The priesthood revisited

THE MONTH of August in the Church is associated with priesthood. For one thing, it is on Aug. 4 that the feast of St. John Mary Vianney takes place. He is the patron saint of all parish priests all over the world. That's reason enough to pray for all priests.

But Aug. 3, being a Sunday, is considered in our country the Saint John Mary Vianney Sunday. As the bishop heading the commission on clergy wrote to us priests, that Sunday "is to be prayerfully (even, repentantly) and yet hopefully to be celebrated by us."

"The tragic events of clerical misdeeds and sins," he said, "have expanded for us, priests, the need to pass through our own paschal cleansing and cross. Die, we must, if we should live, if we should be cleansed, if we should be healed."

I would like to extend that invitation and request to all the faithful, so they too can help us priests to be truly renewed and able to lead the flock properly.

Yes, for all the clerical misdeeds and sins, I join the others in saying, mea culpa. But let's not forget that though we may have different functions in the Catholic Church, all of us are in the same boat, and so we need to help one another.

After expressing our pain and sorrow for the dark episode we just experienced in our church, it's now time to repair and rebuild, to recover and restore, to heal and undergo another conversion that should go deep into our hearts.

That's why I think some reminders about the essence and dignity of the priesthood would be very relevant these days. In the past months, we have been shocked and traumatized by what we heard and read about how the priesthood had been lived by some. The image of the priesthood is badly battered. Now we should get a clear idea of how it should be lived.

What I will do is simply to reproduce some relevant catechism points on the priesthood. I suggest that as we read them, we pray that we, priests, be able to live by them properly. The other faithful should pray that they would be able in some practical way to help priests live their priesthood as it should be lived.

I know that this is not quite a journalistic way of presenting things. But given the temper of the times, I hope the media and the people in general will realize there is need to get what are the official teachings about priesthood rather than get stuck simply with personal views and opinions.

I would say the media would do a good job if they realize they too have this delicate function to carry out. They should not just be a forum for any view and opinion, without also airing the official church teaching.

So here it goes:

1548. In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his church as head of his Body, shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Catholic Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts "in persona Christi Capitis."

It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration that he has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself.

1549. Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Catholic Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers.

1550. The presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if the latter were preserved from all human weakness, the spirit of domination, error, even sin.

The power of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee all acts of ministers in the same way. While this guarantee extends to the sacraments, so that even the minister's sin cannot impede the fruit of grace, in many other acts the minister leaves human traces that are not always sings of fidelity to the Gospel and consequently can harm the apostolic fruitfulness of the Catholic Church.

1551. The priesthood is ministerial … It is entirely related to Christ and to men. It depends entirely on Christ and on his unique priesthood.

The exercise of this authority must therefore be measured against the model of Christ, who by love made himself the least and the servant of all. The Lord said clearly that concern for his flock was proof of love for him.

I am sure the consideration of these points can already give us an idea of the endless implications they have. May we know how to correspond to these implications!