My great uncle is a methodist minister. He retired recently and that bright up the question as to whether our not a catholic priest us still a priest after he retires and if they are what do they do?
A priest is a priest for forever. If a priest retires, he is merely retiring from active administration and the demands of a particular assignment. A retired priest can still offer Mass publicly and administer the sacraments. He is still bound by celibacy and obedience to his bishop.
As the Catechism states:
1582 As in the case of Baptism and Confirmation this share in Christ’s office is granted once for all. the sacrament of Holy Orders, like the other two, confers an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated or conferred temporarily.
1583 It is true that someone validly ordained can, for a just reason, be discharged from the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can be forbidden to exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the strict sense, because the character imprinted by ordination is for ever. the vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him permanently.
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