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This may seem a strange topic but I would like some input.

There are 2 RC priests in town that have a parish and also have an outside profession in the legal business.

One of my RC friends thinks this is awful, to say the least.

While I have never personally experienced this situation, I told him that I remember reading that such is common is Europe. For some reason France comes to mind.

Does anyone know about this personally.

They are not bound by the Vow of Poverty as far as I know.

Thank you,

Jim

There are any number of possibilities, and without knowing the specific situation, it's hard to offer any opinion about it.

In some places, one can find heroic priests who are serving small and impecunious parishes while holding down a secular job so as not to place a burden on the faithful which might be too heavy. If that should be the case, it would be well to pray that the financial situation improve to the point that the priest not be in need of secular work - because a priest who is able to give his full time to the Church is far more effective. Still, one can find parishes which are impressive and prospering today because one or more priests served them earlier with heroic generosity. [Even Saint Paul made tents for the same reason.]

Incognitus

I believe that in the Romanian Catholic eparchy there are priests assigned to tiny churches that work outside jobs [teaching, eg] to make ends meet...

Peacock,

I think your friends need to have a bigger vision of the kingdom. Responses so far are very helpful. There are examples aplenty of priests who also had secular jobs. The secular jobs enabled them to serve the Church, establish mission stations, and to care for the poorest of the poor without burdening the local parish. I hope to join those ranks someday in some way or other.

Dan Lauffer

Over here it is most unusual to find an RC Priest who has a secular job.

They promise obedience to their Ordinary upon Ordination and indeed from their Diaconate, and therefore may not work outwith the Church.

I realise that things in the USA are different but about the only jobs a priest here may do are Hospital Chaplain combined with a Parish, I Diocesan Ministry - such as Youth , School Chaplaincy - [ and again because of the shortage of Priests that is likely to be combined with a Parish] and Prison Chaplaincy.

Anhelyna

I would imagine that most Eastern Catholic priests would be happy of such an arrangement. But we are shrinking and profound changes must be considered. Where would the money come from for a priest to start a new congregation if there are no people to give the money and he Eparchy needs the money for other purposes?

Dan Lauffer

Dan

I agree - BUT the original poster ,Peacock24, did say
I know that there were "worker Priests" in France for some time but I think that has been agreed as being a bad experiment - at least I have not heard of any recently.

It has to be remembered that as far as I am aware RC Priests in most countries are not employed outwith their own Parish and Diocese , and Peacock 24's friends was not impressed by the thought of an RC Priest working in the legal business.

Anhelyna

Do we really have 24 peacocks on the forum? Is any of them related to Ashleigh Peacock?

Incognitus

I'm a trifle confused about this question, Dan...Your comment seems to imply (to my reading, at least) that the priest will go to an area to start a new congregation without any monetary assistance and backing from the Eparchy, and be expected to build a fully-functioning Church from there? I thought that missions were targeted, and were backed by the Eparchy? It was my understanding that home churches were used, prior to rented space as a mission church, and then ultimately, a full-fledged parish only when there were PEOPLE to support it?

I'm of two minds on the issue of a priest working at something unconnected with his ministry. If a priest can work at something lucrative connected to his ministry, that's fine (writing books, articles, texts, etc...or acting as chaplain to a group, or even as a counselor. The important thing, to my mind, at least, would be that the work not demean the office of the priesthood (as, say, working in an adult bookstore or at Planned Parenthood) and that that job must come second to the ability to perform a full cycle of services.

Working priests are often unable to go to clergy meetings, or to hold weekday Vespers and feasts. Any job performed would need to be such that the priest could instantly leave it, should it be necessary for an emergency hospital visit. In short, whichever job a priest may have, if it is not a work-at-home, self controlled job, he is running a very serious risk of not giving his best to a community. In a mission community, it is far more important that the priest be THERE, to answer inquirers questions, to perform a full cycle of services, to BE at local clergy meetings, and make the voice of the new community heard...or to be free to write articles for the religious section of the local newspaper, to raise awareness. In short, he must be free to aid the evangelization...or there will be none worth having.

I'd have to say that I'd rather see the Church's funds spent more on providing adequate priestly salaries and medical/dental benefits and just a touch less on huge ugly cathedrals (after all, with a $100,000,000 price tag, knock off a bit of it, and add to the salaries of mission priests!)

Gaudior, thinking of a "God and Mammon" quote...

Dear Gaudior,
Not for the first time, your humble servant finds himself in full agreement with you. Gaudeamus!

Incognitus, the Inquisitive Inquisitor

Dear Incognitus, the I.I.

Your servant, sir! (bows)

Gaudior, wondering if the New Byzantine Inquisition can see its way to paying Inquisitors wages in chocolate....

Dear Gaudior and Incognitus, the I.I.,

I coming from a background of having to serve as a priest, and hold down a full-time job on top of it can only say one thing, AMEN! The priest finds himself torn between the two vocations, the secular and the religious. It pains him to neglect his ministry because of the obligation of secular employment. Most if not all employers no longer have any tolerance for those with outside obligations such as the ministry. That is why I finally had to leave secular employment. It is funny, once the decision was made, the church stepped in with a fully-supporting position.

BTW Dan, most hierarchs are not to enthused with priests that can not give them 100%.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+, who says the payment better be in DARK chocolate.

My simple response to all of your hesitations is this: If the Eparchy is flush with money why aren't we starting a number of new parishes now? If the Eparchy is flush with money why are we shrinking? If the Eparchy is flush with money why are their elderly priests who can't take vacations?

In my case my job would be as an an adjunct professor. It's not enough to survive on but would and does supplement my salary. I teach Comparative Religions and Catholic Theology. If the Eparchy can afford to pay a priest full time to start new parishes that is indeed wonderful. But then why aren't we doing that?

Sometimes one has to think outside the box, as some say.

Dan L

And what happens, Professor Dan, if you are giving an exam and your beeper goes off requiring you to go RIGHT NOW to the hospital for a parishioner? Not in 30 minutes, NOW.

What happens when the college tells you that Holy Week is finals week, therefore, BE THERE?

Even a Professor has to choose.

Gaudior, who is not against priests working to keep themselves in dark chocolate, but still maintains, they MUST be free to drop their work when the Church needs them.

Gaudior,

Is that situation any different than when a priest serves two Churches? I know of at least two examples of this. There are probably several more.

Dan Lauffer