Confiteor:
Quote:
“We believe that the primary function of a priest (his primo officio, for which he was ordained) is the preach the Word of God.”
Confiteor,
Without viewing the entire article, I only speculate that this language may be a slight misrepresentation of this line from The Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests (
Presbyterorum Ordinis*) *from Vatican II:
The People of God are joined together primarily by the word of the living God. And rightfully they expect this from their priests.Since no one can be saved who does not first believe, priests, as co-workers with their bishops, have the primary duty of proclaiming the Gospel of God to all.
(Paragraph 13)
So you can see where they may have been getting this from. However, I think the statement in the newsletter you received is overly broad, and actually may be critically misinterpreting this passage from
Presbyterorum Ordinis. To have the primary duty of proclaiming the Gospel is NOT say that this is the priest’s primary function for which he was ordained. Rather it is to say, I believe, that it is
primarily the priest(in union wiith the Bishop) who has the duty of preaching the Gospel (as opposed to the laity).
See the difference? Just as parents are to be “the primary educators” of their children but this is not the
primary function of being a parent (begetting and raising children is), so too are Priests the primary proclaimers of the Gospel.
The document goes on, in fact, to point out that preaching the Word of God is fulfilled in the Eucharistic Celebration, by bringing the Word of God to the faithful in the Eucharist.
But, to eliminate any confusion on this point, we see further on in Paragraph 13:
In the mystery of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, in which priests fulfill their greatest task, the work of our redemption is being constantly carried on. . .
That seems clear to me that the Priest’s primary function is fulfilled by offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice. In fact, although this is the translation used on the vatican.va website, I have seen other translations of this same Paragraph read:
In the mystery of the eucharistic sacrifice, in which priests fulfill their principal function, the work of our redemption is continually carried out
Which squares nicely with
Canon 904
Can. 904 Remembering always that in the mystery of the eucharistic Sacrifice the work of redemption is continually being carried out, priests are to celebrate frequently. Indeed, daily celebration is earnestly recommended, because, even if it should not be possible to have the faithful present, it is an action of Christ and of the Church in which priests fulfill their principal role.
Which we can supplement by the Catechism 1566
It is in the Eucharistic cult or in the Eucharistic assembly of the faithful (synaxis) that they exercise in a supreme degree their sacred office; there, acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming his mystery, they unite the votive offerings of the faithful to the sacrifice of Christ their head, and in the sacrifice of the Mass they make present again and apply, until the coming of the Lord, the unique sacrifice of the New Testament, that namely of Christ offering himself once for all a spotless victim to the Father." From this unique sacrifice their whole priestly ministry draws its strength.
If we take a trip back in time to the Encylical of Pope Pius XI
Ad Catholici Sacerdoti (
On The Catholic Priesthood) we see that
thus the ineffable greatness of the human priest stands forth in all its splendor; for he has power over the very Body of Jesus Christ, and makes It present upon our altars. In the name of Christ Himself he offers It a victim infinitely pleasing to the Divine Majesty. . .Besides this power over the real Body of Christ, the priest has received other powers, august and sublime, over His Mystical Body of Christ
(Paragraphs 16 and 17)
Note that this passage alludes to
other powers of the priest,and seems to indicate that these are secondary to the primary power over the Eucharist.
Why do I say “secondary”?See Aquinas (
, Reply to Objection 1)
A priest exercises a twofold action: the one, which is principal, over the true body of Christ; the other, which is secondary, over the mystical body of Christ. The second act depends on the first, but not conversely.
God Bless,
VC
