August 4th - Feast of Saint John Mary Vianney (universal patron of all priests)

PRAYER FOR THE YEAR FOR PRIESTS


Lord Jesus,

In Saint John Mary Vianney you have deigned to give the Church a living image of yourself and a personification of your pastoral charity.

Help us during this Year for Priests to live good lives by being close to him and his example.

Grant that we may learn from the saintly Curé of Ars how to rest contentedly before the Holy Eucharist; to know that only your Word enlightens us each day; to know how tender is the love with which you welcome repentant sinners; how consoling is the confident abandonment to the care of the Holy and Immaculate Mother; how necessary is the ever-vigilant battle against Evil.

Grant, O Lord Jesus, that from the example of the holy Curé our young men may once again realise how necessary, humble and glorious is the priestly ministry which you wish to entrust to those who open themselves to your call.

Grant also to our communities - as once your did at Ars - those wonders of grace which you bring about when a priest knows to “make his parish a place of love”.

Grant that our Christian families may find their home to be within the Church – where your ministers may always be found – and that they may enrich the domestic hearth with the beauty of the Church.

Grant that the Charity of our pastors may enliven and enkindle the Charity of all the faithful, so that every vocation and every charism, given by your Holy Spirit, may be welcomed and honoured.

But above all, O Lord Jesus, bestow upon us the ardour and truth of the heart that we may come before your Heavenly Father, making our own the same words that St. John Mary Vianney prayed to Him:

I love You, O my God and my sole desire is to love You until the last breath of my life.
I love You, O infinitely lovable God and I prefer to die loving You than live one instant without loving You.
I love You, O my God, and I do not desire anything but heaven so as to have the joy of loving You perfectly.
I love You, O my God, and I fear hell, because there will not be the sweet consolation of loving You.
O my God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to say it in every beat.
Allow me the grace to suffer loving You, to love you suffering and one day to die loving You and feeling that I love You.
And as I approach my end, I beg you to increase and perfect my love of You.
AMEN.

Original Sin

There but for the grace of God go I

That familiar proverb was spoken often in the seminary in the old days. In this YEAR FOR PRIESTS it is no less true now than ever before.

In the aftermath of the clergy sex scandal we now know there have been some spiritually dysfunctional priests and bishops and even a few truly bad, evil and rotten ones who either committed heinous immoral acts on innocent children OR who culpably ignored or covered up the problem. Yet, Church history has shown there have always been periods of great sanctity and piety and periods of decadence and degradation. Human history has shown that vile acts of evil have been done by parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, scoutmasters, doctors, neighbors, etc., as well as by members of the clergy or religious life (of every religion and denomination, too). While there can never be any excuse or toleration of child abuse, be it physical, emotional, sexual or otherwise, sadly, it happens just as we see instances of rape, incest, and murder in every part of the planet being committed by rich and poor alike; believers and unbelievers. Scandal has no political or religious affiliation. It goes both left and right.

Yesterday, a 39 year old priest was murdered in India. Fr. James Mukalel was in the town of Mangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. A dear friend of mine, Fr. Anthony Anthappa Mariappa from Bangalore has three parishes under his care. The rectory has electricity half a day and if he wants hot water to cook or take a bath, he needs to chop wood and throw it into the furnace. He had served in the USA for only a few years but I was and am impressed by his diligence, humility, dedication, piety and fraternal support. Please pray for him, his people and his nation. If every priest were more like Father Anthony, we would have less problems for sure. Please pray for the brave and courageous priests who are in danger in India, China and other places around the world.

Besides the obvious identification and removal of real or potential pedophiles and ephebophiles and the removal of heterodox dissidents, in this YEAR FOR PRIESTS we need to PREVENT future tragedies by praying for all priests, especially the most vulnerable, the weakest and most tempted. Ever see an electron microscope picture of a dust mite? Horrible looking creatures. Since they are invisible to the naked eye, we do not see them and what is not seen is often ignored and overlooked to our own peril. I am alergic to dust mites, I know.

All of us priests can and must work more aggressively to imitate the Cure of Ars, Saint John Vianney. Mediocrity is not an option and neither is heterodoxy or liturgical abuse. Bad theology + bad liturgy = bad morality. Yet, we must also include in the equation CONCUPISCENCE and a wounded, fallen human nature: both clergy and laity alike. If a priest or deacon sometimes shows rash judment or imprudent behavior, well, the same can be said of the first bishops, the Twelve Apostles. Clergy are as peccable as laity, hence we need to go to confession often and regularly. No one should rationalize their sins but acknowledge them, repent of them, confess them and do penance for them. During the golden years when Bing Crosby's Father O'Malley epitomized the typical parish priest, clergy were held up on a pedestal. That was our downfall because when you are on a pedestal, you can easily fall and be broken.

Vatican II taught that all vocations are good since they all come from God. Whether one is called to the priesthood, the diaconate, the religious life, married life or single state, ALL are good since all can lead you to heaven. Each vocation has its own source of grace to achieve its purpose, i.e., the sanctification of its adherents. It is not that priests are better than deacons or that bishops are better than priests or clergy better than laity, and so on. All vocations are equal in that sense. It is that the PRIESTHOOD itself is essential and necessary since it brings about the sacraments. The bishop has the FULLNESS of the priesthood as he can celebrate all seven sacraments. The priest has major share and the deacon a smaller portion. Nevertheless, it is the PRIESTHOOD (Holy Orders) which makes the Real Presence available via the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is the PRIESTHOOD which makes the forgiveness of sins possible via Penance.

Your foot doctor or your dentist are both doctors and both go to medical school and when you have a toothache or an ingrown toenail, you NEED and WANT these medical healers to do their craft. The same goes for the heart or the brain surgeon. Yet, the critical importance of the heart and brain are such that WHAT the brain surgeon or the heart surgeon does is more important than what the other doctors do. That does not make the particular surgeon BETTER than the rest. It does mean that there a smaller margin of error and a greater responsibility on one more so than the other. Mistakes in one area are usually lethal whereas in the other they are almost always minor.

That being said, when priests preach heresy or teach dissent or show flagrant disobedience to the hierarchy, it is worse since we are expected to be spiritual 'fathers' who influence many souls. On the other hand, recall Peter denied Our Lord, Thomas doubted Him, and the rest were envious of James and John who themselves fell asleep when they were supposed to be praying with Jesus. Judas betrayed Him BUT would have been forgiven had he sought forgiveneness. Likewise, priests, deacons and bishops (and historically even a few popes) have occasionally given in to temptation and over indulged in drink; lost their temper; acted imprudently; rashly jumped to conclusions; spread gossip; had some impure or violent thoughts; etc. No, I am not making excuses but am stating the obvious that we are NOT impeccable, we are not perfect. We make mistakes, we commit sins. When we do, we must own up to it, confess it and do our best to avoid them in the future. Same goes for the religious. Ask any monk or nun, brother or sister what goes on in the monastery, friary or convent. The same that goes on in ever house, school and place of employment. Temptation is everywhere.

Bottom line is that when I was growing up, people overlooked the priest's weaknesses and often treated him with unnecessary privileges. Today, a backlash from the scandals has swung the pendulum in the opposite direction. Sometimes little or no consideration or empathy is given when a priest shows his human fraility and weakness. God forbid, if anyone, clergy, religious or lay is found guilty of abusing or taking advantage of a child or teenager, he or she should be swiftly and severely punished and prevented from ever doing it again. But what about the venial sins, the minor infractions, the small incidents of imprudent judgment? I am not saying these need to be overlooked or ignored.  But they are not the same caliber as those of the sex abusers. A pimple or blackhead is not the same as a tumor, be it benign or malignant. However, we live in a time when any and all blemishes are treated with equal disdain as those given to the latter.

Sanctity and holiness is the goal of all baptized Christians. Clergy NEED to teach by example. Since we are vulnerable, weak and have a wounded nature, we all need sacraments and the divine grace they provide. As I often tell parents, your children already know you are not the perfect mom or dad and there is no such thing as a perfect family BUT we can all do BETTER and BE better if we never stop trying to IMPROVE. Priests can and must seek, like John Vianney, to be better priests. Every day I must pray to be a better priest than I was yesterday and hopefully by God's grace will continue to do and be better today and tomorrow. The same goes for every Christian, every husband and wife; every brother and sister; every mother and father; every son and daughter. Pastors and parishioners can and must admit their shortcomings, their weaknesses and seek to do better. When one of us falls, we should all PRAY that he or she GET UP. The Virgin Mary told the children at Fatima to PRAY FOR THE CONVERSION of sinners.

In this YEAR FOR PRIESTS, let us pray for all priests, especially the bad ones that they see the error of their way and repent; for mediocre or lukewarm priests, that they renew and recover their original zeal and vigor; for the average and typical priest that he realize his limitations, that he overcome his weaknesses (by God's grace) and that he vigorously pursue holiness. If this happens, not only will we see more vocations, but we will see more realistic expectations from clergy and laity alike on each other. If this happens, the people can say to themselves, 'boy, if Fr. Jim can persevere, so can I.' Leadership and shepherding does come from watching from a distance on a pedestal. It comes from being IN FRONT on the frontline, in the trenches and in the thick of battle. John Vianney fought external demons, many of us priests battle our own inside but the point is that the demon must be FOUGHT. There is no room for compromise or surrender. Our people will respect and appreciate it when we honestly and humbly admit our mistakes while we simultaneously struggle AS THEY DO to overcome temptation and persevere in seeking holiness. Sainthood is not achieved until AFTER DEATH. Perfection is post mortem in heaven, not here on earth. But the moral and spiritual battle is fought every day.

When I was a child in Catholic school, we stood up whenever a priest or nun entered the room. There were some individual priests and nuns we liked and there were some we disliked, but we always stood up because of who they were not what they did. Respect and honor can and must be given to parenthood and to priesthood even though kids today there are no perfect moms or dads, no perfect pastors or parochical vicars. We need not shower people with unnecessary privileges so they are tempted to take advantage but at the same time, we need to show respect and to honor the institutions of parenthood and priesthood. Just as we would never call our mom or dad by their first name, so, too, priests should always be called by their title "Father". It is fine line and happy balance to not go to excess in giving privileges while at the same time being compassionate and patient with a fellow human being who shares our wounded human nature in the hopes that he will by God's grace overcome his frailties and faults and do better in the future.

Perhaps this YEAR FOR PRIESTS will make us all more realistic but also more hopeful than ever before about priesthood in general and about each priest individually. Maybe we can all pray for better priests and that all priests truly try and actually become better every day. Remember the parable of the weeds and the wheat.  Sometimes you must wait for harvest to distinguish the two and then one is burnt while the other is retained.

Silver Jubilee Across the Pond

 

Father Tim Finigan of the famous British blog Hermeneutic of Continuity recently (28 July) celebrated his Silver (25th) Jubilee (Anniversary) of Ordination to the Holy Priesthood.  AD MULTOS ANNOS. 

     

As we continue to celebrate the YEAR FOR PRIESTS it is edifying to see a full contingency of clergy and laity expressing profound joy and gratitude in the awesome gift of the Priesthood.  Father Finigan has survived slander and ridicule for his uncompromising fidelity to the Magisterium and for his profound penchant for extreme reverence in the Sacred Liturgy, whether in the Extraordinary or the Ordinary Form of Latin Rite. 

Note the absence of any LPN's (like to play nuns, i.e., without habit or veil) in the sanctuary. No political correctness at this Mass. And no political statements, either.  Nowadays, many diocesan liturgies mandate a representative amount of Scripture readings and prayers be in said in Spanish and that a similarly representative per centage of 'ministers' (i.e., servers, readers, gift bearers, etc.) be women and minorities. Some so-called liturgists are in reality choreographers who manuever and manipulate the Mass to become a platform for social reform or to make a political statement. The public forum is the place for politics.  The Church and especially its sancturary is meant for Divine Worship. PERIOD. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the zenith of all human activity as it unites heaven and earth; the divine and the human, via the God-Man, Jesus Christ. 

I have often preached to my parishioners that every church is like an Embassy of Heaven here on earth.  When we enter, we are on foreign soil, no longer of this earth but of the world to come. Entering church is crossing a thresshold into the dwelling of the Divine. We enter as GUESTS into the abode of our Divine HOST. After seeing Father Finigan's beautiful anniversary Mass, can anyone not discern that the the Sacred Liturgy is the nuptials which marries heaven and earth?  I have been to some liturgical abberations where the sense was one of banal and pedestrian entertainment (and not even good entertainment at that). Bad taste and irreverence run amok in many Catholic areas, hence the timeliness of Pope B16's renewal of the sacred.  

la vita abbundanza

 


Fr. Ken Brighenti cooked a luscious pasta alla kalamata (olives) during a recent visit to Drs. Keith and Christina Burkhart in Silver Spring, MD.  Last month, I officiated at the wedding of their daughter, Karly, to her husband Dave Szostak, at Saint Patrick Cathedral (Harrisburg, PA) on June 13th. Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, was the homilist and Fr. Dennis Dalessandro (St. Joseph, Berwick, PA) and Fr. Robert Garrity (Ave Maria University) and Fr. Ken concelebrated.

Almost three pounds of macaroni on that table but eight people devoured it ASAP. I contributed some veal pistachio as the second course.

2009 CCC Conference Complete Success

Archbishop Jose Gomez, Msgr Stuart Swetland and Fr. Brian Harrison, OS spoke at the 2009 Convocation of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy which was held July 13-16 in San Antonio, TX. These erudite and faithful sons of the Church gave their pearls of wisdom to the priests and deacons of the CCC who gathered for their annual conference as part of their ongoing formation.

His Excellency spoke on the recently inaugerated Year for Priests; Monsignor explained the new social encyclical of Pope B16 (Caritas in Veritate); Father elaborated on the Vatican decision to move Ecclesia Dei under the jurisdiction of the CDF.

These outstanding pillars of orthodoxy were well received by those who attended this year's gathering. The next meeting will take place January 4th to 8th (2010) at Rome in a joint gathering with our Australian counterparts (ACCC) to celebrate the Year for Priests.

Members of the faithful can help sponsor a priest by defraying some of the expenses of the event. Due to high cost of airfare, the CCC is looking for some devout Catholics to underwrite the conference fees and accommodations in the Eternal City so that as many priests as possible can come to Rome for this event. If sufficient donations are obtained, then many parish clergy need only buy their plane ticket to participate in this once in a lifetime experience. If your pastor is celebrating his 25th, 40th or 50th Jubilee anniverary of priesthood or if your parochial vicar is celebrating his 10th or 20th anniversary, etc., then seriously consider a practical gift: sponsor their attendence at the 2010 CCC Convocation in Rome. Contact CCC for more information. Sadly, many good clergy do not come to our events only because they cannot affort the travel and the conference fees combined.

 


CARITAS IN VERITATE 

is a masterpiece. Like a symphony conductor, Pope Benedict XVI was woven together many threads of Magisterial teaching from sexual to economic to political and social life. He synthesizes Catholic morality on a spectrum of ethical issues and basically says that real Christian charity (love) presupposes and demands the truth. As he has said before again and again, Catholicism is the great religion of the BOTH ... AND (et ... et) and not the EITHER ... OR (aut ... aut) of the secular humanist world. In other words, morality is grounded in what is TRUE, hence it is REAL.  False or artificial charity ignores, exaggerates, distorts or denies the truth, as in the case of misguided compassion when good moral people remain silent as grave evils such as abortion and euthanasia proliferate day by day.

While being neither a political or economic liberal or conservative (as neither was Pope John Paul the Great), B16 poignantly points out that charity and truth work hand in hand and when one is deprived of the other, there is misery and unhappiness. The human soul has two faculties, the rational intellect and the free will. The object of the intellect is to seek the TRUTH, to know what is TRUE. The object of the will is to find and possess the GOOD. Ultimately, as we know, only God alone can fully satisfy our yearnings since He alone is TRUTH itself and He alone is the Summum Bonum (supreme good). Before the Beatific vision, however, we humans enjoy the pursuit of truth and goodness as reflected in God's creation and in divine revelation. Divine grace allow us to know what is true and to be able to do that which is good.

Man's relationship to God, to his spouse, his family, his neighbors, his state and to his civilization are determined by what is true and what is good. The division and false dichotomy dissident moralists have created over time glamorize good intentions at best and at worse excuse immoral means as long as the effects are good or at least tolerable. Situation ethics, consequentialism, etc., have infiltrated the moral perspective on sexuality, marriage, family, environment, economy, politics, medicine, science, et al. B16 is no socialist and certainly not a communist but neither is he a  laissez-faire capitalist. Neither Karl Marx or Adam Smith could appreciate the realty that human persons have rights and responsibilities. It is not the government nor the company; neither nationalism nor profit which best serves man, rather, it is providing the means and opportunities for persons to actualize their potential and to do so responsibly and always for the common good. Each person is made in the image and likeness of God, not the state nor the corporation. At the same time, we live as children of God and have a moral duty to help those less fortunate than we are. Family members help each other. Family also challenges and calls to task the members who take advantage or who abuse the kindness and generosity of others. Social responsibility is not providing birth control to Third-World nations and it is not deifying the planet as if it were some living being. God asked us to take care of the world and to subdue it, but not to worship it (Gaia) nor to abuse and rape it, either.

Economic stability is as critical today as was military stability during the Cold War. Both are important to our survival but so is justice, from protecting the defenseless innocent unborn human lives in their mother's wombs to eliminating the threat of violence upon innocent citizens by radical extremist terrorists. There is no economic or political solution by itself. Nations exist FOR the people they govern and are not ends in themselves. They do provide for the protection, safety, education and welfare of their citizens. But citizens cannot surrender their obligation to oversee their governments and make sure ther are acting responsibly and morally correct because that is the only way the common good can be served. Corporate greed has been no different than political ambition. When people do and say what is necessary to achieve and sustain ther comfort level, they overlook their responsibility to help those in true need.  Bottom line, as the Pope points out, is that real charity motivates us to love God and neighbor enough to seek, share and defend the truth and that which is genuinely good for us and for all.

Response to Modest Suggestion

  


Father Doyle's description is very factual. His typical day is much like most priests in the USA, i.e., very busy. He also shows what most of us seek to be, faithful sons of the church who adapt our lives to accommodate the pastoral needs of our people. We try to help as many of our parishioners as possible and we try to balance the spiritual and the managerial responsibilities of being pastor. What I am concerned about, however, is the growing acceptability of the so-called inevitability that this current model of parish priesthood is etched in stone. Squeezing ten minutes of quality prayer is not adequate or sufficient.

Father Doyle's heart is indeed in the right place. His love for the Church and for his people is evident and most laudable. God bless him. What I fear, though, is that many of my colleagues, newly ordained to veteran pastors, are caught in the same trap. Protestant Ministers must balance their pastoral duties with their familial obligations, and they do it. They must take care of their wives and children and take care of their parishioners as well.  In order to do that, they must take care of themselves, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Catholic priests are no different in that we MUST take care of ourselves in order to be capable of taking care of our own people.

Priesthood is more than ordained ministry, however. Ministry is service and certainly, the priesthood is about serving God, His Church and His people. And priesthood is about sacrifice and as Fr. Doyle shows, many priests are willing and committed to doing everything they can for their people not matter how inconvenient or difficult it may be. Like loving husbands and fathers, good priests will get up in the middle of the night to anoint someone; will give up part or all of their day off for a parishioner in a crisis; will rearrange their hectic schedule to accommodate someone in desperate need; etc.

Priesthood is about service and sacrifice but also about SANCTITY. We absolutely need to cultivate and pursue a vigorous spiritual life for ourselves BEFORE we can ever hope to adequately help our people. Vatican II spoke of the universal call to holiness and that applies to priests as much as to the monks; to laity and to religious; to deacons as well as bishops.

America has divinized FUNCTIONALISM. As long as I am DOING priestly things, then I must be a good priest. While we know that good priests are not lazy priests; that good priests are indeed BUSY priests, at the same time, we must acknowledge that our people NEED "HOLY" priests. Holiness comes not from DOING but from BEING. Pelagius was condemned by St. Augustine for thinking that human effort alone can save you. Divine grace is what is necessary, not a plate that is too full.

I realize that my colleagues are motivated out of self-sacrificing love for the Church and for their parishioners. I applaud and commend them for that. But as the president of a national association of priests, I have also seen the down side. Too many good priests get burned out. Too many become disillusioned or disenchanted. Some sadly end up disappointed and turn to inappropriate distractions and a few even embrace self-destructive behavior (alcohol abuse, drugs, sex) Some just wind up being cranky and bitter to their people and to the poor priests who live or work with them.

While Fr. Doyle is absolutely right that we do not live in the same era as did Saint John Vianney, nevertheless, the same grace which made him a saint is available to all of us today. While we admire and are awestruck by the sheer number of confessions the Cure of Ars heard in his lifetime, it was not their multitude which enabled him to become a saint. His holiness was not produced from the work he did, rather, his holiness empowered him to do what he did. It was his spiritual life that made him a saint because it was based, rooted and originated in a personal search for sanctity.

John Vianney was no monk, so he did not practice a monastic spirituality. He was a parish priest. But the key word here is PRIEST. As a priest, he saw the necessity for him to cultivate a spiritual life for himself so he could in turn help his parishioners do the same. The Sacraments are sources of grace but are not ends in themselves. They are the means to an end. The Sacraments provide the needed graces so we can achieve the mission God has sent us to accomplish, namely, that we become holy.

The only way someone can perform the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy is through the power of God's grace. Habitual, Sanctifying grace precedes actual grace. Therefore, in this YEAR FOR PRIESTS, it is vital and urgent that all priests, but especially parish priests (young and old alike) realize that we ourselves must take care of our own spiritual needs while we take care of the spiritual needs of our people.

If a priest does not take care of his physical health, he would not be able nor be around long enough to take care of his parishioners adequately. Similarly, if he neglects or cheats his spiritual health, he is not only hurting himself but his people in the long run. They need him to be at his best so he can give and do his best.

ONGOING SPIRITUAL, THEOLOGICAL and PASTORAL FORMATION is not a luxury nor an option for today's clergy. Vatican II, the Code of Canon Law and the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests MANDATE ongoing formation of the clergy. We priests MUST find and make time to pray each day. The obligation to pray the Liturgy of the Hours is not the totality of our spiritual need, however. Praying the Office is a treasure but it is complemented by other forms and types of prayer.

One of the objectives of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy is the fostering of ongoing spiritual, theological and pastoral formation in a fraternal setting. Besides finding time to unwind and relax (which is guaranteed by church law) through a weekly day off and annual vacation, every priest MUST make an annual retreat. The diocese usually helps by making them available or at least in disclosing where one can go. But retreats are not enough anymore than the Breviary is enough.

Regular confession is good for everyone but even more so for us priests. Yet, most confessions are heard on Saturday afternoons. So, how does the parish priest go to confession when he himself must be in the confessional hearing his own parishioners confessions? DAYS or even AFTERNOONS OF RECOLLECTION help.  The CCC local chapter meetings encourage a monthly gathering of local clergy to spend 2 to 3 hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament with time allotted for individual confession in addition to praying the Office in common, celebrating Exposition and Benediction, and listening to a spiritual conference. It is only a commitment of two or three hours most once a month. If a priest needs to have a cavity filled, does he not make time to go to the dentist? If his car needs to have its oil changed, tires rotated and vehicle inspected, does he not make time to get it done? Then why do so many priests find it impossible to make time for their spiritual needs? In the seminary, monthly spiritual direction was obligatory. Post-ordination, it is not optional, however. Like making regular visits to the doctor, monthly or at least quarterly direction is crucial for the priest. Annual workshops, conferences, and convocations help keep the priest theologically up to date and on his toes just as every good physician seeks to do as well.

I am not saying that every priest must join the CCC or that the CCC is the only or is even the best way to fulfull our ongoing formation, but it is one valid means to do it. However it is done, it needs to be pursued. A priest's spiritual health is not sustained by his parish duties, rather, he is able to perform his duties so well if he has first taken care of his own needs. Priestly fraternity also means we help each other so that no priest feels he is alone or that he must take care of himself alone. This is why associations of the clergy are highly recommended. Pooling our resources and helping one another should be the goal of every priestly organization.

For some, it may require a paradigm shift from functionalism to ontologicalism. BEING a priest comes before DOING priestly things.  Agere sequitur esse, we learned in seminary. Cultivating a healthy and robust spiritual, physical and emotional life will enable all priests to be able to best serve our people and for a sustained period as well.

Relegating some of our managerial tasks to our brother deacons is one other significant help when possible. Since many of our permanent deacons have full time jobs in the secular workforce, they know a posteriori what it means to budget time and money, to balance resources and expenses. Some administrative duties can be shared or delegated to a parochial vicar or better yet, the parish deacon. Networking with the local parishes in one's deanery is another. Sharing costs might mean hiring a full time custodian with benefits for two parishes whereas one parish could not do it alone.

Bottom line is that no priest and no parish need feel it must survive by itself. Every priest must take care of his own spiritual, intellectual and pastoral needs BEFORE he can help his people take care of theirs. If we fraternally help each other as brother priests, then our people will be best served all the way around.

Father George Rutler on Saint John Vianney and the Year for Priests

 

FROM THE PASTOR
by Fr. George W. Rutler
June 28, 2009

On Friday, June 19, Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated a special “Year of Priests” with a special ceremony in Saint Peter’s Basilica, during which he venerated relics of Saint John Marie Vianney, which had been brought from the French village of Ars where the saint had been parish priest in the nineteenth century. The Pope declared that Vianney, who has been patron saint of parish priests, will from now on be patron of all priests, whatever their particular priestly work may be.

     The Pope chose to begin the Year of Priests, which will include the 150th anniversary of Vianney’s death on August 4, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart represents Christ’s merciful love for the world, as Vianney’s own heart, which is one of the preserved relics, represents the saint’s love for his parishioners. He once said that “the priesthood is the love for the Heart of Jesus.” Pope Benedict XVI echoed those words, saying that “the gift of our priesthood originated directly from that Heart.” He said that he wants the Year to be a chance for priests to grow in intimacy with the Divine Love and become “in today’s world, messengers of hope, reconciliation, and peace.”

     Not long after I became pastor here, I placed a statue of Saint John Vianney, the “Holy Curé d’Ars,” in our church. Many were unfamiliar with this saint. Around the same time I also restored the altar cross and candles which I found tarnished in the basement (one individual expressed surprise, being under the impression that Vatican II had abolished this arrangement). I am gratified now that the Pope has brought Vianney to wider attention, just as he has called for the restoration of altar crosses and lights as we have them here, to emphasize the mystery of the Blessed Sacrament. Since we erected the statue of the Curé d’Ars, our parish has been remarkably blessed with priestly vocations.

     The Gospel (Mark 8:24) records a severe storm on the Sea of Galilee during which Our Lord seemed to be asleep in the stern of the boat, his head on a cushion. Pope Benedict has provided this Year of Priests because the world is storm-tossed: politically, economically, morally, and spiritually. Some have thought that God is paying no attention. The fact is that when he seems to be sleeping he is preparing to calm the storm as Jesus did when he rebuked the wind. Along with that is the other fact that many Christians have indeed been asleep and now must be awakened. The Pope is calling on priests to do that, but not before they commit themselves anew to the saving power of Christ who has called them to show people the road to Heaven, as Saint John Vianney promised to do when he arrived in that little village of Ars in 1818, and which he did do in an amazing way.

Amerika sounds more and more like Pravda every day

FrZ hit a bullseye with his response to the editorial in America magazine. The heterodox dissidents who hold Charles Curran as their patron saint for his dissent to Humanae Vitae are now applauding the University of Notre Dame for inviting President Barak Obama as Commencement Speaker and awarding him an honory doctoral degree. While many of us who are loyal to the Magisterium lament the decision of the USCCB not to censure ND, we do not follow the Protestant tendencies of our opponents. Yes, the prudential judgments of our bishops are not infallible and they are open for discussion. IN FACT, only when there is a UNANIMOUS statement on faith and morals from the episcopal conference does it have binding teaching authority and it is only infallible IF and WHEN it coincides with previous papal or conciliar decrees or when it receives a recognitio of the Apostolic See and the Holy Father gives his imprimatur as authentic. Yet, even when it is only a document or decision of the USCCB, orthodox Catholics are not the ones who openly attack and disingenuously impute motives on our bishops. We are not the ones who flagrantly show disobedience as well as disrespect. The dissident on the far left, the heterodox disbelievers, are the ones who defame the brave bishops who openly chastized Notre Dame. Those who dissent from the Church's teaching on contraception, abortion, euthanasia, women's ordination, divorce & remarriage, same sex unions, et al., THEY are the ones who show open rebellion and disobedience.

Ironically, the lefties want open dialogue to find 'common ground' to enable them to have cozy chats and excellent photo-ops with those who repudiate Catholic doctrine and discipline. They will not tolerate nor dialogue with SSPX or anyone who appears too traditional or too conservative. They rebuked the Pope for lifting the excommunications (while he did not normalize the clergy, i.e., the priests, deacons and bishops) on the Bishops illicitly ordained and consecrated by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Paradoxically, they do want the Pope and bishops to dialogue with pro-choice/pro-abortion politicians and with all kinds of dissenting Catholics (Call to Action, We Are Church, etc.)

Don't get me wrong, the SSPX has a way to go but they seem more amenable to reconciliation and there appears to be more possibility and probability with them than with those who adamantly insist abortion is not intrinsically evil. While the SSPX was disobedient and the illicit episcopal ordinations not only excommunicated their bishops, it also created a schismatic atmosphere and climate which B16 is hoping to heal. He does this as Roman Pontiff with supreme, full, universal, and immediate authority (in doctrine and in discipline). Nothing can rationalize nor justify disobeying the Magisterium or defying the Pope, whether SSPX or CTA.

What FrZ aptly points out in his article is that a missed opportunity took place. The American Bishops AS A WHOLE could have stood together, brother to brother, side by side, and rebuked and discipline Notre Dame. They would have been making a public support of life, especially the unborn. No need to make any character assassination of the President. We can repudiate his pro-abortion and anti-life policies without resorting to ad hominem arguments. Nevertheless, the crime was on the ones who invited him to speak, namely Notre Dame. As FrZ reminds us, our bishops missed the chance once before when they could have made a UNITED condemnation of slavery, segregation and racism when the Civil Rights Movement needed it most. Some brave bishops spoke out against these immoral injustices and condemned those who would consider and treat African-Americans as anything less than fully human and endowed with all human rights. All our bishops are pro-life and many have publicly denounced the election and appointment of openly pro-abortion candidates and politicians. Reprimanding Notre Dame would have been a pivotal moment for the USCCB.

But the votes were not there and the majority of bishops made a prudential judgment not to do what many of us begged them and pleaded them to do. Yet, we still respect and obey them. We do not deny their lawful authority as defined and delineated in canon law. We pray for them. But we do not attack or humiliate them. Remember when Noah's sons found him passed out drunk and naked? THEY were rebuked by God, not Noah. They showed no discretion or honor or respect. We could easily follow in their footsteps if we openly attack and show disrespect for our hierarchy. At the same time, we need to vigorously remind our opponents that COMMON GROUND is only found in the TRUTH. Rosa Parks did not dialogue with the bus driver who told her to go to the back of the bus. Martin Luther King, Jr., did not dialogue with the governors who ordered the fire-hoses be turned on innocent protesters.

President Obama made it clear that there are some issues, like abortion, where he sees no compromise. He is right, in that regard. You are either pro-life or you are not. Just as you are either anti-segregation or not. You are either a racist, or you are not. How can there be dialogue when the answer is clearly black & white? People can argue systems of goverment and economy since not one is perfect and flawless. Morally speaking, something which is evil is immoral and that is not changed by time, space or circumstances. Situational ethics and Consequentialism are not valid ethical systems.

Peaceful, non-violent protests are always permitted if not highly warranted. Negotiation with Hitler only encouraged him to move more quickly and powerfully to initiate WWII. While no one is accusing anyone of being a Nazi, the ideology of Nazism is as offensive and is as evil and immoral as is abortion since both have no problems unjustly killing human life. Those who fool themselves and deceive themselves into tolerating or even allowing abortion are like those white people who tolerated slavery and segregation. They were WRONG. They may not have been evil people but they permitted an evil to continue.

Maybe, after some time in prayer, the USCCB will reconsider and issue a reprimand at their plenary session in November. We can certainly pray for that. And we can pray for our bishops and show them our respect even when we may disagree with their prudential judgments. At the same time, we should not dilute or distort the moral teachings of our religion. Negotiating implies areas of compromise. We can never accommodate moral principles. It is not the message that needs to be changed, for it cannot as it is base on the Natural and Divine Laws of God. We can, though, adapt the way the message is presented and explained.

Unlike territory, reparations, and treaties countries can and often must negotiate to end a war and bring about peace, what can never be on the bargaining table is the RIGHT TO LIFE. If the enemy refuses to accept your right to exist as a nation and a people, then there can be no dialogue. If, however, the other side agrees that you have an inalienable right to exist, then where you live and how your borders and security are defined and established can be worked out by diplomats. The unborn have an inalienable right to exist and we cannot deny them their human rights even if the mother has chosen to ignore or deny them. Society must protect its most innocent and most vulnerable citizens. The unborn and the terminally ill are just that and they are the targets of abortion and euthanasia. What can be dialogued about that? Were African-Americans willing to accept the so-called compromise that guaranteed them only 3/5 citizenship (with 2/5 being alien)? Of course not. Slaves did not accept anything less than FULL 100% (5/5) citizenship. Yet, the unborn babies in the womb are treated as partial or even as totally non-citizen status.

America magazine would better serve the Catholics of America if it spend its time and effort defending the unborn and encouraging all Catholics to speak up and speak out against immoral evils like abortion and euthanasia and to defend the sacrament of marriage as a permanent, faithful and fruitful union of one man and one woman. Tactics and strategies can be debated but the moral law is immutable, especially when it concerns human rights.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

As our nation celebrates Fathers' Day and we honor dear old Dad, let us not forget our other two fathers, Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church and Head of the Holy Family, and our Holy Father, Pope Benedict (whose baptismal name is also Joseph, in case anyone forgot).

When I was a newly ordained Priest, less than a month (the oil still wet on the palms, as they say), my beloved Dad, God rest his soul, sent me my FIRST Father's Day card. Inside he wrote how proud he was to be my Dad and how unworthy he felt to be the father of a priest. He also said that he was confident that I would love and take care of my spiritual children just as he tried to do all the years I was growing up. And even though I would always be his son and he would always be my loving dad, he was honored to be able to call me "Father John" now that I was a priest.

Although that card got a little stained from a few tears, I never forgot the message or the sentiment, especially when my dad died in 1998, ten years after my ordination.

Back in 1988, some of us more traditional guys used a maniturgium to wipe the sacred chrism off our hands after being anointed by the Bishop who ordained us a priest. Custom was to give the linen to your mother who would keep it for her burial as a sign she was the mother of a priest. Me and Father Brighenti did that as many of our predecessors before us. My dad teased me at the First Mass when I gave my mom the maniturgium and he asked "and what does the father of the Father get?" to which Father Bob Levis, who vested me replied "you get the bill for the reception."

Nowadays, newly ordained not only maintain the custom of giving the maniturgium to their moms, they also started a new custom of giving their dad a purple stole. The newly ordained priest would hear his first confession using this new stole and present it to his father just as he would give his mother the linen used to wipe off the sacred chrism. I wish that custom had been around twenty-one years ago when I was ordained. Nevertheless, I did sneak a small purple stole into my dad's coffin before the funeral. It was not my first purple stole but it was from my first anointing of the sick set.

As the YEAR FOR PRIESTS gets underway, let us pray to good Saint Joseph that he will protect our Holy Father as he protected the Virgin Mary and the Christ-child. Let us also pray that all priests will seek to emulate Saint Joseph and stay close to Our Divine Lord and His Blessed Mother.

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Catholic Clergy Inaugurates YEAR FOR PRIESTS Together With Pope Benedict XVI - Catholic Online

Catholic Clergy Inaugurates YEAR FOR PRIESTS Together With Pope Benedict XVI - Catholic Online

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Annus pro Sacerdotes

"Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put Him there in that tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest. 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".

That eloquent quote from Saint John Vianney was part of Pope Benedict XVI's letter as he officially inaugurated the Year for Priests today (June 19th, 2009) which is also the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From now until June 19, 2010, the universal church will be praying for and will be meditating upon the mystery of the priesthood. Just as we end the Year of Saint Paul we now enter the Year for Priests. No coincidence, either, since Saint Paul is the one who wrote beautifully on the Priesthood of Jesus Christ in his epistle to the Hebrews, chapter seven.

The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy inaugurated its revised and revamped web page today to coincide with the papal proclamation. Back in May on the birthday of St. John Vianney, we announced the historic joint meeting of both the American and the Australian CCC at Rome on January 4th - 8th, 2010. (www.yearforpriests-clergyconferencerome2010.org)

Today, more than ever before, priests NEED prayers and we need TO PRAY. We need the prayers of our people and of our brother priests and our brother deacons. We need to pray for ourselves individually but also as a whole that we all do and be better priests. Before ordination, it is so crucial that proper formation be given in the seminaries. Those seminaries which have not fulfilled their sacred obligation to teach orthodox doctrine as given by the Magisterium should be closed immediately, padlocked and never opened again. Those seminaries where heterodoxy proliferated the classroom and/or sexual misbehavior permeated the living quarters need to be closed A.S.A.P. The good seminaries which by the way are flourishing, where sound doctrine and proper moral bahvior are promoted and anything less not tolerated, need our support. Places like Mount Saint Mary's in Emmitburg, MD (just one hour from me) is but one of several which our nation can be proud of to be sure. The recent Vatican report on Seminaries was precise. There are good seminaries and there are bad ones; exceptionally good and particularly bad. Most have improved since the aftermath of the clergy sex scandal. Unforntunately, there are still some walking time-bombs where ill trained clergy are giving sermons and spiritual advice to others.

ONGOING FORMATION of the clergy is as important as seminary formation. Sadly, too many good priests become 'too busy' to spend one afternoon in prayer with a few of their ordained brethren. Canon Law mandates an annual retreat and guarantees every priest a day off and an annual vacation. Vatican II and the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests, however, STRONGLY URGE and EXHORT priests and deacons to foster ongoing spiritual, theological and pastoral formation in a fraternal setting. Therefore, in addition to daily prayer and regular confession, priests NEED what their people need, spiritual nourishment. Attending seminars, workshops, conferences, etc., are not luxuries but necessities for ALL members of the clergy (deacon, priest and bishop). Spiritual direction was mandatory in the seminary but it is even more beneficial to those in parish or diocesan or chaplain ministries. Only one hour a month is not too much to ask. If a priest had a toothache, does he not make time to see the dentist? Then why not make time for monthly or at least bi-monthly spiritual direction? The CCC local chapters have an afternoon of recollection (2-4 pm) with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction, Vespers, Rosary, spiritual conference and time for confession. Those of us who attend still find time to visit the sick, go to the hospitals, nursing homes, schools, shut-ins, attend parush council and finance committee meetings, work on budgets and all kinds of managerial tasks PLUS spend time giving pre-Cana, marriage counseling, RCIA, CCD, et al. It is NOT a question of EITHER/OR, rather as Pope Benedict often says, it is BOTH/AND.

Young clergy, middle aged and more mature clergy need each other, need prayers for each other and need to pray with each other. Often, priests do not feel welcome in their diocese maybe because their families are in other towns if not other dioceses. Sometimes, there are cliques and factions, like the liberals vs. conservatives; ordinary vs. extraorindary; progressive vs. traditional; et al. The usual sycophants are present in every diocese and religious community, you know, the 'yes men' who shmooze the bishop or superior by spying and ratting on his brothers or who plot and scheme to discredit their perceived competition in their ambitious climb up the ecclesiastical ladder. They get good assignments and are on every board and committee and their advice is taken and sought by the bishop. In former times, these guys got all the accolades, were made Monsignors and became pastors of the most coveted parishes.

Then we have Saint John Vianney who barely got out of the seminary and was sent to the worst parish in France. His brother priests even signed a petition that the bishop not assign him to Ars due to his lack of qualifications. They mistakenly left it at his rectory thinking he was somene else. He signed the note, too, for he felt unworthy of his calling. HUMILITY was his middle name and his love and REVERENCE for the Mass the center of his heart. He sat in he confessional for hours hearing confessions while some of his contemporaries today spend more time fundraising and attending business meetings. John Vianney transformed not just his parish but his entire diocese just BEING a good priest and not only in DOING priestly things.

Having and cultivating good priest friends is as important as ongoing formation. While most of us live alone, we need not be lonely if we have good friends, clergy and laity alike. When I was growing up, the pastor, usually a Monsignor, was like God to us, especially if you were an altar boy. No one ever complained to him after Mass and neither did they call the office or send hate mail. Despite his idiosyncrasies, he was loved, respected and obeyed. Unfortunately, some took advantage of that trust and betrayed their people by misbehavior. We went from the pedestal to the toilet bowl overnight. Sure, no priest is perfect and none of us is the Messiah. But nowadays, every Tom, Dick and Harry who have a grudge or attitude now have a chip on their shoulder and insist on insulting the priest. Of course, there are the priests who bring this upon themselves when they proliferate liturgical abuses or preach heresy. But when you uphold canon law or defend the Catechism, you get the same animosity as if you were denying them air to breathe.

Nevertheless, we still love being priests and love doing priestly things. Offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the zenith of the day no matter what else we do that day. When we priests celebrate Mass PROPERLY and PRAYERFULLY, it helps us and the people more than anyone can imagine. REVERENCE goes a long way and rushing through any sacrament is not only irreverent it is also unfair to the people who deserve better from us. Parishes where the Tabernacles have been moved to the center of the sanctuary can attest to an increase of vocations, Eucharistic piety, and overall greater piety in the people. The extra time and attention we give the celebration of the sacraments is an investment of time and effort well spent. Being 'in a hurry' because we are 'too busy' is a cop-out, a lie and is inexcusable. No surgeon would rush an operation to keep to his schedule and neither should any priest ever rush through the sacraments just to make meetings or other type of mundane tasks.

In this YEAR FOR PRIESTS, please pray for priests and encourage them to support one another. Mention the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. Give a word of appreciation to your pastor or even write a note of thanks to your bishop for sending you your priest. 99% of the correspondence the local bishop gets is negative on any priest, only because the squeaky wheel likes to be heard. What if the satisfied parishioners wrote once in while, too? Not when Father is being transferred but just because he is doing a good job.

Plenary Indulgence Offered for Year for Priests

Jubilee Marks 150 Years Since Death of Curé de Ars

VATICAN CITY, MAY 12, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican is offering a plenary indulgence for all faithful on the occasion of the Year for Priests, which is set to begin June 19 and last one year.

The decree was made public today and signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary.

The Year for Priests marks the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, also knows as the Curé de Ars.

The decree noted that Benedict XVI will preside at the opening liturgy June 19, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, "a day of priestly sanctification." He will celebrate vespers before the relics of the saint, brought to Rome for the occasion by the bishop of the French Diocese of Belley-Ars.

The Year will end in St. Peter's Square, in the presence of priests from all over the world "who will renew their faithfulness to Christ and their bonds of fraternity."

For priests, the plenary indulgence can be gained by praying lauds or vespers before the Blessed Sacrament exposed to public adoration or in the tabernacle. They must also "offer themselves with a ready and generous heart for the celebration of the sacraments, especially the sacrament of penance."

The plenary indulgence, which under current norms must be accompanied by sacramental confession, the Eucharist and praying for the intentions of the Pope, can also by applied to deceased priests.

Priests are granted a partial indulgence, also applicable to deceased priests, every time they "devotedly recite the prayers duly approved to lead a saintly life and to carry out the duties entrusted to them."

For the faithful, a plenary indulgence can be obtained on the opening and closing days of the Year for Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

To obtain the indulgence the faithful must attend Mass in an oratory or Church and offer prayers to "Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to his heart."

The conditions for the faithful for earning a plenary indulgence are to have gone to confession and prayed for the intentions of the Pope.

The elderly, the sick, and all those who for any legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes may obtain the plenary indulgence if, with the intention of observing the usual three conditions as soon as they can, "on the days concerned, they pray for the sanctification of priests and offer their sickness and suffering to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles."

A partial indulgence is offered to the faithful when they repeat five times the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, or any other duly approved prayer "in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to ask that priests maintain purity and sanctity of life."

courtesy of zenit.org

Four New Alter-Christi in the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

 

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Harrisburg, PA, ordained four priests last Saturday

tu es sacerdos in aeternam secundum ordinem Melchisedech

NOT cute at all

 

Father Alberto Cutie (center) is flanked by his girlfriend and Episcopal Bishop Frade accompanied by his wife Diana (AP Photo/Al Diaz / May 27, 2009)

An old adage says "there but for the grace of God go I".  Any one of us can fall.  We are all sinners who need to repent. Forgiveness and mercy are available to anyone and everyone.

While none of can judge the spiritual state of Father Cutie (only the Good Lord can do that) and none of us can cast the first stone since none of us is without sin ourselves, nevertheless the ACTIONS he has taken are public and must be evaluated. His inner disposition and the state of his immortal soul is only known by him and by God. Every time I hear or read of a brother priest leaving the active ministry, I am saddened and I pray for his soul.  I also pray to God for myself that I be stronger in temptation and that by God's grace, hopefully I can be a better priest.

The issue of celibacy is a smoke-screen.  Father Cutie went to the seminary like the rest of us.  I went twelve years since I attended high school seminary. Yet, if a man only had eight or six or even four years of seminary, guess what?  You KNOW the Church in the Latin Rite requires CELIBACY. It is no secret and it is no surprise. They tell you from day one and every day afterward that you will be ASKED to take an OATH of CELIBACY the day you are ordained a transitional deacon. You have plenty of time to leave the seminary before you take that solemn oath.

Once taken, it is as solemn and sacred an oath as is the vow taken by a bride and groom when they become husband and wife. Father Cutie took an oath of celibacy and allegedly his girlfriend, if previously married and now divorced, took a vow 'until death do us part' when she was married. Both promises were made before God and were supposed to be permanent.

Pope John Paul II taught us in Pastores Dabo Vobis that priests in the Roman church are celibate which means they do not have a wife. But it does not mean we are not married. We ARE. Our spouse is the Church since priests are ordained as an ALTER-CHRISTUS (another Christ). As the Church is the BRIDE and Christ is the BRIDEGROOM, then, JP2 points out, priests are also bridegrooms with the Church as our beloved spouse.

When a priest breaks his vow of celibacy, he is cheating on his spouse, the Church, just as any married man cheats on his wife when he commits adultery. Whether adultery or fornication, any sex outside or before the sacrament of Matrimony is wrong, immoral and sinful. Yet, our culture not only tolerates and gives a wink and a nod to extra-marital and pre-marital sex, it distorts it as some sort of natural right everyone has. Sex is not a right, it is a privilege and it is sacred since it is reserved to married couples (one man + one woman in a permanent, faithful and God-willing fruitful union).

Defecting from the Catholic Church which has the FULLNESS OF GRACE (all seven valid sacraments) and the FULLNESS OF TRUTH (sacred scripture and sacred tradition) is not only apostacy, it is a serious spiritually self-inflicted wound. The Episcopal and Anglican Church do not have valid Orders, so their deacons, priests and bishops are not validly ordained. They have valid baptisms but no valid Holy Orders, hence, no valid Confirmations, no valid Masses or Holy Eucharist. No valid confessions or anointing of the sick, either. The Church of England (Anglican Church) and the Episcopal Church of the USA have so-called ordained women and recently an openly professed gay bishop. This is the church Father Cutie and his girlfriend have embraced after leaving the 2,000 year old Catholic Church founded on the rock of Saint Peter and his successors, the popes.

Celibacy is not a doctrine but a discipline. Yet, it was made normative for the western Church in 309 AD by the Council of Elvira and made mandatory by Pope Gregory VII in 1076 AD. So, it has been around for quite some time. The Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox Churches have married clergy BUT they must be married BEFORE ordination AND their bishops must be ordained from celibate priests. So while celibacy is optional in the eastern Church it is still mandatory for the episcopacy. Yet, the press and news media NEVER mention the Greek or Russian Orthodox Churches when they cover the issue of women's ordination. Only the Latin rite of the Catholic Church is held up for scrutiny and ridicule.

Fidelity to one's commitments, be it marital vows or ordination oaths, should still be expected and sought by everyone. The recent sex scandals have nothing to do with celibacy either since they involved perversions and deviant behavior which is present in the general population. Sadly, parents, siblings, teachers, coaches and others have committed equally horrific and disgusting acts of child abuse as have some pathetic celibate clerics. Celibacy did not cause anyone to molest a child nor did it cause anyone to cheat on their spouse. If someone joins the military, they take an oath to obey orders just as a religious takes a vow of obedience or a priest promises obedience to his bishop. If a soldier or sailor does not like to take orders or he feels uncomfortable in obeying others, then he should not have entered that way of life. Once an oath has been taken, however, it cannot and should not be treated lightly or casually. While promises are broken, oaths and vows are sacred promises made before God and can never be dissolved only renewed.

Yes, pray for Father Cutie that he come to his senses and repent of his action. First he betrayed his vows made on ordination day, then he betrayed the Church when he abandoned and left her for another denomination. Apostacy is a serious matter as is Schism and Heresy. But so is infidelity in marriage and infidelity in the priesthood. It is never too late to repent and reform. Pray for all 'former' priests because ontogically, they are still priests as they are priests forever according to the order of Melchizedek. And pray for the rest of us, too, because the priests who have not left and have not broken our vows are still sinners in need of mercy and forgiveness. 

Benedict XVI Calls Priests to Be Saints (NOT Bureaucrats, Politicians or Managers)

 

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, recently addressed members of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy (Vatican Diplomat School). Although his audience was priests preparing for specific work in Apostolic Nunciatures (Vatican Embassies) around the world, the words also aptly apply to ALL PRIESTS, EVERYWHERE.

"Always remember that it is vital and fundamental for the priestly ministry, however practiced, to maintain a personal bond with Christ; he wants us as his 'friends,' friends who seek intimacy with him, who follow his teaching and who undertake to make him known and loved by everyone."

"The Lord wants us to be saints," he affirmed, "in other words, entirely his, not concerned with building a career that is interesting and comfortable in human terms, not seeking success and the praise of others, but entirely dedicated to the good of souls, ready to do our duty unto the end, aware of being 'useful servants' and happy to offer our poor contribution to the spreading of the Gospel."

Prayer

The Pope urged priests to be "men of intense prayer who cultivate a communion of love and life with the Lord."

He continued: "Without this solid spiritual base, how would it be possible to continue our ministry? Those who work in the Lord's vineyard in this way know that what is achieved with dedication, with sacrifice and for love, is never lost."

The Pontiff spoke about the Year for Priests, which will begin June 19, as a "valuable occasion to renew and strengthen your generous response to the Lord's call, in order to intensify your relationship with him."

"Use this opportunity to the utmost," he said, "so as to be priests in accordance with the dictates of Christ's heart, like St. Jean Marie Vianney, Cure of Ars," whose 150th anniversary of death we are preparing to celebrate.

courtesy of Zenit News Agency

The Pope urged priests to be 'men of intense prayer who cultivate a communion of love and life with the Lord.'

This message is CRUCIAL as many American dioceses are gearing up (if not already) for their annual ordination to the priesthood and to the diaconate. Holy Mother Church has over one BILLION members and is a global, worldwide Church. Hence, she NEEDS various types of priests:

PARISH priests - pastors and parochial vicars; serving the daily spiritual needs of the faithful at the local parish level; the majority of priests

TEACHING priests - high school, college and seminary professors who help in the prophetic role of the church to teach the faith.

CHAPLAIN priests - hospital, military, prison, nursing home, etc., who provide a necessary work of mercy

CHANCERY (administration) priests - vocation directors, vicar generals, judicial vicars, chancellors, secretaries to the bishop, etc. who give good advice and
provide necessary assistance to the local bishop. And of course, the Vatican and Apostolic Nunciatures need DIPLOMAT priests to help that vital work of the Church.

What is NOT NEEDED, however are:

BUREAUCRAT priests - ambitious clerics who have miter & crosier envy (bishop wannabees) and/or those middle management pencil pushers who emulate the old Soviet Union bureaucrat. This type is neither liberal nor conservative; neither progressive nor traditional; in other words, he has NO affiliation with either side. He just sides with the current party in power. Someone who says and does anything and everything to preserve his office job rather than spend his time and effort doing the 'Will of God.' Bureaucrat priests are often autocrats who pretend to have more authority than they actually possess. They make dictatorial pronouncements and presume to speak on behalf of the current diocesan bishop or currently reigning pontiff. These are the 'professional' clergy who are detached and removed from real parish life and are clueless to what goes on in the real world. They pontificate from ivory towers and often have hidden or enigmatic agendas. You can spot a bureaucrat priest a mile away by the plethora of paperwork (memos, mailings, notices, etc.) emanating from his desk, just to show his importance. POLICY means more to these fellows than canon law or defined dogma and doctrine. Moral principles are made subservient to practical concerns. The bureaucrat priest covers his backside to survive. Moving up the ecclesiastical ladder is their prime directive.

BUSINESS MANAGER priests are obsessed with nickels and dimes, balancing the books and making everything look good on paper. Saving souls is not an urgency, rather, the productivity of programs becomes paramount. These guys run parishes or dioceses like corporations, not like spiritual families or sacred institutions. They place efficiency as their highest goal. As long as the check book balances, the diocesan assessments are paid and the collection never goes down, then they consider themselves SUCCESSFUL. These guys worry about how much it will cost more than how much good will it do.

POLITICIAN priests want to be POPULAR. They preach cotton-candy Catholicism so as not to offend anyone. They tell people what they want to hear instead of what they need to be taught. These guys bend or break canon law and/or diocesan rules to keep the big roller, high end, generous donors from leaving the parish. They think accommodating and compromise are effective tools whereas the real parish priest relies on doctrinal orthodoxy, liturgical accuracy (and reverence) and paternal pastoral authority (being a real spiritual father instead of a corporate stooge). Politician priests want happy faces and avoid all confrontation. These are the wheeler-dealers who make behind the scene arrangements, engage in skulduggery and can often be IDEOLOGUES who are usually throwbacks to the 1960's and 1970's. They see innovation as a political tool to keep and make new members. These guys are usually the ones who deny parishioners their legitimate options and impose their own personal choices as if law. Being politically correct is one indicator of this sort.

ENTERTAINER priests use sacred worship and the Divine Liturgy to entertain and amuse the congregation rather than to render to Almighty God true and proper worship (latria) and adoration. These fellows perform when the celebrate the sacraments. They choreograph gestures and movements, not based on the rubrics of the Missal but based on what they learned in a recent liturical workshop. Entertainer priests want to BE loved and to be showered with affection and approval. They do not preach uncomfortable messages nor do they enforce complicated laws. These guys are current on every fad and tidbit the modern media eschews daily so as to appear to be 'with it.'  Reverence takes a back seat, if not in the trunk, to enjoyment. They want people to enjoy the Mass instead of seeking to please God by giving Him proper worship.

The good priests who work in parishes, hospitals, prisons, chancery offices, the military or who teach in schools and seminaries, etc. are different from the bureaucrat, business manager, politician, or entertainer priest. The former are committed to serving God and Holy Mother Church by doing and giving his best in any and every assignment he is given. The latter insist on picking and choosing what they do, how they do it and where it is done. The motives of the former are based on SACERDOTAL OBEDIENCE and SACRIFICE.  The motives of the latter are rooted in AMBITION, ENVY, and PRIDE.

Our current Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, is a Vatican diplomat and an excellent one at that. He is NOT a politician priest nor a bureaucrat priest, however. He is at heart a parish priest serving the Holy Father in a diplomatic assignment. He treats priests the same way he treats bishops; with dignity and respect. When my mother met him last year, he was as gracious to her as if she were the Queen of England. A real priests' priest and a true son of the Church, we need more bishops and officials like Archbishop Sambi, to show what is really important. There are too many politician, business manager and bureaucrat priests who dilute doctrine and disregard discipline just to make people comfortable and so make themselves popular. The president of Notre Dame University pleased the crowd at graduation but he offended many alumni and scandalized the faithful around the nation and around the world.

Fathers Pavone, Corapi, Groeschel, Levis, et al. are not the most popular priests in the USA but they are some of the most faithful. When Father Zuhlsdorf or Father Finigan (in the UK) write their blogs, there are always some who disagree, but these priests do not seek fame, rather, they seek fidelity to the truth.

Priesthood is practiced in the parish but also in the classroom, seminary, office or battlefield. The good priests must be rooted in daily prayer and regular confession and direction, annual retreats, workshops and seminars. They must be loyal to the Magisterium and the Roman Pontiff even when unpopular or when politically precarious. The motive must be, as is stated in the last canon of the 1983 Code: (#1752)

SALUS ANIMARUM IN ECCLESIA SUPREMA LEX = the supreme law of the church is the salvation of souls


When the motive, however, is move up the ladder at all cost; do whatever has to be done to get ahead; the ends justifies the means, etc., then church life is no better or different than corporate America during this recent business scandal. Each priest must decide for himself HOW he will act and WHY. If it is to SERVE the Lord and His holy Church, then all he has to do is be FAITHFUL to what the Church teaches and how she prays. Sound doctrine and reverent, accurate liturgy is what the people need, want and expect. Nero sought to entertain the crowds in Rome and they turned on him first chance they got.  Jesus came and established a Church to teach the truth and to celebrate the divine mysteries of faith, properly.

XXI Jubilee

May 14th was my 21st anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. May 28th is the same anniversary for my colleague, co-author and classmate, Fr. Ken Brighenti.

As I mentioned in my homily on EWTN last week (Friday, May 15th) priests NEED post-ordination ongoing formation. Daily prayer, regular confession and annual retreat are but the very minimum required by canon law. But why be content with being on life-support when you could be fully alive? Priests need IN ADDITION TO daily prayer, regular confession and annual retreat:

1. regular SPIRITUAL DIRECTION (monthly if possible; every three months at least)

2. annual workshops, conferences, seminars

3. good FRIENDSHIPS (clergy & laity)

4. healthy recreation, i.e., DAYS OFF and VACATION

Priesthood is about DOING priestly things (teaching doctrine; celebrating sacraments; shepherding a community) and about BEING a priest.

Elderly & retired and physically disabled priests are still ontologically priests AND they still exercise their priesthood by OFFERING SACRIFICE. Even when a priest is too old, too sick and/or too feeble to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he can and must offer his internal suffering as a sacrificial oblation to save souls. Too many priests have fallen into the secular humanist trap of only seeing priestly ACTIVITY as important.

Ontologically, tu es sacerdos in aeternam

This means that priests can still offer sacrifice even when the world considers them redundant or obsolete.

Many GOOD and doctrinally orthodox priests ignore their right and need for a day off and/or for vacation. "I'm too busy doing my priestly work," they say. Even Our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, had down time. He took time to take nap. He went to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus to unwind and relax. He went to the home of Zaccheus for a good meal. He worked, He prayed, He sacrificed and He suffered. But He also took time to be by Himself and time to be with His friends. HE WAS NOT A WORKAHOLIC.

I see many good priests start out zealous and full of vim and vigor. Then if they fall into the trap of not making and taking time for their ONGOING SPIRITUAL, THEOLOGICAL and PASTORAL FORMATION, they are 99.9% likely to become angry, bitter, cantankerous and impossible to live with. No parochial vicar wants to live with them and no parishioner wants to talk to them. They become angry men because they resent the time they could have had with their family while still alive. Now that their parents and siblings are dead, they are bitter that their 'duties' kept them away.

I found in 21 years of priesthood, that people WANT their priests to spend some quality time with their family and friends because it makes us BETTER PRIESTS in the long run. Sure, every diocese and parish has had its share of goldbrickers, i.e., the occasional priest who does as little work as possible. He is never in the rectory, he never visits the sick, he can never be reached, he is rarely in his clerical garb since he is spending most of his time doing secular things. These FEW miscreants tempt some of us to overcompensate and become obsessed with spending ALL our time in the parish. The pastor's sanity requires him to get away now and then. His getting away will also bring some peace to his curate and staff and even his parishioners need a break from the same style of sermons day after day and week after week.

Priesthood is not a job or a career, but a vocation, hence, one never takes a day off from BEING a priest. But a pastor, parochial vicar, bishop, deacon, etc., can and must take a regular day off and some regular vacation time from the PLACE where they live and work. When on my day off or on vacation, I still pray and offer Mass and still wear my collar but since I am away from the parish, OTHER people may ask me for a blessing, for confession, for advice, etc. One time, while on my day off and doing some Christmas shopping, a police officer riding a horse stopped me and asked to go to confession. While on the subway in Washington, DC, I have been asked to bless a rosary or medal. While having a meal in a restaurant, a waiter, waitress or patron have asked for some catechetical or spiritual advice. That was being a priest in my estimation. Having people see that we priests are NORMAL, that we are not all pedophiles, that we are human like them and must be on our best behavior 24/7 because it is the right thing to do, is helpful.

Priests who leave the active ministry do so mostly because they have stopped praying, stopped going on annual retreat, have not gone to spiritual direction since seminary and many have not gone to confession regularly either. Many of them do not have any good priest friends. Jesus picked three of the twelve to be His CLOSE friends. Peter, James and John were often alone with Christ as well as being with Jesus when the other nine were around. John was His best friend, His beloved, and every priest needs a good, best friend to stand by him through thick and thin. Father Ken Brighenti is like St. John to me. We have been best friends since 1983 and we went to seminary together and were ordained the same year (but for different dioceses). He is like a brother to me. We vacation together and help each other and we don't take each other too seriously, either, which is good for our egos and our humility. Just as Jesus had James as well as his brother John, I got Father Dennis Dalessandro to complement Father Ken Brighenti. Fr. Dennis has been ordained five more years than I have but we have been in the same, similar and subsequent parishes for the past two decades (and we have been very good friends since 1989). Every priest should have a friend (classmate) from his seminary days, from his ordination and from the diocese where he can hang out and give/get fraternal support. Having someone in the same diocese is critical because of distance and the sharing of similar concerns. Having a seminary/ordination friend is important because of longevity and history. Then, as Jesus also had St. Peter, I have Father Bob Levis, my mentor and hero. I still call him "Father" since he knew me when I was 14 years old in high school seminary. He was one of three who supported me even when the rest abandoned me and I almost did not get ordained. He stood by me when two dioceses rejected me and he was the one who got me into the third diocese which I have never left since. He vested me at ordination and he asked me to preach his Golden Jubilee and last year his 60th, too.

I think every priest needs to maintain friendships with at least one classmate from the seminary, one diocesan brother and one older, more mature and wise mentor to guide him. These along with daily prayer, regular confession AND SPIRITUAL DIRECTION and annual retreat, seminar and workshop, are invaluable.

Having some good, morally sound lay friends is also indispensible. I have some very dear friends like Tom McKenna, Michael Drake, Tom Lang and a whole family (Christina & Keith Burkhart along with their adult children Kyle, Karly, and Chris) which have become a second family to me. With these wonderful lay friends and my wonderful clergy friends, I feel abundantly blessed by God and with my spiritual and theological ongoing formation (thanks to the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy) these friends are just as important to my being and becoming a better priest (Deo volente). When I hear of priests who have no clergy friends and who either never take time off or if when they do, they 'escape' by impersonating a layperson in every way possible, then I fear that they are headed toward a meltdown. PRAYER and FRATERNAL SUPPORT go hand in hand. We need both and both help one another. I recently made a new friend thanks to the internet: Andrew Rabel from Australia. While we all have 'associates' and 'colleagues', just like Our Lord, it is important to have real FRIENDS and for priests and deacons, we NEED clergy friends and we NEED lay friends. We need to aggressively pursue ongoing formation and we need to support one another.

As I have done every year for the past 21 years, I reconsecrated my priesthood to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Clergy and Mother of Priests:

O Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, Mother of the Church, a priestly people, Mother of priests, ministers of your Son: accept the humble offering of myself, so that in my pastoral mission the infinite mercy of Eternal High Priest may be proclaimed: O "Mother of Mercy".

You who shared the "priestly obedience" of your Son, and who prepared for him a worthy receptacle by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, keep my priestly life in the ineffable mystery of your divine maternity, "Holy Mother of God".

Grant me strength in the dark hours of this life, support me in the exertions of my ministry, entrust me to Jesus, so that, in communion with you, I may fulfill the ministry with fidelity and love, O Mother of the Eternal Priest "Queen of Apostles and Help of Priests".

Make me faithful to the flock entrusted to me by the Good Shepherd, You silently accompanied Jesus on his mission to proclaim the Gospel to the poor.

May I always guide it with patience, sweetness firmness and love, caring for the sick, the weak, the poor and sinners, O "Mother, Help of the Christian People".

I consecrate and entrust myself to you, Mary, who shared in the work of redemption at the Cross of your Son, you who "are inseparably linked to the work of salvation".

Grant that in the exercise of my ministry I may always be aware of the "stupendous and penetrating dimension of your maternal presence" in every moment of my life, in prayer, and action, in joy and sorrow, in weariness and in rest, O "Mother of Trust".

Grant, Holy Mother, than in the celebration of the Mass, source and center of the priestly ministry, that I may live my closeness to Jesus in your maternal closeness to Him, so that as "we celebrate the Holy Mass you will be present with us" and introduce us to the redemptive mystery of your divine Son's offering "O Mediatrix of all grace flowing from this sacrifice to the Church and to all the faithful" O "Mother of Our Savior".

O Mary: I earnestly desire to place my person and my desire for holiness under your maternal protection and inspiration so that you may bring me to that "conformation with Christ, Head and Shepherd" which is necessary for the ministry of every parish priest.

Make me aware that "you are always close to priests" in your mission of servant of the One Mediator, Jesus Christ: O "Mother of Priests" Queen of the Clergy"Advocate, Co-Redemptorix and Mediatrix" of all graces.

Amen.