Why should or shouldn't I become a priest in the FSSP?

  • Thread starter Thread starter bobballen_18
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

bobballen_18

Guest
Hello all,

The question above really says it all. I am discerning the priesthood, but throughout my discernment I have told myself that, despite having “Traditional” leanings, I won’t be an FSSP priest. But very recently, I have been wondering if I have really just not been open to it. I obviously have much praying to do and discussion with priests, but I wanted to see what feedback I would get here.

Just so you all know, the primary reason I have used in the past for not entering the FSSP is that I feel like I can be a good, holy priest in the Novus Ordo, and it seems I can reach out to more people and a greater variety of people as a Novus Ordo priest.

So, obviously you all don’t know me or my personality, but just off the top of your head, what are some general things to consider when one is discerning priesthood between Diocesan priesthood and the FSSP?
 
Personality. Both yours and where you want to go. This is just my observation based on knowing both types of Priests.

Order Priests are called to live in community, have less say in their assignments and generally take vows of poverty and obedience that Diocesan Priests do not. Religious Priests are called to live the rules and charism of their order (for example, if you don’t like speaking in front of crowds or teaching people, Dominican life is probably not for you).

Diocesan Priests generally have more say in what they do, especially if the are Pastors. They have more free time and enjoy more personal freedoms (such as when and where to vacation) than religious Priests. Diocesan Priests also tend to stay local (somewhere within the Diocese) where religious Priests may find themselves sent to cities or countries on the other side of the world.

These are issues you would be best to discuss with the vocation director of the groups you are seeking out.

God Bless you on your journey.
 
bobballen_18 said:
Hello all,

The question above really says it all. I am discerning the priesthood, but throughout my discernment I have told myself that, despite having “Traditional” leanings, I won’t be an FSSP priest. But very recently, I have been wondering if I have really just not been open to it. I obviously have much praying to do and discussion with priests, but I wanted to see what feedback I would get here.

Just so you all know, the primary reason I have used in the past for not entering the FSSP is that I feel like I can be a good, holy priest in the Novus Ordo, and it seems I can reach out to more people and a greater variety of people as a Novus Ordo priest.

So, obviously you all don’t know me or my personality, but just off the top of your head, what are some general things to consider when one is discerning priesthood between Diocesan priesthood and the FSSP?
Click to expand...
Your discernment seems to be at a very, veery early stage! :o

Do you have a spiritual director? If not, look for one. Your reasons for choosing the FSSP seminary or a diocesan seminary seem to be quite superficial. And have you considered religious priests?

The call to enter a traditional priestly society such as FSSP or Christ the King, or an order like the Canons of St. John Cantius, has very little to do with the amount o fpeople you may be reaching (it is Christ that draws the people), or whether you can be a good, holy priest (any priest is called to be good and holy!)

Discernment is to understand the word that God spoke in your soul at Baptism, the word through which He called you to salvation. It is the path that leads you to heaven. How He called you to unite yourself to Him in service of the brothers. This is a very interior call. It relates to you, personally, intimately.

All priests - diocesan, religious, FSSP, you name it - are called to be holy and good. All can draw innumerable people and lead to a great many conversions. Any man who follows his vocation - be it to the priesthood, to religious life, or to married life - is in fact potentially doing the maximum amount of good he could ever do in this life, and is attaining salvation.

Also the FSSP priests are not the only ones who celebrate the “traditional” Latin liturgy. There are other Ecclesia Dei institutes and religious orders who do so. Even diocesan priests can very well celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite! I belong to a very active diocesan “latin Mass” community, and all of our priests are either diocesan or religious! So you see, even becoming a diocesan priest has little to do with the liturgy you will celebrate. The call to the priesthood is much deeper. So is the discernment between different priestly communities.

Here’s a great book to learn more about the priesthood: “The Priest is Not His Own”, by bishop Fulton Sheen. As for the diocesan priesthood, I could recommend “To Save a Thousand Souls”.

I would recommend you look for a spiritual director, and that you speak to your diocesan vocations director about your discernment to the priesthood.

If you are of sufficient age and have the means to do so, you may want to visit the traditional seminaries of your interest for a come-and-see retreat or a vocations awareness retreat, to understand their charism. You may also want to discuss a vocation to a given community with a priest of that community. Would you discuss a vocation to the Franciscan order with a Trappist monk?? 🙂
 
Just so you all know, the primary reason I have used in the past for not entering the FSSP is that I feel like I can be a good, holy priest in the Novus Ordo, and it seems I can reach out to more people and a greater variety of people as a Novus Ordo priest.
Click to expand...
You have been given very good advice in the posts thus far. Choosing the priesthood is a life-changing decision, and one that needs to be made with spiritual counsel, and with much prayer and discernment.

I think your main focus should be finding the right environment to become the best priest you can possibly become, and to obtain the best possible training for the priesthood. In addition, there are many other factors to consider, such as you temperament, your religious leanings, your intellect, your upbringing, and more.

A carefully chosen spiritual director can best assist you in helping you to answer these tough questions regarding discernment.
 
TheDoctor said:
Personality. Both yours and where you want to go. This is just my observation based on knowing both types of Priests.

Order Priests are called to live in community, have less say in their assignments and generally take vows of poverty and obedience that Diocesan Priests do not. Religious Priests are called to live the rules and charism of their order (for example, if you don’t like speaking in front of crowds or teaching people, Dominican life is probably not for you).

Diocesan Priests generally have more say in what they do, especially if the are Pastors. They have more free time and enjoy more personal freedoms (such as when and where to vacation) than religious Priests. Diocesan Priests also tend to stay local (somewhere within the Diocese) where religious Priests may find themselves sent to cities or countries on the other side of the world.

These are issues you would be best to discuss with the vocation director of the groups you are seeking out.

God Bless you on your journey.
Click to expand...
The FSSP is a society of apostolic life, not a religious order. Their priests are secular priests the same as diocesan priests.

That being said, one should not seek to become an FSSP priest if he is not prepared to go anywhere in the world to serve. Our priest spent 3 years in Nigeria serving the people in the sweltering heat, along with the giant snakes, spiders, cockroaches, and ants that live in one’s house. Are you prepared to do that?
 
The particular charism of the FSSP is to sanctify priests and faithful using the traditional Roman liturgy. Another difference from diocesan clergy is that they live in community (ideally, around four priests per parish, but in practice, due to high demand and being spread thin, it is sometimes two or even one, at least temporarily). If this is something you feel called to, check it out.

A diocesan priest in the Roman rite generally doesn’t have as much freedom to use the traditional liturgy or observe traditional customs in his public function as a priest, because it’s no longer what most people in the Roman rite are used to. This is a matter of pastoral sensitivity and prudential judgment. You can try to introduce some changes locally and gradually, but in most places it will be an uphill battle, and if you’re a Latin Mass kind of guy, it will probably never be as traditional as you want.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top