Priests cannot be replaced by the laity, Pope Benedict explains

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Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sep 17, 2009 / 10:27 am (CNA).- In an audience this morning with bishops visiting from Brazil, Pope Benedict XVI advised them on how to respond to the lack of priests, emphasizing that the shortage cannot be solved by having lay people substitute for the clergy.

The Holy Father began his address to the Brazilian prelates by pointing out the difference between the identity of priests and the laity. While the lay faithful share in the "common priesthood," they are not ordained ministers of Christ and His Church. "Hence," the Pope cautioned, "it is important to avoid the secularization of clergy and the 'clericalization' of the laity."

Fulfilling the lay vocation, he explained, involves working to "give expression in real life - also through political commitment - to the Christian view of anthropology and the social doctrine of the Church."

On the other hand, "priests must distance themselves from politics in order to favor the unity and communion of all the faithful, thus becoming a point of reference for everyone," Benedict said.

When dioceses are faced with a lack of priests, the Pope emphasized that they should not resort to "a more active and abundant participation of the laity" since it could take away from their own calling.

"The truth is that the greater the faithful's awareness of their own responsibilities within the Church, the clearer becomes the specific identity and inimitable role of the priest as pastor of the entire community, witness to the authenticity of the faith, and dispenser of the mysteries of salvation in the name of Christ the Head," Benedict XVI stated.

"The function of the clergy is essential and irreplaceable in announcing the Word and celebrating the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist," he insisted, saying that for this reason it is "vital to ask the Lord to send workers for His harvest; and it is necessary that priests express joy in their faithfulness to their identity."

Looking to the future, the Pope made it clear that "the shortage of priests must not come to be considered as a normal or typical state of affairs."

He exhorted the bishops resolve the crisis by combining efforts to "encourage new priestly vocations and find the pastors your dioceses need, helping one another so that all of you have better-trained and more numerous priests to support the life of faith and the apostolic mission."

As the Church celebrates the Year for Priests and the 150th anniversary of the death of the "Cure of Ars," Pope Benedict pointed to the French priest as a model for priests, "especially in living a life of celibacy as a requirement for the total giving of self." This total gift of self is "expressed through that pastoral charity which Vatican Council II presents as the unifying center of a priest's being and actions," he reminded.

The Holy Father ended his address on a positive note, assuring the prelates that "many signs of hope" exist for the future of particular Churches. This future, he said is one that "God is preparing through the dedication and the faithfulness with which you exercise your episcopal ministry."

Comments: 23

Subscriber comments:

Published by: MNS
Tallahassee, Fl 10/03/2009 10:49 PM EST

Once again Pope Benedict ignores the Holy Spirit's directive to make all things new in Christ, and instead clings to tradition and power. Ratzinger needs to go on a long retreat and ponder why he has spent his entire life fighting reforms needed to bring the message of the Gospel to modern man. Before he dies the pope needs to call a Second Council of Constance to embrace democracy in the church and abolish monarchy.

Published by: Martin B.
San Antonio, TX, USA 09/21/2009 11:08 AM EST

We, the lay peoplem should invite the Holy Spirit into our lives individually, and into our families. We need to pray and practice the Serenity Prayer, especially the first part that reads "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference." We should consider abandoning more and more of our materialistic values. One place to start would be to cut back on, if not eliminate, commercial television, the sourse of advertisements that encourage us to seek material "things" to replace spiritual needs.

Published by: DLL
scituate mass 09/20/2009 01:55 AM EST

The Apostolic Tradition is the Priesthood as it has emerged from the 12 that Christ had chosen,as it seems to me that it has has grown considerably since Christ's time. Christ himself was a Priest in the order of Melchesidak{excuse my spelling}.The problem is how to have the priesthood increase it's current number.The Priest is comitted to the Church and is single,collecting no salary,so he is cost effective,highly educated,and unlikely to be let go during uncertain economic times. The Priesthood is a Man's gift of service to God and the Church.It is a great calling as well as an unselfish one.It has to be the greatest JOB on earth!

Published by: annette m
australia 09/19/2009 11:00 PM EST

I started to rate the comments and stopped after a few because I could see it was like comparing apples with oranges. We are a "catholic" church and as such have a diversity of expression. The opposing views expressed are coming from 2 very different paradigms...the earlier and the emerging chuch paradigms. I am part of the emerging chuch and my views concur with those expressed by Bill LaRue. I do not "condemn" the other views but hand them all over to our the Holy Spirit to blow through and lead us ever close in our relationship with our God.

Published by: MJM
Florida 09/19/2009 08:13 AM EST

To paraphrase Neil Armstrong: That's one small speech for the Pope, another giant step backwards for the Church.

Published by: Barbara Ebbert-Giordano
Bechtelsville, PA. USA 09/19/2009 03:03 AM EST

The Church has preserved for us, the Truth. The Truth has a name, and His name is Jesus. Meeting Him, knowing Him through study and prayer, sharing our faith in Him, growing in awareness of His closeness to us everyday of our lives: This is what gives men and women the courage to marry. THis is what gives individuals the courage to live holy, single lives; and this is what gives men the courage to step forward and embrace the call to priesthood. The enemy's first goal is to strip Jesus of his Name, and strip each of us of our intimacy with Him. We must know the enemy's tactics and laugh at them, as did St. John Vianney. The more we know Him, the more we WANT to love Him and embrace the call He has placed in each of our hearts to allow Him to live in us, with us and through each of us in the holiness of marriage, the priesthood and the single life of service. If we put Him first, if we love Him with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, then the chaos we create by putting our own ideas before the Truth will dissipate and we will bow our heads to the soverign wisdom of our Father, and with Mary offer our lives that Jesus may continue to live among us.

Published by: Black
NEWYORK 09/18/2009 06:24 PM EST

I agree with Pope Benedict XV1 He is absolutely Right - Jesus showed the way - there is no other - This is truly a Great Pope in this Pagan World He is 100% Faithful to the teaching of the Gospel and is 100% correct in all that He says - God Bless him - May Our Holy Mother always keep him and protect him

Published by: Michael Kocian
Houston, TX USA 09/18/2009 05:08 PM EST

Tom Kelty, Sadly, you are a bit ignorant, my friend. Nowhere is it recorded that any of the Apostles aside from Peter had been married at any time. From tradition, Peter was widowed at the time Christ chose him. The terms you likely get confused on in the Scriptures mean women who traveled were with them and helped, not literal wives as in marriage. Christ made these men Bishops in His Church. They were not lay people when the Church was started from Christ's side as water and blood came forth from His side as He was on the cross, and when the Church got her "legs" under her at Pentecost. These Apostles ordained other men as the Church grew to be Bishops. The Bishops of the Catholic Church today can all trace their ordination to organic succession of laying on of hands of successive generations of Bishops all the way back to the Apostles. Please do some more homework on what the truth is before posting again.

Published by: Bill LaRue
Lansing, MI USA 09/18/2009 02:13 PM EST

Rate: Good

We might all stop for a moment and try to focus on the real reasons for the decrease in the number of men choosing to become priests, and the reasons why more than a few priests have chosen to abandon that role. If we look at St. Paul's letter to Timothy, we see that his qualifications include marriage (only once), having successfully raised children (for how can he lead a parish if he cannot even raise a family), and a spirit of humility and a lack of scandalous behavior. He says nothing about priests, since there were no priests at this time; he sets these rules down for deacons and bishops. If this was the norm in St Paul's time, how have we gotten to the state where we continue to argue for absolute celibacy in our priests? And how do we allow married Protestant ministers to remain married when they convert to Catholicism and become priests? Contradiction? I think so. The arguments over celibacy are really static in the signals that we are trying to hear. The rule of celibacy is a matter of Church discipline, not a doctrinal issue. These rules can be changed at any time without changing dogma in the least. I keep hearing the "reasons" for celibacy stated as having a basis in scripture, but my reading and the reading of a lot of others leads me to the conclusion that things are not changing because a conservative element in the hierarchy does not want the changes, not for any valid theological reason. We need to look elsewhere for the reasons for our problem.

Published by: Greg Alexander
San Antonio, TX 09/18/2009 12:46 PM EST

We must not forget the importance of "good families"; which is the seedbed for vocations. So, as we continue to pray for vocations, let us not forget to pray for families and as a Church, work to continue to educate and enrich married life. It is not coincidental that as we see a decline in marriage, we also see a decline in vocations.

Published by: Jae
CA USA 09/18/2009 11:33 AM EST

Valatie, I'm sorry to say that in the Scripture which is the Word of God, St. Paul described the Church as with priests, deacons and their Bishops, very hierachical in nature well because God's nature in Heaven is the same, where He is the head and there are His angels, archangels that follow their position, rank and dominions.

Published by: Moira Cross
London,England 09/18/2009 11:06 AM EST

Rate: Good

I agree with Cecilia Tus about lay preaching & Communion Service being axed. Also Lay-Women so-called extra-Ordinary Ministers of Communion that stand in the centre of the altar and proffer the body of Christ. Only the priests should give out the Host.It is not necessary either for lay-Ministers to give out the Precious Blood. Only the priest should receive from the Chalice (Pe-Vatican 11)and we should have Novenas in front of the Blessed Sacrament in every Parish for more religious vocations.

Published by: R. Brown
Lexington 09/18/2009 10:35 AM EST

The reason there are few priest is because selfishness became the rule. We are simply reaping what we have sown. So rather than try to create more personal accommodation for communal sin, less get on board and pray for more priests and religious.

Published by: Marty Dancy
Lakewood, CO USA 09/18/2009 10:25 AM EST

I am a member of an fssp approved parish using the Tridentine Mass. We have no shortage of priests at all. Our priests are called to come to hospitals and to hear confessions in other parishes because of their shortage. Even though we are still a small parish, we have five men studying in seminaries. I think that by going back to tradition will increase the number of vocations. Also, bringing priests in from countries who have a lot of priests would help. America is gettin too secular so maybe importing priests would be good, too.

Published by: Fr. Ron
Wareham, MA, USA 09/18/2009 10:09 AM EST

Noel, The priesthood, like all the sacraments, is a gift from God, and He continues to call men to it! However, how will men see the importance of that gift if we continue to pretend that we can just continue doing what we want and ignoring God's call? It is tough for a priest to perform his duties without an army of lay people helping him do HIS ministry, but maybe its exactly in that heroic sacrifice of self--that the Cure of Ars exemplifies--that young men will see the beauty of the priesthood. I also believe that while trying to do the priest's ministry many lay people ignore their own. The married state is a holy vocation that is meant to sanctify the world. If more married people took this seriously I think more young men would seriously consider what God is calling them to be. Just remember, this is God's church not ours, and we can't save the Church, the Church saves us. I think we all have a little bit more trust in God's providence.

Published by: Fr. Ron
Wareham, MA, USA 09/18/2009 09:59 AM EST

Tom, priests are laymen too before they are chosen, and you can't deny that Jesus sets apart those 12 Apostles from the rest of His disciples. Thats why we call bishops sucessors of the Apostles, not of the first Bishops. Historically, the creation of the Episcopate follows directly after the end of the Apostolic age.

Published by: CHRISTINE * * *
SOUTH AFRICA 09/18/2009 03:28 AM EST

.... !!! DEAR TOM KELTY... JUST A LITLE REMINDER THAT JESUS "DID" USE THE WORD "CHURCH" WHEN HE SAID ..."YOU ARE PETER, AND ON THIS ROCK {JESUS SPOKE ARAMAIC THEREFORE IN ARAMAIC [NOT ARABIC !!] THERE "IS'NO'" DERIVIATIVE OF THE WORD ROCK INTO STONE, PEBBLE, SAND, ETC AS SOME ANTI-CATHOLICS LIKE TO PLAY} ..'I WILL BUILD'MY "CHURCH!"'..[NOTE TOO THAT THE WORD CHURCH IS "SINGULAR"!!! NOT THE 120,000 OR MORE CHURCHES THAT CAME FROM WHO-KNOWS-WHERE !!! ? ALSO CHRIST HIMSELF WAS A "PRIEST" [ THE POWER OF WHICH HE HANDED TO HIS APOSTLES,]IN THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.!! [GOSH IT IS POSSIBLE I AM INCORRECT OR PUT IT ACROSS INCORRECTLY ,, SO WILL SOME APOLOGIST PLEASE HELP!!!!] THANKS AND GOD BLESS.. CHRISTINE* * * {SOUTH AFRICA}

Published by: Jean Charles
Lyndonville, VT 09/17/2009 07:41 PM EST

Rate: Good

To get more vocations to the priesthood,it would be wise to return to the Traditional Roman Rite.The first step is to implement the Motu Proprio.

Published by: Pat Sepeda
Zimmerman Mn. USA 09/17/2009 07:04 PM EST

I know it is a problem we are joining two churches together with only one priest the people are not happy. I go to St. Pauls in Ham lake so it dose not effect me. I do agree one hundred pecent with the Pope. My sister says in Texas there are lots of priests, too bad we cannot share the wealth. thank you Blessings Pat

Published by: Noel
Australia 09/17/2009 03:27 PM EST

Rate: Very Good

With all due respect to the Holy Father, the workload in Parishes does not stop because there is no priest available. There are still the sick to look after and dead to be buried. More and more it the workload is being placed on lay members of the parishes and in those places that are lucky enough to have a Married Deacon working with them, the burden becomes intolerable. Perhaps those working in the Curia should get out and see how we operate without the benefit of a full time Priest. All well and good celebrating the Year of the Priest but it is not adding to the number of vocations.

Published by: Manuel L. Rodriguez
Greenacres, Florida USA 09/17/2009 02:05 PM EST

In full communion with our Pope Benedict XVI regarding the lack of priests in some areas of the world. I pray, and am confident that vocations for the priesthood will once again experience a new rebirth in our Holy Catholic Church. As exiled native Cubans since 1961; I have read news from the island of an increase in religious vocations Also, the construction of a Seminary. A hopeful change from the Cuban government, small as it may be.

Published by: Tom Kelty
Valatie NY USA 09/17/2009 01:53 PM EST

Rate: Good

christ chose twelve married laymen as his first followers. He never used the words priest or bishop or church. What we have now is the evolution of our faith which over the centuries borrowed much from how power was exercised in the secular world. Are we so attached to this evolution that we would watch the faith disappear for lack of ordained celibates?

Published by: Cecilia Tsu
Mill Valley, Ca. USA 09/17/2009 01:12 PM EST

Lay-led preaching and communion service should be stopped right away. Such as the one we have every Tuesday at the Mt Carmel Parish, Archdiocese of San Francisco. It is in violation of Redemptionis Sacramentum 2004 in numerous ways, such as #166. Our case is even worse; it is not because lack of priest it is because the Pastor does not allow the priest in house to say this Mass. Even though we have complined to the Archdiocese, it was in vain.

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