access to ‘classic’ evangelisation”72.
20. The new evangelisation refers above all73, but not ex-
clusively74, “to the Churches founded long ago”75, where there
are many who, although baptised in the Catholic Church, have
abandoned the practice of the sacraments or even the faith”76.
The priests have “the duty to preach the Gospel of God, fol-
lowing the Lord’s command. ‘Go into the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature’ (Mk 16:15)”77. They are “the
ministers of Jesus Christ among the nations”78, “owing it to
everyone to communicate to them the truth of the Gospel of
which the Lord has made them beneficiaries”79, all the more so
since “the number of those who do not know Christ and do
not belong to the Church is constantly on the increase, and
since the end of the Council has almost doubled. For this
71 JOHN PAUL II, Homily of the Holy Mass in the Sanctuary of the Holy
Cross of Mogila (9 June 1979): AAS 71 (1979), 865.
72 J. RATZINGER, Conference for the Jubilee of Catechists (10 December
2000): l.c.
73 BENEDICT XVI, Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio Ubicumque
et semper in which was established the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of
the New Evangelisation, (21 September 2010): l.c., 790-791.
74 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae
munus (19 November 2011), LEV, Vatican City 2011, 165.
75 BENEDICT XVI, Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio Ubicumque
et semper in which was established the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of
the New Evangelisation, (21 September 2010): l.c., 790-791.
76 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution Lu-
men gentium, 28; cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH,
Doctrinal Note on some aspects of Evangelisation (3 December 2007), 12; PAUL VI,
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 52.
77 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 4.
78 Ibid., 2.
79 Ibid., 4.
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whole human race, which is loved by the Father and for whom
he sent his Son, the urgency of the Church’s mission is obvi-
ous”80. Blessed John Paul II solemnly affirmed: “I sense that
the moment has come to commit all of the Church’s energies
to a new evangelisation and to the mission ad gentes. No be-
liever in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this su-
preme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples”81.
21. Priests invest and dedicate all their strength to this new
evangelisation, whose characteristics were identified by Blessed
John Paul II: “New in its ardour, its methods and its expres-
sions”82.
Firstly, “we must rekindle in ourselves the impetus of the
beginnings and allow ourselves to be filled with the ardour of
the apostolic preaching which followed Pentecost. We must
revive in ourselves the burning conviction of Paul, who cried
out: ‘Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel’ (1Cor 9:16)”83.
In fact, “those who have come into genuine contact with
Christ cannot keep him for themselves, they must proclaim
him”84. In the image of the Apostles, apostolic zeal is the fruit
of the overwhelming experience issuing forth from closeness
with Jesus. “Mission is an issue of faith, an accurate indicator
of our faith in Christ and his love for us”85. The Lord never
ceases to send his Spirit, by whose force we must let ourselves
be regenerated with a view to that “renewed missionary im-
pulse, an expression of a new, generous openness to the gift of
grace”86. “It is essential and indispensible for the priest to de-
80 JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, 3.
81 Ibid.
82 JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Assembly of CELAM, Port-au-Prince
(9 March 1983): l.c., 771-779.
83 JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte, 40.
84 Ibid.
85 JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, 11.
86 BENEDICT XVI, Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio Ubicumque
et semper in which was established the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of
the New Evangelisation, (21 September 2010): l.c., 790-791.
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cide most conscientiously and with resolve not only to wel-
come and evangelise those who seek, both in the parish and
elsewhere, but “to rise and go forth”, seeking, first of all, those
baptised persons who for diverse reasons do not live their be-
longing to the ecclesial community, and also all those who
know Jesus Christ little or not at all”87.
Priests are to remember that they may not commit them-
selves only in the mission. As pastors of their people they are
to form Christian communities to evangelical witness and to
the announcement of the Good News. A “new sense of mis-
sion cannot be left to a group of ‘specialists’ but must involve
the responsibility of all the members of the People of God.
[…] A new apostolic outreach is needed, which will be lived as
the everyday commitment of Christian communities and groups”88. The
parish is not only the place where cathechesis is given, but also
the living environment which must actualize the new evangeli-
sation89, looking upon itself as being on “permanent mis-
sion”90. Just like the Church herself, each community is “called
by its nature to reach out beyond itself in a movement towards
the world in order to be sign of the Emmanuel, of the Word
who became flesh, of the God with us”91. “In the parish the
priests will need to summon the members of the community,
consecrated persons and laypersons, to prepare them ade-
quately and send them forth on the evangelising mission to in-
dividuals, to single families, also though home visits, and to all
the social ambits located within the parish92. Always remem-
87 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular Letter The Missionary
Identity of the Priest in the Church as an Intrinsic Dimension of the Exercise of the Tria
Munera (29 June 2010), 3.3.1.
88 JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte, 40.
89 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Homily of the Holy Mass in the Sanctuary of the Holy
Cross of Mogila (9 June 1979), l.c.
90 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular Letter The Missionary
Identity of the Priest in the Church as an Intrinsic Dimension of the Exercise of the Tria
Munera (29 June 2010), Conclusion: l.c., 36.
91 Ibid., 11.
92 Ibid., 28.
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bering that the Church is “mystery of communion and mis-
sion”93, pastors will bring their communities to be witnesses
with their “faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and
prayed”94, and with their enthusiasm95. Pope Paul VI exhorted
people to joy: “May the world of our time, which is searching,
sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to
receive the Good News not from evangelisers who are de-
jected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers
of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervour, who have first
received themselves the joy of Christ […]96. The faithful need
to be encouraged by their pastors so they will not fear an-
nouncing the faith in a frank manner, all the more so when
those who evangelise experience this missionary endeavour as
a source of personal renewal: “Missionary activity renews the
Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh
enthusiasm and new incentive. “Faith is strengthened when it is
given to others”97.
22. Evangelisation is also new in its methods. Motivated
by the Apostle who exclaimed: “Woe to me if I did not preach
the Gospel” (1Cor 9:16), it will be able to avail itself of all those
means of transmission offered to it by the sciences and mod-
ern technology98.
Everything certainly does not depend on such means or
on human abilities, since divine grace can exercise its effect in-
dependently from the workings of man; in the plan of God,
93 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores gregis
(16 October 2003), 37.
94 BENEDICT XVI, Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio Porta fidei
(11 October 2011), 9: AAS 103 (2011), 728.
95 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae
munus (19 November 2011): l.c., 171.
96 PAUL VI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi (8
December 1975), 80.
97 JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, 2.
98 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Africae
munus (19 November 2011): l.c., 171.
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however, the preaching of the Word is customarily the privi-
leged channel for the transmission of the faith and for the
evangelising mission.
He will also be able to involve laypersons in evangelisation
via these modern means of communication. In any case, his
participation in these new ambits will always have to reflect
special charity, supernatural sense, moderation and temperance
in order to see to it that people feel attracted not to the priest
himself, but rather to the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
23. The third characteristic of the new evangelisation is the
newness of its expression. In a changing world the awareness
of one’s mission as an announcer of the Gospel, insofar as an
instrument of Christ and the Holy Spirit, will have to become
increasingly concrete in pastoral terms so the priest, in the light
of the Word of God, may give life to situations and environ-
ments in which he exercises his ministry.
In order to be efficacious and credible it is therefore im-
portant for the priest – from the outlook of the faith and his
ministry, and with due constructive critical sense – to be famil-
iar with the ideologies, language, cultural interweavings and ty-
pologies circulated through the means of communication, and
which to a great extent condition people’s frames of mind. He
will be able to address himself to one and all “without ever
hiding the most radical demands of the Gospel message, but
taking into account each person’s needs in regard to their sen-
sitivity and language, after the example of St. Paul who de-
clared: ‘I have become all things to all men, that I might by all
means save some’ (1Cor 9:22)”99. The Second Vatican Ecu-
menical Council affirmed that the Church “learned early in its
history to express the Christian message in the concepts and
language of different peoples and tried to clarify it in the light
of the wisdom of their philosophers; it was an attempt to adapt
the Gospel to the understanding of all men and the requir-
ments of the learned, insofar as this could be done. Indeed,
99 JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte, 40.
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this kind of adaptation and preaching of the revealed Word
must ever be the law of all evangelisation”100. In full respect
for the ever diversified journey of each person and with due
attention for the diverse cultures into which the Christian mes-
sage is to be brought, while remaining completely true to itself
and with unswerving fidelity to the proclamation of the Gospel
and the tradition of the Church, Christianity of the third mil-
lennium will thereby also bear the faces of many ancient and
modern cultures, whose specific values are not denied, but pu-
rified and brought to their fullness101.
Spiritual fatherhood
24. The pastoral vocation of priests is both great and uni-
versal: it is directed towards the whole Church and is also mis-
sionary. “Normally, it is linked to the service of a particular
community of the People of God, in which each individual
expects attention, care and love”102. The ministry of the priest
is therefore also the ministry of fatherhood103. Through his
dedication to souls many are those generated to the new life in
Christ. This is a true spiritual fatherhood as St. Paul exclaimed:
“You might have thousands of guardians in Christ, but not
more than one father and it was I who begot you in Christ Je-
sus by preaching the Good News” (1Cor 4:15).
Just like Abraham, the priest becomes “father of many na-
tions” (Rm 4:18), and in the Christian growth flourishing
around him discovers the reward for the toils and sufferings of
his daily service. Moreover, on the supernatural level as well as
the natural level, the mission of fatherhood ends not with
birth, but extends to and embraces all life long: “Who
welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest.
100 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Gaudium et spes, 44.
101 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte, 40.
102 JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Priests on Holy Thursday (8 April 1979), 8:
AAS 71 (1979), 393-417.
103 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 16; PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus, 56.
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Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The
priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it
one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always
the priest. And if this soul should happen to die [as a result of
sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace?
Again, the priest… After God, the priest is everything!… Only
in heaven will he fully realize what he is”104.
Priests make of their life those vibrant words of the Apos-
tle: “My children, I must go through the pain of giving birth to
you all over again, until Christ is formed in you” (Gal 4:19).
Thus with generosity renewed each day do they live this gift of
spiritual fatherhood and orient to it the fulfilment of each task
of their ministry.
Authority as “amoris officium”
25. Another sign of the fact that the priest is in the forefront
of the Church is his being a guide who leads to sanctification
the faithful entrusted to his ministry, which is essentially pas-
toral, presenting himself, however, with that authoritativeness
which captivates and renders the message credible (cf. Mt
7:29). Indeed, all authority is exercised in a spirit of service as
amoris officium and unpretentious dedication for the good of the
flock (cf. Jn 10:11; 13:14)105.
This reality to be lived with humility and coherence can be
subject to two opposite temptations. The first is that of carry-
ing out the ministry in an overbearing manner (cf. Lk 22:24-
27; 1Pt 5:1-4); while the second temptation is that of disdaining
personal configuration to Christ, Head and Shepherd, because
of an incorrect view of community.
The first temptation was also strong for the selfsame dis-
104 ST. JOHN MARY VIANNEY, in B. NODET, Le curé d’Ars. Sa pensée -
Son cœur, éd. Xavier Mappus, Foi Vivante, 1966, 98-99 (quoted in BENEDICT
XVI, Letter Proclaiming a Year for Priests on the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of the
“Dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney (16 June 2009): l.c., 1009.
105 Cf ST. AUGUSTINE, In Iohannis Evangelium Tractatus, 123, 5: CCL 36,
678; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 14.
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ciples and was corrected promptly and repeatedly by Jesus
Himself. When this dimension wanes it isn’t difficult to suc-
cumb to the temptation of ‘clericalism’ with a desire to lord it
over the laity, and this always generates antagonism between
the sacred ministers and the people.
The priest must not see his role reduced to a mere man-
agement position. He is the mediator, the bridge, he who is al-
ways to remember that the Lord and Master, “came not to be
served, but to serve” (Mk 10:45); bent down to wash the feet
of his disciples (cf. Jn 13:5) before dying on the Cross and be-
fore sending them out to the whole world (cf. Jn 20:21). Thus
the priest, ever attentive to the care of the flock belonging to
the Lord, will strive “protect his flock, to feed it and to lead it
to him, the true Good Shepherd, who wishes the salvation of
all. Feeding the Lord’s flock, therefore, is a ministry of vigilant
love that demands our total dedication, to the last drop of
energy and, if necessary, the sacrifice of our lives”106.
Priests will bear authentic witness to the Risen Lord, given to
whom was “all power in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18), if they
exercise it in humble yet authoritative service to their respective
flock107 and with respect to the duties which Christ and the
Church entrust to the lay faithful108 and to the faithful conse-
crated by virtue of the profession of the evangelical counsels109.
The Temptation of Democratism and Equalitarianism
26. On occasions it happens that, in order to avoid this first
deviation, people fall into the second one, which tends to elimi-
nate any difference of roles among the members of the Body of
Christ, which is the Church, negating in practice the distinction
106 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Members of the XI Ordinary Council of
the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops (1 June 2006): Insegnamenti II/1
(2006), 746-748.
107 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 21; C.I.C., can. 274.
108 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 275, § 2; 529, § 1.
109 Cf. ibid., can. 574, § 1.
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between the common or baptismal priesthood and the ministe-
rial priesthood110.
Evident at present among the diverse forms of this nega-
tion is what is called “democratism”, which leads to non rec-
ognition of the authority and capital grace of Christ present in
the sacred ministers and to distort the Church as the Mystical
Body of Christ. It should be recalled in this regard that the
Church recognises all the merits and goods that the democratic
culture has brought to human society. Moreover, it fields all
the means at its disposal in the battle for the recognition of the
equal dignity of all persons. On the basis of Revelation, the
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council spoke quite openly about
the common dignity of all those baptised in the Church111.
Nonetheless, it is necessary to affirm that the ultimate founda-
tion of both this radical equality and the diversity of conditions
and tasks is the selfsame nature of the Church.
The Church, indeed, owes its existence and structure to
the salvific plan of God and contemplates herself as a gift of
the benevolence of a Father, who has saved her through the
humiliation of his Son on the cross. Therefore, the Church,
through the Holy Spirit, wishes to be completely conformed
and faithful to the free and liberating will of her Lord Jesus
Christ. This mystery of salvation makes the Church by its spe-
cific nature a reality diverse from human society.
Therefore, inadmissible in the Church is a certain mental-
ity, evident at times especially in some organs of ecclesial par-
ticipation, and which tends to confuse the duties of priests
with those of the lay faithful, fails to distinguish the authority
110 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF TRENT, Sessio XXIII, De
Sacramento Ordinis, cap. 1 and 4, cann. 3, 4, 6: DS 1763-1776; ECUMENICAL
COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium 10; SACRED
CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Letter to the Bishops
of the Catholic Church on Certain Questions Concerning the Minister of the
Eucharist Sacerdotium ministeriale (6 August 1983), 1: AAS 75 (1983), 1001.
111 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 9, 32; C.I.C., can. 208.
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proper to the Bishop from that of priests as collaborators of
Bishops, and no longer heeds the universal Magisterium exer-
cised by the Roman Pontiff in his primatial function willed by
the Lord. In many ways it is a matter of an attempt to transfer
automatically to the Church the mentality and praxis existent in
some socio-political and cultural currents of our time without
taking into due account the fact that the Church owes its exis-
tence and structure to the salvific design of God in Christ.
It must be recalled in this regard that neither the presby-
tery nor the council of priests – the legal institute augured by
the decree Presbyterorum Ordinis112 – are expressions of the right
of association of clerics, and even less so can they be under-
stood akin to a labour union pursuing claims and partisan in-
terests alien to ecclesial communion113.
The Distinction between the Common Priesthood and the Ministerial
Priesthood
27. The distinction between the common or baptismal
priesthood and the ministerial priesthood, far from creating
separation or division among the members of the Christian
community, harmonises and unifies the life of the Church, be-
cause “though they differ essentially and not only in degree,
the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or
hierarchical priesthood are none the less ordered to one an-
other”114. Indeed, insofar as the Body of Christ, the Church is
an organic communion among all the members, in which each
one serves the life of the whole by fulfilling his own distinct
role and specific vocation (1Cor 12:12 ff.)115.
112 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 7.
113 Cf. ibid.
114 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 10.
115 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES,
Pastoral Guide for The Diocesan Priests of the Churches Dependent on the Congregation for
the Evangelisation of Peoples, 3.
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Therefore, no one may licitly change what Christ has
willed for his Church. It is indissolubly bound with its Founder
and Head, who alone may provide her, through the power of
the Holy Spirit, with ministers in the service of the faithful.
Taking the place of Christ who calls, consecrates and sends
forth through legitimate Pastors may be no community, which,
albeit in situations of particular necessity, might wish to give
itself its own priest in ways contrary to the dispositions of the
Church: the priesthood is a choice of Jesus, not of the com-
munity (cf. Jn 15:16). The response to cases of necessity is the
prayer of Jesus: “Pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that
he send forth labourers to his harvest!” (Mt 9:38). If added to
this prayer made with faith is the community’s intense life of
charity, we can be sure that the Lord will not fail to give pas-
tors according to his heart (cf. Jer 3:15)116.
28. In order to safeguard the order established by the Lord
Jesus it is also necessary to avoid the so-called “clericalisation”
of the laity117, which tends to compress the ministerial priest-
hood of the priest, attributed to whom alone, after the Bishop
and by virtue of the priestly ministry received with ordination,
may be the term “pastor” in a proper and univocal sense. The
attribute “pastoral”, in fact, refers to participation in the Epis-
copal ministry.
1.5. Priestly Communion
Communion with the Trinity and with Christ
29. In light of what has been said above about identity, the
communion of the priest is fulfilled above all with the Father,
the ultimate origin of all his power; with the Son, in whose re-
demptive mission he participates; with the Holy Spirit, who
gives him the power for living and fulfilling that pastoral char-
116 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 11.
117 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Episcopacy of Switzerland (15 June
1984): Insegnamenti VII/1 (1984), 1784.
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ity, which, as “the internal principle, the force which animates
and guides the spiritual life of the priest”118, qualifies him in a
priestly way. A pastoral charity which, far from being reduced
to a series of techniques and methods serving the functional
efficacy of the ministry, refers to the nature proper of the mis-
sion of the Church for the salvation of humanity.
Indeed, “the nature and mission of the ministerial priest-
hood cannot be defined except through this multiple and rich
interconnection of relationships which arise from the Blessed
Trinity and are prolonged in the communion of the Church, as
a sign and instrument of Christ, of communion with God and
of the unity of all humanity”119.
Communion with the Church
30. Issuing forth for the priest from this fundamental un-
ion-communion with Christ and the Trinity is his communion-
relation with the Church in its aspects of mystery and ecclesial
community120.
Concretely, the ecclesial communion of the priest is lived
in diverse ways. In fact, through sacramental ordination he de-
velops special bonds with the Pope, the Episcopal Body, his own
Bishop, other priests and the lay faithful.
Hierarchical Communion
31. Communion as a characteristic of the priesthood is
based on the oneness of the Head, Pastor and Spouse of the
Church, who is Christ121.
118 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 23.
119 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 12; cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 1.
120 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 8.
121 Cf. ST. AUGUSTINE, Sermo 46, 30: CCL 41, 555-557.
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Taking form in said ministerial communion are also some
precise ties first of all with the Pope, the College of Bishops
and his own Bishop. “There can be no genuine priestly minis-
try except in communion with the supreme pontiff and the
episcopal college, especially with one’s own diocesan bishop,
who deserves that ‘filial respect and obedience’ promised dur-
ing the rite of ordination”122. This is therefore a hierarchical
communion, that is to say, a communion in that hierarchy in
the same way in which it is structured internally.
In virtue of participation in a degree subordinate to the
Bishops – who are invested with power “proper, ordinary, and
immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the
supreme authority of the Church”123 – in the one ministerial
priesthood, the said communion also involves the spiritual and
organic-structural bond of priests with the entire Episcopal or-
der and with the Roman Pontiff. This is reinforced by the fact
that the entire Episcopal order as a whole, and each Bishop in-
dividually, must be in hierarchical communion with the Head
of the College124. In fact, this College is composed only of
those consecrated Bishops who are in hierarchical communion
with its Head and members.
Communion in the Eucharistic Celebration
32. Hierarchical communion is most meaningfully ex-
pressed in the Eucharistic prayers, when the priest, praying for
the Pope, the College of Bishops and his own Bishop, ex-
presses not only a sentiment of devotion, but attests to the au-
thenticity of his celebration as well125.
122 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 28.
123 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 27.
124 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 22; Decree Christus Dominus, 4; C.I.C., can. 336.
125 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Letter
on the Church as Communion, Communionis notio, 14.
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The Eucharistic concelebration itself, in the circumstances
and conditions foreseen126, when presided over by the Bishop
and with the participation of the faithful, manifests the unity of
the priesthood of Christ in the plurality of his ministers, as well
as the unity of the sacrifice of the People of God127. Moreover,
it contributes to the consolidation of the ministerial fraternity
existing among priests128.
Communion in the Exercise of the Ministry
33. Each priest is to have a deep, humble and filial bond
of obedience and charity with the person of the Holy Father
and adhere to his Petrine ministry of Magisterium, sanctification
and government with exemplary docility129.
Filial union with his own Bishop is also an indispensable
condition for the efficacy of the priestly ministry. For pastors
with more experience it is easy to note the need to avoid any
form of subjectivism in the exercise of the sacred ministry and
adhere in a co-responsible manner to pastoral programmes.
Besides being an expression of maturity, this adhesion, which
entails proceeding in unison with the mind of the Bishop, con-
tributes to the edification of that unity in communion which is
indispensable for the work of evangelisation130.
With full respect for hierarchical subordination, the priest
will promote a genuine relationship with his Bishop character-
126 Cf. C.I.C., can. 902; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE SACRA-
MENTS AND DIVINE WORSHIP, Decree Promulgato Codice (12 September 1983),
II, I, 153: Notitiae 19 (1983), 542.
127 Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Summa theol., III, q. 82, a. 2 ad 2; Sent.
IV, d. 13, q. 1, a 2, q. 2; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution
Sacrosanctum Concilium, 41, 57.
128 Cf. SACRED CONGREGATION FOR RITES, Instruction Eucharisticum
Mysterium (25 May 1967), 47: AAS 59 (1967), 565-566.
129 Cf. C.I.C. can. 273.
130 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 15; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 65; 79.
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ised by sincere trustfulness, cordial friendship, prayer for his
person and intentions, and a true effort of consonance and
convergence in ideals and programmes, which takes nothing
away from intelligent capacity for personal initiative and pas-
toral resourcefulness131.
In view of his own spiritual and pastoral growth, and out
of love for his flock, the priest should welcome with gratitude,
and even seek on a regular basis, the orientations of his bishop
or the latter’s representatives for the development of his pas-
toral ministry. It is also an admirable practice for the priest to
request the opinions of more expert priests and qualified lay-
persons with respect to the most suitable pastoral methods.
Communion in the Presbyterate
34. By virtue of the Sacrament of Holy Orders “each
priest is united to the other members of the priesthood by spe-
cific bonds of apostolic charity, ministry and fraternity”132. In
fact, he is inserted into the Ordo Presbyterorum constituting that
unity which can be defined as a true family in which the ties
are not of flesh or blood, but come from the grace of Holy
Orders133. Belonging to a specific presbyterate134 always takes
131 ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH, Ad Ephesios, XX, 1-2: “[...] If the Lord
will reveal to me that, each one on his own and everyone together […] you are
united in the heart through an unshakeable submission to the Bishop and the
presbyterate, breaking the only bread which is remedy of immortality, an anti-
dote to prevent death, and to live forever in Jesus Christ”: Patres Apostolici, ed.
F.X. FUNK, II, 203-205.
132 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 17; cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 28; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 8; C.I.C., can. 275, § 1.
133 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 74; CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF THE
PEOPLES, Pastoral Guide for Diocesan Priests of the Churches Dependent on the
Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples (1 October, 1989), 6.
134 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis , 8; C.I.C., canons 369; 498; 499.
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place within the context of a particular Church, an Ordinariate
or a personal Prelature – that is to say in the context of an
“Episcopal mission”, and not for reasons of incardination –
which in no way alters the fact that the priest, he too a baptised
person, belongs in an immediate manner to the universal
Church: no one is a stranger in the Church; the entire Church,
and each diocese, is family, the family of God135.
Priestly fraternity and membership in a presbyterate are
therefore elements characterising the priest. The rite of the im-
position of the hands during the priestly ordination by the
Bishop and all the priests present harbours special significance
insofar as it indicates both equality of participation in the min-
istry and the fact that the priest cannot act by himself, but al-
ways within the presbyterate, becoming a brother of all those
who constitute it136.
“Bishops and priests receive the mission and the faculty
[the ‘sacred power’] to act ‘in Persona Christi Capitis’, deacons
the force to serve the People of God in the ‘diaconia’ of the lit-
urgy, the word and charity in communion with the Bishop and
his presbyterate”137.
Incardination, an authentic juridical bond with spiritual value
35. Incardination in a determined “particular Church or in
a personal Prelature or in an institute of consecrated life or in a
society which has this faculty”138 constitutes a genuine juridical
135 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 6; BENEDICT XVI, Angelus (19 June 2005): Insegnamenti I (2005),
255-256; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Africa
(14 September 1995): AAS 88 (1996), 63.
136 Cf. Pontificale Romanum, De Ordinatione Episcopi, Presbyterorum et
Diaconorum, cap. II, 105; 130; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree
Presbyterorum Ordinis, 8.
137 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 875.
138 C.I.C., can. 265.
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bond139, which also has a spiritual value insofar as issuing forth
there from is “the priest’s relationship with his bishop in the
one presbyterate, his sharing in the bishop’s ecclesial concern
and his devotion to the evangelical care of the People of God
in specific historical and contextual conditions. . .”140.
In this regard it should not be forgotten that the secular
priests not incardinated in the Diocese and the priest members
of a religious institute or a society of apostolic life who live in
the Diocese and for its good exercise some office in it, al-
though still subject to their respective legitimate Ordinary, be-
long by full or diverse title to the clergy of said Diocese141,
where “they have the right to both an active and a passive
voice in an election to the council of priests”142. The religious
priests, in particular, by virtue of unity of forces share pastoral
solicitude, offering the contribution of specific charisms and
“with their presence inspiring the particular Church to live
more vividly its universal openness”143.
The priests incardinated in a Diocese, but serving an eccle-
sial movement or new community approved by the competent
ecclesial Authority144, are to be aware of being members of the
presbyterate of the diocese where they conduct their ministry,
and are duty bound to collaborate with it. In his turn, the
Bishop of incardination is to foster the legally recognised right
of the faithful to their form of spiritual life145, which the law
recognises as the right of all the faithful, respect the way of
life required by membership in a Movement, and be prepared,
139 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Address in the Cathedral of Quito to Bishops, Priests,
Religious and Seminarians (29 January 1985): Insegnamenti VIII/1 (1985), 247-253.
140 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 31.
141 Cf. Ibid., 17; 74.
142 C.I.C., can. 498, § 1, 2°.
143 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis , 31.
144 Cf. Ibid., 31; 41; 68.
145 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 214-215.
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pursuant to law in force, to permit the priest to exercise his
service in other local Churches if this forms part of the
charism of the movement itself146, while ever striving to
strengthen ecclesial communion.
The Presbyterate: a Place of Sanctification
36. The presbyterate is the privileged place where the
priest should be able to find specific means of formation, sanc-
tification and evangelisation, and be helped to overcome the
limits and weaknesses proper to human nature.
He will therefore make every effort to avoid living his
priestly service in an isolated and subjectivist manner, and will
seek to promote fraternal communion by giving and receiving
– from priest to priest – the warmth of friendship, caring assis-
tance, acceptance and fraternal correction147, well aware that
the grace of the Order “takes up and elevates the human and
psychological bonds of affection and friendship, as well as the
spiritual bonds which exist between priests […] and find
expression in the most varied forms of mutual assistance,
spiritual and material as well”148.
In addition to its expression in the Chrism Mass – the
manifestation of the communion of priests with their Bishop –
all this is expressed in the liturgy of the Mass In Coena Domini
of Holy Thursday, which shows how through Eucharistic com-
munion – born in the Last Supper – priests receive the capacity
to love one another, as the Master loves them149.
146 Cf. C.I.C., can. 271.
147 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Message for Lent 2012 (3 November 2011):
AAS 104 (2012), 199-204.
148 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 74.
149 JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (4 August 1993), 4: Insegnamenti
XVI/2, 139-140.
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Fraternal Priestly Friendship
37. The profound and ecclesial sense of the presbyterate
not only fails to hamper, but actually fosters the personal re-
sponsibility of each priest in carrying out the particular minis-
try entrusted to him by the Bishop150. The capacity to cultivate
and live deep priestly friendships proves to be a source of se-
renity and joy in the exercise of the ministry, a decisive form of
support in difficulties, and valuable help for growth in the pas-
toral charity which the priest must exercise in a particular way
towards those confreres in difficulty and in need of under-
standing, assistance and support151. Priestly fraternity is an ex-
pression of the law of charity and, far from being little more
than a mere sentiment, becomes for priests an existential re-
membrance of Christ and apostolic witness of ecclesial com-
munion.
Common Life
38. A manifestation of this communion is also the common
life always supported by the Church152, recently emphasized by
the documents of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council153
and the successive Magisterium154, and applied in many dioceses
with positive results. “The common life expresses a form of
help Christ gives to our existence, calling us, through the pres-
ence of brothers, to a increasingly deeper configuration of his
150 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 12-14.
151 Cf. Ibid., 8.
152 Cf. ST. AUGUSTINE, Sermones 355, 356, De vita et moribus clericorum:
PL 39, 1568-1581.
153 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium 28; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis 8; Decree Christus Dominus 30.
154 Cf. SACRED CONGREGATION OF BISHOPS, Directory Ecclesiae Imago
(22 February 1973), 112; CONGREGATION FOR BISHOPS, Directory
Apostolorum Successores for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops (22 February 2004),
LEV, Vatican City 2004, 211; C.I.C., cann. 280; 245, § 2; 550, § 1; JOHN PAUL
II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 81.
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person. Living with others means accepting the need for one’s
ongoing conversion, and especially discovering the beauty of
such a journey, the joy of humility, repentance, but also con-
version, mutual forgiveness and reciprocal support. Ecce quae
bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum (Ps 133:1)”155.
In order to tackle one of the most important problems
facing priestly life today, that being the solitude of the priest,
“one cannot sufficiently recommend to priests a life lived in
common and directed entirely towards their sacred ministry,
the practice of having frequent meetings with a fraternal ex-
change of ideas, counsel and experience with their brother
priests, the movement to form associations which encourage
priestly holiness”156.
39. Among the diverse forms of common life (residence,
community at table, etc.), held in eminent pride of place is to
be communal participation in liturgical prayer157. Its diverse
modalities are to be encouraged according to possibilities and
practical conditions, without necessarily transferring the albeit
praiseworthy models proper to the religious life. Worthy of
praise in particular are those associations which support
priestly fraternity, holiness in the exercise of the ministry, and
communion with the Bishop and the entire Church158.
Considering how important it is for priests to live in the
vicinity of where those whom they serve abide, it is hoped that
the pastors of parishes will be willing to foster common life in
the parochial house with their vicars159, effectively considering
them as their co-workers and sharers of pastoral solicitude; in
155 BENEDICT XVI, Private Audience with the priests of the Fraternity of St.
Charles on the occasion of the XXV of Foundation (12 February 2011):
“L’Osservatore Romano”, 13 February 2011, 8.
156 PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus, 80.
157 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium 26; 99; Institutio Generalis Liturgiae Horarum, 25.
158 Cf. C.I.C., can. 278, § 2; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 31; 68; 81.
159 Cf. C.I.C., can. 550, § 2.
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their turn, the vicars, in order to build up priestly communion,
must recognise and respect the authority of the parish priest160.
In cases where there is only one priest in a parish, the possibil-
ity of a common life with other priests in neighbouring par-
ishes is highly encouraged161.
The experience of this common life has been rather posi-
tive in many places because it has represented a real form of
support for priests: created is a family environment, with the
permission of the local Ordinary162 it is possible to have a
chapel for the Blessed Sacrament, and it is also possible to pray
together, etc. Moreover, as we learn from the experience and
teachings of the saints, “no one can assume the regenerating
force of the common life without prayer […], without a sac-
ramental life lived with fidelity. Unless one enters into the
eternal dialogue the Son has with the Father in the Holy Spirit,
no authentic common life is possible. It is necessary to be with
Jesus in order to be able to be with others”163. Many are the
cases of priests who have found an important source of help
for both their personal needs and the exercise of their pastoral
ministry in the adoption of opportune forms of communi-
tarian life.
40. The common life is an image of that apostolica vivendi
forma of Jesus with his apostles. With the gift of sacred celibacy
for the Kingdom of Heaven, the Lord has made us become
members of his family in a special way. In a society so strongly
marked by individualism, the priest needs a deeper personal re-
lationship and a vital space characterised by fraternal friendship
where he may live as a Christian and a priest: “moments of
160 Cf. ibid., can. 545, § 1.
161 Cf. ibid., can. 533, § 1.
162 Cf. ibid., cann. 1226; 1228.
163 BENEDICT XVI, Private Audience with the Priests of the Fraternity of St.
Charles on the Occasion of the XXV of Foundation (12 February 2011):
“L’Osservatore Romano”, 13 February 2011, 8.
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prayer and study in common, the sharing of the demands of
life and priestly work are a necessary part of your life”164.
In this atmosphere of mutual assistance the priest thereby
finds terrain suited to persevering in the vocation of service to
the Church: “In the company of Christ and his brother priests,
each priest can find the energies needed to take care of his fel-
low men, take upon himself the spiritual and material needs he
encounters, and with ever new words dictated by love teach
the eternal truths of the faith to those who thirst, also among
our contemporaries”165.
In the priestly prayer at the Last Supper Jesus prayed for
the unity of his disciples: “May they all be one. Father, may
they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you” (Jn 17:21).
Each expression of communion in the Church “stems from
the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”166. Priests
are to be convinced that their fraternal communion, especially
in common life, constitutes witness in keeping with what Jesus
made so clear in his prayer to the Father: may the disciples be
one so the world “may believe that you sent me” (Jn 17:21) and
know that “I have loved them as much as you loved me” (Jn
17:23). “Jesus calls on the priestly community to be the
reflection of and participation in Trinitarian communion: what
a sublime ideal!”167.
Communion with the lay faithful
41. As a man of communion, the priest will not be able to
express his love for the Lord and for the Church without
164 BENEDICT XVI, Homily on the Occasion of the Celebration of Vespers
(Fatima, 12 May 2010): Insegnamenti VI/1 (2010), 685-688.
165 BENEDICT XVI, Private Audience with the priests of the Fraternity of St.
Charles on the occasion of the XXV of Foundation (12 February 2011): l.c., 8.
166 ST. CYPRIAN, De Oratione Domini, 23: PL 4, 553; ECUMENICAL
COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 4.
167 JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (4 August 1993), 4: Insegnamenti
XVI/2, 139-140.
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translating it into factual and unconditional love for all Chris-
tians, the object of his pastoral care168.
Like Christ, he must make Christ “visible in the midst of
the flock” entrusted to his care169, creating a positive relation-
ship between himself and the lay faithful; recognising their dig-
nity as children of God, he fosters their role in the Church and
places at their service everything of his priestly ministry and
pastoral charity170. This attitude of love and charity is far re-
moved from the so-called “laicisation of priests”, which actu-
ally waters down in priests what constitutes their identity: the
faithful ask priests to show themselves for who they are, both
externally and interiorly, at all times, in all places and under all
circumstances. A precious occasion for the evangelising mis-
sion of the shepherd of souls is the traditional annual visit and
Easter blessing of families.
A distinctive manifestation of this dimension in building
up the Christian community consists in transcending any par-
ticularist attitude: in fact, priests must never place themselves
at the service of a particular ideology insofar as this would
wane the efficacy of their ministry. The priest’s relationship
with the faithful must always be essentially priestly.
In the awareness of the profound communion that binds
him to the lay faithful and to religious, the priest will deploy
every effort “to awaken and deepen co-responsibility in the
one and common and single mission of salvation, with prompt
and heartfelt esteem for all the charisms and tasks which the
Spirit gives believers for the building up of the Church”171.
168 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (7 July 1993): Insegnamenti
XVI/2, 34-44; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 15.
169 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 15.
170 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 9; C.I.C., cann. 275, § 2; 529, § 2.
171 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 74.
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More specifically, the parish priest, in his constant quest
for the common good of the Church, will encourage associa-
tions of the faithful and the movements or the new communi-
ties that have religious purposes172, embracing them all and
helping them to find unity of intentions among themselves in
prayer and apostolic enterprise.
One of the tasks that demands special attention is the
formation of the laity. The priest cannot be satisfied with the
laity having a superficial knowledge of the faith, but must seek
to give them a solid formation, persevering in his efforts
through theology lessons and courses on Christian doctrine,
especially through study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
and its Compendium. Such formation will help the laity to expe-
dite in full their role as Christian animators of the temporal or-
der (political, cultural, economic, social)173. Moreover, en-
trusted in certain cases to laypersons with sufficient formation
and a sincere desire to serve the Church may be some tasks –
in accord with the laws of the Church – that do not pertain ex-
clusively to the priestly ministry, and which they can perform
on the basis of their professional and personal experience. In
this manner the priest will be freer in attending to his primary
commitments such as preaching, the celebration of the Sacra-
ments and spiritual direction. In this sense one of the impor-
tant tasks for parish priests is to discover among the faithful
persons with the skills, virtues and a coherent Christian life –
for example, as regards matrimony – who can provide an effi-
cient and helping hand in pastoral activities: the preparation of
children for First Communion and first Confession or young-
sters for Confirmation, the family apostolate, pre-marriage
catechesis, etc. There can be no doubt that concern for the
formation of these persons – who are models for many other
persons – and the fact of helping them in their journey of faith
will have to be one of the main apprehensions of priests.
172 Cf. C.I.C., can. 529, § 2.
173 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 31.
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Insofar as he unites the family of God and brings Church-
communion into being, the priest – well aware of the great gift
of his vocation – becomes the “pontifex”, he who unites man
to God, becoming the brother of his fellowmen in the selfsame
act with which he wishes to be their pastor, father and mas-
ter174. For the man of today who seeks the sense of his exis-
tence, he is the Good Shepherd and guide leading to the en-
counter with Christ, an encounter that takes place as an-
nouncement and as reality already present in the Church, albeit
not in a definitive manner. In this manner the priest, placed at
the service of the People of God, will present himself as an
expert in humanity, a man of truth and communion, a witness
of the solicitude of the Only Shepherd for each and every
member of his flock. The community will be able to count on
his availability, his work of evangelisation, and above all his
faithful and unconditional love. The manifestation of this love
will mainly be his dedication in preaching, in the celebration of
the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance, and in
spiritual direction as a means for helping to discern the signs of
God’s will175. Revealing himself at all times as priest, he will
therefore exercise his spiritual mission with kindness and firm-
ness, humility and a spirit of service176, opening himself to
compassion, participating in the sufferings inflicted upon men
by the various forms of poverty, spiritual and material, old and
new. He will also know how to bend over with mercy upon the
difficult and uncertain journey of the conversion of sinners, to
whom he will reserve the gift of truth and the patient, encour-
aging benevolence of the Good Shepherd, who does not re-
174 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 74; PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Ecclesiam suam (6 August 1964), III:
AAS 56 (1964), 647.
175 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, The Priest, Minister of Divine
Mercy. Material for Confessors and Spiritual Directors (9 March 2011): booklet, LEV,
Vatican City 2011.
176 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (7 July 1993): l.c., 34-44.
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prove the lost sheep, but loads it onto his shoulders and cele-
brates its return to the fold (cf. Lk 15:4-7)177.
It is a matter of affirming the charity of Christ as the ori-
gin and perfect realisation of the new man (cf. Eph 2:15), of
what man is in his full truth. In the life of a priest this charity
becomes an authentic passion that explicitly configures his
ministry for the generation of the Christian people.
Communion with the Members of Institutes of Consecrated Life
42. The priest will dedicate particular attention to relations
with brothers and sisters engaged in the life of special conse-
cration to God in all its forms, showing them sincere apprecia-
tion and a real spirit of apostolic collaboration, respecting and
prompting their specific charisms. Moreover, he will cooperate
so the consecrated life may appear ever more luminous for the
good of the entire Church, and increasingly persuasive and at-
tractive for the new generations.
In this spirit of esteem for the consecrated life the priest
will extend special care to those communities which for diverse
reasons are in greater need of good doctrine, assistance and
encouragement in both fidelity and the promotion of voca-
tions.
Vocational Activity
43. Each priest will devote special dedication to vocational
activity, never failing to encourage prayers for vocations, spar-
ing no pains in catechesis, attending to the formation of altar
servers and fostering suitable endeavours through a personal
relationship helping to discover talents and being able to dis-
cover God’s will for a courageous choice in the following of
Christ178. Fundamentally important in this work are families,
which constitute the domestic churches where young people
177 Cf. C.I.C., can. 529, § 1.
178 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 11; C.I.C., can. 233, § 1.
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learn how to pray, grow in virtue and be generous from a very
early age. Priests are to encourage Christian spouses to config-
ure the home as a true school of Christian life, pray together
with their children, ask God to call someone to follow him by
his side with an undivided heart (1Cor 7:32-34), and be ever
joyful over vocations that may arise from within their own
family.
This activity will have to be founded primarily on the
greatness of the call, his divine election for the good of man: to
be brought first and foremost to the attention of young people
is how precious and beautiful is the gift of following Christ.
This is why most important is the role incumbent upon the or-
dained minister through the example of his faith and his life:
the priest’s clear knowledge of his identity, the coherence of
his life, and his transparent joy and missionary ardour consti-
tute absolutely necessary elements of that vocation promotion
activity, which must be an integral part of the organic and or-
dinary pastoral ministry. Therefore, the joyful manifestation of
his adhesion to the mystery of Jesus, his prayerful attitude, and
the care and devotion with which he celebrates Holy Mass and
the sacraments irradiate that example which fascinates young
people.
Moreover, the lengthy experience of the life of the Church
underscores how necessary it is to attend to the formation of
young people from an early age, doing so with patience and te-
nacity, and never yielding to discouragement. In this way they
will have those spiritual resources needed to respond to an
eventual call from God. For this it is indispensable – and this
should be part of any vocation promotion activity – to foment
within them the life of prayer and intimacy with God, recourse
to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and confession, and
spiritual direction as help for making progress in the interior
life. In a suitable and generous manner priests will thereby kin-
dle the vocational proposal in young people who may seem
well disposed. Even though it must be constant, this engage-
ment will become more intense especially under certain cir-
cumstances, such as, for example, retreats, preparation for con-
firmation, or when working with altar servers.
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The priest will always maintain relations of cordial collabo-
ration and sincere affection with the seminary, the cradle of his
own vocation and the training grounds for his first experience
of communal life.
It is “a necessary requirement of pastoral charity”179, of
love for one’s priesthood for each priest – ever docile to the
grace of the Holy Spirit – to be concerned about inspiring vo-
cations to the priesthood that may continue his ministry at the
service of the Lord and for the good of humanity.
Political and Social Engagement
44. The priest is a servant of the Church, which by virtue
of its universality and catholicity cannot have ties with any his-
torical contingency, and hence he will therefore remain above
and beyond any political party. He may not play an active role
in political parties or the management of labour unions, unless,
according to the judgement of the competent ecclesiastical au-
thority, the rights of the Church and the promotion of the
common good so require180. In fact, even though these are
good things in their own right, they are nonetheless alien to the
clerical state since they can constitute a grave danger of divi-
sion of ecclesial communion181.
Just like Jesus (cf. Jn 6:15 ff), the priest “must forego en-
gagement in forms of active politics, especially when biased as
almost inevitably occurs, in order to remain the man of all
from the viewpoint of spiritual fraternity”182. Therefore, all the
179 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 74.
180 Cf. C.I.C., can. 287, § 2; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE
CLERGY, Decree Quidam Episcopi (8 March 1982), AAS 74 (1982), 642-645.
181 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE EVANGELISATION OF PEOPLES,
Pastoral Guide for the Diocesan Priests of the Churches Dependent on the Congregation for
the Evangelisation of Peoples, 9: l.c., 1604-1607; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR
THE CLERGY, Decree Quidam Episcopi (8 March 1982), l.c., 642-645.
182 JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (28 July 1993), 3: Insegnamenti
XVI/2, 109-110; cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Pastoral
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faithful must always be able to approach the priest without
feeling inhibited for any reason.
The priest will remember that “it is not the role of the Pas-
tors of the Church to intervene directly in the political struc-
turing and organisation of social life. This task is part of the
vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with
their fellow citizens”183; nonetheless, following the criteria of
the Magisterium, he will not fail to attend to the correct forma-
tion of their conscience”184. The priest therefore bears special
responsibility for explaining, promoting, and, if necessary, de-
fending – always pursuant to the orientations of the law and
the Magisterium of the Church – religious and moral truths, also
in the presence of public opinion, and even in the vast world
of the mass media if he does have the specific preparation nec-
essary. In an increasingly secularised culture where religion is
often disregarded and considered as irrelevant or illegitimate in
social debate, or at the most relegated to the intimacy of con-
sciences alone, the priest is called to sustain the public and
community significance of the Christian faith, transmitting it in
a clear and convincing manner on all occasions, welcome or
unwelcome (cf. 2Tm 4:2), and keeping ever in mind that patri-
mony of teachings that constitutes the Social Doctrine of the
Church. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church is an
incisive instrument that will help him to present this social
teaching and illustrate its richness in today’s social context.
The reduction of his mission to temporal tasks of a purely
social or political nature, or in any case alien to his identity,
would be not a conquest but a most grave loss for the evan-
gelical fecundity of the entire Church.
Constitution Gaudium et spes, 43; SYNOD OF BISHOPS, Document on the
Ministerial Priesthood Ultimis temporibus (30 November 1971), II, I, 2: l.c., 912-
913; C.I.C., cann. 285, § 3; 287, § 1.
183 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2442; C.I.C., can. 227.
184 SYNOD OF BISHOPS, Document on the Ministerial Priesthood
Ultimis temporibus (30 November 1971), II, I, 2: l.c., 913.
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II. PRIESTLY SPIRITUALITY
The spirituality of the priest consists essentially in the pro-
found relationship of friendship with Christ, because he is
called “to go to Him” (cf. Mk 3:13). In this sense, in the life of
the priest, Jesus will always have pre-eminence over everything.
Each priest acts within a particular historical context with its
manifold challenges and requirements. Precisely for this reason
is the guarantee of the fecundity of his ministry rooted in a
deep interior life. If the priest does not count on the primacy
of grace he will not be able to respond to the challenges of his
times, and any pastoral programme is destined to failure, no
matter how elaborate it may be.
2.1. The Current Historical Context
Being able to interpret the signs of the times
45. The life and ministry of priests unfold within a particu-
lar historical context, at times replete with new problems and
unprecedented resources, and in which the pilgrim Church
lives in the world.
The priesthood is born not of history, but of the immuta-
ble will of God. Nonetheless, it interacts with historical cir-
cumstances and – while remaining ever identical – assumes
tangible form in the concreteness of choices also through an
evangelical reading of “the signs of the times”. For this reason
it is the duty of priests to interpret such “signs” in the light of
the faith and submit them to prudent discernment. In any case,
priests will not be able to ignore them, especially if they wish
to orient their life in an efficacious and germane way in order
to render their service and their witness for the Kingdom of
God fruitful.
In the current phase of the life of the Church, with the so-
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cial context marked by intense secularism and after proposed
anew to all has been a “lofty measure” of the ordinary Chris-
tian life in the sense of holiness185, priests are called to live
their ministry in depth as witnesses of hope and transcendence,
ever taking into consideration the increasingly numerous and
delicate demands they must face, not only of a pastoral nature,
but likewise social and cultural186.
They are therefore engaged today in diverse fields of the
apostolate that require total generosity and dedication, intellec-
tual preparation, and above all a mature and deep spiritual life
rooted in pastoral charity, which is their specific way to holi-
ness and also constitutes an authentic service to the faithful in
the pastoral ministry. In this manner, and despite their
limitations, if they strive to live their consecration in full –
remaining united to Christ and letting themselves be
permeated by his Spirit – they will be able to carry out their
ministry, helped by the grace in which they will place their
trust. To this grace must they have recourse, “aware of being
able to tend to perfection with the hope of progressing more
and more in holiness”187.
The Demand of Conversion for Evangelisation
46. It is therefore clear that the priest is involved in a very
special way in the commitment of the entire Church for evan-
gelisation. Beginning from faith in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer
of mankind, the priest is assured that in Him there are “unfa-
thomable treasures” (Eph 3:8), which no culture or era can ex-
185 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte, l.c.;
BENEDICT XVI, General Audience (13 April 2011): “L’Osservatore Romano”,
14 April 2011, 8.
186 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 5.
187 JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (26 May 1993): Insegnamenti XVI/1
(1993), 1328-1340.
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haust, and which men can always draw upon for their enrich-
ment188.
This is therefore the time for a renewal of our faith in Je-
sus Christ, who is the same “yesterday, today and for ever!”
(Heb 13:8). Hence, “the call to the new evangelisation is first of
all a call to conversion”189. At one and the same time it is a call
to that hope “which rests upon the promises of God, on fidel-
ity to his Word, and which as an unshakeable uncertainty has
the resurrection of Christ, his definitive victory over sin and
death, the first announcement and root of all evangelisation,
the foundation of all human promotion, and the starting point
of every authentic Christian culture”190.
In this context the priest must above all revive his faith,
his hope, and his sincere love for the Lord, in such way as to
be able to present Him to the contemplation of the faithful
and all men as He truly is: a Person alive and fascinating, who
loves us more than anyone else because He gave His life for
us: “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life
for his friends” (Jn 15:13).
At the same time the priest should act under the impetus
of a receptive and joyful spirit, the fruit of his union with God
through prayer and sacrifice, which is an essential element of
his evangelising mission of becoming all for everyone (cf. 1Cor
9:19-23) in order to win them over to Christ. In the same way,
aware of the undeserved mercy of God in his life and in the
life of his brothers, he must cultivate the virtues of humility
and compassion towards the People of God at large, especially
those who feel themselves extraneous to the Church. Con-
scious of the fact that each person is looking in diverse ways
for a love able to bring him beyond the august confines of
human weakness, egoism and above all death itself, the priest
188 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Inaugural Address to the IV General Conference of the Latin
American Episcopate (Santo Domingo, 12-28 October 1992), 24: AAS 85 (1993), 826.
189 Ibid., 1.
190 Ibid., 25.
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will proclaim that Jesus Christ is the response to all these
yearnings.
In the new evangelisation the priest is called to be the herald
of hope191, which issues forth also from the awareness that he
himself was touched by the Lord first: in himself he lives the
joy of the salvation offered to him by Jesus. This is a hope not
only of the mind, but also of the heart, because the priest has
been touched by the love of Christ: “You did not choose me,
no, I chose you” (Jn 15:16).
The Challenge of Sects and New Cults
47. The proliferation of sects and new cults, as well as
their diffusion among the Catholic faithful, constitutes a spe-
cial challenge for the pastoral ministry. At the root of these
phenomena lie complex causes. In any case, the priestly minis-
try is summoned to respond promptly and incisively to the
search for sacredness, and in particular to the search for au-
thentic spirituality emerging today. It therefore follows that the
priest is to be a man of God and master of prayer. At the same
time this obliges the priest to see to it that the community en-
trusted to his pastoral care is truly receptive so that no one be-
longing to it may feel faceless or the object of indifference.
This is a responsibility that certainly does fall on all the faithful,
but in particular on the priest, who is a man of communion. If
he knows how to receive with esteem and respect each person
who approaches him, appreciative of their value as persons, he
will then generate a style of authentic charity that will become
contagious and gradually extend to the entire community.
In addition to the desire for the eternal salvation of the
faithful that beats in the heart of each priest, particularly im-
portant in rising to face and win the challenge of the sects and
the new cults is a mature and complete catechesis, which calls
for a special effort of the part of God’s minister so all the
faithful may really know the meaning of the Christian vocation
191 Cf. Ibid.
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and the Catholic faith. In this sense, “perhaps the simplest,
most obvious and most urgent measure to be taken, the one
which might also be the most effective, would be to make the
most of the riches of the Christian spiritual heritage”192.
In particular, the faithful must be educated to understand-
ing in full the relationship between their specific vocation in
Christ and belonging to his Church, which they must learn to
love in a filial and tenacious way. All this will transpire if the
priest, in his life and his ministry, avoids everything that could
cause tepidity, frigidity or partial acceptance of the doctrine
and norms of the Church. There is no doubt that for those
who seek responses among the myriad of religious proposals,
“the appeal of Christianity will be felt first of all in the witness
of the members of the Church, in their trust, calm, patience
and cheerfulness, and in their concrete love of neighbour, all
the fruit of their faith nourished in authentic personal
prayer”193.
Lights and Shadows of Ministerial Activity
48. It is most comforting to note today that priests of all
ages and in the great majority carry out their sacred ministry
with joyful commitment, often the result of silent heroism,
working unto the extreme of their own strength without, at
times, seeing the fruits of their labour.
As a result of this commitment they constitute today a liv-
ing announcement of that divine grace, which, given freely at
the moment of their Ordination, continues to give ever new
strength for their ministry.
Along with these lights that illuminate the life of a priest,
there are also shadows that tend to weaken its beauty and ren-
der the exercise of the ministry less credible: “In the world of
today, with so many duties which people must undertake and
192 PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE,
Document Jesus Christ, Bearer of Living Water. Chritian Reflection on the “New Age”,
§ 6.2 (3 February 2003): EV 22, 54-137.
193 Ibid.
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the great variety of problems vexing them and very often de-
manding a speedy solution, there is often ranger for those
whose energies are divided by different activities. Priests are
often perplexed and distracted by the very many obligations of
their position may be anxiously enquiring how they can reduce
to unity their interior life and their program of external activ-
ity”194.
The pastoral ministry is a fascinating yet arduous endeav-
our open to misunderstanding and marginalisation, and espe-
cially today, subject to fatigue, pessimism, isolation, and at
times solitude.
In order to rise to the challenges constantly posed by the
secularlised mentality all around him, the priest must make
every effort to reserve absolute primacy to the spiritual life, to
being always with Christ, and to living pastoral charity with
generosity, intensifying communion with all, and above all with
other priests. As Benedict XVI recalled to priests: “The rela-
tionship with Christ, the personal colloquy with Christ, the
personal dialogue with Christ is a fundamental pastoral priority
in our work for the others! And prayer is not a marginal thing:
it is the ‘occupation’ of the priest to pray, as representative of
the people who do not know how to pray or do not find time
to pray”195.
2.2. Being with Christ in Prayer
The Primacy of the Spiritual Life
49. The priest as such was, so to speak, conceived in that
long prayer during which our Lord Jesus spoke with the Father
about his Apostles, and most certainly all those who down
through the centuries would be made participants in his self-
194 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 14.
195 BENEDICT XVI, Prayer Vigil on the Occasion of the Conclusion of the
Year for Priests (10 June 2010): l.c., 397-406.
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same mission (cf. Lk 6:12; Jn 17:15-20)196. The very prayer of
Jesus in Gethsemane (cf. Mt 26:36-44) leading towards the
priestly sacrifice of Golgotha manifests in a paradigmatic way
“how our priesthood should be profoundly linked to prayer:
rooted in prayer”197.
Born of these prayers and called to renew in a sacramental
and bloodless manner a Sacrifice inseparable from them,
priests will keep their ministry alive with a spiritual life, to
which they will give absolute pre-eminence, avoiding any ne-
glect due to other activities.
Precisely in order to carry out his pastoral ministry in a
fruitful manner, the priest needs to enter into a special and
profound relationship with Christ the Good Shepherd, who
alone remains the principal agent of any pastoral endeavour:
“He [Christ] […] remains always the principle and source of
the unity of the life of priests. Therefore, priests will achieve
the unity of their life by joining themselves with Christ in the
recognition of the Father’s will and in the gift of themselves to
the flock entrusted to them. In this way, by adopting the role
of the Good Shepherd they will find in the practice of pastoral
charity itself the bond of priestly perfection which will reduce
to unity their life and activity”198.
Means for the Spiritual Life
50. In effect, evident among the grave contradictions of
the relativistic culture is an authentic disintegration of the per-
sonality caused by a darkening of the truth about man. The risk
of dualism in priestly life is always present.
This spiritual life must be incarnated in each priest
through the liturgy, personal prayer, his style of life and the
practice of the Christian virtues, which contribute to the fe-
196 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Homily at the Chrism Mass (9 April 2009): Inseg-
namenti V/1 (2009), 578-583.
197 JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday (13 April 1987):
AAS 79 (1987), 1285-1295.
198 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 14.
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cundity of ministerial action. Conformation of self to Christ
requires the priest to cultivate a climate of friendship with the
Lord Jesus, living the experience of a personal encounter with
Him, and placing himself at the service of the Church, His
Body, which he will show he loves through the faithful and
tireless fulfilment of the duties of the pastoral ministry199.
It is therefore necessary that never lacking in the priest’s
life of prayer are to be the daily celebration of the Eucharist200,
with suitable preparation and ensuing thanksgiving; frequent
confession201 and spiritual direction already practiced in the
seminary, and often even before that202; the complete and fer-
vent celebration of the liturgy of the hours203, which is a daily
obligation for him204; examination of conscience205; the regular
practice of mental prayer206; the lectio divina207, prolonged mo-
199 Cf. C.I.C., can. 276, § 2, 1°.
200 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis , 5; 18; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 23; 26; 38; 46; 48; C.I.C., cann. 246, § 1; 276, § 2, 2°.
201 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 5; 18; C.I.C., cann. 246, § 4; 276, § 2, 5°; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 26; 48.
202 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18; C.I.C., can. 239; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 40; 50; 81.
203 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18; C.I.C., cann. 246, § 2; 276, § 2, 3°; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 26; 72; CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE
WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS, Responses Celebratio
integra to questions about the obligatory nature of the recital of the Liturgy of
Hours (15 November 2000), in Notitiae 37 (2001), 190-194.
204 Cf. C.I.C. can. 1174, § 1.
205 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis,
18; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 26;
37-38; 47; 51; 53; 72.
206 Cf. C.I.C., can. 276, § 2, 5°.
207 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 4; 13; 18; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 26; 47; 53; 70; 72.
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ments of silence and colloquium, especially in periodical spiri-
tual retreats and days of recollection208; the precious expres-
sions of Marian devotion, such as the Rosary209; the Via Crucis
and other pious exercises210; the fruitful reading of the lives of
the saints211; etc. The proper and good use of time out of love
for God and the Church will undoubtedly enable the priest to
more easily maintain a solid life of prayer. Indeed, the priest,
with the assistance of his spiritual director, is advised to make
an effort to follow this plan of prayer that enables him to grow
interiorily in a context where the manifold demands of life
might often induce him to action for the sake of action, and to
overlook the spiritual dimension.
Each year during the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, and
as a sign of an enduring desire of fidelity, priests are to renew,
in the presence of and together with the Bishop, the promises
made at Ordination212.
The care for the spiritual life that keeps the enemy of te-
pidity at bay must be felt as a joyful duty by the priest himself,
but also as a right of the faithful who, consciously or uncon-
sciously, seek in him the man of God, the counsellor, the media-
tor of peace, the faithful and prudent friend, the sure guide to
confide in during more difficult moments in life in order to
find comfort and assurance213.
208 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18; C.I.C., can. 276, § 2, 4°; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 80.
209 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18; C.I.C., cann. 246, § 3; 276, § 2, 5°. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 36; 38; 45; 82.
210 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 26; 37-38; 47; 51; 53; 72.
211 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18.
212 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 1979 (8 April
1979), 1: l.c., 394; Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 80.
213 Cf . POSSIDIUS, Vita Sancti Aurelii Augustini, 31: PL 32, 63-66.
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In the Magisterium of Benedict XVI there is a text of lofty
significance regarding the battle against spiritual tepidity that
must be waged also by those who are closer to the Lord be-
cause of the ministry: “No one is closer to his master than the
servant who has access to the most private dimensions of his
life. In this sense ‘to serve’ means closeness, it requires
familiarity. This familiarity also bears a danger: when we
continually encounter the sacred it risks becoming habitual for
us. In this way, reverential fear is extinguished. Conditioned by
all our habits we no longer perceive the great, new and
surprising fact that he himself is present, speaks to us, gives
himself to us. We must ceaselessly struggle against this
becoming accustomed to the extraordinary reality, against the
indifference of the heart, always recognising our insufficiency
anew and the grace that there is in the fact that he consigned
himself into our hands”214.
Imitating Christ in Prayer
51. Due to numerous duties stemming in large part from
pastoral activity, the priest’s life is now linked more so than
ever before to a series of requests that could lead him to
mounting activism, making him subject to a pace at times over-
whelming and frenetic.
Not to be forgotten against this temptation is the first in-
tention of Jesus, which was to call to his side Apostles so they
“would remain with him” (Mk 3:14).
The Son of God himself wished to leave us testimony of
his prayer. Indeed, quite frequently do the Gospels present
Christ in prayer: in the revelation of his mission by the Father
(cf. Lk 3:21-22), before the calling of the Apostles (cf. Lk
6:12), in giving thanks to God in the multiplication of the
loaves of bread (cf. Mt 14:19; 15:36; Mk 6:41; 8:7; Lk 9:16; Jn
6:11), in the Transfiguration on the mountain (cf. Lk 9: 28-29),
when he healed the deaf-mute (cf. Mk 7:34) and brought Laza-
214 BENEDICT XVI, Homily at the Chrism Mass (20 March 2008): Inse-
gnamenti IV/1 (2008), 442-446.
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rus back to life (cf. Jn 11:41 ff.), before the confession of Peter
(cf. Lk 9:18), when he taught the disciples how to pray (cf. Lk
11:1) and when they returned after completing their mission
(cf. Mt 11:25 ff.; Lk 10:21 ff.), in the blessing of the children
(cf. Mt 19:13) and on the prayer for Peter (cf. Lk 22:32), etc.
Everything in his daily activity issued forth from prayer.
Thus did he retreat to the desert or on the mountain to pray
(cf. Mk 1:35; 6:46; Lk 5:16; Mt 4:1; Mt 14:23), rose early (cf.
Mk 1:35) or spent the entire night in prayer with God (cf. Mt
14:23.25; Mk 6:46.48; Lk 6:12).
Until the very end of his life, at the Last Supper (cf. Jn
17:1-26), in the agony of the garden (cf. Mt 26:36-44 par.) and
on the Cross (cf. Lk 23:34.46; Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34), the divine
Master demonstrated that prayer gave life to his Messianic
ministry and his Paschal exodus. Risen from the dead, he lives
forever and prays for us (cf. Heb 7:25)215.
Therefore, the fundamental priority for each priest is his
personal relationship with Christ through the abundance of
moments of silence and prayer for cultivating and deepening
his relationship with the living person of the Lord Jesus. Fol-
lowing the example of St. Joseph, the silence of the priest
“manifests not an interior vacuum but, on the contrary, the
fullness of the faith he bears in his heart and which guides his
every thought and deed”216. A silence, which like that of the
holy Patriarch “preserves the Word of God known through
the Sacred Scriptures, constantly confronting it with the events
in the life of Jesus; a silence woven with constant prayer,
prayer of blessing of the Lord, adoration of his holy will, and
unreserved entrustment to his providence217.
In the communion of the holy Family of Nazareth the
silence of Joseph was in perfect harmony with the recollection
215 Cf. Institutio Generalis Liturgiae Horarum, 3-4; Catechism of the Catholic
Church, 2598-2606.
216 BENEDICT XVI, Angelus (18 December 2005): Insegnamenti I (2005),
1003.
217 Ibid.
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of Mary, “the most perfect embodiment” of the obedience of
the faith218, who “kept all the ‘great things’ the Almighty had
done and treasured them in her heart”219.
In this way the faithful will see in the priest a man impas-
sioned with Christ, bearing within himself the fire of His love;
a man who knows he is loved by the Lord and abounds with
love for his flock.
Imitating the Church in Prayer
52. In order to remain faithful to the commitment of “re-
maining with Christ” it is necessary for the priest to know how
to imitate the Church in prayer.
In dispensing the Word of God, which he himself has re-
ceived with joy, the priest is to remember the exhortation
made by the Bishop on the day of his Ordination: “Therefore,
making the Word the object of your continual reflection, al-
ways believe what you read, teach what you believe, and do in
your life what you teach. In this way, through the doctrine
which nourishes the People of God and with the upright wit-
ness of life you will be of comfort and support to them, you
will become a builder of the temple of God, which is the
Church”. Likewise, regarding the celebration of the sacraments
and in particular the Eucharist: “Be aware, then, of what you
are doing, imitate what you do, and since you celebrate the
mystery of the Lord’s death and resurrection, bear the death of
the Lord in your body and walk in the newness of life”. Lastly,
regarding the pastoral guidance of the People of God so he
may lead them to the Father, “Therefore, never turn your face
from Christ, the Good Shepherd, who has come not to be
served, but to serve, and to seek and save those who are
lost”220.
218 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 144.
219 Ibid., 2599; Lk 2:19.51.
220 Pontificale Romanum, De ordinatione Episcopi, Presbyterorum et
Diaconorum, II, 151, l.c., 87-88.
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Prayer as Communion
53. Strengthened by the special bond with the Lord, the
priest will know how to confront those moments when he
might feel alone among men, resolutely renewing his being and
remaining with Christ in the Eucharist, the real place of the
presence of his Lord.
Like Christ, who while alone was always with the Father
(cf. Lk 3:21; Mk 1:35), the priest as well must be a man who, in
recollection, silence and solitude, finds communion with
God221, so he can say with St. Ambrose: “I am never less alone
than as when I seem to be alone”222.
Alongside the Lord the priest will find the strength and
the means to bring men closer to God, to ignite their faith and
inspire both commitment and sharing.
2.3. Pastoral Charity
Manifestation of the Charity of Christ
54. Intimately connected to the Eucharist, pastoral charity
constitutes the internal and dynamic principle capable of unit-
ing the priest’s multiple and diverse pastoral activities and
bringing men to the life of Grace.
The ministerial activity must be a manifestation of the
charity of Christ, whose bearing and conduct the priest will
know how to project, and this unto the ultimate donation of
self for the good of the flock entrusted to him223. In a special
way will he be close to those who suffer, the little ones, chil-
221 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18; SYNOD OF BISHOPS, Document on the Ministerial priesthood
Ultimis temporibus (30 November 1971), II, I, 3: l.c., 913-915; JOHN PAUL II,
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 46-47; General Audience
(2 June 1993), 3: Insegnamenti XVI/1, 1389.
222 “Numquam enim minus solus sum, quam cum solus esse videor”:
Epist. 33 (Maur. 49), 1: CSEL 82, 229.
223 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis,
14; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 23.
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dren, outcasts and the poor, bringing the Good Shepherd’s
love and compassion to all.
The assimilation of the pastoral charity of Christ in order
to make it become a form of his own life is a goal that requires
the priest to live an intense Eucharistic life, as well as continu-
ous efforts and sacrifices, since this charity cannot be impro-
vised, knows no breaks, and cannot be considered as attained
once for all. The minister of Christ will feel it his obligation to
live and bear witness to this reality always and everywhere, also
when he may have be relieved of pastoral responsibilities for
reasons of age.
Beyond Functionalism
55. Pastoral charity runs the risk, especially nowadays, of
being emptied of its meaning by what is called functionalism. In
fact, it is not rare to perceive, also in some priests, the influ-
ence of a mentality which tends erroneously to reduce the min-
isterial priesthood to functional aspects alone. “Doing” as a
priest, providing individual services and guaranteeing the per-
formance of certain tasks would be the essence of priestly exis-
tence as such. But the priest does not just do a “job”, after
which he would be free for his own pursuits: such a reductive
conception of the identity and ministry of priests runs the risk
of pushing a priest towards an abyss, which is often filled with
forms of life not consonant with his ministry.
The priest, who knows he is a minister of Christ and the
Church, and works as a man impassioned with Christ with all
the forces of his life at the service of God and men, will find in
prayer, study and spiritual reading the force necessary to sur-
mount this danger as well224.
2.4. Obedience
The Basis of Obedience
56. Obedience is a virtue of primary importance and is
224 Cf. C.I.C., can. 279, § 1.
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closely united with charity. As the Servant of God Paul VI
teaches, in “pastoral charity” it is possible to transcend “the re-
lationship of juridical obedience, so obedience itself may be
willing, sincere and secure”225. The very sacrifice of Jesus on
the Cross acquired salvific value and significance through his
obedience and fidelity to the Father’s will. He was “obedient
unto death, and death on a cross” (Ph 2:8). The Letter to the
Hebrews also underscores that Jesus “learned obedience from
the things He suffered” (Heb 5:8). It could therefore be said
that obedience to the Father is at the very heart of the Priest-
hood of Christ.
Just like that of Christ, the priest’s obedience expresses to-
tal and joyful readiness to do God’s will. This is why the priest
recognises that this Will also becomes evident in the indica-
tions of legitimate superiors. Readiness towards the latter in
this regard is to be understood as true enactment of personal
liberty, a consequence of a choice ceaselessly matured before
God in prayer. The virtue of obedience, intrinsically requested
by the sacrament and the hierarchical structure of the Church,
is explicitly promised by the cleric, first in the rite of ordination
to the diaconate, and then in the rite of ordination to the
priesthood. With this promise the priest strengthens his will in
communion, thereby entering into the dynamics of the obedi-
ence of Christ, who became obedient Servant unto death on
the Cross (cf. Phi 2:7-8)226.
Highlighted in contemporary culture is the importance of
the subjectivity and autonomy of each person as intrinsic to his
dignity. In itself positive in nature, when this reality is rendered
absolute and claimed outside its proper context it assumes a
negative significance227. This can also become manifest in ec-
clesial circles, and in the very life of the priest if and when the
225 PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus, 93.
226 Cf. Ibid., 15; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Pastores dabo vobis, 27.
227 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis splendor (6 August
1993), 31; 32; 106: AAS 85 (1993), 1158-1159; 1159-1160; 1216.
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activities he performs for the good of the community were to
be reduced to the level of a purely subjective fact.
In reality, the priest, by the very nature of his ministry, is
at the service of Christ and the Church. Therefore, he must be
disposed to accepting all that is justly indicated by his Superi-
ors, and in particular, if he is not legitimately impeded, he must
accept and faithfully perform the office committed to him by
his Ordinary228.
The Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis describes the foundations
of the obedience of priests beginning from the divine work to
which they are called and then illustrates the framework of this
obedience:
- The mystery of the Church: “The priestly ministry, given
that it is the ministry of the Church herself, can only be ful-
filled in the hierarchical union of the whole body of the
Church”229;
- Christian fraternity: “pastoral charity urges priests to act
within this communion and by obedience to dedicate their
own will to the service of God and their fellow-Christians, ac-
cepting and carrying out in the spirit of faith the commands
and suggestions of the Supreme Pontiff and of their bishop
and other superiors, and gladly spending themselves in what-
ever office is entrusted to them, even the humbler and poorer.
By acting in this way they preserve and strengthen the indis-
pensable unity with their brothers in the ministry and especially
those whom the Lord has appointed the visible rulers of the
Church, and working for the building up of the Body of Christ,
which grows ‘by what every joint supplies’”230.
Hierarchical Obedience
57. The priest has “a special obligation to show reverence
and obedience to the Supreme Pontiff and to his Ordinary”231.
228 Cf. C.I.C., can. 274, §2.
229 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 15.
230 Ibid.
231 Cf. C.I.C., can. 273.
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By virtue of belonging to a determined presbyterate he is
charged with the service of a particular Church, whose princi-
ple and foundation of unity is the Bishop232, who has all the
ordinary, proper and immediate authority over it necessary for
the exercise of his pastoral office233. The hierarchical subordi-
nation required by the sacrament of Holy Orders has its eccle-
siological-structural enactment in reference to one’s Bishop
and the Roman Pontiff, who holds the primacy (principatus) of
ordinary power over all the particular Churches234.
The obligation to follow the Magisterium in matters of faith
and morals is intrinsically linked to all the functions the priest
must perform in the Church235. Dissent in this area is to be
considered grave insofar as it leads to scandal and confusion
among the faithful. The appeal to disobedience, especially re-
garding the definitive Magisterium of the Church, is not a way to
renew the Church236. Its inexhaustible vivacity can only issue
forth from following the Master, obedient unto the cross, in
whose mission priests collaborate “with the joy of the faith, the
radicality of obedience, the dynamism of hope, and the force
of love”237.
No one is more aware than the priest that the Church
needs norms, whose purpose is to ensure suitable protection to
the gifts of the Holy Spirit entrusted to the Church. In fact,
since its hierarchical and organic structure is visible, the exer-
232 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 23.
233 Cf. Ibid., 27; C.I.C., can. 381, § 1.
234 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Christus Dominus,
2; Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 22; C.I.C., can. 333, § 1.
235 Cf. on the Professio fidei, C.I.C, can. 833 and CONGREGATION FOR
THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH, Formula to be used for the profession of faith
and the oath of fidelity in assuming an office to be exercised in the name of
the Church, with a doctrinal Note illustrating the conclusive part of the
Professio fidei (29 June 1998): AAS 90 (1998), 542-551.
236 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Homily at the Chrism Mass (5 April 2012):
“L’Osservatore Romano”, 6 April 2012, 7.
237 Ibid.
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cise of the functions divinely entrusted to it, especially those
relative to the guidance and celebration of the sacraments,
must be suitably organised238.
Insofar as a minister of Christ and his Church, the priest
generously takes upon himself the duty to comply faithfully
with each and every norm, avoiding those forms of partial
compliance, according to subjective criteria, which create divi-
sion and have damaging effects upon the lay faithful and public
opinion. In fact, “canonical norms demand observance by their
very nature” and require “that what is commanded by the head
be observed by the members”239.
In obeying the constituted authority, the priest, further-
more, will enhance mutual charity within the priesthood, as
well as that unity whose foundation is to be found in truth.
Authority Exercised with Charity
58. In order for the observance of obedience to be facili-
tated and able to nourish ecclesial communion, those consti-
tuted in positions of authority – Ordinaries, religious Superi-
ors, Moderators of Societies of apostolic life –, in addition to
offering the necessary and constant personal example, must
exercise their institutional charism with charity, both anticipat-
ing and requesting, in due times and ways, adhesion to each
norm in the ambit of the Magisterium and discipline240.
This adhesion is a source of liberty since it stimulates and
does not hamper the mature spontaneity of the priest, who will
be in a position to assume a serene and even-minded pastoral
position, creating the harmony in which personal genius
merges in a higher unity.
238 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Constitution Sacrae disciplinae leges (25
January 1983): AAS 75 (1983), Pars II, XIII; Address to the Participants at the
International Symposium “Ius in vita et in missione Ecclesiae” (23 April 1993):
“L’Osservatore Romano”, 25 April 1993, 4.
239 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Constitution Sacrae disciplinae leges (25
January 1983): l.c., Pars II, XIII.
240 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 392; 619.
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Respect for Liturgical Norms
59. Worthy of emphasis among the various aspects of the
question felt the most today is convinced love and respect for
liturgical norms.
The liturgy is the exercise of the priestly office of Jesus
Christ241, “the summit toward which the activity of the Church
is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power
flows”242. It constitutes an ambit in which the priest must have
particular awareness of being a minister, a servant, and having
to faithfully obey the Church. “The ordering and guidance of
the sacred liturgy depends solely upon the authority of the
Church, namely, that of the Apostolic See and, as provided by
law, that of the diocesan Bishop”243. The priest, therefore, may
not add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own
initiative244.
This is especially true for the celebration of the sacra-
ments, which are acts of Christ and the Church par excellence,
and which the priest administers in the person of Christ the
Head and in the name of the Church for the good of the faith-
ful245. The latter have a true right to participate in liturgical
celebrations as the Church, so wills and not according to the
personal likes of a particular minister, nor according to unap-
proved and unusual rites, which are expressions of specific
groups that tend to isolate themselves from the universality of
the People of God.
Unity in Pastoral Planning
60. In the exercise of their ministry it is necessary for
241 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 7.
242 Ibid., 10.
243 C.I.C., can. 838.
244 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 22.
245 Cf. C.I.C., can. 846, § 1.
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priests not only to participate in the definition of the pastoral
plans which the Bishop determines with the collaboration of
the Council of Priests246, but also ensure harmony between
them and practical activities in their respective community.
Far from being mortified, the sapiential creativity and
spirit of initiative proper to the maturity of priests may be
suitably enhanced for the full advantage of pastoral effective-
ness. Embarking upon separate avenues in this realm may in
fact lead to a weakening of the work of evangelisation itself.
The Importance and Obligatory Nature of Ecclesiastical Attire
61. In a secularised and basically materialistic society
where the external signs of sacred and supernatural realities
tend to disappear, deeply felt is the need for the priest – man
of God, dispenser of his mysteries – to be recognisable in the
eyes of the community by his attire as well, and this as an un-
equivocal sign of his dedication and identity as holder of a
public ministry247. The priest must be recognisable above all
through his conduct, but also by his attire, which renders visi-
ble to all the faithful, and to each person248, his identity and his
belonging to God and to the Church.
Clerical attire is the external sign of an interior reality:
“Indeed, the priest no longer belongs to himself but, because
of the sacramental seal he has received (cf. Catechism of the
Catholic Church, nn. 1563, 1582), is the ‘property’ of God. The
priest’s ‘belonging to Another’, must become recognisable to
all, through a transparent witness. […] In the way of thinking,
246 Cf. SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular Letter
Omnes Christifideles (25 January 1973), 9: EV 5, 1207-1208.
247 JOHN PAUL II, Letter to the Cardinal Vicar of Rome (8 September
1982): Insegnamenti V/2 (1982), 847-849.
248 Cf. PAUL VI, Allocutions to the Clergy (17 February 1969; 17 February
1972; 10 February 1978): AAS 61 (1969), 190; 64 (1972), 223; 70 (1978), 191;
JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 1979 (8 April 1979), 7: l.c., 403-
405; Allocutions to the Clergy (9 November 1978; 19 April 1979): Insegnamenti I
(1978), 116; II (1979), 929.
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speaking, and judging events of the world, of serving and
loving, of relating to people, also in his habits, the priest must
draw prophetic power from his sacramental belonging”249.
For this reason the priest, like the transitory deacon,
must250:
a) wear either the cassock “or suitable ecclesiastical dress,
in accordance with the norms established by the Episcopal
Conference and legitimate local customs”251; when other than
the cassock, attire must be different from the way laypersons
dress and consonant with the dignity and sanctity of the minis-
ter; the style and the colour are to be determined by the Con-
ference of Bishops;
b) because of their incoherence with the spirit of this dis-
cipline, contrary practices are bereft of the rationality necessary
for them to become legitimate customs252 and must be abso-
lutely eliminated by the competent authority253.
Outside of specific exceptional cases, the non use of eccle-
siastical attire may manifest a weak sense of one’s identity as a
pastor dedicated entirely to the service of the Church254.
Moreover, in its form, colour and dignity the cassock is
most opportune, because it clearly distinguishes priests from
laymen and makes people understand the scared nature of their
ministry, reminding the priest himself that forever and at each
249 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Participants at the Theological Conference
Organised by the Congregation for the Clergy (12 March 2010): l.c., 241.
250 Cf. PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR LEGISLATIVE TEXTS, Clarifications
regarding the Binding Nature of Article 66 of the Directory on the Ministry and Life of
Priests (22 October 1994): “Communicationes” 27 (1995), 192-194.
251 C.I.C., can. 284.
252 Cf. Ibid., can. 24, § 2.
253 Cf. PAUL VI, Motu Proprio Ecclesiae Sanctae, I, 25, § 2; SACRED
CONGREGATION FOR BISHOPS, Circular Letter to all the Pontifical
Representatives Per venire incontro (27 January 1976): EV 5, 1162-1163; SACRED
CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Circular Letter The Document (6
January 1980): “L’Osservatore Romano” supplement, 12 April 1980.
254 Cf. PAUL VI, General Audience (17 September 1969); Allocution to the
Clergy (1 March 1973): Insegnamenti VII (1969), 1065; XI (1973), 176.
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moment he is a priest ordained to serve, teach, guide, and
sanctify souls mainly through the celebration of the sacraments
and the preaching of the Word of God. Wearing ecclesiastical
attire is also a safeguard for poverty and chastity.
2.5. Preaching the Word
Fidelity to the Word
62. Christ entrusted to the Apostles and the Church the
mission of preaching the Good News to all men.
To transmit the faith is to prepare a people for the Lord,
revealing, proclaiming and deepening the Christian vocation,
which is the calling God addresses to each man in showing
him the mystery of salvation, and at the same time the place he
is to occupy in reference to that mystery as an adopted child255.
This dual aspect is succinctly brought to light in the Symbol of
Faith, one of the most authoritative expressions with which the
Church has always responded to the call of God256.
The priestly ministry is therefore faced with two require-
ments. First of all there is the missionary nature of the trans-
mission of the faith. The ministry of the Word cannot be ab-
stract or distant with respect to the life people live; on the con-
trary, it must make direct reference to the life of man, each
man, and hence must enter into the most pressing questions
being posed to the human conscience.
On the other hand there is the need for authenticity and
conformity with the faith of the Church, the guardian of the
truths concerning God and man. This must be done with a
sense of extreme responsibility, in the awareness that it is a
matter of utmost importance insofar as at stake is the life of
man and the sense of his existence.
For an effective ministry of the Word, and ever conscious
of this context, the priest will reserve primacy to the witness of
255 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Dei Verbum, 5; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1-2, 142.
256 Cf. ibid., 150-152, 185-187.
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life, which reveals the power of God’s love and renders his
word persuasive. Moreover, he will not neglect the explicit
preaching of the mystery of Christ to believers, to non Chris-
tians and to non believers; catechesis, which is the ordinary and
organic exposition of the doctrine of the Church; the applica-
tion of the revealed truth to the solution of concrete cases257.
The awareness of the absolute need to “remain” faithful to
and anchored in the Word of God and Tradition in order to be
true disciples of Christ and know the truth (cf. Jn 8:31-32) has
always accompanied the history of the priestly spirituality, and
was also reiterated in an authoritative manner by the Second
Vatican Ecumenical Council258. Hence, most useful is the
“longstanding practice of the lectio divina, or ‘spiritual reading’
of Sacred Scripture. This consists in spending considerable
time on a biblical text, reading it and rereading it, almost ‘ru-
minating it’ as the Fathers say, and, we might say, squeezing
out all its ‘juice’ so it may nourish meditation and contempla-
tion, and be able to irrigate concrete life much like sap”259.
Above all for contemporary society marked as it is in
many countries by theoretical and practical materialism, subjec-
tivism and cultural relativism, it is necessary for the Gospel to
be presented as “the power of God for the salvation of every-
one who believes” (Rm 1:16). Priests, recalling that “the faith
comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes
from the word of Christ” (Rm 10:17), will devote their every
energy to correspond to this mission, which is primary in their
ministry. Indeed, they are not only witnesses, but heralds and
transmitters of the faith260.
Carried out in the hierarchical communion, this ministry
257 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (21 April 1993), 6: Insegnamenti
XVI/1 (1993), 936-947.
258 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Dei Verbum, 25.
259 BENEDICT XVI, Angelus (6 November 2005): Insegnamenti I/1
(2005), 759-762.
260 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 757; 762; 776.
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empowers them to express the Catholic faith with authority
and bear witness to the faith in the name of the Church. In ef-
fect, the People of God “is formed into one in the first place
by the Word of the living God, which everyone has the right to
hear from the mouths of priests”261.
In order to be authentic the Word must be transmitted
without duplicity and without any falsification, but rather
manifesting with frankness the truth before God (cf. 2Cor 4:2).
With responsible maturity the priest will avoid falsifying, re-
ducing, distorting or diluting the contents of the divine mes-
sage. His role, in fact, “is not to teach his own wisdom but the
Word of God, and urgently invite all men to conversion and
holiness”262. “Consequently, his words, his choices and his
behaviour must increasingly become a reflection, proclamation
and witness of the Gospel; only if he ‘abides’ in the word will
the priest become a perfect disciple of the Lord. Only then
then will he know the truth and be set truly free”263.
Preaching, therefore, can not be reduced to the presenta-
tion of one’s own thoughts, the manifestation of personal ex-
perience, or to simple explanations of a psychological264, socio-
logical or philanthropic nature; nor can it indulge excessively
on the allure of rhetoric so often found in mass communica-
tion. It is a matter of proclaiming a Word not at our disposal
insofar as it has been given to the Church so the Church her-
self may protect, penetrate and transmit it in all fidelity265.
Nonetheless, it is necessary for the priest to prepare his
preaching in a suitable manner through prayer, serious and up-
261 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 4.
262 Ibid.; cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Pastores dabo vobis, 26.
263 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum
Domini (30 Septemebr 2010), 80: AAS 102 (2012), 751-752.
264 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (12 May 1993): Insegnamenti
XVI/1 (1993), 1194-1204.
265 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Dei Verbum, 10; JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (12 May 1993): l.c., 1194-1204.
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dated study, and the commitment to apply what he says con-
cretely to the conditions of those to whom he preaches. In par-
ticular, as Benedict XVI recalled, “during the course of the li-
turgical year it is appropriate to offer the faithful, prudently
and on the basis of the three-year lectionary, ‘thematic’ homi-
lies treating the great themes of the Christian faith, on the ba-
sis of what has been authoritatively proposed by the Magiste-
rium in the four “pillars” of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
and the recent Compendium, namely, the profession of faith, the
celebration of the Christian mystery, life in Christ and Chris-
tian prayer266. Thus will homilies and catechesis, etc., be of true
help to the faithful for the bettering their life of relationship
with God and others.
Word and Life
63. The awareness of the mission to announce the Gospel
as an instrument of God and the Holy Spirit is to become in-
creasingly concrete in pastoral terms so the priest may vivify in
the light of the Word of God the diverse situations and set-
tings in which he carries out his ministry.
In order to be effective and credible it is therefore impor-
tant that the priest – within the perspective of the faith and his
ministry – be familiar in a constructive critical sense with the
ideologies, language, cultural intricacies and typologies diffused
through the mass media, and which to a great extent condition
the ways people think.
Stirred by the Apostle who exclaimed: “Woe to me if I do
not preach the Gospel!” (1Cor 9:16), he must know how to use
all those means of communication placed at his disposal by the
sciences and modern technology.
Certainly, not all depends on such means or human skills,
since divine grace can attain its effect independently of the
workings of man. In the plan of God, however, the preaching
266 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum
caritatis, 46.
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of the Word is customarily the preferred channel for the
transmission of the faith and the evangelising mission.
For those who today are outside or far removed from the
proclamation of Christ the priest will consider particularly ur-
gent and timely the dramatic question: “How are they to in-
voke Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to
believe him whom they have not heard? And how are they to
hear if no one preaches him?” (Rm 10:14).
In order to respond to such questions the priest must feel
personally engaged in cultivating the Sacred Scriptures in a special
way through the study of sound exegesis, mainly patristic, and
through meditation in keeping with the various methods sup-
ported by the spiritual tradition of the Church in order to obtain
an understanding moved by love267. It is particularly important to
teach the cultivation of this personal relationship with the Word
of God already during the years in the seminary, where candi-
dates to the priesthood are called to study the Scriptures in or-
der to become increasingly “aware of the mystery of divine
revelation and foster an attitude of prayerful response to the
Lord who speaks. Conversely, an authentic life of prayer cannot
fail to nurture in the candidate’s heart a desire for greater
knowledge of the God who has revealed himself in his word as
infinite love”268.
64. The priest is to feel it his duty to reserve special atten-
tion to the remote and immediate preparation of the liturgical
homily and its contents, echoing the liturgical readings, espe-
cially the Gospel, the equilibrium between exposition and ap-
plication, pedagogy, and techniques of presentation – including
good diction – ever respectful of the dignity of the act being
performed and the listeners269. In particular, “generic and
abstract homilies which obscure the directness of God’s word
should be avoided, as well as useless digressions which risk
267 Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Summa theologiae, I, q. 43, a. 5.
268 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum
Domini, 82.
269 Cf. C.I.C., can. 769.
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drawing greater attention to the preacher than to the heart of
the Gospel message. The faithful should be able to perceive
clearly that the preacher has a compelling desire to present
Christ, who must stand at the centre of every homily”270.
Word and Catechesis
65. Nowadays when spreading in many surroundings is a
religious illiteracy where the fundamental elements of the faith
are increasingly less known, catechesis proves to be a basic part
of the Church’s mission of evangelisation, since it is a pre-
ferred instrument in the teaching and maturation of the
faith271.
The priest, as a collaborator of the Bishop and duly man-
dated by him, bears the responsibility to animate, coordinate
and direct the catechetical activity of the community entrusted
to him. It is important for him to be able to integrate this ac-
tivity into an organic project of evangelisation, guaranteeing
above all the communion of the catechesis of his community
with the person of the Bishop, the particular Church and the
universal Church272.
In particular he must know how to inspire the correct and
opportune responsibility and collaboration regarding catechises
with both the members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and
Societies of apostolic life, and suitably prepared lay faithful273,
manifesting towards them his recognition and esteem for their
work in catechesis.
He is to devote special care to the initial and continuing
formation of catechists, associations and movements. Insofar
as possible, the priest is to be the catechist of the catechists, form-
ing together with them a true community of the Lord serving
270 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum
Domini, 59.
271 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi tradendae (16
October 1979), 18: AAS 71 (1979), 1291-1292.
272 Cf. C.I.C., can. 768.
273 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 528, §1 and 776.
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as a point of reference for those receiving Christian instruc-
tion. Thus he will teach them that the service of the ministry of
teaching must be based on the Word of Jesus Christ and not
on personal theories or opinions: it is “the faith of the Church
of whom we are servants”274.
Master275 and educator of the faith276, the priest will ensure
that catechesis is a privileged part of Christian education in
families, in religious education, in the formation of apostolic
movements, etc., and that it is addressed to all the categories of
the faithful: children, adolescents, adults, the elderly. More-
over, he will know how to transmit catechetical teaching with
the use of all those didactic aids and instruments, as well as
means of communication that may be effective so the faithful,
in a manner suited to their disposition, ability, age, and practi-
cal conditions of life, may be able to learn the Christian doc-
trine in full and put it into practice in the most fitting way277.
To this end, the priest will have as his main point of refer-
ence is to be the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its Compen-
dium. In fact, these texts constitute the sound and authentic
norm for the teaching of the Church278, and their reading and
study is therefore to be encouraged. They must always be the
sure and irreplaceable basis for teaching “the fundamental con-
tent of the faith that receives its systematic and organic synthe-
sis in the Catechism of the Catholic Church”279. As His Holiness
Benedict XVI recalled, in the Catechism “we see the wealth of
teaching that the Church has received, safeguarded and pro-
posed in her two thousand years of history. From Sacred
274 BENEDICT XVI, Homily at the Chrism Mass (5 April 2012): l.c., 7.
275 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 9.
276 Cf. Ibid., 6.
277 Cf. C.I.C., can. 779.
278 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum (11
October 1992): AAS 86 (1992), 113-118.
279 BENEDICT XVI, Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio Porta fidei
(11 October 2011), 11: AAS 103 (2011), 730.
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Scripture to the Fathers of the Church, from theological mas-
ters to the saints across the centuries, the Catechism provides a
permanent record of the many ways in which the Church has
meditated on the faith and made progress in doctrine so as to
offer certitude to believers in their lives of faith”280.
2.6. The Sacrament of the Eucharist
The Eucharistic Mystery
66. While the service of the Word is the fundamental ele-
ment of the priestly ministry, its heart and vital centre is un-
doubtedly the Eucharist, which is above all the real presence in
time of the one and eternal sacrifice of Christ281.
Sacramental memorial of the death and resurrection of
Christ, real and efficacious representation of the singular re-
deeming Sacrifice, source and apex of the Christian life and all
evangelisation282, the Eucharist is the beginning, means and
end of the priestly ministry, since “all ecclesiastical ministries
and works of the apostolate are bound up with the Holy
Eucharist and are directed towards it”283. Consecrated in order
to perpetuate the Holy Sacrifice, the priest thus manifests his
identity in the most evident manner284.
In fact, there is an intimate connection among the central-
ity of the Eucharist, pastoral charity and the unity of the life of
280 Ibid.
281 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (12 May 1993), 3: l.c., 1195-
1196.
282 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 5; BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum
caritatis (22 February 2007), 78; 84-88: l.c., 165; 169-173.
283 Ibid.
284 “Sacerdos habet duos actus: unum principalem, supra corpus
Christi verum; et alium secundarium, supra corpus Christi mysticum. Secundus
autem actus dependet a primo, sed non convertitur” (ST. THOMAS, Summa
theologiae, Suppl., q. 36, a. 2, ad 1).
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the priest285, who therein finds decisive indications for the way
to holiness to which he has been specifically called.
If the priest lends to Christ, the Most Eternal High Priest,
his intelligence, his will, his voice and his hands so through his
ministry he may offer to the Father the sacramental sacrifice of
redemption, he is to embrace the dispositions of the Master
and, like him, live as a gift for his brothers. He is therefore to
learn to unite himself intimately to the offering, placing on the
altar of the sacrifice his whole life as a revealing sign of God’s
gratuitous and prevenient love.
Celebrating the Eucharist Well
67. The priest is called to celebrate the Holy Eucharistic
Sacrifice, to meditate constantly on what it means and trans-
form his life into a Eucharist, which becomes manifest in love
for daily sacrifice, especially in fulfilling the duties and offices
proper to his state. Love for the cross leads the priest to be-
come himself an offering pleasing to the Father through Christ
(cf. Rm 12:1). Loving the Cross in a hedonistic society is a
scandal, but from a perspective of faith it is the fount of inte-
rior life. The priest must preach the redemptive value of the
cross with his style of life.
It is necessary to evoke the irreplaceable value for the
priest of the daily celebration of the Holy Mass – the “source
and summit”286 of the priestly life – even if it should not be
285 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 5; 13; ST. JUSTIN, Apologia I, 67: PG 6, 429-432; ST. AUGUSTINE, In
Iohannis Evangelium Tractatus, 26, 13-15: CCL 36, 266-268; BENEDICT XVI,
Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortaiton Sacramentum caritatis, 80; CONGREGATION
FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS,
Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum on certain things that must be observed
and avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (25 March 2004), 110: AAS
96 (2004), 581.
286 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 11; cf. also, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 18.
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possible to have the faithful present287. In this regard Benedict
XVI teaches: “To this end I join the Synod Fathers in recom-
mending ‘the daily celebration of the Holy Mass, even when
the faithful are not present’. This recommendation is consis-
tent with the objectively infinite value of every celebration of
the Eucharist, and is motivated by its unique spiritual fruitful-
ness. If celebrated in a faith-filled and attentive way, the Holy
Mass is formative in the deepest sense of the word, since it
fosters the priest’s configuration to Christ and strengthens him
in his vocation”288.
He is to live the celebration of the Eucharist as the core
moment of his day and his daily ministry, the fruit of sincere
desire and occasion for a deep and effective encounter with
Christ. In the Eucharist the priest learns to give himself each
day, not only in moments of great difficulty, but also in minor
daily setbacks. This learning experience is reflected in love in
preparing himself for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice and
living it in piety without haste, ever attentive to the liturgical
norms and the rubrics so the faithful may in this manner
perceive an authentic catechesis289.
In a civilisation ever more sensitive to communication
through signs and images, the priest is to allocate due attention
to everything that can exalt the decorum and sacredness of the
Eucharistic celebration. It is important that in such celebra-
tions proper attention is focused on the appropriateness and
cleanliness of the place, the architecture of the altar and the
tabernacle290, the nobility of the sacred vessels, the vest-
287 Cf. C.I.C., can. 904.
288 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum
caritatis, 80.
289 Cf. Ibid., 64: l.c., 152-154.
290 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 128; JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 49-50;
BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis, 80.
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ments291, the hymns292, the music293, the sacred silence294, and
the use of incense during more solemn celebrations, etc., re-
peating that loving act of Mary towards the Lord, when “she
took a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it
anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the
house was full of the scent of the ointment” (Jn 12:3). These
are all elements that can contribute to a better participation in
the Eucharistic celebration. In fact, limited attention to the
symbolic aspects of the liturgy, and even more so things such
as carelessness and haste, superficiality and disorder empty its
meaning and detract from its function of fostering growth in
the faith295. The priests who fail to celebrate the Holy Mass
well reveal the weakness of their faith and do not educate oth-
ers to the faith. Conversely, celebrating the Holy Mass well
constitutes an initial important catechesis on the Holy Sacri-
fice.
In a special way the liturgical norms must be respected
with generous fidelity during the celebration of the Eucharist.
“The liturgical norms for the celebration of the Eucharist are
to be observed with great fidelity. These norms are a concrete
expression of the authentically ecclesial nature of the Eucha-
rist; this is their deepest meaning. Liturgy is never anyone’s
private property, be it of the celebrant or of the community in
which the mysteries are celebrated. […] Our time, too, calls for
291 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 122-124; CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE
DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS, Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (25
March 2004), 121-128: l.c., 583-585.
292 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 112, 114, 116; JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia
(17 April 2003), 49: l.c., 465-466; BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis, 42.
293 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 120.
294 Cf. Ibid., 30; BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Sacramentum caritatis, 55.
295 Cf. C.I.C., can. 899, § 3.
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a renewed awareness and appreciation of liturgical norms as a
reflection of, and a witness to, the one universal Church made
present in every celebration of the Eucharist. Priests who faith-
fully celebrate Mass according to the liturgical norms, and
communities which conform to those norms, quietly but elo-
quently demonstrate their love for the Church”296.
Therefore, the priest, while placing at the service of the
Eucharistic celebration all his talents to make it come alive in
the participation of the faithful, must abide by the rite stipu-
lated in the liturgical books approved by the competent au-
thority, without adding, removing or changing anything at
all297. Thus his celebrating truly becomes a celebration of and
with the Church: he does not do “something of his own”, but
is with the Church in dialogue with God. This also promotes
adequate active participation on the part of the faithful in the
sacred liturgy: “The ars celebrandi is the best way to ensure the
actuosa participatio. The ars celebrandi is the fruit of faithful
adherence to the liturgical norms in all their richness; indeed,
for two thousand years this way of celebrating has sustained
the faith life of all believers, called to take part in the
celebration as the People of God, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation” (cf. 1P 2:4-5.9)298.
All Ordinaries, Superiors of Institutes of consecrated life
and Moderators of Societies of apostolic life bear the grave re-
sponsibility, besides for being first in example, of exercising
vigilance so that the liturgical norms regarding the celebration
296 JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 52; Cf.
CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE
SACRAMENTS, Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (25 March 2004): l.c., 549-
601.
297 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 22; C.I.C., can. 846, § 1; BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis, 40.
298 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum
caritatis, 38.
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of the Eucharist are faithfully observed at all times by all and in
all places.
Priests who celebrate or concelebrate are obliged to wear
the sacred vestments prescribed by the liturgical norms299.
Eucharistic Adoration
68. The centrality of the Eucharist must appear not only in
the worthy and deeply felt celebration of the Sacrifice, but also
in frequent adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar so the
priest may be seen as a model for the flock also in devout at-
tention and assiduous meditation in the presence of the Lord
in the tabernacle. It is hoped that the priests entrusted with the
guidance of communities would dedicate long periods of time
to community adoration – for example, every Thursday, the
days of prayer for vocations, etc. – and reserve to the Blessed
Sacrament of the Altar, also outside Holy Mass, attention and
honours superior to any other rite and act. “Faith and love for
the Eucharist may not permit the presence of Christ in the
Tabernacle to remain alone”300. Inspired by the example of
their pastors’ faith, the faithful will seek occasions throughout
the week to go to church and adore our Lord present in the
Tabernacle.
A privileged moment of Eucharistic adoration could be
during the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, which con-
299 Cf. C.I.C., can. 929; Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani (2002), 81;
298; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE
OF THE SACRAMENTS, Instruction Liturgicae instaurationes (5 September 1970),
8: AAS 62 (1979), 701; Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (25 March 2004),
121-128: l.c., 583-585.
300 JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (9 June 1993), 6: Insegnamenti
XVI/1 (1993), 1469-1461; cf. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 48; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1418; JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter
Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 25; CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE
DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, 13;
BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis, 67-
68.
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stitutes a prolongation during the day of the sacrifice of praise
and thanksgiving, whose centre and sacramental fount is the
Holy Mass. The Liturgy of the Hours, in which the priest
united to Christ is the voice of the Church for the world, will
be celebrated, also in a communitarian form, in such a way as
to be “the interpreter and vehicle of the universal voice chant-
ing the glory of God and asking for the salvation of man”301.
Exemplary solemnity of this celebration will be reserved to
the canonical Chapters.
Therefore, whether it be in communitarian or individual
form, the Liturgy of the Hours is always to be celebrated with
love and the yearning for reparation, without falling into a
simple “duty” to be performed in a mechanical fashion as a
mere and hasty reading without paying the necessary attention
to the meaning of what is being read.
Mass Intentions
69. “The Eucharist is a sacrifice because it re-presents
(makes present) the sacrifice of the cross, because it is its memo-
rial and because it applies its fruit”302. Each Eucharistic celebra-
tion makes present the one, perfect and definitive sacrifice of
Christ, who saved the world on the Cross once for all. The
Eucharist is celebrated first of all for the glory of God and in
thanksgiving for the salvation of mankind. According to a very
ancient tradition, the faithful request the priest to celebrate
Mass so that it “may be offered in reparation for the sins of
the living and the dead, and to obtain spiritual or temporal
benefits from God”303. “It is earnestly recommended to priests
that they celebrate Mass for the intentions of Christ’s faith-
ful”304.
301 JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (2 June 1993), 5: l.c., 1390-1391; cf.
ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, 99-100.
302 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1366.
303 Ibid., 1414; cf. C.I.C., can. 901.
304 Cf. C.I.C., can. 945, § 2.
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In order to participate in their own way in the Sacrifice of
the Lord with the gift not only of themselves, but also a part of
what they possess, the faithful associate an offering, usually a
sum of money, to the intention for which they wish a Holy
Mass to be applied. In no way is this a form of remuneration,
since the Eucharistic Sacrifice is absolutely gratuitous. “Urged
by their religious and ecclesial sense, the faithful, with a view to
a more active participation in the Eucharistic celebration, wish
to add their personal offering, thereby contributing to the
needs of the Church and in particular to the support of her
ministers305. The offering for the celebration of Holy Masses is
to be considered ‘an excellent form’ of almsgiving306.
This practice is “not only approved, but also encouraged
by the Church, which considers it a sort of sign of the union of
baptised persons with Christ, as well as of the priest with the
faithful for whom he carries out his ministry”307. Priests are
therefore to encourage it with a suitable catechesis, explaining
its spiritual sense and fecundity to the faithful. They them-
selves will take special care in celebrating the Eucharist with
the full awareness that, in Christ and with Christ, they are the
intercessors before God, not only to apply the Sacrifice of the
Cross for the salvation of humanity, but also to present to di-
vine benevolence the particular intention entrusted to them.
This is one of the excellent ways for the lay faithful to
participate actively in the celebration of the memorial of the
Lord.
Priests are also to be convinced that “since this matter
directly touches the august sacrament, any albeit minimum
shadow of profit or simony would cause scandal”308. The Church
305 PAUL VI, Motu Proprio Firma in Traditione (13 June 1974): AAS 66
(1974), 308.
306 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Decree Mos iugiter (22
February 1991), art. 7: AAS 83 (1991), 446.
307 PAUL VI, Motu Proprio Firma in Traditione (13 June 1974): l.c., 308.
308 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Decree Mos iugiter (22
February 1991): l.c., 443-446.
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has therefore issued precise rules in this regard309 and punishes
with a just penalty “a person who unlawfully traffics in Mass
offerings”310. Each priest who accepts the engagement to
celebrate a Holy Mass according to the intentions of the
person making the offering must comply therewith pursuant to
the obligation of justice, applying as many Masses as there are
intentions311.
It is not licit for a priest to ask for an amount higher than
what has been determined by decree issued by the legitimate
authority, or, if that sum does not exist, a sum corresponding
to the customary practice in use in the diocese. Nonetheless,
he may accept an offering less than the established amount,
and even a higher amount if such an offering is spontaneously
made312.
“Each priest must accurately record the Masses which he
has accepted to celebrate and those which he has in fact cele-
brated”313. The parish priest and the rector of a church must
record them in a special register314.
A priest may only accept offerings for Masses which may
be celebrated within the year315. “Priests who receive offerings
for a large number of Masses to be applied to special inten-
tions […], far from turning them down and thereby frustrating
the pious wishes of those making the offering and dissuading
them from their good intention, are to transfer them to other
priests (cf. C.I.C. can. 955) or to their own Ordinary (cf. C.I.C.
can. 956)”316.
309 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 945-958.
310 Ibid., can. 1385.
311 Cf. Ibid., cann. 948-949; 199, 5°.
312 Cf. C.I.C., can. 952.
313 Ibid., can. 955, 4.
314 Cf. Ibid., can. 958, § 1.
315 Cf Ibid., can. 953.
316 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Decree Mos iugiter (22
February 1991), art. 5, § 1: l.c., 443-446.
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“If persons making an offering are explicitly consulted be-
forehand and freely consent for their offerings to be accumu-
lated with others in a single offering, their wishes may be satis-
fied with a single Holy mass celebrated according to a single
‘collective’ intention. In this case the day, place and time of the
celebration of the Mass are to be publicly indicated, and such
Masses may not be celebrated more than twice a week”317.
Were it to be used excessively, this waver to Canon law in
force would constitute a reprehensible abuse318.
If the priest celebrates more than once on the same day he
may retain for himself the offering for only one Mass and
transmits the others for purposes prescribed by the Ordi-
nary319.
Each parish priest “is bound on each Sunday and holyday
of obligation to apply the Mass for the people entrusted to
him”320.
2.7. The Sacrament of Penance
The Ministry of Reconciliation
70. The Gift of the Risen One to the Apostles is the Holy
Spirit for the remission of sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and
whose sins you shall retain, they are retained” (Jn 20:21-23).
Christ entrusted the sacramental work of Reconciliation of
man with God exclusively to his Apostles, and to those who
succeed them in the same mission321. By the will of Christ,
priests are the only ministers of the sacrament of Reconcilia-
317 Ibid., art. 2, §§ 1-2, 443-446.
318 Cf. Ibid., art. 2, § 3, 443-446.
319 Cf. C.I.C., can. 951.
320 Ibid., can. 534, § 1.
321 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF TRENT, Sessio VI, De Iustificatione,
c. 14; sess. XIV, De Poenitentia, c. 1, 2, 5-7, can. 10; Sessio XXIII, De Ordine, c.
1; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2, 5;
C.I.C., can. 965.
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tion. Like Christ, they are invited to call sinners to conversion
and bring them back to the Father through the judgment of
mercy.
Sacramental Reconciliation restores the friendship with
God the Father and with all his children in his family which is
the Church, and which is thereby rejuvenated and edified in all
its dimensions: universal, diocesan and parochial322.
Despite the sad fact of the loss of the sense of sin, which
is so broadly present in the cultures of our time, the priest
must practice the ministry of the formation of consciences,
forgiveness and peace with dedication and joyfulness.
It is therefore necessary for him to be able to identify him-
self in a certain sense with this sacrament, and, assuming the
disposition of Christ, mercifully bend over wounded humanity
as a Good Samaritan, projecting the Christian newness of the
medicinal dimension of penance, which is in view of healing
and pardon323.
Dedication to the Ministry of Reconciliation
71. Because of both his office324 and his priestly ordina-
tion, the priest is to dedicate time – also with established days
and times – and energies to hearing the confessions of the
faithful325, who, as experience demonstrates, willing go to re-
ceive this sacrament where they know and see priests available.
Moreover, not to be overlooked is the possibility of facilitating
recourse to the sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance on
the part of individual faithful during the celebration of the
Holy Mass326. This applies everywhere, but especially for ca-
322 Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1443-1445.
323 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 966, § 1; 978, § 1; 981; JOHN PAUL II, Address to the
Apostolic Penetentiary (27 March 1993): Insegnamenti XVI/1 (1993), 761-766.
324 Cf. C.I.C., can. 986.
325 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio
Misericordia Dei (7 April 2002), 1-2: l.c., 455.
326 “Local Ordinaries, and parish priests and rectors of churches and
shrines, must periodically verify that the greatest possible provision is in fact
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thedral churches, churches in more frequented areas, centres
of spirituality and sanctuaries, where fraternal and responsible
collaboration with religious priests and elderly priests is possi-
ble327.
We cannot forget that “the faithful and generous readiness
of priests to hear confessions, following the example of great
saints of history, from St. John Mary Vianney to St. John
Bosco, from St. Josemaría Escrivá to St. Pio di Pietralcina,
from St. Joseph Cafasso to St. Leopold Mandić, is an indica-
tion for all of us of how the confessional can be a real ‘place’
of sanctification”328.
Every priest is to abide by the ecclesial norm that defends
and promotes the value of individual confession with the inte-
gral accusation of sins in direct colloquy with the confessor329.
“Individual and integral confession and absolution are the sole
ordinary means by which the faithful, conscious of grave sin,
are reconciled with God and the Church”, and therefore, “all
those of whom it is required by virtue of their ministry in the
care of souls are obliged to ensure that the confessions of the
faithful entrusted to them are heard”330. Sacramental absolu-
tions given in a collective form without having observed the
being made for the faithful to confess their sins. It is particularly recom-
mended that in places of worship confessors be visibly present at the adver-
tised times, that these times be adapted to the real circumstances of penitents,
and that confessions be especially available before Masses, and even during
Mass if there are other priests available, in order to meet the needs of the
faithful”: JOHN PAUL II Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei (2 May 2002), 2: l.c.,
455.
327 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular Letter to the Rectors
of Shrines (15 August 2011): “L’Osservatore Romano”, 12 August 2011, 7.
328 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the participants at the Course Organised by the
Apostolic Penitentiary (25 March 2011): “L’Osservatore Romano”, 26 March
2011, 7.
329 Cf. C.I.C., can. 960; JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Redemptor
hominis, 20: AAS 64 (1979), 257-324; Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei, 3.
330 JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei, 1.
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established norms are undoubtedly to be considered a grave
abuse331.
Regarding the place for confessions, the relative norms are
established by the Episcopal Conference, “nonetheless guaran-
teeing that confessionals with a fixed grating between the peni-
tent and the confessor are always located in a visible manner so
the faithful who so desire may freely make use thereof”332. The
confessor will be able to enlighten the conscience of the peni-
tent with words which, however brief, will be suited to his
concrete situation, and thus enhance a renewed personal orien-
tation toward conversion and have a profound impact on his
spiritual journey, also through the imposition of an opportune
penance333. In this manner confession could be lived also as a
moment of spiritual direction.
In any case, the priest is to know how to maintain the cele-
bration of Reconciliation on a sacramental level, stimulating
sorrow for sins and trust in grace, etc., and at the same time
overcoming the danger of reducing it to a purely psychological
exercise or a merely formalistic act.
Moreover, this becomes clear in faithfully following the
norms in force regarding the place for confessions, which
331 The use of community confession and absolution is reserved solely
to extraordinary cases and under the required conditions contemplated by
dispositions in force: cf. C.I.C., canons 961-963; PAUL VI, Allocution (20 March
1978): AAS 70 (1978), 328-332; JOHN PAUL II, Allocution (30 January 1981):
AAS 73 (1981), 201-204; Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et
paenitentia (2 December 1984), 33: AAS 77 (1985), 270; Apostolic Letter Miseri-
cordia Dei, 4-5.
332 C.I.C., can. 964, §2. Moreover, the minister of the sacrament, for
just cause and the case of necessity excluded, may legitimately decide, even if
the penitent requests otherwise, that the sacramental confession is to be
received in a confessional fitted with a fixed grille. (Cf. PONTIFICAL COUNCIL
FOR LEGISLATIVE TEXTS, Responsio ad propositum dubium: de loco excipiendi
sacramentales confessiones: AAS 90 [1998], 711).
333 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 978, § 1; 981.
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must not be heard “outside the confessional, except for just
cause”334.
The Necessity of Confession
72. Like all the faithful, the priest also needs to confess his
sins and weaknesses. He is the first to know that the practice
of this sacrament strengthens him in faith and charity towards
God and his brothers.
In order to be in the best condition to reveal effectively
the beauty of Penance, it is essential for the minister of the sac-
rament to offer personal witness by preceding the other faith-
ful in living the experience of pardon. This also constitutes the
first condition for restoring the pastoral value of the sacrament
of Reconciliation: in frequent confession the priest learns how
to understand others, and – following the example of the
Saints – is urged to place them at the centre of […] pastoral
concerns 335. In this sense it is something good for the faithful
to know and see that their priests also go to confession on a
regular basis336. “The whole of priestly existence suffers an
inexorable decline if by negligence or for some other reason a
priest fails to receive the sacrament of penance at regular
intervals and in a spirit of genuine faith and devotion. If a
priest were no longer to go to confession or properly confess
his sins, his priestly being and his priestly action would feel its
effects very soon and this would also be noticed by the
community of which he was the pastor”337.
334 Ibid., can. 964; JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Misericordia Dei, 9.
335 BENEDICT XVI, Letter establishing the Year for Priests on the Occasion of
the 150th Anniversary of the “Dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney, 16 June 2009: l.c.,
569-579.
336 Cf. C.I.C., can. 276, § 2, 5°; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II,
Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 18.
337 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et
paenitentia, 31; Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 26.
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Spiritual Direction for Self and for Others
73. Along with the sacrament of Reconciliation the priest
will not fail to exercise the ministry of spiritual direction338. The
rediscovery and extension of this practice, also at times outside
the administration of Penance, is of great benefit for the
Church in these times339. The generous and active attitude of
priests in practicing it also constitutes an important occasion
for identifying and sustaining vocations to the priesthood and
to the various forms of consecrated life.
In order to contribute to the improvement of their spiritu-
ality it is necessary for priests to practice spiritual direction
with respect to themselves, because “with the assistance of ac-
companiment or spiritual counsel […] it is easier to discern the
action of the Holy Spirit in each person’s life”340. By placing
the formation of their soul in the hands of a wise confrere –
the instrument of the Holy Spirit – they will develop, as of
their first steps in the ministry, their awareness of the impor-
tance of not journeying in solitude along the ways of the spiri-
tual life and pastoral commitment. In making use of this effi-
cacious means of formation so well tried and proven in the
Church, priests are to exercise complete liberty in choosing the
person who may guide them.
2.8. The Liturgy of the Hours
74. A fundamental way for the priest to be in the presence
of the Lord is the Liturgy of the Hours. In this liturgy we pray
338 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Message to Cardinal James Francis Stafford, Major
Penitentiary, and the Participants at the XX edition of the Course for the Internal Forum
Organised by the Apostolic Penitentiary (12 March 2009): l.c., 374-377;
CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, The priest, minister of Divine Mercy. Material
for Confessors and Spiritual Directors (9 March 2011), 64-134: l.c., 28-53.
339 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio
et paenitentia, 32.
340 CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, The Priest, Minister of Divine
Mercy. Material for Confessors and Spiritual Directors (9 March 2011), 98: l.c., 39; cf.
ibid. 110-111: l.c., 42-43.
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as men in need of dialogue with God, giving voice to and
standing in for all those who perhaps do not know, do not
want or do not find the time to pray.
The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council recalls that the
faithful “who take part in the divine office are not only per-
forming a duty for the Church, they are also sharing in what is
the greatest honour for Christ’s Bride; for by offering these
praises to God they are standing before God’s throne in the
name of the Church, their Mother”341. This prayer is “the voice
of the Bride herself addressed to her Bridegroom. It is the very
prayer which Christ himself together with his Body addresses
to the Father”342. In this sense the priest prolongs the prayer of
Christ the Priest and brings it into the present.
75. The daily obligation to pray the Breviary (the Liturgy
of the Hours) is also one of the solemn commitments under-
taken in ordination to the diaconate in public form, which may
not be omitted without grave cause. It is an obligation of love
that is to be attended to under all circumstances, including dur-
ing times of vacation. The priest “is obliged to pray all the
Hours daily”343, that is to say, Morning Prayer (Lauds) and
Evening Prayer (Vespers), as well as the Office of Readings, at
least one of the parts of Daytime Prayer, and Night Prayer
(Compline).
76. Required for priests to be able to deepen the meaning
of the Liturgy of the Hours is “not only harmonising the voice
with the praying heart, but also a deeper ‘understanding of the
liturgy and of the Bible, espcially of the Psalms’”344. It is
341 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 85.
342 Ibid., 84.
343 BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum
Domini, 62; cf. Institutio Generalis Liturgiae Horarum, 29; C.I.C., cann. 276, §3;
1174, §1.
344 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1176, citing ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
VATICAN II, Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, 90.
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therefore necessary to interiorise the divine Word, be attentive
to what the Lord is telling ‘me’ with this Word, then listen to
the commentary of the Fathers of the Church or the Second
Vatican Ecumenical Council, deepen the life of the Saints and
also the words of the Pontiff in the second Reading of the
Office of Readings, and pray with this grand invocation that
are the Psalms, with which we become one with the prayer of
the Church. “To the degree we have interiorised this structure,
understood this structure, assimilated the words of the Liturgy,
we can enter into this interior consonance and thereby speak
not only with God as indivudals, but enter into the ‘we’ of the
praying Church. And in that way we also transform our ‘I’ by
entering into the ‘we’ of the Church, enriching, expanding this
‘I’, praying with the Church, with the words of the Church,
being truly in colloquy with God”345. More than reciting the
Breviary it is a matter of fostering a disposition to listen, and
also to live “the experience of silence”346. In fact, the Word can
be pronounced and heard only in silence. At the same time,
however, the priest knows that our time does not really favour
recollection. Many times we have the impression that people
are almost afraid of detaching themselves even for a moment
from the instruments of mass communication347. This is why
the priest must discover anew the sense of recollection and
interior quietness “in order to receive in his heart the full
resonence of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite personal
prayer more closely with the Word of God and with the public
voice of the Church348; he must increasingly interiorise his own
nature as intercessor349. With the Eucharst, to which he is
345 BENEDICT XVI, Meeting with the priests of the Diocese of Albano, Castel
Gandolfo (31 August 2006): Insegnamenti II/2 (2006), 163-179.
346 JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Spiritus et Sponsa, 13: AAS 96
(2004), 425.
347 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum
Domini, 66.
348 Institutio Generalis Liturgiae Horarum, 202.
349 Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2634-2636.
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“ordained”, the priest becomes the intercessor qualified to
bring before God with utmost simplicity of heart (simpliciter)
questions confronting his fellow brothers. In his speech on the
30th anniversary of Presbyterorum Ordinis Pope John Paul II
recalled: “The priestly identity is a question of fidelity to Christ
and to the people of God to whom we are sent. The priestly
conscience is not limited to something personal. It is a reality
constantly examined and felt by men, because the priest is
“taken” from among men and placed in order to intervene in
their relations with God. […] Since the priest is a mediator
between God and men, numerous are those who turn to him
asking for his prayers. In a certain sense, prayer ‘creates’ the
priest, especially as a pastor. At the same time each priest
‘creates himself’ thanks to prayer. I have in mind the
marvelous prayer of the Breviary, the Officium Divinum, in
which the Church at large, through its ministers, prays with
Christ”350.
2.9. Guide of the Community
Priest for the Community
77. In addition to the requirements already examined, the
priest is called to come to terms with another aspect of his
ministry. This aspect has to do with attending to the life of the
community entrusted to his care, which is expressed above all
in his testimony of charity.
Pastor of the community – in the likeness of Christ, the
Good Shepherd, who offers his whole life for the Church –,
the priest exists and lives for it; prays, studies, works and sacri-
fices himself for it; is prepared to give his life for it, loving it
like Christ, pouring out upon it all his love and considera-
350 JOHN PAUL II, Address to the Participants of the International Symposium
on the Occasion of the XXX Anniversary of the Promulgation of the Conciliar Decree
Presbyterorum Ordinis, 27 October 1995, n. 5.
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tion351, lavishing it with all his strength and unlimited time to
render it, in the image of the Church, the Bride of Christ, ever
more beautiful and worthy of the benevolence of the Father
and the love of the Holy Spirit.
This spousal dimension of the life of a priest as pastor will
enable him to guide his community, serving all and each and all
of its members with dedication, illuminating their consciences
with the light of the revealed truth, authoritatively safeguarding
the evangelical authenticity of the Christian life, correcting er-
rors, forgiving, healing wounds, consoling afflictions, and fos-
tering fraternity352.
In addition to guaranteeing an ever more transparent and
efficacious witness of charity, these forms of caring attention
will also manifest the profound communion that must come to
be between the priest and his community as a prolongation
and present day enactment of the communion with God, with
Christ and with the Church353. In imitation of Jesus, the priest
is not called to be served, but to serve (cf. Mt 20:28). He must
be constantly warned against the temptation, with a view to
personal gains, to make abusive use of the great respect and
deference the faithful show towards the priesthood and the
Church.
351 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 22-23; cf. Apostolic Letter Mulieris dignitatem (15 August 1988), 26:
AAS 80 (1988), 1715-1716.
352 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 6; C.I.C., can. 529, § 1.
353 ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, De sacerdotio, III, 6: PG 48, 643-644: “The
spiritual birth of souls is entrusted to priests: they bring souls to the life of
grace through baptism; through them we put on Christ, we are buried with the
Son of God and we become members of his Body (cf. Rm 6:1; Gal 3:27).
Therefore, we should not only respect the priest more than princes or kings,
but esteem him more than we do our parents. Indeed, our parents have
begotten us through blood and by the will of the flesh (cf. Jn 1:13); while the
priests have brought us to life as sons of God; they are the instruments of our
joyful rebirth, of our freedom and of our adoption into the order of grace”.
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To Listen with the Church
78. In order to be a good guide of his People, the priest is
also to be attentive to the signs of the times; from those that
have to do with the universal Church and its journey in the his-
tory of man, to those closest to the concrete situation of a par-
ticular community.
This discernment calls for constant and correct updating
in the study of the sacred sciences with reference to diverse
theological and pastoral problems, and the exercise of a wise
reflection on the social, cultural and scientific data characteris-
tic of our present day and age.
In carrying out their ministry, priests are to know how to
translate these demands into a constant and sincere attitude of
being of one mind with the Church, and thus will always work in the
bond of communion with the Pope, the Bishops, his confreres
in the priesthood, deacons, the faithful consecrated through
the profession of the evangelical counsels, and all the faithful.
Priest are to show fervent love for the Church, which is
the mother of our Christian existence, and live the joy of eccle-
sial belonging as a precious form of witness for the entire Peo-
ple of God.
Moreover, they will not fail to request, in the legitimate
ways and taking into due consideration the skills of each per-
son, the cooperation of the consecrated faithful and other
faithful in the exercise of their activity.
2.10. Priestly Celibacy
The Steadfast Will of the Church
79. Convinced of the profound theological and pastoral
motives upholding the relationship between celibacy and the
priesthood, and enlightened by the witness that today as well
confirms its spiritual and evangelical validity in the lives of so
many priests, the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and later
Pontifical Magisterium of the Church have repeatedly reiterated
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“the firm will to maintain the law which requires celibacy freely
chosen and perpetual for candidates to priestly Ordination in
the Latin rite”354.
Celibacy, in fact, is a joyful gift which the Church has re-
ceived and wishes to retain, convinced that it is a good for it-
self and for the world.
Theological and Spiritual Motivations for Celibacy
80. Like any evangelical value, celibacy as well must be
lived as a gift of divine mercy, a liberating development, a spe-
cial witness of radicalism in the following of Christ, and a sign
of the eschatological reality: “Celibacy is an anticipation ren-
dered possible by the grace of the Lord, who ‘pulls’ us to him-
self towards the world of the resurrection; again and again does
he invite us to transcend ourselves in this present, towards the
true present of the future, which becomes present today”355.
“Not all can understand it, but only those to whom it has
been given. For there are eunuchs who were born so from
their mothers’ womb; and there are eunuchs who were made
so by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves
so for the Kingdom of heaven. He that can understand, let
him understand” (Mt 19:10-12)356. Celibacy reveals itself to be
correspondence in love on the part of a person, who, leaving
“father and mother, follows Jesus the good shepherd in an
apostolic communion, in the service of the People of God”357.
In order to live with love and generosity the gift received,
from the very beginning of his seminary formation it is particu-
354 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 29; cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis,
16; PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus, 14; C.I.C., can. 277, § 1.
355 BENEDICT XVI, Prayer Vigil on the Occasion of the Conclusion of the
Year for Priests (10 June 2010): l.c., 397-406.
356 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Veritatis splendor (6 August
1993), 22: l.c., 1150-1151.
357 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Appostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 29.
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larly important for the priest to understand the theological di-
mension and the spiritual motivation of the ecclesial discipline
on celibacy358. As a gift and particular charism of God, this
demands the observance of perfect and perpetual continence
for the Kingdom of heaven so the sacred ministers may more
easily adhere to Christ with an undivided heart and dedicate
themselves more freely to the service of God and man359:
“Celibacy sets the whole man on a higher level and makes an
effective contribution to his perfection”360. Even before the
subject expresses his will to be so disposed, the ecclesiastical
discipline manifests the will of the Church, and its ultimate rea-
son is to be found in the intimate bond celibacy has with sa-
cred Ordination, which configures the priest to Jesus Christ,
Head and Spouse of the Church361.
The Letter to the Ephesians closely relates the priestly ob-
lation of Christ (cf. 5:25) with the sanctification of the Church
(cf. 5:26) loved with a spousal love. Sacramentally inserted into
this priesthood of Christ’s excusive love for the Church, his
faithful Bride, the priest expresses this love with his commit-
ment of celibacy, which also becomes a wellspring for pastoral
effectiveness.
Celibacy, therefore, is not an external effect brought to
bear on the priestly ministry, nor can it be considered simple
an institution laid down by law, also because he who receives
the sacrament of Orders does so in all conscience and with full
358 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Optatam totius, 10;
C.I.C., can. 247, § 1; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION,
Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (19 marzo 1985), 48; Educative
Orientations for Formation to Priestly Celibacy (11 April 1974), 16: EV 5 (1974-
1976), 200-201.
359 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 16; JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 1979 (8 April 1979),
8: l.c., 405-409; Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 29;
C.I.C., can. 277, § 1.
360 PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus, 55.
361 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 16; PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus, 14.
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liberty362 after years of preparation, deep reflection and assidu-
ous prayer. Together with the resolute conviction that Christ
grants him this gift for the good of the Church and the service
of others, the priest takes it upon himself for his whole life,
strengthening this willingness in the promise already made dur-
ing Ordination to the diaconate363.
For these reasons, ecclesiastical law on one hand confirms
the charism of celibacy, showing how it is in intimate connec-
tion with the sacred ministry in the dual dimension of relation-
ship to Christ and to the Church; on the other hand it safe-
guards the liberty of those who embrace it364. Consecrated to
Christ in a new and excellent way365, the priest must therefore
be well aware that he has received a gift from God, which,
sanctioned in its turn by a precise juridical bond, gives rise to
the moral obligation of observance. Freely assumed, this bond
is theological and moral in nature before being juridical, and is
the sign of that spousal reality coming to be in sacramental
Ordination.
Through the gift of celibacy the priest also acquires that
spiritual yet real fatherhood which is universal in dimension
and assumes concrete expression particularly towards the
community entrusted to him366. “These are children of his
spirit, people entrusted to his solicitude by the Good
Shepherd. These people are many, more numerous than an
ordinary human family can embrace […] The heart of the
priest, in order that it may be available for this service, for this
commitment of love, must be free. Celibacy is a sign of a
362 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 16; C.I.C., cann. 1036; 1037.
363 Cf. Pontificale Romanum, De ordinatione Episcopi, Presbyterorum et
Diaconorum, III, 228, l.c., 134; JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday
1979 (8 April 1979), 9: l.c., 409-411.
364 Cf. SYNOD OF BISHOPS, Document on the Ministerial Priesthood
Ultimis temporibus (30 November 1971), II, I, 4: l.c., 916-917.
365 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 16.
366 Cf. Ibid.
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freedom that exists for the sake of service. According to this
sign, the hierarchical or ‘ministerial’ priesthood is, according to
the tradition of our Church, more strictly ‘ordered’ to the
common priesthood of the faithful”367.
The Example of Jesus
81. Celibacy, therefore, is gift of self “in” and “with”
Christ to his Church and expresses the service of the priest to
the Church “in” and “with” the Lord368.
The example is the Lord himself, who, going against what
may be considered the dominant culture of his time, freely
chose to live celibate. In following him the disciples left behind
‘everything’ in order to carry out the mission entrusted to them
(Lk 18:28-30).
For this reason the Church, from apostolic times, has
wished to conserve the gift of perpetual continence on the part
of the clergy and chooses the candidates for Holy Orders from
among the celibate faithful (Cf. 2Th 2:15; 1Cor 7:5; 9,5; 1Tm
3:2.12; 5,9; Tt 1:6.8)369.
367 JOHN PAUL II, Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 1979 (8 April 1979),
8: Insegnamenti II/1 (1979), 841-862.
368 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 29.
369 For the interpretation of these texts, cf. COUNCIL OF ELVIRA (a.
305), cann. 27; 33: BRUNS HERM., Canones Apostolorum et Conciliorum saec. IV-VI
II, 5-6; COUNCIL OF NEOCESAREA (a. 314), can. 1: Pont. Commissio ad redigendum
CIC Orientalis, IX, I/2, 74-82; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF NICAEA I (a. 325),
can. 3: Conc. Oecum. Decr., 6; COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE (a. 390): Concilia Africae a.
345-525, CCL 149, 13, 133ss; ROMAN SYNOD (a. 386): Conc. Oecum. Decr., 58-
63; COUNCIL OF TRULLANO II (a. 691), cann. 3, 6, 12, 13, 26, 30, 48: Pont.
Commissio ad redigendum CIC Orientalis, IX, I/1, 125-186; SIRICIO, decretale
Directa (a. 386): PL 13, 1131-1147; INNOCENT I, Letter Dominus inter (a. 405):
BRUNS cit. 274-277; ST. LEO THE GREAT, Letter a Rusticus (a. 456): PL 54,
1191; EUSEBIUS OF CESAREA, Demonstratio Evangelica, 1, 9: PG, 22, 82;
EPIPHANIO OF SALAMINA, Panarion: PG 41, 868. 1024; Expositio Fidei, PG 42,
823 ff.
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Celibacy is a gift received from divine mercy370 as the
choice freely and gratefully accepting a particular vocation of
love for God and others. It must not be understood and lived
as if it were no more than a collateral effect of the priesthood.
Difficulties and Objections
82. In today’s cultural climate often conditioned by a vi-
sion of man lacking in values, and above all incapable of giving
a full, positive and liberating sense to human sexuality, often
posed is the question about the importance and meaning of
priestly celibacy, or at least of how opportune it is to assert its
close bond and profound harmony with the ministerial priest-
hood.
“In a certain sense, this continuous criticism against celi-
bacy may surprise in a time when it is becoming increasingly
fashionable not to get married. But this not-getting married is
something totally, fundamentally different from celibacy. The
avoidance of marriage is based on a will to live only for one-
self, of not accepting any definitive tie, to have the life of every
moment in full autonomy, to decide at any time what to do,
what to take from life; and therefore a ‘no’ to the bond, a ‘no’
to definitiveness, to have life for oneself alone. While celibacy
is just the opposite: it is a definitive ‘yes’. It is to let oneself be
taken in the hand of God, to give oneself into the hands of the
Lord, into his ‘I’. And therefore, it is an act of loyalty and trust,
an act that also implies the fidelity of marriage. It is the oppo-
site of this ‘no’, of this autonomy that accepts no obligations,
which will not enter into a bond”371.
The priest announces not himself, “but within and
through his own humanity every priest must be well aware that
he is bringing to the world another, God himself. God is the
370 Cf. SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION,
Educative Orientations for Formation to Priestly Celibacy (11 April 1974), 16: l.c., 200-
201.
371 BENEDICT XVI, Prayer Vigil on the Occasion of the Conclusion of the
Year for Priests (10 June 2010): l.c., 397-406
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only treasure which ultimately people desire to find in a
priest”372. The priestly model is that of being a witness of the
absolute; the fact that in many ambits celibacy is known or ap-
preciated very little at present must not lead to speculation
about different scenarios, but calls for the rediscovery in a new
way of this gift of God’s love for man. In fact, priestly celibacy
is also admired and loved by many non-Christian persons.
It cannot be forgotten that celibacy is vivified by the prac-
tice of the virtue of chastity, which can be lived only through
the cultivation of purity with supernatural and human matur-
ity373 insofar as essential for the development of the talent of
the vocation. It is not possible to love Christ and others with
an impure heart. The virtue of purity makes it possible to live
what the Apostle said: “Therefore, glorify God in your body!”
(1Cor 6:20). Then again, when this virtue is lacking, all the
other dimensions are damaged. While it is true that today’s
world poses various difficulties regarding the living of holy pu-
rity, it is all the truer that the Lord abundantly showers his
grace and offers the practical means for practicing this virtue
with joy and happiness.
It is clear that in order to guarantee and protect this gift in
a climate of serene equilibrium and spiritual progress, practiced
must be all those measures that avert possible difficulties for
priests374.
372 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Participants at the Plenary of the
Congregation for the Clergy (16 March 2009): l.c., 393.
373 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 29; 50; CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Instruction In
continuità on vocation discernment criteria regarding persons with homosexual
tendencies in view of their admission to the Seminary and to Sacred Orders (4
November 2005): AAS 97 (2005), 1007-1013; Educative orientations for formation
to priestly celibacy (11 April 1974): EV 5 (1974-1976), 188-256.
374 Cf. ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, De Sacerdotio, VI, 2: PG 48, 679: “The
soul of the priest must be purer than the rays of the sun so that the Holy Spirit
not abandon him and so that he might say: It is no longer I that live but Christ that
lives in me (Gal. 2:20). If the anachorites of the desert who lived far from the
city and its activity, enjoying harbour and the tranquility there, they neverthe-
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It is therefore necessary for priests to conduct themselves
with due prudence in their dealings with persons whose com-
pany could endanger fidelity to the gift or cause scandal among
the faithful375. In particular cases priests must submit to the
judgment of the Bishop, whose obligation it is to establish pre-
cise rules in this regard376. Quite logically, the priest must ab-
stain from any ambiguous conduct and not forget his primary
duty to bear witness to the redemptive love of Christ. In this
area, unfortunately, some situations that have occurred have
caused great damage to the Church and its credibility, even
though there have been many more such situations in the
world. The current context also demands on the part of priests
an even greater sensitivity and prudence regarding relations
with children and wards377. In particular, avoided must be
situations that could give rise to rumours (for example, letting
children enter the parish house on their own or accompanying
minors in a car, etc.). Regarding confession, it would be oppor-
tune for children to go to confession in the confessional when
the church is open to the public, or else, if for some reason it
proved necessary to act otherwise, that the corresponding
norms of prudence be respected.
Priests are not to fail from following those ascetical norms
less did not rely solely on the security of that life of theirs, but rather took spe-
cial care of strengthening themselves in purity and confidence and diligently
ensuring to the best of their ability that their conduct be worthy of God’s
presence. To what extent, do you think, must a priest employ strength and
violence to avoid any kind of stain against his spiritual beauty? Certainly he
needs to have more purity than monks. Yet precisely he who needs it the most
is the one who most often is exposed to inevitable occasions in which he can
be contaminated, unless he renders this inaccessible with assiduous sobriety
and vigilance”.
375 Cf. C.I.C., can. 277, § 2.
376 Cf. ibid., can. 277, § 3.
377 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Litterae apostolicae Motu Proprio datae
Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela quibus Normae de gravioribus delictis Congregationi pro
Doctrina Fidei reservatis promulgantur (30 April 2001): AAS 93 (2001), 737-739
(modified by Benedict XVI on 21 May 2010: AAS 102 (2010) 419-430).
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proven by the experience of the Church and required even
more so in present day circumstances. They are to prudently
avoid frequenting places, attending shows, reading materials or
surfing Internet sites that constitute a threat to the observance
of celibate chastity378 or an occasion or cause for grave sins
against Christian morals. When making use of the means of
social communication for pastoral purposes or leisure they are
to observe the necessary discretion and avoid anything that
could cause harm to their vocation.
To safeguard lovingly the gift received in today’s climate
of exasperated sexual permissiveness, priests are to use all the
natural and supernatural means abounding in the tradition of
the Church. On one hand, priestly friendship, sound relations
with persons, asceticism and self control, mortification; it is
also useful to encourage a culture of beauty in the various
realms of life that could help with respect to everything that is
degrading and harmful, nourish resolute passion for one’s ap-
ostolic ministry, serenely accept solitude, and exercise a wise
and worthwhile management of free time so it does not be-
come empty time. Essential in the same sense are communion
with Christ, an intense Eucharistic piety, frequent confession,
spiritual direction, retreats and days of recollection, a spirit of
acceptance of crosses in daily life, trust and love for the
Church, filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and consid-
eration of the examples of holy priests of all times379.
Difficulties and objections have always accompanied the
Latin Church and some Oriental Churches down through the
centuries in conferring the priestly ministry only upon those
men who have received the gift of chastity in celibacy from
God. The discipline of the other Oriental Churches that do
admit the married priesthood is not in opposition with that of
the Latin Church. In fact, these Oriental Churches nonetheless
378 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 16.
379 Cf. PAUL VI, Encyclical Letter Sacerdotalis caelibatus, 79-81; JOHN
PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 29.
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require celibacy of Bishops. Moreover, they do not permit the
matrimony of priests and do not allow priest widowers to re-
marry. It is always and only a matter of the Ordination of men
already married.
The objections still being raised by some people today
against priestly celibacy are often based on specious arguments,
such as, for example, accusations that it reflects a disincarnated
spiritualism or entails suspicion or scorn towards sexuality;
other accusations are based on the consideration of sad and
sorrowful cases, which are always particular ones, which peo-
ple tend to generalise. Forgotten, however, is the witness of-
fered by the overwhelming majority of priests, who live their
celibacy with interior liberty, rich evangelical motivations and
spiritual fecundity in a horizon of convinced and joyful fidelity
to their vocation and mission, without even mentioning the
many laypersons who happily take upon themselves fecund
apostolic celibacy.
2.11. The Priestly Spirit of Poverty
Poverty as Availability
83. The poverty of Jesus has a salvific scope. Christ, being
rich, became poor for us so that by his poverty we might be-
come rich. (cf. 2Cor 8:9).
The Letter to the Philippians reveals the relationship be-
tween the giving of self and the spirit of service that must ani-
mate the pastoral ministry. In fact, St. Paul says Jesus did not
consider “his equality to God something to cling to, but emp-
ties himself to assume the condition of a slave” (Ph 2:6-7). In
all truth, it will be difficult for a priest to become a true servant
and minister of his brothers if he is concerned about his own
comforts and well being.
Through his condition as a poor man Christ manifests that
he has received everything from eternity from the Father and
returns everything to him unto the complete offering of His life.
The example of Christ poor must lead the priest to con-
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form himself to Him, with interior detachment regarding all
the world’s goods and riches380. The Lord teaches us that the
true good is God and that true richness is attaining eternal life:
“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but
suffers the loss of his soul? Or what will a man give in ex-
change for his soul?” (Mk 8:36-37). Each priest is called to live
the virtue of poverty which consists essentially in consigning
his heart to Christ as the true treasure, and not to material
things.
The priest, whose inheritance is the Lord (cf. Nb 18:20)381,
knows that his mission, like that of the Church, takes place in
the midst of the world and that created goods are necessary for
the personal development of man. Nonetheless, he will use
such goods with a sense of responsibility, moderation, upright
intention and detachment proper to him who has his treasure
in heaven and knows that everything is to be used for the edi-
fication of the Kingdom of God (Lk 10:7; Mt 10:9-10; 1Cor
9:14; Ga 6:6)382. He will therefore abstain from those lucrative
activities that are not consonant with his ministry383. Moreover,
the priest must avoid offering grounds for even the slightest
insinuation that he may conceive his ministry also as an oppor-
tunity for obtaining benefits, favouring friends and relatives or
seeking positions of privilege. Quite on the contrary, he must
be in the midst of all in order to serve others unreservedly, fol-
lowing the example of Christ, the Good Shepherd (cf. Jn
10:10). Moreover, recalling that the gift he has received is gra-
tuitous, he is to be disposed to give in like manner (Mt 10:8;
380 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 17; 20-21.
381 Cf. BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Roman Curia (22 December
2006): AAS, 98 (2006).
382 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 17; JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (21 July 1993), 3: Insegnamenti
XVI/2 (1993), 89-90.
383 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 286; 1392.
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Ac 8:18-25)384 and use what he receives for the exercise of his
office for the good of the Church and works of charity, after
having provided for his honest sustenance and the fulfilment
of all the duties of his state385.
Lastly, even though the priest does not make a public
promise of poverty, it is incumbent upon him to lead a simple
life and abstain from whatever may smack of worldliness386,
thereby embracing voluntary poverty in order to follow Christ
more closely387. In all aspects (living quarters, means of trans-
portation, vacations, etc.) the priest is to eliminate any kind of
affectation and luxury388. In this sense the priest must battle
every day in order not to lapse into consumerism and the easy
life that pervade society in many parts of the world. A serious
examination of conscience will help him to assess his tenor of
life, his readiness to attend to the faithful and perform his du-
ties; to ask himself if the means and things he uses respond to
true need or if he may not be seeking convenience and com-
fort, taking flight from sacrifice. Precisely at stake in the con-
sistency between what he says and what he does, especially
with respect to poverty, are the priest’s credibility and apostolic
effectiveness.
Friend of the poorest, he will reserve his most refined and
delicate pastoral charity for them, with a preferential option for
all the old and new poverties so tragically present in the world,
ever recalling that the first misery from which man must be
liberated is sin, the ultimate root of all evil.
384 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 17.
385 Cf. Ibid.; C.I.C., cann. 282; 222, § 2; 529, § 1.
386 Cf. C.I.C., can. 282, § 1.
387 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 17.
388 Cf. Ibid., 17.
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2.12. Devotion to Mary
Imitating the Virtues of our Mother
84. There is an “essential relationship between the Mother
of Jesus and the priesthood of the ministers of the Son” issu-
ing forth from the one existing between the divine mother-
hood of Mary and the priesthood of Christ389.
Rooted in this relationship is the Marian spirituality of
each priest. The priestly spirituality may not be considered
complete if it does not take into serious consideration the tes-
tament of Christ crucified, when he willed to entrust his
Mother to the beloved disciple, and through him to all the
priests called to continues his work of redemption.
Just like to John at the foot of the Cross, entrusted to each
priest in a special way is Mary as Mother (cf. Jn 19:26-27).
Priests are among the disciples most loved by the crucified
and risen Jesus and they are to welcome Mary as their Mother
in their own life, making her the object of constant attention
and prayer. The ever Virgin Mary therefore becomes the
Mother who leads them to Christ, makes them sincerely love
the Church, intercedes for them, and guides them towards the
Kingdom of heaven.
85. Every priest knows that Mary, because she is Mother,
is also the most eminent formator of his priesthood, since it is
she who knows how to model his priestly heart, protect him
from dangers, fatigue and discouragement, and, with maternal
solicitude, watch over him so he may grow in wisdom and
grace before God and men (cf. Lk 2:40).
But priests are not devout sins if they know not how to
imitate their Mother’s virtues. Every priest will therefore look
to Mary in order to be a humble, obedient and chaste minister,
389 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, General Audience (30 June 1993): Insegnamenti
XVI/1 (1993), 1689-1699.
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and the bear witness to charity in total oblation to the Lord
and the Church390.
The Eucharist and Mary
86. In each Eucharist celebration we hear anew those
words “Woman, here is your son” said by the Son to his
Mother, while He himself repeats to us: “This is your Mother!”
(Jn 19:26-27). Living the Eucharist also implies ceaselessly re-
ceiving this gift: “Mary is a ‘woman of the Eucharist’ in her whole
life. The Church, which looks to Mary as a model, is also called
to imitate her in her relationship with this most holy mystery.
[…] Mary is present, with the Church and as the Mother of the
Church, at each of our celebrations of the Eucharist. If the
Church and the Eucharist are inseparably united, the same
ought to be said of Mary and the Eucharist”391. In this way the
encounter with Jesus in the Sacrifice of the Altar inevitably en-
tails the encounter with Mary, his Mother. In fact, “through his
identification and sacramental conformation to Jesus, Son of
God and Son of Mary, every priest can and must truly feel
himself the beloved son of this most high and most humble
Mother”392.
Masterpiece of the priestly sacrifice of Christ, the ever
Virgin Mother of God represents the Church in the purest
way, “with neither stain nor wrinkle”, completely “holy and
immaculate” (Eph 5:27). This contemplation of the Blessed
Virgin – along whose side is St. Joseph, the master of interior
life – places before the priest the ideal to pursue in the ministry
of his community so this community as well may be “glorious”
(ibid.) through the priestly gift of his own life.
390 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 18.
391 JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia (17 April
2003): l.c., 53; 57.
392 BENEDICT XVI, General Audience (12 August 2009): Insegnamenti
V/2 (2009), 94.
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III. ONGOING FORMATION
The priest has a constant need to deepen his formation.
Even if on the day of his ordination he received the permanent
seal that configured him in æternum with Christ Head and Shep-
herd, he is called to ongoing development in order to be more
effective in his ministry. In this sense it is fundamental for
priests to be aware that their formation did not come to an end
during the years in the seminary. On the contrary, as of the
very day of his ordination the priest must feel the need to
make constant progress in order to be ever more of Christ the
Lord.
3.1. Principles
The Need for Ongoing Formation Today
87. As Benedict XVI has recalled: “The theme of the
priestly identity […] is determinant for the exercise of the min-
isterial priesthood in the present and in the future”393. These
words of the Holy Father constitute the point of reference
upon which to base the ongoing formation of the clergy: help
them to deepen what it means to be a priest. “The priest’s
fundamental relationship is to Jesus Christ, Head and
Shepherd”394, and in this sense ongoing formation should be a
means to heighten this “exclusive” relationship that necessarily
has an impact on everything a priest is and does. Ongoing
formation is a requirement that begins and develops from the
moment of receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders, with
which the priest is not only “consecrated” by the Father,
“sent” by the Son, but also “animated” by the Holy Spirit. This
393 BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Participants at the Theological Conference
Organised by the Congregation for the Clergy (12 March 2010): l.c., 323-326.
394 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 16.
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formation is destined to involve and progressively assimilate
the entire life and activity of the priest in fidelity to the gift re-
ceived: “That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a
flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on
you” (2Tm 1:6).
This necessity is intrinsic to the divine gift itself395 which is
to be continually ‘vivified’ so the priest may adequately re-
spond to his vocation. In fact, as a man situated in history, he
needs to perfect himself in all the aspects of his human and
spiritual existence in order to attain that conformity with
Christ, the unifying principle of all things.
Rapid and widespread transformations and the often secu-
larised tissue of society so typical of the world in which we live
are likewise factors that render absolutely unavoidable each
priest’s duty to be suitably prepared in order not to attenuate
his identity and to respond to the needs of the new evangelisa-
tion. Corresponding to this serious duty is a precise right on
the part of the faithful, who positively feel the effects of the
good formation and holiness of their priests396.
88. The spiritual life of the priest and his pastoral ministry
go hand in hand with the ongoing work on them – correspon-
dence to the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification – that makes it
possible to deepen and bring together in a harmonious manner
the diverse spheres of formation: spiritual, human, intellectual
and pastoral. This work must begin in the seminary and must
be supported by the Bishops at the various levels: national, re-
gional, and above all diocesan.
It is encouraging to note that there are already many Ec-
clesiastic Circumscriptions and Episcopal Conferences actively
involved in promising endeavours for an authentic ongoing
formation of their priests. It is hoped that all Dioceses may be
able to respond to this need. Where this may not be possible at
present, however, it is advisable for them to work out agree-
ments among themselves or establish contacts with those insti-
395 Cf. Ibid., 70.
396 Cf. Ibid.
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tutions or persons particularly well prepared to perform such a
delicate task397.
Instrument of Sanctification
89. Ongoing formation is a means necessary for the priest
to attain the aim of his vocation, that being the service of God
and his people.
In practical terms it consists in helping all priests to re-
spond generously to the commitment required by the dignity
and responsibility God has conferred upon them by the Sac-
rament of Holy Orders; in safeguarding, defending and devel-
oping their specific identity and vocation; in sanctifying them-
selves and others through the exercise of the sacred ministry.
This means that priests must avoid any dualism between
spirituality and ministry, the profound origin of some crises.
It is evident that in order to achieve this aim of a super-
natural order, discovered must be the general criteria on which
the ongoing formation of priests must be structured and or-
ganised.
Such general criteria or principles of organisation must be
conceived on the basis of the aim proposed, or, all the better,
sought in that aim.
It Must be Imparted by the Church
90. Ongoing formation is a right-duty of the priest and
imparting it is a right-duty of the Church. It is therefore stipu-
lated in universal law398. In fact, in the same way the vocation
to the sacred ministry is received in the Church, only upon the
Church is it incumbent to impart the specific formation in
keeping with the responsibility proper to that ministry. There-
fore, ongoing formation, insofar as an activity linked to the ex-
ercise of the ministerial priesthood, pertains to the responsibil-
ity of the Pope and the Bishops. Hence, it is the duty and the
397 Cf. Ibid., 79.
398 Cf. C.I.C., can. 279.
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right of the Church to continue forming its ministers, helping
them to progress in their generous response to the gift God
has bestowed on them.
On his part, and as a requirement of the gift granted with
Ordination, the priest has also received the right to receive the
necessary help from the Church in order to carry out his ser-
vice effectively and in a holy manner.
It must be Ongoing
91. Formation as an activity is based on a dynamic demand
intrinsic to the ministerial charism, which in itself is permanent
and irreversible. Therefore, neither the Church that imparts it
nor the minister who receives it may ever consider it over and
done. It is therefore necessary that it be thought out and de-
veloped in such a way that all priests may receive it always,
keeping ever in mind characteristics and possibilities that vary
with age, condition of life and assignments399.
It Must be Complete
92. Such formation must encompass and harmonise all the
dimensions of priestly formation; that is to say it must tend to
assist each priest: to attain the development of a human per-
sonality matured in the spirit of service to others in whatever
task assigned to him; to be intellectually prepared in the theo-
logical sciences in harmony with the Magisterium of the
Church400, as well as in the human sciences insofar as related
with his ministry, in order to carry out with greater effective-
399 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 76.
400 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH,
Instruction Donum veritatis on the Ecclesial Vocation of the Theologian (24
May 1990), 21-41: AAS 82 (1990), 1559-1569; INTERNATIONAL THEOLO-
GICAL COMMISSION, Theses Rationes magisterii cum theologia on the Mutual
Relationship between the Magisterium of the Church and Theology (6 June
1976), thesis n. 8: “Gregorianum” 57 (1976), 549-556.
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ness his role as a witness of the faith; to have a solid spiritual
life nourished by intimacy with Jesus Christ and love for the
Church; and to carry out his pastoral ministry with commit-
ment and dedication.
In practice, such formation must be complete: human,
spiritual, intellectual, pastoral, systematic and personalised.
Human Formation
93. Human formation is particularly important since “the
whole work of priestly formation would be deprived of its
necessary foundation if it lacked a suitable human formation401;
objectively speaking it constitutes the platform and foundation
on which it is possible to construct the edifice of intellectual,
spiritual and pastoral formation. The priest must not forget
that, “chosen from among men, […] he remains one of them
and is called to serve them by giving his life to God”402. There-
fore, as a brother among brothers, in order to sanctify himself
and succeed in his priestly mission he is to have the resources
of human virtues that make him worthy of the respect of oth-
ers. It must be recalled that “it is important for the priest, who
is called to accompany others through the journey of life up to
the threshold of death, to have the right balance of heart and
mind, reason and feeling, body and soul, and to be humanly
integrated”403.
In particular, with his gaze ever on Christ, the priest is to
practice goodness of heart, patience, kindness, strength of soul,
love for justice, even-mindedness, fidelity to his word, and co-
herence with the commitments freely assumed, etc.404. In this
field, ongoing formation fosters growth in the human virtues,
401 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 43; cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Optatam totius, 11.
402 BENEDICT XVI, Video Message to the Participants at the International
Priests’ Retreat (27 September-3 October 2009): Insegnamenti V/2 (2009), 300-303.
403 BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Seminarians (18 October 2010), 6: l.c., 797-798.
404 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 3.
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helping priests to always live “unity of life in the exercise of the
ministry”405, from cordiality in demeanour to the ordinary rules
of good conduct or the ability to be present in any context.
There is a connection between human life and spiritual life
that depends on the unity of soul and body proper to human
nature, and this is why where grave human deficits remain, the
“structure” of the personality is never safe from sudden “col-
lapses”.
It is likewise important for the priest to reflect on his so-
cial conduct, correctness and good manners – which are also
born of charity and humility – in the various forms of human
relations, as well as on the values of friendship and gentleman-
like ways, etc.
Lastly, in today’s cultural situation this formation must be
designed to contribute – with recourse if necessary to the assis-
tance of the psychological sciences406 – to human maturation:
albeit difficult to specify in contents, this undoubtedly implies
equilibrium and harmony in the integration of propensities and
values, psychological and affective stability, prudence, objectiv-
ity in judgment, fortitude in self-control, sociability, etc. In this
way priests, especially young ones, are helped to live chastity,
modesty and prudence with due tact, particularly in the pru-
dent use of television and Internet.
Indeed, especially important is formation in the use of
Internet, and in the use of the new technologies of communi-
cation in general. Moderation and temperance are necessary in
order to avoid obstacles in the way of the life of intimacy with
God. The “web world” offers considerable potentialities with a
view to evangelisation, and yet when ill handled or managed
they can also cause grave damage to souls; at times, under the
pretext of a better use of time or the need to be informed, it is
405 Ibid., 14.
406 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Ogni vocazione
Orientations for the use of Psychological Competencies in the Admission and
Formation of Candidates to the Priesthood (29 June 2008), 5: “L’Osservatore
Romano”, 31 October 2008, 4s.
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possible to foment a form of disordered curiosity that hampers
the ever necessary recollection from which the efficacy of the
commitment issues forth.
In this same line of thought, even if the use of Internet
constitutes an useful opportunity to bring the announcement
of the Gospel to many persons, the priest is to exercise pru-
dence and reflection in assessing his involvement in order not
to take time away from his pastoral ministry as regards the
preaching of the Word of God, the celebration of the sacra-
ments, spiritual direction, etc., where his presence cannot be
replaced. In any case, his participation in these new ambits is
always to reflect special charity, supernatural sense, moderation
and temperance so that one and all will feel attracted not by
the figure of the priest, but rather by the Person of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Formation
94. Keeping in mind what has already been presented in
detail, the following considerations will deal with some practi-
cal means of formation.
It would be necessary above all to deepen understanding
of the principal aspects of priestly existence by referring in par-
ticular to biblical, patristic, theological and hagiographic teach-
ings in which the priest must be constantly updated not only
by reading good books, but also by attending study courses,
conferences, etc.407.
Specific sessions could also be devoted to care in the cele-
bration of the sacraments, as well as to questions of spirituality
such as the Christian and human virtues, the way of praying,
and the relationship between the spiritual life and the liturgical
and pastoral ministry, etc.
More specifically, it is hoped that each priest, perhaps dur-
407 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 19; Decree Optatam totius, 22; C.I.C., can. 279, § 2; SACRED
CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis
Sacerdotalis (19 March 1985), 101.
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ing periodical retreats, would draw up a concrete plan of per-
sonal life in concord with his spiritual director. The following
elements may be suggested: 1. daily meditation on the Word or a
mystery of the faith; 2. daily personal encounter with Jesus in
the Eucharist, in addition to devote celebration of Mass and fre-
quent confession; 3. Marian devotion (Rosary, consecration or
entrustment, intimate colloquy); 4. a period of doctrinal forma-
tion and study of the history of the saints; 5. due rest; 6. renewed
commitment in putting into practice the indications of one’s
Bishop and verification of one’s convinced adhesion to the Magis-
terium and to ecclesiastical discipline; 7. attention to priestly com-
munion, friendship and fraternity. Likewise to be deepened are
other aspects such as the administration of one’s time and goods,
work, and the importance of working with others.
Intellectual Formation
95. Considering the enormous influence that humanistic-
philosophical schools of thought have on modern culture, as
well as the fact that priests have not always received adequate
preparation in such disciplines, also because they come from
different educational backgrounds, during encounters it is nec-
essary to keep in mind the humanistic and philosophical
themes of greatest relevance, or which in any case “have a rela-
tionship with the sacred sciences, particularly insofar as they
may be useful in the exercise of the pastoral ministry”408.
Such themes also constitute a valid form of support for
dealing correctly with the principal arguments of Sacred Scrip-
ture, fundamental, dogmatic and moral theology, liturgy,
Canon Law, ecumenism, etc., recalling that the teaching of
these subjects must not excessively develop the insurgence of
problems or remain in the realms of theory or mere informa-
tion, but lead to genuine formation, which is prayer, commun-
ion and pastoral enterprise. Moreover, dedicating time – possi-
408 C.I.C., can. 279, § 3; CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCA-
TION, Decree Reforming Ecclesiastical Studies in Philosophy (28 gennaio 2011), 8 ff:
AAS 103 (2011), 148 ff.
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bly each day – to the study of manuals or essays of philosophy,
theology and Canon Law will be of great assistance for deepen-
ing the sentire cum Ecclesia; in this task the Catechism of the Catholic
Church and its Compendium constitute a most valuable reference
instrument.
It should be seen to it that during priestly encounters the
documents of the Magisterium are deepened in a community
manner and under authoritative guidance, so that facilitated in
the diocesan apostolate would be that unity of interpretation
and praxis so beneficial to the work of evangelisation.
Particular importance in intellectual formation is to be given
to the studying of themes and issues that are of greater relevance
today in cultural debate and in pastoral praxis, such as, for ex-
ample, themes dealing with social ethics, bioethics, etc.
Special treatment must be reserved to the questions posed by
scientific progress, which exercises such an influence on the way
people think and live. The priest is not to dispense himself from
keeping adequately updated and ready to give the reason for his
hope (cf. 1Pt 3:15) in the face of the questions the faithful –
many of whom have a elevated cultural level – may pose, since
they are cognisant of the progress made by the sciences. In this
regard the priest will not fail to consult due experts and sure doc-
trine. Indeed, when presenting the Word of God the priest must
take into consideration the progressive growth of the intellectual
formation of people, and hence be able to adapt according to
their level, as well as to various groups and their places of origin.
It is of utmost interest to study, deepen and diffuse the so-
cial doctrine of the Church. Following the thrust of magisterial
teachings, it is necessary for attention to the needy on the part
of all priests, and through them all the faithful, not remain on
the level of pious wishes, but become a concrete commitment in
life. “Today more than ever, the Church is aware that her social
message will gain credibility more immediately from the witness of
actions than as a result of its logic and internal consistency”409.
409 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus annus (1 May 1991),
57: AAS 83 (1991), 862-863.
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An indispensable requirement for the intellectual forma-
tion of priests is familiarity with and prudent use of the means of
social communication in their ministerial activities. When well
used, these means constitute a providential instrument of
evangelisation, since they are able not only to reach great
masses of the faithful at a distance, but also have an profound
impact on their minds and their behaviour.
In this regard it would be opportune for the Bishop or the
Episcopal Conference itself to prepare programs and technical
instruments suited to that end. Likewise, the priest must avoid
being protagonist prone so that standing out in the limelight
before men and women is not his person, but our Lord Jesus.
Pastoral Formation
96. For adequate pastoral formation it is necessary to hold
encounters whose main objective is reflection of the pastoral
plan of the Diocese. Not lacking in said encounters should also
be treatment of all issues and questions related to the life and
pastoral work of the priests; for example, fundamental morals,
the ethics of professional and social life, etc. Particularly inter-
esting may be the organisation of courses or seminars on the
apostolate of the Sacrament of Confession410 or on practical
questions of spiritual direction in both general and specific
situations. Practical formation in the field of the liturgy is also
particularly important. Special attention should be reserved to
learning how to celebrate the Mass well – as pointed out ear-
lier, the ars celebrandi is a sine qua non condition of the actuosa
partecipatio of the faithful – and to adoration outside the Mass.
Other themes that could most usefully dealt with may be:
catechesis, the family, priestly and religious vocations, knowl-
edge of the life and spirituality of the saints, youth, the elderly,
410 Cf. PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY, Cristo continua,
Document namely a “Vademecum” for Confessors on Certain Moral Themes
Pertaining to Conjugal Life (12 February 1997): “L’Osservatore Romano”, 2
March 1997, tabloid insert.
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the infirm, ecumenism, the so-called ‘lapsed’ brethren, bio-
ethical issues, etc.
Considering circumstances at present it is very important
for the pastoral plan to include the organisation of special cy-
cles of courses to deepen and assimilate the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, which, especially for priests, constitutes a valu-
able instrument for preaching and for the work of evangelisa-
tion in general.
It must be Organic and Complete
97. In order for ongoing formation to be complete it is
necessary for it to be structured “not as something haphazard,
but as a systematic offering of subjects, which unfolds by
stages and takes on precise forms”411. This involves the need
to create a certain organisational structure that establishes in an
opportune manner instruments, times and subjects for its con-
crete and adequate implementation. In this sense there will be
useful feedback into the life of the priest on themes such as:
the knowledge of the Scriptures in their entirety, the Fathers of
the Church and the great Councils; each of the contents of the
faith in its unity; essential matters of moral theology and the
social doctrine of the Church; ecumenical theology and fun-
damental orientation regarding the great religions with respect
to ecumenical, inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue; phi-
losophy and Canon Law412.
Such organisation must be accompanied by habitual per-
sonal study, since even periodical studies would be of little use
if not accompanied by personal application to study413.
411 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 79.
412 Cf. SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Ratio
fundamentalis institutionis sacerdotalis, 76ff.
413 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis , 79.
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It must be Personalised
98. Although imparted to all, the direct objective of ongo-
ing formation is the service to each one of those receiving it.
Therefore, together with collective or common means of for-
mation, there must also be all those other means that tend to
personalise the formation of each person.
Fostered for this reason, especially among those responsible
for this service, is the awareness of having to reach each priest
personally, attending to each one of them and not being satis-
fied with making the diverse opportunities available to them.
In his turn, each priest must feel he is encouraged, with
the word and with the example of his Bishop and his confreres
in the priesthood, to assume responsibility for his own forma-
tion, since he is the first formator of himself414.
3.2. Organisation and Means
Priestly Encounters
99. The itinerary of priestly encounters must have a uni-
tary character and proceed by stages.
Such unity must converge in conformation to Christ in
such a way that the truth of faith, the spiritual life and the min-
isterial activity may lead to the progressive maturation of the
entire presbytery.
The unified path of formation is paced by well defined
stages. This will demand specific attention to the diverse age
groupings of the priests, without overlooking any of them, as
well as an assessment of the stages completed, with due care in
synchronising common formation itineraries with personal
ones, without which the former could have no effect.
The encounters of priests are to be considered necessary
for growth in communion, ever increasing awareness and an
adequate examination of the problems proper to each age
group.
414 Cf. Ibid.
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Regarding the contents of such encounters, reference can
be made to any themes proposed by the national and regional
Episcopal Conferences. In any case, it is necessary for them to
be established in a precise plan of formation of the Diocese,
possibly updated each year415.
Their organisation and actual holding may be prudently
entrusted by the Bishop to faculties or institutes of theological
and pastoral studies, seminaries, bodies or federations active in
priestly formation416, or any other specialised centre or insti-
tute, which, as possibilities and opportunities may counsel, may
be diocesan, regional or national, as long as it has been ascer-
tained that it does respond to the requirements of doctrinal or-
thodoxy, fidelity to the Magisterium and to ecclesiastical disci-
pline, and does possess scientific expertise and adequate
knowledge or real pastoral situations.
The Pastoral Year
100. It will be the task of the Bishop, also through pru-
dently selected forms of possible cooperation, to see to it that
programmed for the year following ordination to the priest-
hood or the diaconate is the so-called pastoral year to ease the
passage from the indispensable life in the seminary to the exer-
cise of the sacred ministry, proceeding gradually and facilitating
progressive and harmonious human and specifically priestly
maturation417.
During this year it will be necessary to ensure that the
newly ordained priests are not immersed in excessively burden-
415 Cf. Ibid.
416 Cf. Ibid.; ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Optatam
totius, 22; Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 19.
417 Cf. PAUL VI, Apostolic Letter Ecclesiae Sanctae (6 August 1966), I,
7: AAS 58 (1966), 761; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY, Circular
Letter to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences Inter ea (4 November
1969), 16: l.c., 130-131; SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC
EDUCATION, Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, 63; 101; C.I.C., can.
1032, § 2.
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some or delicate situations, and that they are not assigned to
destinations where they would be working far away from their
confreres. In fact, it will be good to foster some opportune
form of common life insofar as possible.
This period of formation could be spent in a residence es-
tablished for the purpose (House of the Clergy) or in a place
that may constitute a precise and serene point of reference for
all the priests dealing with their initial pastoral experiences.
This will facilitate colloquy and discussion with the Bishop and
one’s confreres, prayer in common, in particular the Liturgy of
the Hours, as well as the exercise of other fruitful practices of
piety, such as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the holy Ro-
sary, etc., the exchange of experiences, mutual encouragement,
the flourishing of sound friendships.
It is opportune for the Bishop to direct newly ordained
priests to confreres of exemplary life and pastoral zeal. Not-
withstanding the often critical pastoral needs, the first destina-
tion should respond above all to the need to set young priests
on the right path. The sacrifice of a year could then bear abun-
dant fruits for the future.
It is not superfluous to underline the fact that this year,
both delicate and precious, is to foster the full maturation of
knowledge between the priest and his Bishop which began in
the seminary and must become a true son-to-father relation-
ship.
Regarding the intellectual part, this year is not to be that
much of a period for learning new subjects, but rather for the
in-depth assimilation and interiorisation of what was studied in
institutional courses, in order to foster the formation of a men-
tality able to weigh details in the light of the plan of God418.
In such a context there could be properly organized les-
sons and seminars regarding the practice of hearing of confes-
sions, liturgy, catechesis, preaching, Canon Law, priestly, secu-
418 Cf. CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Ratio Funda-
mentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, 63.
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lar and religious spirituality, social doctrine, communication
and its means, knowledge of sects and new religions, etc.
In practice, the effort of synthesis must constitute the
pathway along which this pastoral year proceeds. Each element
must correspond to the fundamental project of the maturation
of the spiritual life.
The successful outcome of the pastoral year is in any case
and always conditioned by the personal commitment of the
priest in question, who must each day strive for holiness in the
continuous search for the means of sanctification that have
helped him ever since his seminary days. Moreover, when there
are practical difficulties in a diocese – shortage of priests, con-
siderable pastoral work, etc. – regarding the organisation of a
year with the aforementioned features, the Bishop must study
how to adapt the diverse proposals for the pastoral year to the
concrete situation, taking into account that it is of great impor-
tance for the formation and perseverance of young priests in
the ministry.
Times of Rest
101. The danger of routine, physical exhaustion due to the
overwork to which priest are exposed especially today because
of their ministry, and psychological fatigue caused by often
having to battle against incomprehension, misunderstandings,
prejudices, and going against organised and powerful forces
that work to endorse in public the opinion whereby priests to-
day belong to a culturally obsolete minority are likewise factors
that can cause malaise in the soul of a pastor.
Notwithstanding urgent pastoral requirements, and pre-
cisely in order to be able to cope with them in an adequate
manner, it is fitting for us to acknowledge our limits, and “find
and have the humility, the courage to rest”419. Even though or-
dinary rest will normally be the most efficient means for re-
gaining one’s forces and continuing to work for the Kingdom
419 BENEDICT XVI, Prayer Vigil on the Occasion of the Conclusion of the
Year for Priests (10 June 2010): l.c., 397-406.
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of God, it may be useful for priests to be granted more or less
longer periods of time to spend with the Lord Jesus in a serene
and intense manner, regaining the force and courage to forge
ahead along the way to sanctification.
In order to respond to this particular requirement, already
experimented in many places have been diverse initiatives, of-
ten with promising results. These experiences are valid and
may be taken into consideration, despite the difficulties that
may be encountered in some areas where the shortage of
priests is more acutely felt.
For this purpose, monasteries, sanctuaries or other places
of spirituality possibly located outside urban centres can play a
considerable role, leaving the priest free from direct pastoral
responsibilities for the period when he withdraws.
In some cases it may be useful to employ this time for
purposes of study or updating in the sacred sciences, without
forgetting the primary goal of renewing spiritual and apostolic
vigour.
Accurately to be avoided in any case is the danger of con-
sidering these periods as mere vacation time or claiming them
as a right; and all the more so should the priest feel the need
on days of rest to celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice , the cen-
tre and origin of his life.
The House of the Clergy
102. Desirable wherever possible is the erection of a
“House of the Clergy” where held could be the aforemen-
tioned formation counters, and which could also serve as
premises for numerous other circumstances. This house
should offer all those facilities and structures that may make it
comfortable and attractive.
Wherever such a centre does not exist as of yet, and re-
quirements may so suggest, it would be advisable to create
structures on the national or regional level suited for the physi-
cal, psychological and spiritual recovery of priests.
Days of Recollection and Retreats
103. As the lengthy spiritual experience of the Church
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demonstrates, days of recollection and retreats are suitable and
efficacious instruments for an adequate ongoing formation of
the clergy. Today as well do they remain necessary and timely.
Against a practice that tends to empty man of everything that
smacks of interiority, the priest must find God and himself by
taking spiritual breaks in order to immerse himself in medita-
tion and prayer.
For this reason Canon law stipulates that clerics “are
obliged to make spiritual retreats, in accordance with the pro-
vision of particular law”420. The two most usual modes which
may be prescribed by the Bishop in his own diocese are the
day of recollection, possibly each month, and the annual re-
treat, lasting, for example, six days.
It is most fitting for the Bishop to plan and organise peri-
odical days of recollection and annual retreats in such a way
that each priest would be able to choose among those normally
held, both inside and outside the diocese, by exemplary priests,
priestly associations421 or religious institutes especially experi-
enced by virtue of their selfsame charism in spiritual forma-
tion, or monasteries.
Likewise advisable is the organisation of a special day of
recollection for priests of recent ordination and in which the
Bishop would actively participate422.
It is important during such encounters to focus on spiri-
tual themes, offer lengthy periods of silence and prayer, and
attend with special care to the liturgical celebrations, the sac-
rament of penance, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, spiri-
tual direction, and acts of veneration and cult to the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
In order to confer greater importance and efficacy upon
these instruments of formation the Bishop could duly appoint
420 C.I.C., can. 276, § 2, 4°; cf. cann. 533, § 2; 550, § 3.
421 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Or-
dinis, 8.
422 Cf. SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Ratio
Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, 101.
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a priest whose task would be to organise the times and ways of
conducting them.
In any case, it is necessary for days of recollection and es-
pecially annual retreats to be lived as times of prayer and not as
updating courses in theology and pastoral work.
The Need for Programming
104. While acknowledging the customary difficulties of
true ongoing formation especially due to the multiple and bur-
densome tasks to which priests are called, all difficulties may
be surmounted if true and responsible commitment exists.
In keeping with the level of circumstances and to cope
with the demands of the urgent work of evangelisation, also
necessary is courageous pastoral action finalised to taking care
of priests. By virtue of the force of charity, it is indispensable
for the Bishop to demand that priests be generous in abiding
by the legitimate dispositions made in this matter.
The existence of an “ongoing formation plan” means it
must not only conceived or planned, but also implemented.
Necessary to this end is a clear organisation of work, with objec-
tives, contents and instruments to carry it out. “This responsibility
leads the bishop, in communion with the presbyterate, to
outline a project and establish a program which can ensure that
ongoing formation is not something haphazard but a
systematic offering of subjects, which unfold by stages and
take on precise forms”423.
3.3. Those Responsible
The Priest Himself
105. The priest himself is the one primary responsible for
his ongoing formation. In fact, incumbent upon each priest is
423 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 79.
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the duty to be faithful to the gift of God and the dynamism of
daily conversion coming from the gift itself 424.
This duty stems from the fact that no one can replace the
individual priest in watching over himself (cf. 1Tm 4:16). In
fact, by participating in the one priesthood of Christ, he is
called to reveal and exercise, according to his unique and unre-
peatable vocation, some aspect of the extraordinary richness of
grace he has received.
On the other hand, the conditions and life situations of
each priest are such that even from a simply human viewpoint,
they demand him to be involved personally in his formation in
order to capitalise on his own capabilities and possibilities.
Therefore, the priest will willingly take part in formation
encounters, offering his own contributions on the basis of his
skills and possibilities, and will see to it that he has and reads
books and periodicals known to be of sound doctrine and
proven utility for his spiritual life, and for the fruitful exercise
of his ministry.
The first place among reading materials must be occupied
by Sacred Scripture; followed by the writings of the Fathers,
the Doctors of the Church, the ancient and modern Masters of
spirituality, and by the documents of the Magisterium of the
Church, which constitute the most authoritative and updated
source of ongoing formation; the writings and the biographies
of saints will also be most useful. Priests, therefore, will study
and deepen them in a direct and personal manner in order to
be able to present them to the lay faithful in a proper fashion.
Fraternal Assistance
106. Emerging in all the aspects of priestly existence are
the “special bonds of apostolic charity, ministry and frater-
nity”425, founded upon which is the mutual assistance priests
offer one another426. It is to be hoped that growing and devel-
424 Cf. Ibid., 70.
425 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 8.
426 Cf. Ibid.
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oping may be cooperation among all priests in caring atten-
dance to their spiritual and human life, as well as the ministe-
rial service. The assistance to be provided to priests in this field
can find solid support in the diverse priestly associations,
“whose statutes are recognised by the competent authority and
which, by a suitable and well tried rule of life and by fraternal
support, promote holiness in the exercise of their ministry and
foster the unity of the clergy with one another and with their
Bishop”427.
In this perspective, respected with utmost care must be
the right of each diocesan priest to give form and substance to
his spiritual life as he best sees fit, obviously ever in conformity
with the characteristics of his vocation and the bonds stem-
ming there from.
The work that these associations and both the Movements
and new communities approved do for priests is held in high
esteem by the Church428, which today recognises it as a sign of
the vitality with which the Spirit never ceases in his work of
renewal.
The Bishop
107. However large and in need of pastoral care the por-
tion of the People of God entrusted to him may be, the Bishop
must reserve very special solicitude for the ongoing formation
of his priests429.
In fact, there is a special relationship between them and
the Bishop due to the “fact that priests receive their priesthood
from him and share his pastoral solicitude for the People of
427 C.I.C., can. 278, § 2.
428 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Presbyterorum
Ordinis, 8; C.I.C., can. 278, § 2; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, 81.
429 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Christus Dominus,
16; JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores gregis, 47.
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God”430. This also determines the Bishop’s specific responsi-
bility in the field of priestly formation. The Bishop must have
the disposition of a father towards his priests, beginning from
the seminarians, avoiding any distance or a personal style
proper to a mere employer. By virtue of his function he must
always be close to his priests and easily accessible. His first
concern must be his priests, his collaborators in his Episcopal
ministry.
Such responsibility is expressed both with respect to indi-
vidual priests, whose formation must therefore be as personal-
ised as possible, and with respect to all the priests insofar as
members of the diocesan presbyterate. In this sense the Bishop
will never fail to thoughtfully cultivate communication and
communion among the priests, taking particular care to safe-
guard and promote the true character of their ongoing forma-
tion, educate their consciences to how important and necessary
it is, and lastly plan and organise it by drawing up a plan of for-
mation and providing the structures and persons to implement
it431.
In providing for the formation of his priests it is necessary
for the Bishop to be involved with his own ongoing formation.
Experience teaches that the more the Bishop is the first to be
convinced about his own formation and engaged in it, all the
better will he be able to stimulate and sustain that of his
priests.
Even though his role is irreplaceable and can be delegated
to no one, in this endeavour the Bishop will know how to re-
quest the collaboration of the Council of Priests, which, by vir-
tue of its nature and aim, is the body well suited to assist him
as regards, for example, the drawing up of the plan of forma-
tion.
430
vobis, 79.
431
JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
Cf. Ibid.: l.c., 797-798.
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Each Bishop will feel he is being sustained and assisted in
his task by his fellow bishops in the Episcopal Conference432.
The Formation of Formators
108. No formation is possible without both the person
who is to be formed and the person who forms, the formator.
The quality and effectiveness of a plan of formation depend in
part on the relative structures, but mainly on the formators.
It is evident that particularly ineluctable is the Bishop’s re-
sponsibility towards these formators. First and foremost is his
delicate task of forming the formators so they may have “that
‘science of love’ which is learned only in ‘heart to heart’ with
Christ”433. Therefore, under the guidance of the Bishop these
priests are to learn to harbour no other desire that to serve
their confreres with this work of formation.
It is therefore necessary for the Bishop himself to appoint
a “group of formators” and that the persons be chosen from
among those priests highly qualified and respected for their
preparation and their human, spiritual, cultural and pastoral
maturity. In fact, formators must first of all be men of prayer,
teachers with a strong sense of the supernatural, a profound
spiritual life, exemplary conduct, with suitable experience in
the priestly ministry and, like the Fathers of the Church and
the holy masters of all times, able to combine spiritual re-
quirements with the more specifically human ones of the
priest. They may also be chosen from among the staff mem-
bers of seminaries, centres or academic institutions approved
by the ecclesiastical authority, as well as among members of re-
ligious institutes whose charism directly concerns priestly life
and spirituality. Guaranteed in all cases must be the orthodoxy
of doctrine and fidelity to ecclesiastical discipline. Moreover,
432 Cf. ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Decree Optatam totius, 22;
SACRED CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, Ratio Fundamentalis
Institutionis Sacerdotalis (19 March 1985), 101.
433 BENEDICT XVI, Homily. Opening of the Year of Priests with the
Celebration of Second Vespers (19 June 2009): Insegnamenti V/1 (2009), 1036.
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formators must be trusted co-workers with the Bishop, who
retains ultimate responsibility for the priests, who are his most
valuable collaborators.
It is also advisable to create a planning and implementation
group separate from the group of formators to assist the Bishop
is setting the topics to be considered each year as part of ongo-
ing formation; prepare the necessary material; organise the
courses, sessions, encounters and days of recollection; arrange
the calendar in such as way as to foresee the absences and re-
placement of priests, etc. The expert advice of specialists in
specific fields may also be sought.
While it would suffice to have only one group of forma-
tors, it is possible to have various planning and implementation
groups if so required.
Collaboration among Churches
109. With regard above all to collective means, the pro-
gramming of the various means of ongoing formation and
their concrete contents can be determined – it being under-
stood that each Bishop retains responsibility for his own cir-
cumscription – by common agreement among various particu-
lar Churches on the national and regional level – through the
respective Conferences of Bishops – as well as among adjacent
dioceses or those in closer vicinity to one another. In this way,
for example, used if deemed properly suited could be inter-
diocesan structures such as theological and pastoral faculties
and institutes, as well as bodies or federations active in priestly
formation. In addition to promoting authentic communion
among particular Churches, this pooling of forces could offer
more qualified and stimulating possibilities for ongoing forma-
tion to one and all434.
434 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 79.
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Collaboration with Academic and Spirituality Centres
110. Furthermore, research and study institutes, centres of
spirituality, as well as monasteries of exemplary observance
and sanctuaries likewise constitute points of reference for
theological and pastoral updating, as well as places where culti-
vated may be silence, adoration, the practice of confession and
spiritual direction, healthy physical repose, and moments of
priestly fraternity. In this manner religious families as well
could collaborate in ongoing formation and contribute to that
renewal of the clergy required by the new evangelisation of the
Third Millennium.
3S.i4tu. aStpioencsific Needs Relative to Age Groups and Special
The First Years of Priesthood
111. During the first years after Ordination priests should
be helped to the utmost in finding those conditions of life and
ministry that permit them to translate into practice the ideals
learned during their period of formation in the seminary435.
These first years constitute a necessary verification of their ini-
tial formation after the first delicate impact with reality, and are
the most decisive ones for the future. Young priests therefore
require harmonious maturation in order to be able to cope
with moments of difficulty with faith and fortitude. To this
end, they are to be able to benefit from the personal relation-
ship with their Bishop and with a wise spiritual father, as well
as moments of rest, meditation and monthly days of recollec-
tion. Moreover, it would seem useful to underscore the need
especially for young priests to be introduced to an authentic
journey of faith in the presbyterate or in the parish community,
accompanied by the Bishop and by the brother priests assigned
to that task.
Keeping in mind what has already been said about the pas-
435 Cf. Ibid., 76: l.c., 793-794.
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toral year, during the early years of priesthood it is necessary to
organize annual formation encounters for dealing in greater
depth with appropriate theological, juridical, spiritual and cul-
tural themes, as well as special sessions dedicated to moral,
pastoral and liturgical questions, etc. Such encounters may also
be occasions to renew the faculty of confession as stipulated
by the Code of Canon Law and by the Bishop436. It would also be
useful to encourage fraternal togetherness in young priests,
both among themselves and with their more mature confreres,
in order to permit the exchange of experiences, mutual famili-
arity, and also the delicate evangelical practice of fraternal cor-
rection.
A positive experience in many places has also been the or-
ganisation, under the guidance of the Bishop, of brief encoun-
ters during the year for young priests, for example, those with
less than ten years of priesthood, in order to be closer by their
side while accompanying them during these early years; they
will undoubtedly be occasions as well to discuss the priestly
spirituality, challenges for ministers, and pastoral praxis, etc., in
settings of fraternal and priestly togetherness.
Lastly, it is necessary for the young cleric to grow in a
spiritual environment of true fraternity and thoughtfulness,
which becomes manifest in personal attention as well for
physical health and the sundry material aspects of life.
After a Certain Number of Years
112. After a certain number of years of ministry, priests
acquire solid experience and the great merit of spending them-
selves entirely for the spreading of the Kingdom of God in
their daily work. This group of priests constitutes a great spiri-
tual and pastoral resource.
They need encouragement, intelligent appreciation and
enhancement, and a new deepening of formation in all its di-
mensions in order to rethink themselves and what they do; to
436 Cf. C.I.C., cann. 970; 972.
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reawaken the motivations underlying the sacred ministry; to do
serous thinking about pastoral methods in the light of what is
essential, communion among priests of the presbyterate, and
friendship with the Bishop; to surmount any sense of exhaus-
tion, frustration and solitude; to rediscover the wellsprings of
the priestly spirituality437.
It is therefore important for these priests to benefit from
special and thorough formation sessions, where, in addition to
theological-pastoral matters, examined would be all those psy-
chological and emotional difficulties that may arise during that
period of life. It is therefore advisable that taking part in such
encounters would be not only the Bishop, but also those ex-
perts who can give a sound and valid contribution to the
solution of the aforementioned problems.
Advanced Age
113. Elderly priests or those well along in years, who well
deserve all thoughtful signs of consideration, also enter into
the vital circle of ongoing formation, not so much in terms of
in-depth study and cultural debate, “but rather a calm and reas-
suring confirmation of the part which they are still called upon
to play in the Presbyterate”438.
In addition to the formation organised for middle-aged
priests, they can benefit appropriately from moments, ambits
and special encounters to deepen the contemplative sense of
the priestly life, rediscover and savour the doctrinal treasures
of what they have already studied, and feel they are useful, as
they rightly are, insofar as being of utmost value in suitable
forms of true and proper ministry, especially as expert confes-
sors and spiritual directors. In particular, they will be able to
share with others their own experiences, provide encourage-
ment, receptiveness, listening and serenity to their confreres,
437 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 77.
438 Ibid.
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and be available if they are summoned “to become effective
teachers and trainers of other priests”439.
Priests in Special Situations
114. Independently of age, priests may find themselves “in
a condition of physical weakness or moral fatigue”440. With the
offering of their sufferings they contribute in an eminent way
to the work of redemption, giving “witness marked by free
acceptance of the cross in the spirit of hope and Easter joy”441.
Ongoing formation must offer these priests stimuli “to
continue their service to the Church in a serene and vigorous
way”442, and to be eloquent signs of the primacy of being over
doing, substance over technique, and grace over exterior effi-
cacy. In this way they will be able to live the experience of St.
Paul: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and in my own
body to do what I can to make up all that still has to be under-
gone by Christ for the sake of his Church” (Col 1:24).
The bishop and their confreres will never fail to pay peri-
odic visits to these their infirm brothers, who will thus be kept
informed especially about events in the diocese, and thereby
feel they are living members of the presbyterate and the uni-
versal Church, which they continue to edify with their suffer-
ing.
Very special and loving care must surround the priests
close to concluding their days on earth spent in the service of
God and for the salvation of their brothers.
The continual consolation of the faith and the prompt
administration of the sacraments will be followed by the suf-
frages of the entire presbyterate.
439 Ibid.
440 Ibid.
441 Ibid., 41.
442 Ibid., 77.
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The Solitude of the Priest
115. At any age and in any situation a priest can experience
a sense of solitude443. Far from being understood as psycho-
logical isolation, this can be altogether normal, a consequence
of the sincere following of the Gospel, and constitute a pre-
cious dimension in his own life. In some cases, however, it
could be due to special difficulties such as alienation, misun-
derstandings, deviations, abandonment, imprudence, limits in
his own character or that of others, cases of calumny, humilia-
tion, etc. Arising there from could be a bitter sense of frustra-
tion which would be extremely deleterious.
Nevertheless, even these moments of difficulty may be-
come, with the help of the Lord, privileged occasions for
growth along the way of holiness and the apostolate. In fact, in
them the priest can discover “it is a solitude filled by the pres-
ence of the Lord”444. Obviously this must not make the Bishop
and the entire presbyterate forget their grave responsibility in
avoiding any loneliness caused by negligence with respect to
priestly communion. It is incumbent upon the Diocese to de-
cide how to hold encounters among priests so they may ex-
perience being together, learning from one another and being
of assistance to one another, because no one is a priest all on
his own, and exclusively in this communion with the Bishop
may each priest render his service.
Nor to be forgotten are those priests who have abandoned
the sacred ministry, offering them necessary help, especially
through prayer and penance. The proper charitable disposition
towards them, however, must not in any way lead to consider
entrusting them with any ecclesiastical functions, which could
create confusion and perplexity, especially among the faithful,
because of their situation.
443 Cf. ibid., 74.
444 Ibid.
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CONCLUSION
The Master of the harvest, who calls and sends the work-
ers to work in is field (cf. Mt 9:38), has promised with eternal
faithfulness: “I will give you shepherds after my own heart” (Jr
3:15). Resting on this divine faithfulness ever alive and at work
in the Church445 is the hope of receiving abundant and holy
priestly vocations, as is already happening in many countries, as
well as the certainty that the Lord will not fail to shed upon his
Church the light necessary to engage in the impassioned ad-
venture of casting the nets into the sea.
The Church responds to the gift of God with thanksgiv-
ing, fidelity, docility to the spirit, humble and insistent prayer.
In order to carry out his apostolic mission each priest will
bear engraved on his heart the words of the Lord: “Father, I
have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work you
gave me to do, to give eternal life to men” (Jn 17:2-4). For this
reason he will make his own life a gift of self – the root and syn-
thesis of pastoral charity – to the Church, in the likeness of the
gift of Christ446. With joy and peace he will in this way spend
his every force in helping his brothers, living as a sign of su-
pernatural charity in obedience, celibate chastity, simplicity of
life and ever respectful of the discipline in the communion of
the Church.
In his work of evangelisation the priest transcends the
natural order to concentrate “on things that belong to God”
(Heb 5:1). In fact, he is called to raise man, generating him in
divine life and making him grow in it unto fullness in Christ.
This is why a real priest, motivated by his fidelity to Christ and
to the Church, actually constitutes an incomparable force of
true progress for the entire world.
445 Cf. JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores
dabo vobis, 82.
446 Cf. Ibid., 23.
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“The new evangelisation needs new evangelisers, and
these are the priests who are serious about living their priest-
hood as a specific path toward holiness”447. God’s works are
performed by men of God!
Like Christ, the priest must present himself to the world as
a model of supernatural life: “For I have given you an example,
that as I have done, so you do also” (Jn 13:15).
The witness given by life itself qualifies the priest and con-
stitutes his most convincing preaching. Ecclesiastical discipline
itself, lived with genuine interior motivation, proves to be
providential help for living his own identity, fostering charity,
and bringing light to bear on that witness without which any
cultural preparation or strict programming would be naught
but illusory. Doing serves no purpose if there is no being with
Christ.
Here lies the horizon of the identity, life, ministry and on-
going formation of the priest: a task of immense work that is
open, courageous, enlightened by the faith, sustained by hope
and rooted in charity.
No one is alone in this work, which as necessary as it is ur-
gent. It is necessary for priests to be helped through exemplary,
authoritative and resolute action of pastoral governance exer-
cised by their respective Bishops in transparent communion
with the Apostolic See, as well as by the fraternal collaboration
of the presbyterate at large, and the entire people of God.
Each priest is to entrust himself to Mary, the Star of the
new evangelisation. She “has been a model of that motherly
love with which all who join in the Church’s apostolic mission
for the regeneration of mankind should be animated”448, and
priests will find in her constant protection and assistance for
the renewal of their lives and for helping their priesthood give
rise to a more intense and renewed thrust of evangelisation in
this third millennium of Redemption.
447 Ibid., 82.
448 ECUMENICAL COUNCIL VATICAN II, Dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium, 65.
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The Supreme Pontiff, Benedict XVI, on 14 January 2013, ap-
proved this Directory and ordered its publication.
Rome, from the Palazzo delle Congregazioni, this 11 day of
February in the year 2013, the memoria of Our Lady of
Lourdes.
MAURO Card. PIACENZA
Prefect
CELSO MORGA IRUZUBIETA
Titular Archbishop of Alba marittima
Secretary
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Prayer to Mary Most Holy
Oh Mary,
Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests,
accept this title which we bestow on you
to celebrate your motherhood
and to contemplate with you the priesthood
of your Son and of your sons,
oh holy Mother of God.
Oh Mother of Christ,
to the Messiah - priest you gave a body of flesh
through the anointing of the Holy Spirit
for the salvation of the poor and the contrite of heart;
guard priests in your heart and in the Church,
oh Mother of the Saviour.
Oh Mother of Faith,
you accompanied to the Temple the Son of Man,
the fulfilment of the promises given to the fathers;
give to the Father for his glory
the priests of your Son,
oh Ark of the Covenant.
Oh Mother of the Church,
in the midst of the disciples in the upper room
you prayed to the Spirit
for the new people and their shepherds;
obtain for the Order of Presbyters
a full measure of gifts,
oh Queen of the Apostles.
Oh Mother of Jesus Christ,
you were with him at the beginning
of his life and mission,
you sought the Master among the crowd,
you stood beside him when he was lifted
up from the earth
consumed as the one eternal sacrifice,
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and you had John, your son, near at hand;
accept from the beginning those
who have been called,
protect their growth,
in their life ministry accompany
your sons,
oh Mother of Priests.
Amen449.
449 JOHN PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores dabo
vobis, 82.
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INDEX
PRESENTATION....................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................... 8
I. THE IDENTITY OF THE PRIEST.............................................. 14
The Priesthood as Gift................................................................................ 14
Sacramental roots ....................................................................................... 15
1.1. The Trinitarian Dimension .............................................................. 17
In Communion with the Father, the Son and the Spirit............................... 17
In the Trinitarian Dynamics of Salvation ................................................... 17
Intimate Relationship with the Trinity ........................................................ 18
1.2. The Christological Dimension........................................................ 19
Specific Identity........................................................................................... 19
Consecration and Mission........................................................................... 21
1.3. The Pneumatological Dimension.................................................. 22
Sacramental Character ............................................................................... 22
Personal Communion with the Holy Spirit ................................................. 23
Invocation of the Spirit................................................................................ 23
Strength to guide the Community ................................................................ 24
1.4. The Ecclesiological Dimension ..................................................... 24
“In” and “in the forefront of” the Church................................................... 24
Participation in the Spousal Nature of Christ............................................. 25
The Universality of the Priesthood............................................................... 26
The Missionary Nature of the priest for a New Evangelisation ................... 27
Spiritual Fatherhood .................................................................................. 38
Authority as “amoris officium”................................................................... 39
The Temptation of Democratism and Equalitarianism ............................... 40
The Distinction between the Common Priesthood and the Ministerial Priesthood42
1.5. Priestly Communion .......................................................................... 43
Communion with the Trinity and with Christ ............................................. 43
Communion with the Church...................................................................... 44
Hierarchical Communion............................................................................ 44
Communion in the Eucharistic Celebration................................................. 45
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Communion in the Exercise of the Ministry................................................ 46
Communion in the Presbyterate................................................................... 47
Incardination, an Authentic Juridical bond with Spiritual Value................ 48
The Presbyterate: a Place of Sanctification................................................... 50
Fraternal Priestly Friendship...................................................................... 51
Common Life ............................................................................................. 51
Communion with the Lay Faithful ............................................................. 54
Communion with the Members of Institutes of Consecrated Life .................. 58
Vocational Activity .................................................................................... 58
Political and Social Engagement ................................................................. 60
II. PRIESTLY SPIRITUALITY............................................................ 63
2.1. The Current Historical Context...................................................... 63
Being able to interpret the Signs of the Times............................................... 63
The Demand of Conversion for Evangelisation............................................ 64
The Challenge of Sects and New Cults........................................................ 66
Lights and Shadows of Ministerial Activity................................................ 67
2.2. Being with Christ in Prayer ............................................................. 68
The Primacy of the Spiritual Life ............................................................... 68
Means for the Spiritual Life ....................................................................... 69
Imitating Christ in Prayer .......................................................................... 72
Imitating the Church in Prayer ................................................................... 74
Prayer as Communion ................................................................................ 75
2.3. Pastoral Charity................................................................................... 75
Manifestation of the Charity of Christ ........................................................ 75
Beyond Functionalism................................................................................. 76
2.4. Obedience............................................................................................. 76
The Basis of Obedience ............................................................................... 76
Hierarchical Obedience ............................................................................... 78
Authority Exercised with Charity .............................................................. 80
Respect for Liturgical Norms...................................................................... 81
Unity in Pastoral Planning......................................................................... 81
The Importance and Obligatory Nature of Ecclesiastical Attire................... 82
2.5. Preaching the Word ........................................................................... 84
Fidelity to the Word ................................................................................... 84
Word and Life ........................................................................................... 87
Word and Catechesis .................................................................................. 89
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2.6. The Sacrament of the Eucharist..................................................... 91
The Eucharistic Mystery............................................................................. 91
Celebrating the Eucharist Well................................................................... 92
Eucharistic Adoration................................................................................ 96
Mass Intentions.......................................................................................... 97
2.7. The Sacrament of Penance ............................................................100
The Ministry of Reconciliation .................................................................. 100
Dedication to the Ministry of Reconciliation ..............................................101
The Necessity of Confession ...................................................................... 104
Spiritual Direction for Self and for Others ................................................105
2.8. The Liturgy of the Hours ...............................................................105
2.9. Guide of the Community................................................................108
Priest for the Community.......................................................................... 108
To Listen with the Church........................................................................ 110
2.10. Priestly Celibacy..............................................................................110
The Steadfast Will of the Church..............................................................110
Theological and Spiritual Motivations for Celibacy.................................... 111
The Example of Jesus...............................................................................114
Difficulties and Objections ........................................................................ 115
2.11. The Priestly Spirit of Poverty.......................................................119
Poverty as Availability ............................................................................. 119
2.12. Devotion to Mary ............................................................................ 122
Imitating the Virtues of Our Mother ........................................................122
The Eucharist and Mary.......................................................................... 123
III. ONGOING FORMATION ..........................................................125
3.1. Principles.............................................................................................125
The Need for Ongoing Formation Today ..................................................125
Instrument of Sanctification ...................................................................... 127
It Must be Imparted by the Church...........................................................127
It must be Ongoing ...................................................................................128
It Must be Complete.................................................................................128
Human Formation...................................................................................129
Spiritual Formation..................................................................................131
Intellectual Formation...............................................................................132
Pastoral Formation ..................................................................................134
It must be Organic and Complete..............................................................135
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It must be Personalised ............................................................................. 136
3.2. Organisation and Means ................................................................136
Priestly Encounters...................................................................................136
The Pastoral Year....................................................................................137
Times of Rest............................................................................................139
The House of the Clergy............................................................................ 140
Days of Recollection and Retreats..............................................................140
The Need for Programming....................................................................... 142
3.3. Those Responsible........................................................................... 142
The Priest Himself ...................................................................................142
Fraternal Assistance.................................................................................143
The Bishop...............................................................................................144
The Formation of Formators .................................................................... 146
Collaboration among Churches.................................................................. 147
Collaboration with Academic and Spirituality Centres..............................148
3.4. Specific Needs Relative to Age Groups and Special Situations. 148
The First Years of Priesthood ................................................................... 148
After a Certain Number of Years ............................................................149
Advanced Age..........................................................................................150
Priests in Special Situations...................................................................... 151
The Solitude of the Priest.......................................................................... 152
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................153
Prayer to Mary Most Holy ..................................................................... 157
INDEX ........................................................................................................ 159
162