Do priests take a vow of poverty; or some sort of commitment to give up worldly goods? A priest in a nearby parish drives a Mercedes but constantly asks parish members for money; is this not hypocritical?
It depends. Priests who are members of a religious community (e.g. Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, etc.) do take a vow of poverty. Diocesan priests do not take a vow of poverty. There is a basic guideline that diocesan priests are expected to follow:
Can. 282 §1. Clerics are to foster simplicity of life and are to refrain from all things that have a semblance of vanity.
As for the type of car the priest drives, perhaps it was a gift, perhaps it was sold to him at a low price, perhaps he inherited it. While priests should be careful about what image they give off, we all should also be careful not to make hasty judgments.
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