Obedience to priests

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savedbychrist

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To what extent are we obliged to obey a priest (an ordinary priest or a parish pastor)? Some areas are clear, such as the penance they give in Confession. What about advices they give in daily life or in Confession?

Say a priest tells you to pray all 15 decades of rosary every day (not as penance), or teaches you that joining fellowships and ministries are essential, are you obliged to do so? And does this differ for people with spiritual problems (e.g. spiritual sloth, lax/erroneous/scrupulous conscience…)?
 
savedbychrist said:
To what extent are we obliged to obey a priest (an ordinary priest or a parish pastor)? Some areas are clear, such as the penance they give in Confession. What about advices they give in daily life or in Confession?

Say a priest tells you to pray all 15 decades of rosary every day (not as penance), or teaches you that joining fellowships and ministries are essential, are you obliged to do so? And does this differ for people with spiritual problems (e.g. spiritual sloth, lax/erroneous/scrupulous conscience…)?
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A priest has a certain rights and responsibilities just as you do. Advice is a recommendation not an obligation.
 
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The obligations of the faithful are spelled out in Canon Law:
  • You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
  • You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
  • You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.
  • You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.
  • You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
Outside of these precepts, you pastor can only give advice and clarification, not add new mandates. You pastor can also dispense some of the obligations for good cause.
 
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Unless you have taken a vow of obedience and the priest is your superior, you are not obligated to follow his advice.

However, if he is telling you to follow the Church teaching, such as that you must not commit a certain sin or that you cannot receive Holy communion until you stop a sinful behavior, it is not the priest you’re obeying, it’s the law of God.

In the case where the priest is simply recommending that you join some group or take up a certain optional spiritual practice, you should seriously consider his advice and make your own prudential judgment whether to follow it. Often the advice of priests is good advice, just like doctors generally give good medical advice. However, if, after serious and prayerful consideration, you decide not to follow the advice, it’s not a sin. If you then find yourself having the same problems again you should reconsider the priest’s advice.
 
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