Can Laity Disobey Their Pastors?

[TrueLight]

I was reading another thread and I had this question. Rather than derail it, I started a new thread.

How much authority does the pastor of a parish have over the laity?

Can laity disobey their pastor?

Can a pastor for example, say I want you to do RCIA here, not at the other parish. Or I want you to be confirmed in this form of mass and not the other.

Is it considered bad to go to another pastor or priest for advice if you didn’t like the advice your pastor gave you. Would that be considered going over someone’s head.

Please note I am not speaking about anything that I am currently going through.

Growing up in church I saw many instances of disobedience to the pastor. Theoretically, we were all supposed to listen to the Pastor’s advice, but when people fundamentally disagreed with the pastors, they moved on to another church.

How obedient is the laity expected to be?

Please help me understand the role of the pastor where it concerns the laity in the Catholic church. And please understand I am not looking to be disobedient. Thanks.

 

[jmcrae]

I was reading another thread and I had this question. Rather than derail it, I started a new thread.

How much authority does the pastor of a parish have over the laity?

In the matters pertaining to your conduct at his parish, he has the final authority. You can disagree with him and discuss things with him, but in the end, you do what he decides. He is “the guy in charge” at his parish.

He is responsible to the Bishop for everything that happens in the building; not you, and it just makes his life more difficult if things are going on behind his back that he doesn’t know about (because of someone who “knows better” and thinks they’re doing the right thing) until the Bishop confronts him on it and asks him what on earth is going on. It’s bad for everybody in the whole parish, if the first he hears of something is when the Bishop complains to him about it.

Can a pastor for example, say I want you to do RCIA here, not at the other parish.

He can’t make that decision for you authoritatively, but he can, and probably will, advise you to do RCIA in your home parish. so as to avoid confusion about where your records are kept.

Or I want you to be confirmed in this form of mass and not the other.

This isn’t even a choice that will be offered - there is only one Confirmation Mass for adults, and it takes place on the Easter Vigil, in whichever form the pastor is saying the Easter Vigil Mass in.

Is it considered bad to go to another pastor or priest for advice if you didn’t like the advice your pastor gave you. Would that be considered going over someone’s head.

It’s okay to double-check for a second opinion, but normally you would follow your own pastor’s advice (unless for some reason it was completely off-the-wall; like, if he is out of his mind, or something), since he is the one responsible for your soul; nobody else.

 

[TrueLight]

In the matters pertaining to your conduct at his parish, he has the final authority. You can disagree with him and discuss things with him, but in the end, you do what he decides. He is “the guy in charge” at his parish.

He is responsible to the Bishop for everything that happens in the building; not you, and it just makes his life more difficult if things are going on behind his back that he doesn’t know about (because of someone who “knows better” and thinks they’re doing the right thing) until the Bishop confronts him on it and asks him what on earth is going on. It’s bad for everybody in the whole parish, if the first he hears of something is when the Bishop complains to him about it.

He can’t make that decision for you authoritatively, but he can, and probably will, advise you to do RCIA in your home parish. so as to avoid confusion about where your records are kept.

This isn’t even a choice that will be offered - there is only one Confirmation Mass for adults, and it takes place on the Easter Vigil, in whichever form the pastor is saying the Easter Vigil Mass in.

It’s okay to double-check for a second opinion, but normally you would follow your own pastor’s advice (unless for some reason it was completely off-the-wall; like, if he is out of his mind, or something), since he is the one responsible for your soul; nobody else.

Excellent response. Thanks!

 

[Cider]

Actually you can be confirmed outside of the Easter Vigil, I was and so was my husband. Although Easter Vigil is the norm.

 

[Will_S]

Actually you can be confirmed outside of the Easter Vigil, I was and so was my husband. Although Easter Vigil is the norm.

Not only that, but you can receive extraordinary form confirmation by requesting the sacrament at an extraordinary form parish.

 

[TrueLight]

Not only that, but you can receive extraordinary form confirmation by requesting the sacrament at an extraordinary form parish.

I was told also that if several people in the diocese want to be received in the EF, one can request it of the bishop and they can all be received together, even if they attend different parishes.

But seriously, it is only hypothetical for me.

I treat the Pastor at my parish with respect, but I just wasn’t sure of his role since there are a few different priests who celebrate mass at the parish.

 

[jmcrae]

Actually you can be confirmed outside of the Easter Vigil, I was and so was my husband. Although Easter Vigil is the norm.

The priest would want a good reason to do this - it is a lot of work for him, and he wouldn’t just do it “on demand.”

Not only that, but you can receive extraordinary form confirmation by requesting the sacrament at an extraordinary form parish.

I think you would also have to do your Period of Catechesis at the same parish, wouldn’t you? I can’t see an FSSP priest just going ahead and doing a Confirmation ceremony for someone he has never even met before. He would want to know that you had been correctly catechized.

 

[zab]

In the matters pertaining to your conduct at his parish, he has the final authority. You can disagree with him and discuss things with him, but in the end, you do what he decides. He is “the guy in charge” at his parish.

He is responsible to the Bishop for everything that happens in the building; not you, and it just makes his life more difficult if things are going on behind his back that he doesn’t know about (because of someone who “knows better” and thinks they’re doing the right thing) until the Bishop confronts him on it and asks him what on earth is going on. It’s bad for everybody in the whole parish, if the first he hears of something is when the Bishop complains to him about it. …

 

[Joannm]

The priest would want a good reason to do this - it is a lot of work for him, and he wouldn’t just do it “on demand.”

I think you would also have to do your Period of Catechesis at the same parish, wouldn’t you? I can’t see an FSSP priest just going ahead and doing a Confirmation ceremony for someone he has never even met before. He would want to know that you had been correctly catechized.

I don’t know if in the EF the bishop can give delegation to a priest to celebrate Confirmation. Our bishop will confirm kids in the EF but he would not do it every year. I remember when I received COnfirmation in the EF form the bishop came every two or three years and several grades received COnfirmation. Also EF Confirmation was not celebrated at a Mass.

 

[Will_S]

I don’t know if in the EF the bishop can give delegation to a priest to celebrate Confirmation. Our bishop will confirm kids in the EF but he would not do it every year. I remember when I received COnfirmation in the EF form the bishop came every two or three years and several grades received COnfirmation. Also EF Confirmation was not celebrated at a Mass.

The delegation to a priest is also done in the EF, and, as you said, often several years pass between confirmations, although that really depends on the number of people wishing to be confirmed.

 

[Will_S]

I think you would also have to do your Period of Catechesis at the same parish, wouldn’t you? I can’t see an FSSP priest just going ahead and doing a Confirmation ceremony for someone he has never even met before. He would want to know that you had been correctly catechized.

That’s correct, although it is not unheard of for people to go out-of-diocese (with permission, of course) for confirmation in the EF.