Priesthood

[doke]

what process does one have to go through to become a priest?

 

[StrawberryJam]

what process does one have to go through to become a priest?

The Vocations forum may be of more help to you, IMHO. There are posters that post there who have much more knowledge about that topic in that forum.

I have no idea, but to be clear you may want to ask " What process does a Latin Rite or Eastern Rite Catholic in communion with Rome have to go through to become a priest?"

 

[DavidFilmer]

what process does one have to go through to become a priest?

It depends on what type of priest.

There are “religious” priests - ie, affiliated with a Religious Order (such as Dominican or Franciscan). These priests are accountable to the Superiors of their Order, and not directly to the Bishop of the Diocese in which they serve. A Religious Order is fairly autonomous from the local Ordinary (Bishop) unless it offers direct ministry to the lay faithful (who “belong” to the Bishop).

Then there are “Diocesan” priests, who are directly accountable to the Bishop of their Diocese. They are essentially employees of the Diocese.

The requirements for acceptance to a priestly vocation is left to the Order or the Bishop, and they vary (and even more so by nationality). There are usually educational requirements - generally the candidate would already hold a Bachelor’s Degree, and would receive a Master’s Degree at a Catholic Seminary as part of his formation (possibly paid for by his Order/Diocese). And, of course, there are other requirements. For example, a candidate must have been a practicing Catholic for some number of years (a brand-new convert would not be accepted to a vocation).

Religious Orders do not generally accept a person with the understanding that he will become a priest. He will be a brother/monk (really, a layperson), and (at the discretion of the Order) may become ordained. A Diocesan priest, of course, is expected to be a priest (he serves a six-month minimum term as a Deacon).

 

[TheMc]

what process does one have to go through to become a priest?

If you are the one considering, I would recommend getting in touch with your vocations director. He will be able to help you through everything. They’re very knowledgeable in the area.

 

[EricFilmer]

Three quick additions to what has already been presented in this thread…

If a man does not already have a bachelor’s degree, a diocese or religious order may be willing to assist or fully cover this aspect of his education. It all depends on the exact diocese or religious order in question. If the man gets his bachelor’s degree and then drops out of the vocations program, he may be required to pay back the diocese/religious order for whatever college costs they initially covered.

Although in becoming a priest a man chooses to either belong to a diocese or a religious order, he can change from one to another at a later time, with the approval of his religious superiors. For example, a diocesan priest can later become a Benedictine monk (if he feels called by God). His bishop and the abbot of the monastery he wants to join would have to approve of this. And the reverse is also true, because a monk could leave his monastery and become a diocesan priest.

Here is a link to a newly published book (To Save a Thousand Souls) to guide people in discerning a vocation to the priesthood. This book gives both prayerful and practical advice, and I highly recommend it:
amazon.com/Save-Thousand-Souls-Discerning-Priesthood/dp/0615345514/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286370100&sr=1-1