Grace Thompson
The Catholic Church defines a priest as a man who has been called by God to serve Christ and the Church through the sacrament of Holy Orders. The process of becoming a priest involves a long seminary formation, during which candidates are trained according to Canon Law to serve, preach, teach, minister the sacraments, and shepherd the people of God. The Catholic Church has different rules for the priesthood in its various branches; for example, the Latin Church enforces mandatory clerical celibacy, while most Eastern Catholic Churches permit married men to be ordained.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A priest is a man called by God to serve Christ and the Church through the reception of the sacrament of Holy Orders. |
| Priestly formation | Begins in the family, continues through the discernment process, is solidified during seminary years of study and pastoral experience, and is confirmed at ordination. |
| Ordination | A sacrament or special blessing from God that makes an inner change in the man. |
| Vocation | A calling from God to live a certain way of life. |
| Qualifications | Baptized, confirmed, unmarried, practicing Roman Catholic male, at least 18 years of age, sincere and genuine interest in serving Christ and the Church. |
| Application process | Usually begins upon the commencement or completion of an undergraduate degree. |
| Diocesan priests | Serve in one diocese their entire lives, going from parish to parish helping the people of that diocese to get to heaven. |
| Religious priests | Members of a religious order (e.g. Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits) who live in community, have a rule of life, and take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. |
| Celibacy | Latin Church enforces mandatory clerical celibacy, while most Eastern Catholic Churches permit married men to be ordained. |
| Roles | Spiritual leader of a Catholic community, teacher, sanctifier, leader through service, minister of the sacraments, proclaimer of the word, teacher of the faith, and steward of the Church. |
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What You'll Learn
Priestly formation
There are two basic paths for priestly formation: with or without a college degree. Those without a college degree will complete four years of College Seminary, encompassing the Propaedeutic and Discipleship stages, followed by four years of Major Seminary, which includes the Configuration Stage and leads to the Vocational Synthesis Stage. This is a total of eight years of formation. Those with a college degree will complete the Propaedeutic year and then progress through the other stages, for a total of seven to eight years of formation.
The Propaedeutic Stage, or preparatory stage, aims to provide seminarians with the foundation they need for a new way of life by developing habits of prayer, study, fraternity, trust, and docility to formation. The Discipleship Stage involves rigorous formation with the goal of growing in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through meditation, contemplation, and the study of philosophy. The Configuration Stage models the seminarian's life on the self-donation of Jesus Christ, as he prepares for Holy Orders. The Vocational Synthesis Stage allows a deacon to enter the life of a cleric in a pastoral setting, usually a parish, and incorporates all the formation received since baptism.
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Ordination
To be ordained, a man must be baptised and have heard God's calling to the priesthood. He must have a sincere and genuine interest in serving Christ and the Church, and be an unmarried practising Roman Catholic male, at least 18 years old. The application process usually begins upon the commencement or completion of an undergraduate degree, and the training period is around six or seven years.
During their training, priests-to-be learn to make their will that of God's will, and they must cultivate a relationship with God. This is done through prayer and the sacraments.
Once ordained, a priest is configured to Christ and is authorised to hold public worship, especially to offer sacrifice. They are called to teach, sanctify and lead through service, and will be involved in the many varied circumstances of life. They are spiritual leaders of a Catholic community, and are called to be witnesses of Christ to the flock that has been entrusted to them.
Priests are ordained by the bishop of the diocese they will be serving in, and they make a promise of obedience to their bishop. They are the bishop's co-workers and may be given responsibility for any of a bishop's works or for parishes under his authority.
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Diocesan priests
To become a diocesan priest, one must first be a baptised, confirmed, and practising Roman Catholic man with a sincere and genuine interest in serving Christ and the Church. The applicant must be at least 18 years old and unmarried. The application process usually begins upon the commencement or completion of an undergraduate degree. Diocesan priests go through long seminary formation, which is a process of learning to "decrease so that He [God] may increase". They are trained according to Canon Law to serve, preach, teach, minister the sacraments and shepherd the people of God.
Priesthood formation begins in the family and continues through the discernment process, which involves cultivating a relationship with God and making one's will that of God's will. This process can be facilitated with the help of a trusted priest as a confessor or spiritual director. Once the Church is involved in the discernment, a vocations director will help determine if the applicant has a vocation to the priesthood. If so, the applicant may be called to Holy Orders, where they will be ordained by the bishop of the diocese they will be serving in.
Ordination is a sacrament, or special blessing from God, that creates an inner change in the man. Ordained priests make promises of obedience to their bishop and lifelong promises of celibacy. They are configured to Christ, acting in the power of Christ and not in their own power.
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Religious priests
A Catholic priest is a man called by God to serve Christ and the Church through the reception of the sacrament of Holy Orders. As per the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the priest serves the faithful by building and guiding the Church in the name of Christ, who is the head. A priest makes a lifelong promise of celibacy and obedience to a bishop or religious superior.
The process of becoming a priest is called "formation". It begins in the family and continues through the discernment process. It is solidified during the seminary years of study and pastoral experience and is confirmed at ordination, where it becomes a lifetime of collaboration with God's grace and human effort.
Priestly formation is the process of taking one's human, mortal, sinful state, uniting it with God's grace and one's own effort, and witnessing the transformation into an alter Christus, or "other Christ". As an alter Christus, the priest is called to be a witness of Christ to the flock that has been entrusted to him as their shepherd. He is a minister of the sacraments, proclaimer of the word, teacher of the faith, and steward of the Church. The priest is meant to accompany and lead the flock entrusted to his care through this world in such a way that they are able to reach the eternal kingdom of heaven.
There are two types of priests: diocesan priests and religious priests. Religious priests are the focus of this answer. Religious priests belong to a religious order (for example, the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Jesuits, and the Trappists, among others) and live in community. They have a rule of life and take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They dedicate their lives to the service of the Gospel as a member of a religious community and to the people and apostolates that the community serves.
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Priestly qualifications
To become a priest, one must have a sincere interest in serving Christ and the Church. The applicant must be an unmarried, practising Roman Catholic male, over the age of 18. He should be physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy, and be willing to grow and learn. He must be a man of prayer, spending time in prayer every day, cultivating a relationship with God.
Priestly formation begins in the family, continues through the discernment process, and is solidified during seminary years of study and pastoral experience. The process of becoming a priest is a transformation, a learning process, and a formation of character. It is a lifelong commitment to God and the Church.
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Frequently asked questions
You must be a baptised, unmarried, practising Roman Catholic male, who is at least 18 years old, and has a sincere and genuine interest in serving Christ and the Church. You must also be physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy, and willing to grow, learn, and be formed.
Priestly formation begins in the family and continues through the discernment process, where you must cultivate a relationship with God. This is solidified during seminary years of study and pastoral experience, and is confirmed at ordination, where it becomes a lifetime of collaboration with God’s grace and human effort.
A priest is a spiritual leader of a Catholic community, and has many varied roles. They are called to teach, sanctify and lead through service, and will be involved in the many various circumstances of life. They are also called to be witnesses of Christ to the flock that has been entrusted to them.
