Traditionally, how proper is a lay spiritual director?

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I would say it’s much more important to be qualified to be a spiritual director than to be ordained. 🤷
 
I believe the church as it is today leaves the unfortunate suffering soul in the pew in a Catch 22 situation, only a priest can guide you, if you have access to one. The lack of priests and the enormous amount of floundering souls equals, Lord, have mercy…
 
Dempsey1919 said:
I receive excellent spiritual direction from an Opus Dei numerary. The spiritual direction I receive from Opus Dei laymen is better than the spiritual direction I receive from most priests.

As an aside, it is also common practise for the priests of Opus Dei to have lay numerary spiritual directors.

This may sound strange, but the numeraries receive thorough a thorough spiritual and doctrinal education and are qualified to give spiritual direction.
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I think the way Opus Dei gets round the ruling of Canon Law is to term these sessions as fraternal chats and or formation training. Anything outside the Numerary’s competence is refered up wards to the Director.

Opus Dei has assured the Curia that each centre with have a Priest asigned as Spiritual Director (5 years posting) with a number of priest available for individual appointments.

Numaries and Directors are only competent within the the norms of Opus Dei and if they claim the ability to give spiritual direction are out side the norms of Catholic Teaching.
 
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jimdi3:
Numaries and Directors are only competent within the the norms of Opus Dei and if they claim the ability to give spiritual direction are out side the norms of Catholic Teaching
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Thanks! I didn’t know this. Now that I think about it, the numerary has only given me advice concerning the norms, which obviously includes some doctrinal formation. The information I receive from him never concerns my soul etc.

However, when I talk to the priests of Opus Dei, they focus entirely on my soul and spiritual well-being; the conversations are far more personal and intimate since they most often take place in the confessional.
 
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