How much authority and power do you personally give a priest

[redcatholic]

Who enforced the law?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’ve personally had priests try to counsel me to use birth control, I’ve had them tell me masturbation is ok. On the flip side some priests might suggest someone have relations when they don’t want to etc. and that’s kind of the reason I cringe when a blanket answer is “go ask your priest” on some of these issues.

Was this in response to a question you asked, or just the priest giving his own opinions as some of them are prone to do?

I’m generally interested in how other Catholics defer authority and education to priests where they live.

There have been many, many priests to choose from everywhere I’ve ever been, and it’s pretty easy to find one who seems like a reasonable and trustworthy priest. There have been a number of priests who posted on this forum, and out of that group there are some priests I would definitely go to for advice because they seem to have a good handle on both priestly knowledge and relating to people, or at least relating to me, and there are others who I would avoid because they seemed to be lacking in one or the other. In some cases, the priest I would avoid was beloved by other forum members, or other Catholics in a parish, so priests are not a “one size fits all” and different people will feel comfortable with different types of priest.

It’s the same way you choose a doctor, a lawyer, a financial advisor etc. Does he know his stuff? Is he someone you can communicate with, work with, generally trust? Is he reasonably available to you? To the extent he has some faults or some knowledge gaps, is that something where you can go to another person or just handle it yourself? For example, some people would prefer to take marriage questions to their deacon because the deacon has been married for 35 years and has experience at being a husband.

It’s pretty easy to find a trustworthy priest, at least for me. Whether his advice is actually helpful or not is something else again, but most of the priests I talk to can be relied upon to not lead me or others into sin.

 

[fhansen]

Yes, it’s easier to recommend a local priest who we know personally. Via the internet we’re dealing with a very different situation.

 

[porthos11]

Who enforced the law?

The law is enforced by the Keys and by God himself. Of course we don’t have a canonical police force, but violation of the law can have implications for liceity, or even sacramental validity for certain sacraments, notably, Matrimony and Penance.

And of course there is a moral component to it. Intentionally breaking a binding law of the Church, enforced or not, and even if it just concerns liceity (e.g. canon 1115), carries sin and must be brought to Confession. And in some cases, they carry not only the guilt of sin, but even a canonical penalty, which affects sacramental validity. There may be no “excommunicated checker” at the door, but since God himself holds bound what his Church has promulgated, one cannot mock and fool God by pretending to go to Confession, for example, or approach Communion while excommunicated, even though excommunication is “merely” an ecclesiastical/canonical power, not a divine one.

We may not be under every single whim of a pastor, but we are bound by the the laws issued for us. That includes universal canon law and our diocese’s particular law. To those laws we do owe obedience.

 

[Servant31]

I think it is important to consider context as well. I’ve seen quite a few assumptions made about authors’ intent when making those posts.

I asked a question, a serious one, and although not worded perfectly which I readily admit, and did then as well, I really was trying to get a greater understanding of faith, and faith in practice. I was seeking practical counsel. Even if that meant I was in the wrong.

What I got was a load of accusation, paranoia, and presumed intent. It was an apologetics question. It was a major factor in a major life decision on how to move forward from an accurate faith perspective. And looking back it was wrong. I left the forum for many years.

I think the mods have done quite a bit of work to clean up. Thank you @moderators for a tough job. And I think it’s significantly better than it used to be. But we need to be cognizant of the fact that we represent a Catholic community to the world here imho. I think there is some responsibility on us as a community tbh.

 

[OddBird]

Except from sacramental/canonical authority, I give them just as much authority as I decide.

I take seriously (but not blindly) what priests I trust tell me. If I don’t trust a priest, he’s going to have very little impact on my life, not least because he’s not the one I’ll contact when there’s something I’d like to talk through with a trusted person.

Here on the forums, I think most people tell others to ask their priests when a) they’re likely to have expertise on a particular topic or b) it’s about forming one’s conscience.

 

[Servant31]

Please have an upvote, in my opinion a great perspective

 

[redcatholic]

I think that’s sound logic and advice. But it sure is different than the “go talk to your priest” that there is on the forums. As a convert I suppose I have a healthy bit of skepticism when it comes to This idea of clericalism that seems to run through the Church. It’s one area I really agree with the pope about.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

This idea of clericalism

Many of us in the cheap seats who haven’t had to deal with a “bad priest” have no idea what terms like this mean, to be honest. Or how it is in other churches, if we are cradles ourselves.

 

[redcatholic]

Yes. Thank you.

 

[farronwolf]

Not much authority here with our current pastor.

His job is to perform priestly duties for our parish and us as parishioners. It isnt neccisarily to be involved in my personal affairs or with my family.

I will just leave it at that.

 

[njlisa]

I don’t personally give a priest power and authority. God
does, through the ministry of the church.

I follow a priest’s instructions according to the rights of
the faithful. As such, I obey a priest in his sacramental role.

When a priest gives me a penance, I comply.

If a priest asks me to teach confirmation classes, I can decline.

If a priest were to tell me to do something immoral, I would follow
my conscience. I would then report him to the diocese.

+++++++

Below, I’ve cited two paragraphs from canon law that may shed
light on this question.

Title 1 of Canon Law: the Obligations and Rights of the Christian Faithful

212 §1. Conscious of their own responsibility, the Christian faithful are bound to follow with Christian obedience those things which the sacred pastors, inasmuch as they represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or establish as rulers of the Church.

In some cases, the faithful also have an obligation to challenge Church.

§3. According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons.

 

[stpurl]

Excuse me? That’s not a stat, it’s a figure of speech. As far as ‘bias’ goes, the original post made, was what I responded to, not the later posts which went into the stratosphere of ‘but what ifs’ etc.

It is more telling of others’ ‘bias’ that rather than considering the norm, they immediately jump to the most extreme examples.

 

[Shakuhachi]

A lot depends on the individual priest as well. There is one in mind whom i think is especially wise and helpful while some of the other, no s much.

 

[annad347]

He does in some contexts, as I said per Church teaching and canon law.

that’s what I meant as well… when it comes to the Sacraments, and church teachings… but I belong to the authority of God.

and yes there are different types of authority.

I read the OP. There is absolutely nothing there that indicates that the person is giving the priest authority that belongs to God

I guess the part of the question that worried me was when the OP asked if how much authority should we yield to our priest, and included ultimately faith in the question.

I know there are different types of faith, like faith the I will breath in air when I take a breath, faith when I ask someone to do something I know it will get done… yadda, yadda… but it sounded the type of faith the OP is talking about belongs to God. That faith shouldn’t be yield (meaning given too) anyone but God, and whom God gives authority too…which means the priest’s authority to the Sacraments, the church and church teaching, to help us understand God.

 

[BT3241]

Being a priest doesn’t make you a Saint or above anyone - I admire some but they are human and sinners just like everyone else and prone to evil - maybe more if the Devil had his way. The church has gone through a lot of scandal with the priests. Knowing this I am always cautious not to give anyone more authority than I give myself.

 

[pnewton]

The pastor of your parish, which is always either your territorial parish OR a personal parish (rare, such as a Polish parish for example) is always your pastor.

The law is enforced by the Keys and by God himself.

That is rather strong for a canon that starts, “As a general rule…”

I think I will defer to the bishop on this one, not those who claim he is violating canon law, which is by its nature not doctrine.

 

[Atrocitous]

@redcatholic I guess I was a bit too honest in my first answer to your question, I’ll try to make it less brutally honest. No I do not give the Church or clergy or religious any authority over me, why ?simply because they are not the ones who have to do the day to day work of my life. When they decide to pitch in with expenses and caring for the elderly in my family, Then I might give them a bit more consideration.

 

[Kima]

I´d say I respect all priests, unless I have a serious reason not to. They have an authority of which I as a layperson don´t have. I confide personal stuff to only a few priests, and usually that´s because I know them and trust them. But I have also in the past confided in priests I don´t know very well, and even don´t like very well because he is a priest.

Even though I value advice I get from priests, it doesn´t mean that I necessarily follow them. I remember once being told to do something which I knew was wrong, and my conscience told me otherwise, in which case I followed my conscience.

So either way God is over the priest in authority and at the end of the day I desire to do what God wants for me → regardless.