What does it mean when priest is summoned by bishop?

[Casilda]

I was at a Roman Catholic parish and the priest announced he had an upcoming meeting with the bishop, to pray for him. The next thing I knew, he was replaced a couple of Sundays later by another priest.

Now its happened at the EC parish. The priest announced there will be no Wed night service next week because he has a meeting with the bishop.

Does that mean he is going to be replaced? Please say it is not so! Not before Easter, not before all of our paperwork is done. Not again. I am confused enough. Lord have mercy.

 

[PazzoGrande]

He could be getting a promotion for all anyone knows.

Something odd happened too at a parish where I go to weekday Mass sometimes. It’s run by an Order. The Provincial was in our Diocese, and the pastor of the parish was called by his Provincial to leave within days and go back to his home country in a snap. It raised eyebrows. Naturally people wonder if he did anything wrong.

But then, our Bishop later incardinated him as a Diocesan priest. He came back into the country and is now the Administrator of a very big and important parish.

What happened? Who knows. But he seems happy where he is. He might have been wanting to become diocesan for a long time. I was surprised he returned here, but that would seem to indicate that there wasn’t anything bad since that could be interpreted as a promotion. And that’s good, because I like that priest.

Our current Bishop found out that he was being made a Bishop when he was still a priest in another Diocese. The Bishop there called him in, had a meeting, and at the end dropped the bombshell that the Vatican appointed him.

Gloom and doom sometimes; hope for the best always.

 

[Netty1]

I was at a Roman Catholic parish and the priest announced he had an upcoming meeting with the bishop, to pray for him. The next thing I knew, he was replaced a couple of Sundays later by another priest.

Now its happened at the EC parish. The priest announced there will be no Wed night service next week because he has a meeting with the bishop.

Does that mean he is going to be replaced? Please say it is not so! Not before Easter, not before all of our paperwork is done. Not again. I am confused enough. Lord have mercy.

PazzoGrande is right…it could be for a promotion. The last time our priest mentioned a meeting with the Bishop and asked for prayers, he got an additional role to his parish one (kinda a promotion, certainly more responsibility and visibility).

Our last priest left within the space of days after a meeting with the Bishop, he was moved over two parishes to new one twice the size and a lot more responsibility. and we got the one we have now. But that meant he left his old parish within days.

It’s not always a bad thing, they have to give priests extra duties these days etc., with the shortages.

 

[malphono]

Now its happened at the EC parish. The priest announced there will be no Wed night service next week because he has a meeting with the bishop.

Does that mean he is going to be replaced? Please say it is not so! Not before Easter, not before all of our paperwork is done. Not again. I am confused enough. Lord have mercy.

There’s really no point in speculating. Actually it isn’t anyone’s business beyond the principals. Among other things, it could involve a transfer, it could be disciplinary action, or it could be simply a routine chat while the bishop is in town. IOW, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything beyond that he has a meeting with the bishop.

 

[Casilda]

So, do the EC’s dioceses/eparchys practice this ‘priest shuffle’? Seems a common practice in the Roman diocese here. I can see its detrimental effects on behalf of the laity. My husband calls it a cruel practice, the cult he grew up in did that every year. I guess only God is constant.

 

[malphono]

So, do the EC’s dioceses/eparchys practice this ‘priest shuffle’? Seems a common practice in the Roman diocese here. I can see its detrimental effects on behalf of the laity. My husband calls it a cruel practice, the cult he grew up in did that every year. I guess only God is constant.

I can’t comment for other than the Maronites, but if you mean arbitrary transfers and pastors assigned for defined terms, etc, (like what the Latins do), the answer is yes. The principles adopted are those of the USCCB.

 

[Casilda]

Great.

Meant sarcastically. I am the universe’s most unlucky Irish Catholic. Should have worn green on St. Patrick’s day. Allwell, I do like the incense here. I will take a year to learn the liturgy. The parish is close enough to the TLM at the cathedral, I can haunt there, too. I just know with my luck he will be transferred. He HAS been here since the 80’s. I would not mind a younger priest that would outlive me so as to be at my funeral. But I liked having a real father figure, spiritual advisor type. I am so lost.

Well, its just you and me Jesus, as usual. Your gonna have to be more specific and clear from now on because there is absolutely no one I trust on this rock. I give up looking for spiritual guidance.

 

[PazzoGrande]

One more thing to add.

When a priest is removed for disciplinary reasons, most times they’ll remove him quietly. They won’t make fanfare about it. If this priest were being removed, I doubt he’d let you know he’s being called in. Nobody likes the ugliness that gossip brings, so they keep these things discreet.

There are exceptions here and there, but I know of cases where these things aren’t done with noise. There’s the principle of Bella Figura – keeping things looking good to put the best foot forward and not cause any inconvenient scandal to the laity.

 

[malphono]

Great.

Meant sarcastically. I am the universe’s most unlucky Irish Catholic. Should have worn green on St. Patrick’s day. Allwell, I do like the incense here. I will take a year to learn the liturgy. The parish is close enough to the TLM at the cathedral, I can haunt there, too. I just know with my luck he will be transferred. He HAS been here since the 80’s. I would not mind a younger priest that would outlive me so as to be at my funeral. But I liked having a real father figure, spiritual advisor type. I am so lost.

Well, its just you and me Jesus, as usual. Your gonna have to be more specific and clear from now on because there is absolutely no one I trust on this rock. I give up looking for spiritual guidance.

The clerical revolving-door doesn’t always mean the priest will be transferred. Even with “defined terms” those terms can be renewed indefinitely, so there are a few cases I know where the same pastor has been in place for 40 years. Of course there are more cases where it’s 5 years and you’re gone or there’s one renewal and then you’re gone. Depends on a lot of factors, including how well the bishop likes the pastor and v.v. for example, plus some less savory considerations that I won’t go into.

 

[twf]

The clerical revolving-door doesn’t always mean the priest will be transferred. Even with “defined terms” those terms can be renewed indefinitely, so there are a few cases I know where the same pastor has been in place for 40 years. Of course there are more cases where it’s 5 years and you’re gone or there’s one renewal and then you’re gone. Depends on a lot of factors, including how well the bishop likes the pastor and v.v. for example, plus some less savory considerations that I won’t go into.

Yep, within the same diocese I’ve known some priests who are transferred like clockwork every 5 or so years, while other priests manage to hold the same parish for 15, 20, 25, or even 30 years. The revolving door set-up isn’t universal, but it seems to be the norm in North America. Some canonists question whether it is within the spirit of the law.

 

[Mike_Dye]

It simply means the bishop wants to talk to him. Could be anything… I have quit trying to figure those guys out years ago.

 

[tawny]

Y

I was at a Roman Catholic parish and the priest announced he had an upcoming meeting with the bishop, to pray for him. The next thing I knew, he was replaced a couple of Sundays later by another priest.

Now its happened at the EC parish. The priest announced there will be no Wed night service next week because he has a meeting with the bishop.

Does that mean he is going to be replaced? Please say it is not so! Not before Easter, not before all of our paperwork is done. Not again. I am confused enough. Lord have mercy.

Could very well be a promotion or reassignement to another Parish.

 

[phil19034]

Bishops are mentors to priests (esp Pastors and Deans). For all you know, your Pastor (I’m assuming that he’s the pastor) will become a Dean or is being assigned a twin parish.

(For those of you who don’t know, Twin Parishes are two seperate parishes who both share the same set of priests.)

A good Pastor is going to (1) make his parish better, (2) make his priests better (3) etc.

Good Pastors are called to do other things, fix parishes which need to be fixed (doing what they did again), become a Dean, become a Bishop, etc. Also sometimes are they selected for addtional training and sent to Rome.

God Bless.

 

[marywarfield]

Great.

Meant sarcastically. I am the universe’s most unlucky Irish Catholic. Should have worn green on St. Patrick’s day. Allwell, I do like the incense here. I will take a year to learn the liturgy. The parish is close enough to the TLM at the cathedral, I can haunt there, too. I just know with my luck he will be transferred. He HAS been here since the 80’s. I would not mind a younger priest that would outlive me so as to be at my funeral. But I liked having a real father figure, spiritual advisor type. I am so lost.

Well, its just you and me Jesus, as usual. Your gonna have to be more specific and clear from now on because there is absolutely no one I trust on this rock. I give up looking for spiritual guidance.

It’s not uncommon for priests to be moved every three to
eight years. One diocese I know has a firm eight years and
then curtains!
It was explained to me that sometimes priests can end up
with little kingdoms if left in charge too long.

And I have seen that happen yes.

But the simple act of summoning? Who knows?
The Bishop wants to talk to the priest. Maybe
they need a new fundraising drive or something.