The Year of the Priest

by Editor · June 24, 2009

When Pope Benedict declared the Year of Priest, which began on June 19, he did the Church a great service. A season of celebration and serious reflection on the priesthood has been overdue.

Over the past decades, the character of the parochial priesthood in particular has changed fundamentally. While the priest�s sacramental dimension, the alter-Christus, remains immutable, there has been a reconfiguration in his relationship with an evolving society. The priest remains in charge of the parish, but his authority is no longer accepted as being limitless (indeed, the previous model of the priest�s unquestioned power led to regrettable abuses).

Lay Catholics are much better educated than they were in the past, and rightly demand influence in particular decisions that used to be the sole domain of the parish priest. This places an obligation on both priest and parishioners to establish a complementary relationship.

Cardinal Cl�udio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, put it well when he said parishioners must share with the priest responsibility for parish life and the Church�s mission. Priests must embrace and encourage this shared responsibility, as most in South Africa already do.

Promoting lay involvement in the Church�s life has a practical purpose as vocations to the priesthood decline. The laity cannot replace the ministerial priesthood, but it can and should be active in furthering the mission of the Church where this is possible. The Year of the Priest is a good time to reflect on how clergy and laity can collaborate most fruitfully.

Cardinal Hummes is calling on the laity to love and support their priests. This is needed now more than ever, at a time when the dignity of the priesthood has been diminished by the crimes of a small number of priests, and by bishops who covered up for them up.

We must pray intensely for the sanctification of our priests, and give them support, appreciating the sacrifices they make � especially in forfeiting intimate relations � so that they may carry out the mission of the Church.

Cardinal Hummes rightly says: �We must say to priests that we are proud of them and that we recognise they are a group that is very special for the Church and society. We must recognise who they are and what they do and tell them that we love them and want to be alongside them to support them.�

The Year of the Priest will also focus on the shortage of clergy and how to encourage vocations. We must, of course, pray that men will hear God�s call to serve him in holy orders. At the same time, we must also reflect on some difficult questions. What kind of priests do we want? Should we pray for quantity at the expense of quality? Should the priesthood be closed to certain categories of men? If so, why?

The Year of the Priest is a superb time for priests to reflect on their own identity. The big question that faces them is this: Do I serve God and his people in all I do to the best of my capacities? Priests might reconsider their priorities, if possible clearing their often excessive workload of matters that can be delegated or even dispensed with.

They might also invite their parishioners to give them candid feedback (knowing that most are reluctant to offer this unsolicited) as a way of consolidating their skills, and improving in areas of weakness.

The pope has said that without priests, there would be �no Eucharist, no mission, not even the Church�. They are and always will be indispensable. May the Year of the Priest encourage and strengthen our clergy.