Fr James Valladares, resident priest at Adelaide’s St Francis Xavier Cathedral, concludes his exclusive for The Record on the radical call of the priesthood
A crucial and radical difference
On 17 September, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI met a group of Bishops from Brazil who had just completed their ad limina visit and highlighted the distinctive role of priests in the Church.
He said “the particular identity of priests and laity must be seen in the light of the essential difference between priestly ministry and the ‘common priesthood’ of the baptised.
“Hence it is important to avoid the secularisation of the clergy and the ‘clericalisation’ of the laity.”
Lay people certainly need to give expression to “the Christian view of anthropology and the social doctrine of the Church.”
Priests, on the other hand, “must distance themselves from politics in order to favour the unity and communion of all the faithful, thus becoming a point of reference to everyone.”
A shortage of priests does not “justify a more active and abundant participation of the laity” since “the greater the faithful’s awareness of their own responsibilities within the Church, the clearer becomes the specific identity and inimitable role of the priest as pastor of the entire community, witness to the authenticity of the faith, and dispenser of the mysteries of salvation in the name of Christ the Head.
So, “the function of the clergy is essential and irreplaceable in announcing the Word and celebrating the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
“For this reason it is vital to ask the Lord to send workers for his harvest; and it is necessary that priests express joy in their faithfulness to their priestly identity.”
Indeed, it has been rightly said that a happy priest is the best advertisement for the sacred priesthood.
Stated differently, actions always speak louder than words; and people are always more influenced by what they see than what they hear.
“The best possible way of attracting men to the priesthood is the witness of life given by priests themselves.”
So if priests show themselves to be happy and fulfilled in their ministry other men will more easily hear the Lord’s call and respond generously.
This certainly is one positive dividend we all can expect from the Year for Priests.
Conclusion
In his homily at the Chrism Mass, Holy Thursday, 13 April, 2006, this is what Pope Benedict XVI said: “The world needs God – not any god but the God of Jesus Christ, the God who made Himself flesh and blood, who loved us to the point of dying for us, who rose and created within himself room for man.
This God must live in us and we in Him.
This is our priestly call; only in this way can our actions as priests bear fruit.”
St John Vianney once said, “When people want to destroy religion, they begin by attacking the priest; for when there is no priest, there is no sacrifice; and when there is no sacrifice, there is no religion.”