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Duties & Responsibilities of Priests
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Priests (Topic Page)
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"And
taking bread, [Jesus] gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them,
saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a
commemoration of me." (Lk. 22:19) [DR Trans.]
"[Jesus]
said to them, 'Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to
every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.'" (Mk. 16:15-16) [Note:
It should be noted that belief may be considered the 'first step'.
As Scripture makes clear, one must also obey, and not just
believe.]
"[T]he
principal act of a priest is to consecrate the Body and Blood of
Christ" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and
"greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"[I]t
is the office of the priest to spend every effort to obtain the
salvation of souls" (Pope Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae",
1950 A.D.)
"Nothing
is more befitting the priestly office than the protection of the
poor and the weak." (Pope St. Gelasius I, c. 494 A.D.)
"[P]riests
must be solicitous for the sick and the dying, visiting them and
strengthening them in the Lord." (Second Vatican Council)
"[I]t
is a grave offence not to work for the extermination of heresy
when this monstrous infection requires action" (Council of Vienne)
"Can.
1018 The pastor shall not fail prudently to educate the people
about the sacrament of marriage and its impediments." (1917
Code of Canon Law)
"[Priests]
should help men to see what is required and what is God's will in
the important and unimportant events of life." (Second
Vatican Council)
"Can.
770 Infants should be baptized as soon as possible; pastors and
preachers should frequently stress with the faithful the gravity
of their obligation." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"[T]he
first duty of all those who are entrusted in any way with the
government of the Church is to instruct the faithful in the things
of God." (Pope St. Pius X, "Acerbo Nimis", 1905
A.D.)
"[T]he
cleric is reminded that one who is the portion of the Lord, or who
has the Lord as his portion, must show himself to be such a one as
possesses the Lord and is possessed by him." (St. Jerome,
Doctor of the Church)
"Can.
743 The pastor shall take care that the faithful, especially
obstetricians, doctors, and surgeons, are carefully taught the
correct manner of baptizing in case of necessity." (1917 Code
of Canon Law)
"The
priest must also strive to see that the faithful have a correct
understanding of the doctrine of the 'Communion of Saints,' and
that they feel and live it." (Pope Pius XII, "Menti
Nostrae", 1950 A.D.)
"Whether
your immediate task be to assist, to protect, to heal, to make
peace, let your one aim and most ardent desire be to win or to
secure souls for Christ." (Pope St. Pius X, "Haerent
Animo", 1908 A.D.)
"Can.
1405 § 2 Local Ordinaries and others having care of souls shall
opportunely advise the faithful about the danger and harm of
reading depraved books, especially prohibited ones." (1917
Code of Canon Law)
"Finally,
to leave nothing unsaid that may be calculated to induce the
faithful to an observance of the law, the pastor should point out
how abundant and sweet are its fruits." (Catechism of the
Council of Trent)
"Remember
that your duty is not the extension of a human realm, but of
Christ's; and remember too that your goal is the acquisition of
citizens for a heavenly fatherland, and not for an earthly
one." (Pope Benedict XV)
"Finally
it is proper for a good pastor not only to safeguard and nourish
his sheep, but also to seek and recall to the sheepfold those who
have gone to a distant place." (Pope Gregory XVI, "Inter
Praecipuas", 1844 A.D.)
"No
one, surely, of sound mind is ignorant that it belongs to our
office to reprove any Christian for mortal sin, and if he
disregards our punishment, to compel him by ecclesiastical
censure." (Pope Innocent III, 13th century A.D.)
"[P]riests
have a special obligation to the poor and weak entrusted to them,
for Our Lord Himself showed that He was united to them, and their
evangelization is mentioned as a sign of messianic activity."
(Second Vatican Council)
"Beseech,
accuse, correct, rebuke and fear not: for ill-judged silence
leaves in their error those who could be taught, and this is most
harmful both to them and to you who should have dispelled the
error." (Pope Pius VI, "Inscrutabile", 1775 A.D.)
"Can.
469 The pastor shall be diligently vigilant lest anything that is
contrary to faith or morals be given in his parish, especially in
public and private schools, and he shall foster or start works of
charity, faith, and piety." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"A
priest has two acts: one is the principal, namely to consecrate
the body of Christ; the other is secondary, namely to prepare
God's people for the reception of this sacrament" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church
and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"But
above all kindle in the minds of everyone that love for one
another which Christ the Lord so often and so specifically
praised. For this is the one sign of Christians and the bond of
perfection." (Pope Pius VI, "Inscrutabile", 1775
A.D.)
"The
hierarchy should promote the apostolate of the laity, provide it
with spiritual principles and support, direct the conduct of this
apostolate to the common good of the Church, and attend to the
preservation of doctrine and order." (Second Vatican Council)
"[S]ince
you will have to render to God and to His Church an account of the
manner in which you feed your flock, allow no one to creep
unbidden into the sheepfold and to feed the sheep of Christ
according to his fancy." (Pope Benedict XV, "Humani
Generis Redemptionem", 1917 A.D.)
"Can.
761 Pastors should take care that a Christian name is given to
those whom they baptize; but if they are not able to bring this
about, they will add to the name given by the parents the name of
some Saint and record both names in the book of baptisms."
(1917 Code of Canon Law)
"These,
then, are the duties of a shepherd: to place himself as leader at
the head of his flock, to provide proper food for it, to ward off
dangers, to guard against insidious foes, to defend it against
violence: in a word to rule and govern it." (Pope Leo XIII,
"Satis Cognitum", 1896 A.D.)
"It
is the responsibility of Pastors to encourage, also by their
personal witness, the practice of Eucharistic adoration, and
exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in particular, as well as
prayer of adoration before Christ present under the Eucharistic
species." (Pope John Paul II, 2003 A.D.)
"Can.
1034 The pastor shall gravely exhort children yet in families not
to enter into weddings if the parents are unaware of it or [if
they] are reasonably opposed to it; but if they are going to
marry, he should not assist without first consulting the local
Ordinary." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"The
first striving of a priestly soul should be the closest union with
the divine Redeemer by accepting humbly and entirely the Christian
doctrine and by diligently applying it in every moment of his life
so that his faith illumines his conduct and his conduct is the
reflection of his faith." (Pope Pius XII)
"Simply
to make known those things which pertain to salvation should not
be deemed a full discharge of the duty of pastors; their zeal and
industry should be exerted to persuade the people to adopt these
truths as their rule of conduct and as the governing principle of
their actions." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Since
no one can be saved who does not first believe, priests, as
co-workers with their bishops, have the primary duty of
proclaiming the Gospel of God to all. In this way they fulfill the
command of the Lord: 'Going therefore into the whole world preach
the Gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15)" (Second Vatican
Council)
"It
is your duty, Venerable Brothers, to in spire enthusiasm and love
of penance in the faithful by word and example. Thus, they will
approach the fast more quickly, observe it according to the laws
prescribed by the Catholic Church, and sanctify it through
almsgiving and prayer." (Pope Clement XIII, "Appetente
Sacro", 1759 A.D.)
"For
whatever is proposed by the pastor, whether it be the exercise of
faith, of hope, or of some moral virtue, the love of our Lord
should at the same time be so strongly insisted upon as to show
clearly that all the works of perfect Christian virtue can have no
other origin, no other end than divine love." (Catechism of
the Council of Trent)
"[H]e
is a traitor if he first lets the enemy enter the citadel, and
then, but only then, gives the alarm and risks his person and his
life. The obligation of laying down his life for the flock begins
to be in force at the enemy's first attack upon the very outposts
of the City, which is only safe when they are strongly
guarded." (Dom Gueranger)
"If
a parish priest doesn't want to be damned, and if there is any
loose living in his parish, he must spurn the very thought of
public opinion and the fear of being despised or hated by his
parishioners. Even if he were certain of being lynched when he
came down from the pulpit, that must not stop him from speaking
out against it." (St. John Vianney)
"Can.
794 §1 The duty and right of educating belongs in a special way
to the Church, to which has been divinely entrusted the mission of
assisting persons so that they are able to reach the fullness of
the Christian life. §2 Pastors of souls have the duty of making
all possible arrangements so that all the faithful may avail
themselves of a Catholic education." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"Can.
1033 A pastor shall not omit, according to the varying conditions
of persons, to instruct spouses on the sanctity of the sacrament
of marriage and on the mutual obligations of spouses and of
parents toward children; likewise he shall strongly exhort them to
confess their sins diligently before the celebration of marriage
and to receive piously the most Holy Eucharist." (1917 Code
of Canon Law)
"For
we think that this, according to the circumstances of your various
regions, should be the principal task of priests, to exhort the
faithful, in season and out, to love one another; they should warn
them constantly that he is not worthy of the name of Christian who
does not fulfill in spirit and action the new command given by
Christ that we love one another as He has loved us." (Pope
Leo XIII, "Reputantiubus", 1901 A.D.)
"The
priest, according to the magnificent definition given by St. Paul
is indeed a man Ex hominibus assumptus, 'taken from amongst men,'
yet pro hominibus constituitur in his quae sunt ad Deum, 'ordained
for men in the things that appertain to God': his office is not
for human things, and things that pass away, however lofty and
valuable these may seem; but for things divine and enduring."
(Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"We
have fallen upon times when a violent and well-nigh daily battle
is being fought about matters of highest moment, a battle in which
it is hard not to be sometimes deceived, not to go astray and, for
many, not to lose heart. It behooves us, venerable brethren, to
warn, instruct, and exhort each of the faithful with an
earnestness befitting the occasion: that none may abandon the way
of truth." (Pope Leo XIII, "Sapientiae Christianae",
1890 A.D.)
"Can.
275 §1 Since all clerics are working for the same purpose, namely
the building up of the body of Christ, they are to be united with
one another in the bond of brotherhood and prayer. They are to
seek to cooperate with one another, in accordance with the
provisions of particular law. §2 Clerics are to acknowledge and
promote the mission which the laity, each for his or her part,
exercises in the Church and in the world." (1983 Code of
Canon Law)
"To
inflame the minds of the faithful, however, with a zeal for true
piety, pastors will find no means more efficacious than an
accurate exposition of the effects of Baptism. The effects of
Baptism should be frequently explained, in order that the faithful
may be rendered more sensible of the high dignity to which they
have been raised, and may never suffer themselves to be cast down
therefrom by the snares or assaults of Satan." (Catechism of
the Council of Trent)
"Furthermore,
aided by divine grace, We trust that you will proceed with every
constancy, zeal, and prudence to set up a wall for the house of
Israel, to keep the flock entrusted to your care away from
poisoned pastures, and to lead them to good ones. We expect to see
you bringing the miserably lost back to the paths of truth and
justice and attempting everything by which all may grow in the
knowledge of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Pope Pius
IX, "Nemo Certe Ignorat", 1852 A.D.)
"Quite
fittingly, therefore, and quite in accordance with the defined
norm of Christian sentiment, do those pastors of souls act who, to
prevent married people from failing in the observance of God's
law, urge them to perform their duty and exercise their religion
so that they should give themselves to God, continually ask for
His divine assistance, frequent the sacraments, and always nourish
and preserve a loyal and thoroughly sincere devotion to God."
(Pope Pius XI, "Casti Connubii", 1930 A.D.)
"Our
great predecessor Gregory, in instructing the heads of the
churches, said with his usual excellence: 'Often imprudent guides
in their fear of losing human favor are afraid to speak the right
freely. As the word of truth has it, they guard their flock not
with a shepherd's zeal but as hirelings do, since they flee when
the wolf approaches by hiding themselves in silence... A shepherd
fearing to speak the right is simply a man retreating by keeping
silent.'" (Pope Pius VI, "Inscrutabile", 1775 A.D.)
"Hostile men in these lamentable times never stop planting thorns
in the Lord's field, first with destructive and ephemeral books
and then with monstrous and depraved suppositions plainly opposed
to Catholic faith and dogma. Consequently, you rightly understand
how you must labor and ever be on your guard to keep the faithful
from those poisonous pastures, to urge them on to eternal
salvation, and to imbue them in greater measure with the teachings
of the Catholic Church." (Pope Pius IX, "Amantissimus",
1862 A.D.)
"Can.
529 §2 A pastor is to recognize and promote the proper part which
the lay members of the Christian faithful have in the mission of
the Church, by fostering their associations for the purposes of
religion. He is to cooperate with his own bishop and the
presbyterium of the diocese, also working so that the faithful
have concern for parochial communion, consider themselves members
of the diocese and of the universal Church, and participate in and
sustain efforts to promote this same communion." (1983 Code
of Canon Law)
"Can.
771 §1 Pastors of souls, especially Bishops and parish priests,
are to be solicitous that the word of God is preached to those
also of the faithful who, because of the circumstances of their
lives, cannot sufficiently avail themselves of the ordinary
pastoral care or are even totally deprived of it. §2 They are
also to take care that the good news of the Gospel reaches those
living in their territory who are non-believers, since these too,
no less than the faithful, must be included in the care of
souls." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"All
the strength of the Pontiffs and Pastors of the Church consists in
their imitation of Jesus. It is not enough that hey have in them
the character of his Priesthood; they must also be ready, like
him, to lay down their lives for their sheep. The shepherd who
thinks more of his own life than of the salvation of his flock is
a hireling, not a shepherd: he loves himself and not his sheep.
His flock has a claim upon his shedding his blood for them; and if
he will not he is no longer an image of the Good Shepherd,
Jesus." (Dom Gueranger)
"The
pastor, therefore, should encourage the faithful to be willing and
anxious to assist those who have to depend on charity, and should
make them realize the great necessity of giving alms and of being
really and practically liberal to the poor, by reminding them that
on the last day God will condemn and consign to eternal fires
those who have omitted and neglected the duty of almsgiving, while
on the contrary He will praise and introduce into His heavenly
country those who have exercised mercy towards the poor."
(Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"[H]ow
assiduous the pastor should be in stirring up the minds of the
faithful the frequent recollection of our Lord's Passion, we learn
from the Apostle when he says that he knows nothing but Jesus
Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). The pastor, therefore,
should exercise the greatest care and pains in giving a thorough
explanation of this subject, in order that the faithful, being
moved by the remembrance of so great a benefit, may give
themselves entirely to the contemplation of the goodness and love
of God towards us." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Along
with Us, you detest the great number of pestilential books,
pamphlets, magazines, and posters which the virulent enemy of God
and man incessantly spews forth to corrupt morals, attack the
foundations of faith, and weaken the most sacred dogmas of our
religion. Therefore, never cease to lead the flock entrusted to
your care away from these poison pastures. Never cease to
instruct, defend, and confirm them against the deluge of so many
errors; use salutary and opportune admonitions and publications to
do this." (Pope Pius IX, "Inter Multiplices", 1853
A.D.)
"Our
Lord saw the multitudes 'lying like sheep that have no shepherd.'
Such multitudes are to be seen today not only in the far distant
lands of the missions, but also, alas! in countries which have
been Christian for centuries. How can a priest see such multitudes
and not feel deeply within himself an echo of that divine pity
which so often moved the Heart of the Son of God? - a priest, we
say, who is conscious of possessing the words of life and of
having in his hands the God-given means of regeneration and
salvation?" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935
A.D.)
"Parish
priests should warn their flocks that they are forbidden by divine
law to listen to radio programs which are dangerous to their Faith
or morals, and they should exhort those engaged in the training of
youth, to be on the watch and to instill religious principles with
regard to the use of radio sets installed in the home. Moreover,
it is the duty of the Bishops to call on the faithful to refrain
from listening to stations which are known to broadcast a defense
of matter formally opposed to the Catholic Faith." (Pope Pius
XII, "Miranda Prorsus", 1957 A.D.)
"But
as there is nothing greater, nothing more exalted, as we have
already said, than to serve God and live in obedience to His law
and Commandments, what more desirably to a Christian than to walk
in the ways of the Lord, to think nothing, to undertake nothing,
at variance with His will? In order that the faithful may adopt
this rule of life, and adhere to it with greater fidelity, (the
pastor) should borrow from Scripture examples of individuals, who,
by not referring their views to the will of God, have failed in
all their undertakings." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Jesus
Christ, our Divine King, has chosen priests as the first-line
ministers and messengers of His gospel. Theirs is the duty,
assigned to them by a special vocation, under the direction of
their Bishops and in filial obedience to the Vicar of Christ on
earth, of keeping alight in the world the torch of Faith, and of
filling the hearts of the Faithful with that supernatural trust
which has aided the Church to fight and win so many other battles
in the name of Christ: 'This is the victory which overcometh the
world, our Faith.'" (Pope Pius XI, "Divini Redemptoris",
1937 A.D.)
"In
this work, your influence, Venerable Brethren, and the zeal and
earnestness of the entire Clergy, can do wonders. You must look
upon it as a chief part of your duty to engrave upon the minds of
your people the true knowledge, the very likeness of Jesus Christ;
to illustrate His charity, His mercies, His teaching, by your
writings and your words, in schools, in Universities, from the
pulpit; wherever opportunity is offered you. The world has heard
enough of the so-called 'rights of man.' Let it hear something of
the rights of God." (Pope Leo XIII, "Tametsi Futura
Prospicientibus", 1900 A.D.)
"Can.
562 The rector of a church, under the authority of the local
ordinary and observing the legitimate statutes and acquired
rights, is obliged to see to it that sacred functions are
celebrated worthily in the church according to the liturgical
norms and prescripts of the canons, that obligations are fulfilled
faithfully, that property is carefully administered, that the
maintenance and beauty of sacred furnishings and buildings are
provided for, and that nothing whatever occurs which is in any way
unfitting to the holiness of the place and the reverence due to
the house of God." (1983 Code of Canon Law)
"It
should be your duty to encourage sound doctrine through this whole
affair and to make known the craftiness of the innovators. Watch
more keenly over the care of the Christian flock, so that zeal for
religion, piety of actions, and public peace might happily
flourish and increase. We wait for this, trusting in your faith
and commitment to the common good so that, with the help of God
who is the Father of lights, We might give thanks (with St.
Cyprian) that the error has been understood and weakened and then
laid low, because it was recognized and discovered." (Pope
Gregory XVI, "Singulari Nos", 1834 A.D.)
"We
know the great anxieties and difficulties, especially in these
evil times, that the episcopal ministry is exposed to; We also
know how you must constantly labor and keep watch to fulfill the
duties of your vital ministry. But no labor or difficulty must
ever keep you from the duty of your proper office. Relying on
divine help, act manfully for the glory of God, for the cause of
His most holy Church, and for the eternal salvation of men; keep
before your eyes the incorruptible crown of glory promised by the
eternal Prince of Pastors to those who persevere." (Pope Pius
IX, "Probe Noscitis Venerabiles", 1852 A.D.)
"It
is the priest's task to clear away from men's minds the mass of
prejudices and misunderstandings which hostile adversaries have
piled up; the modern mind is eager for the truth, and the priest
should be able to point it out with serene frankness; there are
souls still hesitating, distressed by doubts, and the priest
should inspire courage and trust, and guide them with calm
security to the safe port of faith, faith accepted by both head
and heart; error makes its onslaughts, arrogant and persistent,
and the priest should know how to meet them with a defense
vigorous and active, yet solid and unruffled." (Pope Pius XI,
"Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"Nor
is it in the Lord's Prayer alone that He has commanded us to beg
of God not to suffer us to be led into temptation. In His address
to the holy Apostles also, on the very eve of His death, after He
had declared them clean, He admonished them of this duty in these
words: Pray that ye enter not into temptation. This admonition,
reiterated by Christ the Lord, imposes on the pastor the weighty
obligation of exciting the faithful to a frequent use of this
prayer, so that, beset as men constantly are by the great dangers
which the devil prepares, they may ever address to God, who alone
can repel those dangers, the prayer, Lead us not into
temptation." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Therefore
it is Our duty to help men and nations who are in distress, and to
eliminate all present and threatening evils. For 'Christ has given
pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the building up of Christ's Body, until
we all come together to the unity of faith and knowledge of God's
son.' If ever anything deters, prevents, or delays any one of us
from performing this task, what a disgraceful sin he will commit!
Therefore, omit no watchfulness, diligence, care, and effort, in
order to 'guard the deposit' of Christ's teaching whose
destruction has been planned, as you know, by a great
conspiracy." (Pope Pius VII, "Diu Satis", 1800
A.D.)
"Watch
earnestly lest deceitful men and the promoters of novelties
continue to spread erroneous doctrines and false dogmas in your
flock. Using the pretext of the common good, as is their custom,
they take advantage of the credulity of those who are naive and
rash, so that they may have them as blind servants and supporters
in disturbing the peace of the kingdom and in overturning the
order of society. Surely the fraud of these would-be teachers must
be uncovered in clear words for the good and the instruction of
the faithful. The fallacy of their thought must be refuted
courageously everywhere with the words of divine scripture and the
testimony of Church tradition." (Pope Gregory XVI, "Cum
Primum", 1832 A.D.)
"Moreover,
you must be especially watchful that young people of both sexes be
educated in fear of the Lord and His law and that they be trained
in moral integrity. Accordingly, diligently inspect both private
and public schools; see that your young people are free from all
danger and that they receive a sound and completely Catholic
education. Stretch, therefore, every fiber of your pastoral zeal
to obtain this goal, since you know that the prosperity of the
spiritual and civil communities depends greatly on the proper
education of the youth. You know also the manifold evils by which,
in these iniquitous times, the enemies of God and man attempt to
pervert and corrupt the innocence of youth." (Pope Pius IX,
"Cum Nuper", 1858 A.D.)
"Finally
priests have been placed in the midst of the laity to lead them to
the unity of charity, 'loving one another with fraternal love,
eager to give one another precedence' (Rom. 12:10). It is their
task, therefore, to reconcile differences of mentality in such a
way that no one need feel himself a stranger in the community of
the faithful. They are defenders of the common good, with which
they are charged in the name of the bishop. At the same time, they
are strenuous assertors of the truth, lest the faithful be carried
about by every wind of doctrine. They are united by a special
solicitude with those who have fallen away from the use of the
sacraments, or perhaps even from the faith. Indeed, as good
shepherds, they should not cease from going out to them."
(Second Vatican Council)
"Can.
529 §1 In order to fulfill his office diligently, a pastor is to
strive to know the faithful entrusted to his care. Therefore he is
to visit families, sharing especially in the cares, anxieties, and
griefs of the faithful, strengthening them in the Lord, and
prudently correcting them if they are failing in certain areas. He
is to help the sick and especially the dying in great charity,
solicitously restoring them with the sacraments and commending
their souls to God. He is to be especially diligent in seeking out
the poor, the suffering, the lonely, those who are exiled from
their homeland, and those burdened with special difficulties. He
is to strive also to ensure that spouses and parents are sustained
in the fulfillment of their proper duties, and to foster the
growth of Christian life in the family." (1983 Code of Canon
Law)
"It is your duty, venerable brothers, sedulously to strive that the
seed of heavenly doctrine be sown broadcast in the field of God,
and that the teachings of the Catholic faith may be implanted
early in the souls of the faithful, may strike deep root in them,
and be kept free from the ruinous blight of error. The more the
enemies of religion exert themselves to offer the uninformed,
especially the young, such instruction as darkens the mind and
corrupts morals, the more actively should we endeavor that not
only a suitable and solid method of education may flourish but
above all that this education be wholly in harmony with the
Catholic faith in its literature and system of training, and
chiefly in philosophy, upon which the direction of other sciences
in great measure depends." (Pope Leo XIII, "Inscrutabili
Dei Consilio", 1878 A.D.)
"Since,
then, the Decalogue is a summary of the whole Law, the pastor
should give his days and nights to its consideration, that he may
be able not only to regulate his own life by its precepts, but
also to instruct in the law of God the people committed to his
care. The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall
seek the law at his mouth, because he is the angel of the Lord of
hosts (Mal. ii. 7.). To the priests of the New Law this injunction
applies in a special manner; they are nearer to God, and should be
transformed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2
Cor. iii.18.) Since Christ our Lord has called them light, it is
their special duty to be a light to them that are in darkness, the
instructors of the foolish, the teachers of infants; and if a man
be overtaken in any fault, they who are spiritual should instruct
such a one (Gal. vi. I.)" (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"If
ever there was a time more demanding the diligence of pastors in
explaining the Sacrament of Confirmation, in these days certainly
it requires special attention, when there are found in the holy
Church of God many by whom this Sacrament is altogether omitted;
while very few seek to obtain from it the fruit of divine grace
which they should derive from its participation. Lest, therefore,
this divine blessing may seem, through their fault, and to their
most serious injury, to have been conferred on them in vain, the
faithful are to be instructed both on Whitsunday, on which day it
is principally administered, and also on such other days as
pastors shall deem convenient. Their instructions should so treat
the nature, power, and dignity of this Sacrament, that the
faithful may understand not only that it is not to be neglected,
but that it is to be received with the greatest piety and
devotion." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Beloved
sons, on the very day that you were raised to the sacerdotal
dignity, the Bishop, in the name of God, solemnly pointed out to
you your fundamental duty in the following words: 'Understand what
you do, imitate the things you deal with; and celebrating the
mystery of the death of the Lord, strive to mortify in your
members all vice and concupiscence. May your doctrine be the
spiritual medicine for the people of God; let the fragrance of
your life of virtue be an ornament of the Church of Christ; and by
your preaching and example may you build the house, that is the
family of God'. Your life, which should be completely immune from
sin, should be even more hidden with Christ in God than the lives
of Christian layfolk. Advance then, thus adorned with that high
virtue which your dignity demands, to the work of completing the
redemption of man for which your priestly ordination has destined
you." (Pope Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae", 1950 A.D.)
"But
it may happen that these warnings and admonitions go unheeded and
that some Catholic man or woman is unwilling to give up his
perverse intention of entering upon a mixed marriage. If a
dispensation is not requested or not obtained from the Church or
if the necessary conditions or a certain one of them is not
fulfilled, then it will be the duty of the priest to abstain not
only from honoring the marriage itself with his presence, but also
from announcing the marriage and from granting dimissory letters.
You must admonish the priests and demand that they abstain from
every such act. For one who has the care of souls and who acts
differently, especially in the circumstances prevalent in Bavaria,
would seem in some way to approve these illicit marriages by his
actions. His works would encourage the liberty of those souls, a
liberty which is pernicious to their salvation and even to the
cause of faith." (Pope Gregory XVI, "Summo Iugiter
Studio", 1832 A.D.)
"Finally, the priest, in another way, follows the
example of Christ. Of Him it is written that He 'passed the whole
night in the prayer of God' and 'ever lives to make intercession
for us'; and like Him, the priest, is public and official
intercessor of humanity before God; he has the duty and commission
of offering to God in the name of the Church, over and above
sacrifice strictly so-called, the 'sacrifice of praise,' in public
and official prayer; for several times each day with psalms,
prayers and hymns taken in great part from the inspired books, he
pays to God this dutiful tribute of adoration and thus performs
his necessary office of interceding for humanity. And never did
humanity, in its afflictions, stand more in need of intercession
and of the divine help which it brings. Who can tell how many
chastisements priestly prayer wards off from sinful mankind, how
many blessings it brings down and secures?" (Pope Pius XI,
"Ad Catholici Sacerdotii", 1935 A.D.)
"It
will therefore be the duty of the pastor frequently to admonish
the faithful that, as they deem it necessary to afford daily
nutriment to the body, they should also feel solicitous to feed
and nourish the soul every day with this heavenly food. It is
clear that the soul stands not less in need of spiritual, than the
body of corporeal food. Here it will be found most useful to
recall the inestimable and divine advantages which, as we have
already shown, flow from sacramental Communion. It will be well
also to refer to the manna, which was a figure (of this
Sacrament), and which refreshed the bodily powers every day. The
Fathers who earnestly recommended the frequent reception of this
Sacrament may also be cited. The words of St. Augustine, Thou
sinnest daily, receive daily, expresses not his opinion only, but
that of all the Fathers who have written on the subject, as anyone
may easily discover who will carefully read them." (Catechism
of the Council of Trent)
"The
priest thus becomes a sharer in many different life choices,
sufferings and joys, disappointments and hopes. In every
situation, his task is to show God to man as the final end of his
personal existence. The priest becomes the one to whom people
confide the things most dear to them and their secrets, which are
sometimes very painful. He becomes the one whom the sick, the
elderly and the dying wait for, aware as they are that only he, a
sharer in the priesthood of Christ, can help them in the final
journey which is to lead them to God. As a witness to Christ, the
priest is the messenger of man's supreme vocation to eternal life
in God. And while he accompanies his brothers and sisters, he
prepares himself: the exercise of the ministry enables him to
deepen his own vocation to give glory to God in order to have a
share in eternal life. He thus moves forward towards the day when
Christ will say to him: 'Well done, good and faithful
servant,...enter into the joy of your master' (Mt 25:21)."
(Pope John Paul II)
"It
is principally your duty to stand as a wall so that no foundation
can be laid other than the one that is already laid. Watch over
the most holy deposit of faith to whose protection you committed
yourselves on oath at your solemn consecration. Reveal to the
faithful the wolves which are demolishing the Lord's vineyard.
They should be warned not to allow themselves to be ensnared by
the splendid writing of certain authors in order to halt the
diffusion of error by cunning and wicked men. In a word, they
should detest books which contain elements shocking to the reader;
which are contrary to faith, religion, and good morals; and which
lack an atmosphere of Christian virtue. We manifest to you Our
great happiness in this matter that most of you, following the
apostolic customs and energetically defending the laws of the
Church, have shown yourselves zealous and watchful in order to
avert this pestilence and have not allowed the simple people to
sleep soundly with serpents." (Pope Clement XIII, "Christianae
Reipublicae", 1766 A.D.)
"What
more striking example can there be of human infirmity than the
holy band of the Apostles, who, though they had just before felt
very courageous, at the first sight of danger, abandoned the
Savior and fled. A still more conspicuous example is the conduct
of the Prince of the Apostles. He who a short time before loudly
protested his courage and special loyalty to Christ the Lord, he
who had been so confident in himself as to say, Though I should
die with thee, I will not deny thee, became so affrighted at the
voice of a poor maid-servant that he declared at once with an oath
that he knew not the Lord. Doubtless his courage was not equal to
his goodwill. But if, by the frailty of human nature in which they
confided, even the Saints have sinned grievously, what have not
others to fear, who are so far below them in holiness?...
Wherefore
let the pastor remind the faithful of the conflicts and dangers in
which we are continually engaged, as long as the soul is in this
mortal body, assailed as it were on all sides by the world, the
flesh and the devil." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"With similar diligence instruct the faithful in the doctrines of
Catholic religion by word and by writing. Defend the people from
the contagion of so many diabolic errors. Warn them to stand firm
and unmovable in the profession of our most holy faith and to
observe most diligently the laws of God and His holy Church, never
allowing themselves to be deceived and led into error by the
followers of perverse doctrine. However, unwholesome books emerge
everywhere; in them the most skillful fabricators of lies attempt
to mislead everyone by corrupt and evil opinions of all sorts and
to confuse things human and divine in order to cause the
foundations of Christian and civil society to collapse. Strive to
avert and repel this deadly pestilence of books from your flock.
And, that you may the more easily and readily protect sound
doctrine and good morals and close even avenues of approach to
error and corruption, do not fail to inspect accurately all books,
especially those which treat of philosophy, theology, and sacred
matters and also those which deal with canon and civil law."
(Pope Pius IX, "Cum Nuper", 1858 A.D.)
"But
those who desire to receive the Sacrament of Orders, should aim
not only at seeking the glory of God in all things - an obligation
admittedly common to all men, and particularly to the faithful -
but also to serve Him in holiness and justice in whatever sphere
of His ministry they may be placed. Just as in the army all the
soldiers obey the general's orders, though they all have not the
same functions to discharge, one being a centurion, another a
prefect, so in like manner, though all the faithful should
diligently practice piety and innocence, which are the chief means
of honoring God, yet they who are in Holy Orders have certain
special duties and functions to discharge in the Church. Thus they
offer [the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass] for themselves and for all the
people; they explain God's law and exhort and form the faithful to
observe it promptly and cheerfully; they administer the Sacraments
of Christ our Lord by means of which all grace is conferred and
increased; and, in a word, the are separated from the rest of the
people to fill by far the greatest and noblest of all
ministries." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"We
must arouse your devotion. We exhort you to fight for the cause of
God and the Church with greater zeal as the attacks of the enemy
become more severe. It is your duty to stand as a wall so that no
other foundation can be placed other than the one which has
already been laid. It is also your duty to keep the faith
undefiled. There is another sacred trust which you should firmly
defend, namely, the holy laws by which the Church establishes its
discipline, and the rights of this Apostolic See. Therefore, act
according to the position which you hold, according to the dignity
with which you are vested, according to the authority which you
received, according to the sacrament by which you bound yourselves
in solemn consecration. Unsheathe the sword of the Spirit which is
the word of God. Denounce, beseech, rebuke in all patience and
teaching. Labor and struggle for the Catholic religion, for the
divine authority and laws of the Church, for the See of Peter and
its dignity and rights 'so that not only those who are upright may
remain safe but also so that those who were deceived by seduction
may be called back from error.'" (Pope Gregory XVI, "Commissum
Divinitus", 1835 A.D.)
"These
prescriptions of the Council of Trent have been summarized and
still more clearly defined by Our Predecessor, Benedict XIV, in
his Constitution Esti minime. 'Two chief obligations,' he wrote,
'have been imposed by the Council of Trent on those who have the
care of souls: first, that of preaching the things of God to the
people on the feast days; and second, that of teaching the
rudiments of faith and of the divine law to the youth and others
who need such instruction.' Here the wise Pontiff rightly
distinguishes between these two duties: one is what is commonly
known as the explanation of the Gospel and the other is the
teaching of Christian doctrine. Perhaps there are some who,
wishing to lessen their labors, would believe that the homily on
the Gospel can take the place of catechetical instruction. But for
one who reflects a moment, such is obviously impossible. The
sermon on the holy Gospel is addressed to those who should have
already received knowledge of the elements of faith. It is, so to
speak, bread broken for adults. Catechetical instruction, on the
other hand, is that milk which the Apostle Peter wished the
faithful to desire in all simplicity like newborn babes."
(Pope St. Pius X, "Acerbo Nimis", 1905 A.D.)
"Every
pastor, no matter what may be his rank in the Church, is bound, in
virtue of his office to lay down his life for his sheep, if called
upon to do it. The sacrifice is not even counted as an act of
heroism; it is a strict duty. Shame and curse upon the pastor who
flees through cowardice! The Redeemer stigmatizes such a one with
the name of hireling. Hence it is, that during these last eighteen
hundred years, there have been so many thousands of pastors who
have given their lives for their flocks. One or other of their
names are to be found in every page of the Church's history. The
list is headed by St. Peter, who was crucified like his divine
Master; it continues down to the Bishops of Cochin-China, Tonkin,
and Corea, whose recent martyrdoms attest that the pastor has not
ceased to consider himself as a victim for his flock. Thus, before
confiding his lambs and sheep to Peter, Jesus asks him if he have
greater love than the rest. If Peter love his Master, he will love
his Master's lambs and sheep; he will love them even to laying
down his life for them. For this reason, after entrusting him with
the care of the whole flock, our Savior tells Peter that he is to
die a martyr. Happy is that people whose rulers only exercise
their authority on condition of being ready to die for these their
Master's sheep!" (Gueranger, 19th Century A.D.)
"And
if the possession of a spacious and magnificent mansion
contributes to human happiness, what more spacious, what more
magnificent, can be conceived than heaven itself, which is
illuminated through with the brightness of God? Hence the Prophet,
contemplating the beauty of this dwelling place, and burning with
the desire of reaching those mansions of bliss, exclaims: How
lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and
fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have
rejoiced in the living God. That the faithful may be all filled
with the same sentiments and utter the same language should be the
object of the pastor's most earnest desires, as it should also be
of his zealous labors. For in my Father's house, says our Lord,
there are many mansions, in which shall be distributed rewards of
greater and of less value according to each one's deserts. He who
soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly: and he who soweth in
blessings, shall also reap blessings... The pastor, therefore,
should not only encourage the faithful to seek this happiness, but
should frequently remind them that the sure way of obtaining it is
to possess the virtues of faith and charity, to persevere in
prayer and the use of the Sacraments, and to discharge all the
duties of kindness towards their neighbor." (Catechism of the
Council of Trent)
"Those,
therefore, on whom injuries have been inflicted, should be ready
and willing to pardon, urged to it as they are by this form of
prayer, and by the command of God in St. Luke: If thy brother sin
against thee, reprove him; and if he repent, forgive him; and if
he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day
turn again to thee, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him. In the Gospel
of St. Matthew we read: Love your enemies; and the Apostle, and
before him Solomon wrote: If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat;
if he thirst, give him to drink; and finally we read in the Gospel
of St. Mark: When you shall stand to pray, forgive if you have
anything against any man; that your Father also who is in heaven
may forgive you your sins... But since, on account of the
corruption of nature, there is nothing to which man brings himself
more reluctantly than to the pardon of injuries, let pastors
exert all the powers and resources of their minds to change and
bend the dispositions of the faithful to this mildness and mercy
so necessary to a Christian. Let them dwell on those passages of
Scripture in which we hear God commanding to pardon enemies. Let
them also insist on this certain truth, that one of the surest
signs that men are the children of God is their willingness to
forgive injuries and sincerely love their enemies; for in loving
our enemies there shines forth in us some kind of likeness to God
our Father, who, by the death of His Son, ransomed from
everlasting perdition and reconciled to Himself the human race,
which before was most unfriendly and hostile to Him."
(Catechism of the Council of Trent)
"Devote
your constant thoughts and efforts to those who have dedicated
themselves to the sacred ministry. See that they remain mindful of
their vocation and direct their manner of life according to the
standards of the sacred canons and ecclesiastical discipline. They
should glow
in the gravity of their character, the sanctity of their life, and
the praise of their wholesome doctrine. They should also give an
example of all the virtues to the Christian people; perform the
duties of their ministry fully, skillfully, and religiously; and
labor zealously for the salvation of souls. The young clergy, even
from their earliest years, should be guided opportunely toward
piety, virtue, and an ecclesiastical spirit. See that they are
diligently taught literature, especially the sacred disciplines,
untouched by the danger of any error. The faithful entrusted to
you should be nourished daily with the words of faith and
strengthened by the spiritual gifts of grace so that they can grow
in the knowledge of God and walk in the ways of the Lord; they
must never permit themselves to be deceived and led into error by
the manufacturers of lies and the followers of perverse dogmas.
Since, however, as each one of you well understands, nothing
contributes more to the preservation of sacred and public affairs
than the proper education of youth. Therefore, watch carefully
that in all the public and private schools a doctrine entirely
Catholic is taught and that the young people are trained
scrupulously according to the precepts of our holy religion."
(Pope Pius IX, "Probe Noscitis Venerabiles", 1852
A.D.)
"[St.
Augustine's] charity and courage shone with brightest muster amid
the wreck of civilization, when the Vandals laid waste Africa,
sparing neither priestly rank nor sacred temple. Some Bishops and
priests were at a loss what course to pursue in the midst of so
many crushing disasters. One of them asked Augustine his opinion,
and the holy old man frankly wrote back, that it was not
permissible for any priest, whose ministry was necessary to the
Faithful, to leave his people, no matter what threatened... Surely
we know...that when such perils reach their crest and no escape is
possible, people of both sexes and of all ages are wont to flock
to the Church. Some beg for Baptism, some for reconciliation, some
for the performance of penance, all for consolation and for the
Sacraments to be made available and administered. In such a
crisis, if ministers be lacking, utter ruin is the lot of those
who leave this world unregenerated or unshriven...
Consider what
the fear of temporal evils does, and the eternal evils it entails.
Whereas, if ministers be present, with the strength and means God
gives them, succor is ready for all. Some are baptized, others are
reconciled, none are robbed of Communion of the Body of the Lord;
all are consoled, are edified, are exhorted to invoke the aid of
God, who can avert whatever misfortune is feared. All are ready
for either issue, so that, if that chalice may not pass from them,
His will may be done who cannot will anything that is evil... 'If,
however, anyone flees, so that the flock of Christ is deprived of
the food by which it is nourished spiritually, that man is a
hireling, who sees the wolf coming and flies, since he has no care
for the sheep.'" (Pope Pius XI, "Ad Salutem", 1930
A.D.)
"The
holy Synod enjoins on all bishops, and others who sustain the
office and charge of teaching, that, agreeably to the usage of the
Catholic and Apostolic Church, received from the primitive times
of the Christian religion, and agreeably to the consent of the
holy Fathers, and to the decrees of sacred Councils, they
especially instruct the faithful diligently concerning the
intercession and invocation of saints; the honor (paid) to relics;
and the legitimate use of images: teaching them, that the saints,
who reign together with Christ, offer up their own prayers to God
for men; that it is good and useful suppliantly to invoke them,
and to have recourse to their prayers, aid, (and) help for
obtaining benefits from God, through His Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord, who is our alone Redeemer and Savior; but that they think
impiously, who deny that the saints, who enjoy eternal happiness
in heaven, are to be invocated; or who assert either that they do
not pray for men; or, that the invocation of them to pray for each
of us even in particular, is idolatry; or, that it is repugnant to
the word of God; and is opposed to the honor of the one mediator
of God and men, Christ Jesus; or, that it is foolish to
supplicate, vocally, or mentally, those who reign in heaven. Also,
that the holy bodies of holy martyrs, and of others now living
with Christ - which bodies were the living members of Christ, and
the temple of the Holy Ghost, and which are by Him to be raised
unto eternal life, and to be glorified - are to be venerated by the
faithful; through which (bodies) many benefits are bestowed by God
on men; so that they who affirm that veneration and honor are not
due to the relics of saints; or, that these, and other sacred
monuments, are uselessly honored by the faithful; and that the
places dedicated to the memories of the saints are in vain visited
with the view of obtaining their aid; are wholly to be condemned,
as the Church has already long since condemned, and now also
condemns them." (Council of Trent)
Also
See: Priests
/ Priesthood [Pg.] | Priests
& The Sacraments | Priests
& The Holy Eucharist / Mass | Priests
& The Sacrament of Penance | Holiness
/ Good Example [Pg.] | Knowledge
/ Learning | Priests
& Prayer / Meditation / Contemplation |
Preachers
/ Preaching | Exhortations
| Proper
Dress
/ Comportment [Pg.] | Catechetical
Instruction | The
Divine Office | Obedience
| Novelty
& The Clergy | Pastors
Should Remain at Their Post | Those
Too Indulgent Betray Their Ministry | Those
Who Govern Souls Must Render an Account | Good
/ Bad Priests [Pg.] | Laity's
Right to Assistance |
Duties
& Responsibilities of the Faithful Towards Priests | Exhortations
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Priests / Vocations Facts | Why
Priestly Celibacy?
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