Priests just blending in

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I think my point is getting lost in translation somewhere. I’m not saying that the priests should live in little “holy bubbles” and become oblivious to the “real world” but by blending in (ex. wearing normal clothes), which is the topic of this thread, they act like they want to be one of us. I would think since they’ve accepted the calling of the priesthood, that they would proudly wear the Roman collar and either the cassock or black pants/black shirt out in public and be a living witness of Christ.
I have met a few priests that ALWAYS wear the Roman collar with either the cassock or black shirt and pants. I admire them for being so bold in a world that’s very-much anti-Christ.

And I have met priests who do not dress in such a manner all the time especially when they are out on personal business because 1) of the ridicule and hate they experience and 2) becuase of lay people constantly interrupting them to such an extent that they can not complete their personal business.

I think this comes down to judgeing others and having unrealistic expectations of them.

Priests are just as much a human being as the rest of us, that is something we must remember.

 

[BLB_Oregon]

Does our collection money every Sunday pay for this? Shouldn’t their priorities be at the parish? It seems like once every couple of months we have a substitute filling in.
It’s disheartening, to say the least.

Are you saying that it is inappropriate for us to financially contribute so that our pastors might have a social life? As Thomas Merton once pointed out, the spiritual life is first of all* a life*.

Just as it is good for children if their parents regularly get away and have some time alone, we need our priests to take time away, too. It is truly a need, and not just the priest’s need. Keep in mind, too, that none of these men has a spouse. They have all given up family and the right to have a woman helping them through life. Are we going to deny them having time off, too?

Things have changed since we were young. Priests are carrying far heavier loads than ever before. There are far more Catholics per priest than in the past and parishes are far more active and go through far more changes than in the past: more moving in and moving out, more marital difficulties among parishioners, more and deeper personal problems, more different ministeries in a given parish.

Just go to the family forum and look at the advice: call your priest, talk to your priest, see your pastor. We can’t afford to have these men working themselves into exhaustion without relief.

I think my point is getting lost in translation somewhere. I’m not saying that the priests should live in little “holy bubbles” and become oblivious to the “real world” but by blending in (ex. wearing normal clothes), which is the topic of this thread, they act like they want to be one of us. I would think since they’ve accepted the calling of the priesthood, that they would proudly wear the Roman collar and either the cassock or black pants/black shirt out in public and be a living witness of Christ.
I have met a few priests that ALWAYS wear the Roman collar with either the cassock or black shirt and pants. I admire them for being so bold in a world that’s very-much anti-Christ.

They are one of us. They need vacations. They need recreation. I think it is great that some priests never want to go out without every person they meet knowing their vocation, but can you imagine hearing “MOM!” for 50 years straight–from every kid who walked by in the mall?

This I think is a very good question, but a good question for priests to discuss with each other.

Here is a question for us. When we are out in the world, who can tell we are Catholic? It seems to me that Jesus said his disciples should be recognizable, but what he was speaking about goes way beyond dress. We were given a priesthood at baptism. Do we live it visibly? Which do you think the world would find more inspiring: if the priests were all easily recognizable, or if everyone in the whole Church was recognizable?

And by the way, if you are one of the Catholics who never go out without a crucifix visible on your somewhere, more power to you. It is a witness, it truly is.

 

[RevDrNorth]

A Charismatic Episcopalian priest hearing the confession of a Catholic parishioner in a Catholic church?!? :bigyikes: :tsktsk:

Did the CEC priest at least inform the PARISHIONER that he wasn’t a Catholic priest??

In the article…he makes no mention of informing either the Roman Catholic Priest nor the Pasishioner. I suppose from his point of view the CEC Priests are validly consecrated by Bishops in Apostolic succession so he can hear confession and give absolution. But I understand your concern.

As an side, their is a CEC Priests for Life that is part of Fr, Pavone’s group Priests for Life.

North

 

[Corki]

I’ve noticed that alot of priests, particularly the younger ones, don’t wear the Roman collar or black clothing out in public. In fact, they dress just in normal every day clothes and no one would be able to tell that they are priests.
Also, the last three priests at our parish are hardly ever there. They’re always off on golf tournaments, hunting trips or vacations in the tropics.
Does our collection money every Sunday pay for this? Shouldn’t their priorities be at the parish? It seems like once every couple of months we have a substitute filling in.
It’s disheartening, to say the least.

Didn’t you just start a thread a few days ago about how you can’t yet get yourself to Sunday Mass? Where is it that you are hearing these statements from the priests?

Most parishes set a budget of how the money collected is spent. There is a finance committee that oversees this. In our parish, there is an amount designated for Father to use for entertainment. Sometimes he uses that for a trip. Often his trips are donated. There is a former parishioner who takes Father along on a trip every year. He also organizes trips to religious sites in Europe and, I believe, his portion is paid by the tour company in return for organizing the trip and serving as the chaplain during the trip (which includes saying daily Mass).

Other priests have their own money. I know a priest who was an only child so that when his widowed mother died, he inherited some money and a house.

Yes, most of us only get two weeks of vacation a year. But most of us aren’t on call 24/7 the other 52 weeks either. I think that men who do that are already demonstrating that they are making the parish a priority.

BTW, around here, it is the younger priests who you regularly see in clerics in public and pretty much ONLY the very old (over 80) and young priests who wear the cassocks.

 

[leonie]

Doesn’t “cassock” refer to the long black “dress”? Maybe at one time Catholic priests wore the long dress out in public. But today they mostly wear black pants and a black shirt with a “Roman collar”. And I don’t think the pants and shirt are called a “cassock”.

Yes, in fact our former associate pastor gained some fame for a poster of himself in a cassock…

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Vidi_Aquam]

I’ve noticed that alot of priests, particularly the younger ones, don’t wear the Roman collar or black clothing out in public. In fact, they dress just in normal every day clothes and no one would be able to tell that they are priests.
Also, the last three priests at our parish are hardly ever there. They’re always off on golf tournaments, hunting trips or vacations in the tropics.
Does our collection money every Sunday pay for this? Shouldn’t their priorities be at the parish? It seems like once every couple of months we have a substitute filling in.
It’s disheartening, to say the least.

My priests are always in a roman collar and cassock…they are also alwats at the parish…in fact seeing as we dont have Eucharistic ministers all four priests are present at every single mass. We also have 24 hour on call Confession…oh and Perpetual Adoration with at least one priest at all times.

But then again…we are a F.S.S.P parish.

Good luck for our Novus Ordo brothers.

 

[Trelow]

They announce where they’re going the Sunday before they leave. They’ll say, “I need some r 'n r and I’m going to Corpus Christi to lay on the beach” and then two weeks later “I’m going to Florida for a golf tournament” and then a month later “I’m going hunting with some buddies of mine”.
All I’m getting at is that most people that work only get two weeks worth of vacation a year. If a priest is doing missionary work, that’s one thing. But when taking off to do what I mentioned above is another. It’s just a bit much.

If I recall, they have to take 2 weeks for vacation, and 2 weeks for retreats a year. I may be wrong, it’s happend once before, I think.

 

[scylla]

Priests are human, so even though you might see a few act inappropriately this does not mean that is what they are supposed to do.

Most Priests are dedicated men who have dedicated their lives in service of others. Most Nuns are too. These do need a break once in a while.

What you will usually notice are the exceptions as they stand out by causing trouble. It is not the 100000000000000 normal cells in the human body that cause trouble, it is the few that become cancerous that become quite noticable.

Those priests who follow what the Church teaches and dedicate themselves in service of others always are what priests should be. Those who do not do what the Church teaches and do not dedicate themselves to service are the ones the newspapers notice.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[vince2paul]

Secular priests do not take a vow of poverty, really they take no vows but make promises of obedience and chastity, I think there may be a third but I can not recall it right now but it is not poverty.

Not poverty but live in simplicity. That’s what a seminarian told me.

 

[RevDrNorth]

My priests are always in a roman collar and cassock…they are also alwats at the parish…in fact seeing as we dont have Eucharistic ministers all four priests are present at every single mass. We also have 24 hour on call Confession…oh and Perpetual Adoration with at least one priest at all times.

But then again…we are a F.S.S.P parish.

Good luck for our Novus Ordo brothers.

FSSP parish? Is this one of the schismatic groups or one sanctioned by the church? Excuse my lack of knowledge.

North

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Not poverty but live in simplicity. That’s what a seminarian told me.

They do not make any such promise.

Secular priests only make the promises of celibacy and obedience when they are ordained. I was wrong in thinking that there was a third promise.

They may be taught that they should live simplicity but there is no promise to it.

 

[BLB_Oregon]

They may be taught that they should live simplicity but there is no promise to it.

Kind of like the rest of us.

 

[Vidi_Aquam]

FSSP parish? Is this one of the schismatic groups or one sanctioned by the church? Excuse my lack of knowledge.

North

The FSSP is sanctioned by the Church and is in full Communion with Rome.

 

[ChristIsTheWay]

FSSP parish? Is this one of the schismatic groups or one sanctioned by the church? Excuse my lack of knowledge.

North

Nope, they are a legit order, so to speak. They have been given permission by the Vatican to offer the TLM and, if memory serves correct, they still use the 1962 missal. Check them out at www.fssp.org

 

[Sheeniac]

Secular priests can not do this as they

SNIP

Religious priests are more free to do so but you have to keep in

SNIP

Can someone please explain the difference between the two types of priests? Aren’t they all religious?

Cluelessly, Juli

 

[chicago]

They do not make any such promise.

Secular priests only make the promises of celibacy and obedience when they are ordained. I was wrong in thinking that there was a third promise.

They may be taught that they should live simplicity but there is no promise to it.

While there may be no formal promise, I think that we can safely presume it ought to be somewhat expected, especially in our day and age. People want to see the priest not as a royal character with riches lavished upon him, but a servant of the servants of God. Living simply speaks this much louder that the understandable questioning which will be raised when one witnesses a priest who is perhaps functioning at level of greater wealth. Such can become an easy target for those who just see the Church as a self serving organization.

 

[chicago]

Can someone please explain the difference between the two types of priests? Aren’t they all religious?

Cluelessly, Juli

A priest who is incardinated to serve a particular diocese and it’s needs it often referred to as a “secular priest”. This is distinct from those priests who are members first and foremost of a religious order, thus being dubbed “religious priests”. Members of religious communities take additional vows beyond that which a secular priest is called to make. Their service might be parish based, but it is always in obedience to their religious superior. Often they have a vow of poverty, by which they own little or nothing of their own, save what the order provides. A secular priest, on the other hand, must provide out of his salary certain necessities for his ministry and personal matters.

 

[fiat1122]

About the dressing normally thing, I have never seen it. As for vacations, whatever, these men have giveng thier lives to God! They have very little wordly possessions, certainly much less than us. Who cares if he goes on golf outings or buys a nice car, it’s one of the very few wordly goods that he will have in his lifetime, whereas we have many of these pleasures in ours.

I think GOD cares, as per even if diocesan, priests are called to live simply, not have a rolex, or more than one, two cars, a beach house in the hamptons, a pu, 180,000 in the bank, etc etc when the vatican has said they are to live SIMPLY notice i did not say a diocesan priest in poverty, but simply. I guess this is a way to solidarity with the poor of the USA who can’t afford a gallon of milk, and a pair of shoes, or to get christmas gifts for their kids. “Where your heart is, there your treasure is also.”

 

[leonie]

Our priests receive $17,000 in salary, whatever Mass stipends and gifts (for weddings and such), room and board.

They live very simply and I know they give generously to the parish.

I once was talking to a cashier at the grocery store. She was sniggering about an elderly priest who used to come in and buy lottery tickets.

And, our former pastor told us he loves to dance, but he didn’t dance even at weddings because he didn’t want to scandelize anyone.

I think we should relax and let these poor men have some pleasure in their sacrificial lives.

 

[mrs_abbott]

Didn’t you just start a thread a few days ago about how you can’t yet get yourself to Sunday Mass? Where is it that you are hearing these statements from the priests?

I’m a cradle Catholic so I’ve been to Mass plenty of times to notice things about priests. Also, the parish I belong to has social events all the time and we attend some of them. I work in a bank so I see priests of various parishes come and go all the time in normal clothing.