Loyalty to Pope or your Bishop?

[Trident59]

I attended a liturgy committee meeting last night as an observer. The priest said that the Bishop wanted him to sponsor a “Vocations” Day in the near future. The priest said that he felt it was not worth the time as we never sent anyone to a seminary. I reminded him that we have sent two young men in the last 5 years. At the mention of this the priest said that the Bishop was very irritated with the young men because they went to a traditional seminary and without his endorsement.

The priest then mentioned that that family had declared their loyalty to the Pope and not necessarily to the Bishop.

Is there a protocol for a young man to follow in applying to a seminary? And what if his Bishop is not favorable to the young mans selection?

I personally know many men that are not in seminaries in their home diocese.

Need (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[Unfinished]

I attended a liturgy committee meeting last night as an observer. The priest said that the Bishop wanted him to sponsor a “Vocations” Day in the near future. The priest said that he felt it was not worth the time as we never sent anyone to a seminary. I reminded him that we have sent two young men in the last 5 years. At the mention of this the priest said that the Bishop was very irritated with the young men because they went to a traditional seminary and without his endorsement.

The priest then mentioned that that family had declared their loyalty to the Pope and not necessarily to the Bishop.

Is there a protocol for a young man to follow in applying to a seminary? And what if his Bishop is not favorable to the young mans selection?

I personally know many men that are not in seminaries in their home diocese.

Need (name removed by moderator)ut.

Did they apply to be a priest in the diocese? If so, then the Bishop decides where they go - not the students. Although we don’t have a seminary here in my state so they are sent elsewhere, but really when you apply to the diocese everything is up to the Bishop.

 

[icequeen]

I attended a liturgy committee meeting last night as an observer. The priest said that the Bishop wanted him to sponsor a “Vocations” Day in the near future. The priest said that he felt it was not worth the time as we never sent anyone to a seminary. I reminded him that we have sent two young men in the last 5 years. At the mention of this the priest said that the Bishop was very irritated with the young men because they went to a traditional seminary and without his endorsement.

The priest then mentioned that that family had declared their loyalty to the Pope and not necessarily to the Bishop.

Is there a protocol for a young man to follow in applying to a seminary? And what if his Bishop is not favorable to the young mans selection?

I personally know many men that are not in seminaries in their home diocese.

Need (name removed by moderator)ut.

I think that it also depends on whether these young men went into a religious order or not. The order would have control over where they would end up, not the bishop.

 

[Trident59]

To my knowledge, the young men applied to a seminary back east that is very traditional and were accepted. They spent a year in discernment and have been there for almost 5 years now.

I’ll probably never know the real story but found it strange at the attitude of the priest and the Bishop. I thought we would be grateful for young priests and not get into a territorial bush marking contest.

 

[Struggling]

I thought we would be grateful for young priests and not get into a territorial bush marking contest.

Then you have a naively high estimation of the clergy.

“Do as they say, not as they do.”

They are often petty, politicized people just out for a cushy job.

And this is coming from someone who admires many priests, and in fact would like to BE a priest…

But it’s just true for many priests. Not all of them. But you must judge them on a case by case basis like any other humans, and expect a similar proportion of evil as in any human population.

As Pius VII alledgedly said to Napoleon, “The clergy have been trying to destroy the Church for 1800 years…do you really think you’ll do any better?”

 

[mosher]

I attended a liturgy committee meeting last night as an observer. The priest said that the Bishop wanted him to sponsor a “Vocations” Day in the near future. The priest said that he felt it was not worth the time as we never sent anyone to a seminary. I reminded him that we have sent two young men in the last 5 years. At the mention of this the priest said that the Bishop was very irritated with the young men because they went to a traditional seminary and without his endorsement.

The priest then mentioned that that family had declared their loyalty to the Pope and not necessarily to the Bishop.

Is there a protocol for a young man to follow in applying to a seminary? And what if his Bishop is not favorable to the young mans selection?

I personally know many men that are not in seminaries in their home diocese.

Need (name removed by moderator)ut.

There is no protocol in this matter. It should be noted that each individual vocation is different. Some are called to serve a diocese and some are not. For instance if I determine that it is my vocation to serve as a priest in the Fraternity of St. Peter or in a province of a Religious Order it is not under the purview of the local Bishop but rather the Superior of the order or Fraternity. It seems that in this case the Bishop felt that he was entitled to these vocations when in fact none are entitled to serve in a vocation nor receive vocations in their jurisdiction but rather Christ calls each as they are who they are to the vocation of His choosing for the betterment of the soul of the individual person and the good of the Church.

 

[chicago]

Just who are these young men studying for? The diocese? A religious community? A traditionalist group which has broken ties with Rome? Those are some of the questions which need to be answered to better understand the bishop’s position.

 

[KCT]

Just who are these young men studying for? The diocese? A religious community? A traditionalist group which has broken ties with Rome? Those are some of the questions which need to be answered to better understand the bishop’s position.

I agree. I also think the because many dioceses have shortages and many orders don’t, the bishops and priests think the orders are ‘stealing’ vocations.

It’s my understanding that each vocation is different, so a young man may not be called to diocesan life. It’s not like the first person to find him, gets him. He needs to go where God calls him and it may not be his diocese. —KCT

 

[Trident59]

Thanks to all who replied to my questions. I’ll try to see their grandfather this week. I’m sure he knows the “skinney” on the issue.

Its my understanding that the young men went to a traditional order that is in communion with Rome.

I’ll post more as I find out.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

Most dioceses do not give much of a choice as far as what seminary one attends. Some will send a seminarian to one school for college work and another for graduate work. Some dioceses make use of several seminaries and other dioceses use only one or two. God calls people to different kinds of religious vocations, and diocesan priesthood may not have been what He wanted for these men. Perhaps they felt called to a diocese or an order located elsewhere that fit their own personal spirituality. It is an unfortunate fact that many priests are unhappy with their own vocations, and are therefore reluctant to encourage young men to pursue a priestly vocation. Some were educated in very liberal seminaries and see the current trend toward orthodoxy as a threat to whatever “progress” they were hoping for. Many men considering a vocation are often repelled by theologically liberal pastors, bishops, orders, or dioceses, and will seek out dioceses or orders where they can live an authentic priestly vocation according to the teachings of the Church.

 

[jmcrae]

When a priest is ordained, he makes a vow of loyalty to his Bishop. This vow is renewed on Holy Thursday every year.

A priest who joins a religious order most likely makes his vow of loyalty to his religious superior.