If other arrangements can’t be made, then I’d be the first to accept that this means I’m not called. But I’m not one to make such a conclusion after only “one knock” at the door. To say, “well, the current system is would be extremely stifling and emotionally exhausting to me, it must mean it isnt meant to be” when I still do have the desire, the zeal, etc. I’m willing to look a little harder.
That is well put. I agree with the fact that there are changes coming and need to be made. I dissagree though that we should be “free” and we should not have to go through formation. One post I read, about Bishops need to be real picky and bla bla bla sounds wonderful and all. But there are other people in a dioces than a bishop. We have had 6 priest in our diocese pass away this year. I am sorry but I really don’t like Eucharistic services and I think that it does NOT replace a REAL Mass. So what justice does a bishop do when he gets to damn picky it effects the whole diocese and frankly a lot of parishoners in my church rather go to Mass. I can see if a bishop is real picky when there are two priests for every parish like the good old days. We have many churches here that don’t have priests and the bishop is to blame. He has ways to let older men in. Life experience has as much education as a 4 year degree and I am offended and apalled at the fact I mastered a musical instrument and working on my next I know 3 trades electrical (master) plumbing Building maintainence and refrigeration. That just goes out the window. Yet an electrical engineeer because of a stinken piece of paper gets in. IT is BS!!! and the time has come to where a change is needed. If this was a regular company I would sue for age discriminatioin!!! because that is what it boiled down too and I also feel that 39 isn’t old by a long shot either is 50!!! No we don’t need a change in the seminary what we need is, is a change of how to get in the seminary. I am sick and tired of hearing about the shortage of priests and I am sick of Eucharistic services. No we don’t need freelance priests we need priests period and to weed out the bishops who pick and choose because of age or a lack of a degree. Lord knows how many wonderful canidates bishops threw out because of some stupid reason. We need to revamp the vocation process and need to get more common sense in the process.,
You’re leaving out the most important part. A diocesan priest shares the priesthood of the bishop, not the other way around. Therefore, the bishop, as successor to the apostles has absolute authority and inviolable authority regarding the selection of candidates to the priesthood. Aside from this, the bishop is also bound to comply with canon law. Canon law requires that every deacon and priest have a specific number of courses in philosophy and theology. The universal law does not specify whether the degree must be a Master’s or a Bachelor. It is very clear on the theological, pastoral and human formation that one must have to be a deacon or a priest. Canon law also requires that only a Doctor of Theology or a Doctor of Canon Law can be a bishop.
Religious orders operate a little differently. It is not the bishop who selects the candidates for ordination, but the community with the approval of the major superior. You must first complete your formation to religious life, which is from 7 to 10 years and then make perpetual vows as a religious. If you’re not a perpetually professed member of the order, you cannot aks for ordination. Once you make perpetual vows, the brothers vote to decide whether or not you have a vocation to Holy Orders. If they vote yes, you must then go to the next step. The brothers send their recommendation to major superior, who is the voice of Christ. He must confirm the vote. If he vetoes the vote, you do not have a call to be a priest. But you do have a call to be a religious and you’re bound to the order until death.
If the major superior, speaking for Christ, confirms the call to the priesthood, he presents you to a bishop for ordination. The bishop cannot deny the ordination, unless there is a canonical impediment that he knows about. If there is not canonical impediment, he ordains the religiious. But you do not cease to be a religious. You are a priest within a religious family and you are subject, not to the bishop, but to your community. You not promise obedience to the bishop. Your obedience is to your community.
Most religious orders of men require that you have an acedmic degree and a theological degree. Any member of a religious order can be ordained, if it is allowed by the founder and by the current major superior. Some founders did not allow for their men to be ordained. Others put restrictions on how many and the criteria of selecting those to be ordained. In our Franciscan tradition, the brothers who are ordained must be slected by the community. They are ordained only if the community needs priests either for their religious house or for their ministry. For example, if the province does education and no parish work, we only ordain a few friars to celebrate mass for the other friars and hear confessions in the friary.
The priesthood is not a right of individuals or of a community of people. People have the right to receive the sacraments. But they do not have the right to be ordained. Ordination is a privilege that is granted either by a bishop or by a religious community at their discretion. This is based on doctrine. Christ calls only through the bishop or the major religious superior, no other way.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
