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[maize]

what does it mean when a priest goes from being administrator of a parish to pastor?

 

[Joannm]

what does it mean when a priest goes from being administrator of a parish to pastor?

A pastor is an installed position which come with certain rights and responsibilites under canon law. An administrator is usually a priest who takes over the daily administration of a parish when somthing happens to a pastor and he is unable to serve for a time or in he dies or must gives up his position, the adminstrator fills in until a pastor is appointed. In our diocese usually retired preists or priests who have other duties fill in as adminstrators until the bishop names a pastor. Sometimes the administrator may be named pastor.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

what does it mean when a priest goes from being administrator of a parish to pastor?

To use dating language: a pastor is “going steady” with the parish whereas an administrator is merely “seeing” the parish.

 

[SMHW]

In many parishes today it is common for a bishop to name a new priest as administrator while the priest is “trying on” the parish and the parishioners are getting to know the priest. If this turns out to be a “good fit” for everyone then the priest will be named pastor.

 

[PacoG]

To use dating language: a pastor is “going steady” with the parish whereas an administrator is merely “seeing” the parish.

So a pastor can’t go out other parishes and is not allowed to keep his friends.

An administrator can’t go out with other parishes but is allowed to keep his friends.

I’m guessing the moderator of a cluster is the equivilent of “going out”…he can date other parishes and is allowed to keep his friends?

 

[basenji]

To use dating language: a pastor is “going steady” with the parish whereas an administrator is merely “seeing” the parish.

So if you’re mad at your pastor does that mean that you go out with or to his ex-parish?

Sorry, couldn’t resist

 

[FrDavid96]

what does it mean when a priest goes from being administrator of a parish to pastor?

That depends upon the circumstances. Sometimes an administrator is named if the pastor is absent for a long time (for any number of reasons). It doesn’t sound like this applies here though.

If there is no pastor, a priest might be named administrator because his time there will be short, or because he already has another parish under his care (this is also usually temporary because a priest can be the pastor of more than one parish).

In practical terms, an administrator is the equivalent of a pastor. There are times when canon law specifies that a pastor has certain responsibilities and rights which do not apply to an administrator. Most (but be careful, not all) of the time, when a bishop appoints an administrator, he also specifies that the admin. has the same faculties as a pastor. So, there is very little practical difference between a pastor and an administrator.

An administrator can be removed and re-assigned by the bishop at any time. Under canon law, a pastor can only be removed if he submits a resignation to the bishop, or if he is found guilty of certain offenses. (When pastors are moved in routine re-assignments, such resignations are usually “requested”).