Priest

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This word (etymologically "elder", frompresbyteros,presbyter) has taken the meaning of "sacerdos", from which no substantive has been formed in various modern languages (English, French, German). The priest is the minister of Divine worship, and especially of the highest act of worship, sacrifice. In this sense, every religion has its priests, exercising more or less exalted sacerdotal functions as intermediaries between man and the Divinity (cf.Hebrews 5:1: "for everyhigh priest taken from among men, isordained for men in the things that appertain toGod, that he may offer up gifts andsacrifices forsins"). In various ages and countries we find numerous and important differences: the priest properly so called may be assisted by inferiorministers of many kinds; he may belong to a special class or caste, to aclergy, or else may be like other citizens except in what concerns his sacerdotal functions; he may be a member of ahierarchy, or, on the contrary, may exercise an independentpriesthood (e.g.Melchisedech,Hebrews 7:1-33); lastly, the methods of recruiting theministers of worship, the rites by which they receive their powers, the authority that establishes them, may all differ. But, amid all these accidental differences, one fundamentalidea is common to allreligions: the priest is theperson authoritatively appointed to do homage toGod in the name ofsociety, even the primitivesociety of thefamily (cf.Job 1:5), and to offer Him sacrifice (in the broad, but especially in the strict sense of the word). Omitting further discussion of the generalidea of thepriesthood, and neglecting all reference topagan worship, we may call attention to the organization among the people ofGod of a Divine service withministers properly so-called: the priests, the inferiorclergy, theLevites, and at their head thehigh-priest. Weknow the detailed regulations contained in Leviticus as to the differentsacrifices offered toGod in the Temple atJerusalem, and the character andduty of the priests andLevites. Their ranks were recruited, in virtue not of the free choice ofindividuals, but of descent in the tribe of Levi (especially thefamily of Aaron), which had been called byGod to His ritual service to the exclusion of all others. The elders (presbyteroi) formed a kind of council, but had no sacerdotal power; it was they who took counsel with the chief priests to captureJesus (Matthew 26:3). It is this name presbyter (elder) which has passed into theChristian speech to signify the minister of Divine service, the priest.

TheChristian law also has necessarily itspriesthood to carry out the Divine service, the principal act of which is theEucharistic Sacrifice, the figure and renewal of that of Calvary. Thispriesthood has two degrees: the first, total and complete, the second an incomplete participation of the first. The first belongs to thebishop. Thebishop is truly a priest (sacerdos), and even ahigh-priest; he has chief control of the Divine worship (sacrorum antistes), is the president ofliturgical meetings; he has the fullness of thepriesthood, and administers all thesacraments. The second degree belongs to the priest (presbyter), who is also asacerdos, but of the second rank ("secundi sacerdotes"Innocent I ad Eugub.); by his priestlyordination he receives the power to offer sacrifice (i.e. to celebrate the Eucharist), to forgivesins, tobless, to preach, to sanctify, and in a word to fulfil the non-reservedliturgicalduties or priestly functions. In the exercise of these functions, however, he is subject to the authority of thebishop to whom he has promised canonical obedience; in certain cases even he requires not only authorization, but realjurisdiction, particularly to forgivesins and to take care ofsouls. Moreover, certain acts of the sacerdotal power, affecting thesociety of which thebishop is the head, are reserved to the latter — e.g. confirmation, the final rite ofChristian initiation,ordination, by which the ranks of theclergy are recruited, and the solemnconsecration of newtemples toGod. Sacerdotal powers are conferred on priests by priestlyordination, and it is thisordination which puts them in the highest rank of thehierarchy after thebishop.

As the wordsacerdos was applicable to bothbishops and priests, and one became a presbyter only by sacerdotalordination, the word presbyter soon lost its primitive meaning of "ancient" and was applied only to the minister of worship and of the sacrifice (hence ourpriest). Originally, however, thepresbyteri were the members of the high council which, under the presidency of thebishop, administered the affairs of the local church. Doubtless in general these members entered the presbyterate only by theimposition of hands which made them priests; however, that there could be, and actually werepresbyteri who were not priests, is seen from canons 43-47 ofHippolytus (cf. Duchesne, "Origines du culte chretien", append.), which show that some of those who had confessed the Faith before the tribunals were admitted into thepresbyterium withoutordination. These exceptions were, however, merely isolated instances, and from time immemorialordination has been the sole manner of recruiting the presbyteral order. The documents of antiquity show us the priests as the permanent council, the auxiliaries of thebishop, whom they surround and aid in the solemn functions of Divine Worship. When thebishop is absent, he is replaced by a priest, who presides in his name over theliturgical assembly. The priests replace him especially in the different parts of thediocese, where they are stationed by him; here they provide for the Divine Service, as thebishop does in the episcopal city, except that certain functions are reserved to the latter, and the others are performed with lessliturgical solemnity. As the churches multiplied in the country and towns, the priests served them with a permanent title, becoming rectors or titulars. Thus, the bond uniting such priests to thecathedral church gradually became weaker, whereas it grew stronger in the case of those who served in thecathedral with thebishop (i.e. the canons); at the same time the lowerclergy tended to decrease in number, inasmuch as theclerics passed through the inferior orders only to arrive at the sacerdotalordination, which was indispensable for the administration of the churches and the exercise of a useful ministry among thefaithful. Hence ordinarily the priest was not isolated, but was regularly attached to a definite church or connected with acathedral. Accordingly, theCouncil of Trent (Sess. XXIII, cap. xvi, renewing canon vi of Chalcedon) desiresbishops not to ordain anyclerics but thosenecessary or useful to the church orecclesiastical establishment to which they are to be attached and which they are to serve.

The nature of this service depends especially on the nature of thebenefice, office, or function assigned to the priest; the Council in particular desires (cap. xiv) priests to celebrateMass at least onSundays and holydays, while those who are charged with the care ofsouls are to celebrate as often as their office demands.

Consequently, it is not easy to say in a way applicable to all cases what are theduties andrights of a priest; both vary considerably in individual cases. By hisordination a priest is invested with powers rather than withrights, the exercise of these powers (to celebrateMass, remitsins, preach, administer thesacraments, direct and minister to theChristian people) being regulated by thecommon laws of the church, thejurisdiction of thebishop, and the office or charge of each priest. The exercise of the sacerdotal powers is both aduty and a right for priests having the care ofsouls, either in their own name (e.g.parish priests) or as auxiliaries (e.g.parochialcurates). Except in the matter of the care ofsouls the sacerdotal functions are likewiseobligatory in the case of priests having anybenefice or office in a church (e.g. canons); otherwise they are optional, and their exercise depends upon the favour of thebishop (e.g. the permission to hearconfessions or to preach granted to simple priests or to priests from outside the diocese). As for the case of a priest who is entirely free,moralists limit hisobligations, as far as the exercise of his sacerdotal powers is concerned, to the celebration of Mass several times a year (St. Alphonsus Liguori, l. VI, no. 313) and to the administration of thesacraments in case of necessity, in addition to fulfilling certain otherobligations not strictly sacerdotal (e.g. theBreviary,celibacy). But canonical writers, not considering such a condition regular, hold that thebishop isobliged in this case to attach such a priest to a church and impose someduty on him, even if it be only anobligatory attendance at solemn functions and processions (Innocent XIII, Constitution "Apostolici ministerii", 23 March, 1723;Benedict XIII, Const. "In supremo", 23 Sept., 1724; Roman Council of 1725, tit. vi, c. ii).

As to the material situation of the priest, hisrights are clearly laid down by canon law, which varies considerably with the actual condition of theChurch in different countries. As a matter of principle, each cleric ought to have from hisordination to the sub-diaconate abenefice, the revenues of which ensure him a respectable living and, if he isordained with a title of patrimony (i.e. the possession of independent means sufficient to provide a decent livelihood), he has theright to receive abenefice as soon as possible. Practically the question seldom arises in the case of priests, forclerics are ordinarilyordained with the title ofecclesiastical service, and they cannot usefully fill a remunerated post unless they are priests. Each priestordained with the title ofecclesiastical service has therefore theright to ask of hisbishop, and thebishop is under anobligation to assign him, abenefice orecclesiastical office which will ensure him a respectable living; in this office the priest has therefore theright to collect the emoluments attached to his ministry, including the offerings which a legitimate custom allows him to receive or even demand on the occasion of certain definite functions (stipends for Masses, curialrights for burial, etc.). Even when old or infirm, a priest who has not rendered himself unworthy and who is unable to fulfil his ministry remains a charge on hisbishop, unless other arrangements have been made. It is thus apparent that therights andduties of a priest are, in the concrete reality, conditioned by his situation. (SeeBENEFICE;PASTOR;PARISHPRIEST;PRIESTHOOD.)

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