The Latino Priest Shortage in America

In 2015, only 14% of those men ordained are Latino. In my diocese alone, there are two Latino priests active in ministry, and in this state, there are 168,806 Latinos. Even if I divide this number by four, as there are four dioceses in this state. that means there could be 42,201 Latinos in this diocese.

This information can be found on this site.

The two priests here who are Latino include one who is near 6, or so, and a brand-new priest, who actually was from another state, another diocese, originally.

One must ask the question as to why there are so few men in the priesthood from Latino backgrounds.

Latinos make up 34% of the Catholics in this nation. One can immediately see the discrepancy in the statistics.

One may surmise that Latino children do not come into contact with Latino priests, because of the great shortage. One may surmise that the lack of Latino men finishing college is another problem, as a large number of the ordinands went to college before seminary finishing either a BA or higher degree. One could surmise that the number of ordinands with both parents Catholic, 94%, has something to do with the lack of the nurturing of a vocation.

Perhaps the greatest shock in statistics is the fact that less than half of the ordinands went to Catholic schools-49% of diocesan priests only going to elementary Catholic schools, only 43% going to Catholic high schools, and only 45% going to Catholic colleges. The statistics for religious priests is slightly higher in all categories than for secular, or diocesan priests.

The Catholic school system has failed in providing priests. One may ask why, but the fact that 34% of the Catholics in America are Latino and only 14% of this year's ordinands are Latino, must be a question addressed by all Catholics in America.

Georgetown has another interesting survey here.

Obviously, if there are less and less Latino priests, young boys and men will not meet Latino priests.

But, I do not think this is the problem. The problem is that Hispanic men do not go to college or finish college.

The problem is the lack of Latino men going on for higher education of any type of degree. America is only the 10th country in the world for graduation of students. 10th! And, about 11% of Hispanics (Latinos) graduate from college, even in 2014 with the vast majority of Hispanics graduating being Latinas, the women, not the men, leading the statistics. See the second chart.

In addition to the enrollment chart, one must know that Latinas graduate at a higher number than Latinos.

Here is one California statistic on graduating Hispanic men and women.

Men and women of the same race graduate at similar rates in the CSU system. The numbers fluctuate among men and women from separate races, according to a Campaign for College Opportunity study.

Of the four races discussed in the study, Latinos showed the largest percentage difference with 47 percent of women graduating compared to 39 percent of men. White women graduate at the highest rate at 61 percent, while only 55 percent of white men graduate.

The report also found that for every 100 Black women who graduate from a CSU, only 45 Black men do the same. Also, for every 100 Latina women that graduate, only 51 Latino men receive a degree.
http://sundial.csun.edu/2014/02/where-are-all-the-men/

These statistics will effect the number of men who go into the seminary or desire to go in. How dioceses can encourage young Latino men to go and to finish college may be part of the problem.

But, as 94% of the ordinands noted, both parents of this great majority are Catholic. Maybe this is the real issue. Something for dioceses to consider, as the lack of Latino priests will only exacerbate the problem.

Here is one diocese's statistics revealing the priest shortage, which is repeated in most places in America.

104, 300 Catholics, in an overall population of 784,000. 94 diocesan priests, and 3 religious priests.

1,075 Catholics per priest.

But, in England and Wales, there is one priest per 740 Catholics, but much less in the rural dioceses.

In the entire world, in 2012, there were 414,313 Catholic priests, total with an estimated 1.76 billion Catholics, including those most likely in China and Korea. You can do the math.

Why we should all be praying and encouraging young men to become priests.

A Rant from STM

Truly, I am tired of hearing lay people lament the lack of vocations. When Catholic women begin to talk on this point, I am beginning to say nothing, but listen and pray silently. However, if I have to make a comment, I simply say, "Where are your children and grandchildren?"

Part of the punishment of the Church in the West will be a serious priest shortage, which I have written about many times on this blog. Some dioceses will shrink, and the laity will not have access to the sacraments.

Part of the problem is the fact that people simply do not respond to the call of God to be a priest or nun. Some parents block vocations for selfish reasons, especially since contraception has created one or two children in a family as a norm.

No longer do even some Catholic parents want their one or two children to become a priest or religious.

Remember, St. John Bosco believed that one out of four boys is called to the priesthood.

Look at the numbers of boys graduating from Catholic high schools this year. As I have noted before here, if one out of four would have gone into the seminary, we would not have a priest shortage.

At the end of 2007, for example, there were 638,239 students in Catholic high schools. Allowing for non-Catholic students, let us say one sixth, that would leave about 535,000, half of which could be boys. So, there could have been 267,500 Catholic high school boys in 2007. If a quarter had gone into the seminary, using Don Bosco's insight, that would mean that 66,750 young men would have entered the seminary in a four year period between 2007-2011, just from the Catholic high schools.

Of course, this did not happen.

St. Alphonsus writes about those who do not follow their true vocations. Perhaps one reason why there are so many unhappy young men and women, not being able to find their true "job" in the world, is that they either said "no" to God, for their own reasons, or by being discouraged by family members, including parents.

St. Alphonsus seems to be ranting here, so I shall quote him on the subject....

• It is clear that our eternal salvation depends principally on the choice of our state... In regard to choosing a state, if we want to make sure of our eternal salvation, we must follow the divine vocation, where alone God has prepared efficacious helps to save us... This is exactly the order of predestination described by the same Apostle: “He whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified... and those he also glorified.”... Upon vocation follows justification, and upon justification follows glorification, namely eternal life. He who places himself outside of this chain of salvation will not be saved. With all the efforts and with everything else that one will do, St. Augustine will say to him: “You run well, but outside of the way,” namely outside of the way through which God will have called you to walk, in order to attain to your salvation. The Lord does not accept the sacrifices offered from one’s own inclination: “For Cain and his offering he had no regard.” Rather, he enjoins great punishment on those who want to turn their backs to their calls, to follow the plans of their own inclination: “Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord through Isaiah, “who carry out a plan, but not from me; and who make a league, but not by my spirit!” The punishment of the disobedient will begin already during his lifetime, when he will always be restless; for Job says, “Who has resisted him and had peace?” Hence he will be deprived of the abundant and efficacious helps for living well. Therefore the Theologian Habert wrote: “Not without great difficulties will he be able to look out for his salvation.” With great difficulty will he be saved, being forever like a member out of its proper place, so that only with great difficulty will he be able to live well... Therefore he concludes that “although absolutely speaking he could be saved, he will with difficulty enter the way, and lay hold of the means of salvation.”
• 
  
  
• Another block to vocations is that parents are not raising children to have purity of heart. Here is the great saint again on this subject.

• It is necessary for you to pray diligently to God to make you know his will as to what state he wants you in. But take notice that to have this light, you must pray to him with indifference. He who prays to God to enlighten him in regard to a state of life, but without indifference, and who, instead of conforming to the divine will, would sooner have God conform to his will, is like a pilot that pretends to wish his ship to advance, but in reality does not want it to: he throws his anchor into the sea, and then unfurls his sails. God neither gives light nor speaks his word to such persons. But if you entreat him with indifference and resolution to follow his will, God will make you know clearly what state is better for you. 
• (On the utility of the spiritual exercises made in solitude)

Sorry, moaners and complainers, look to your own failings and the failings of your local Church. I have said to some priests that high schools which have not produced a vocation in twenty years should be shut down. What about forty years?  Yes, some Catholic high schools have not seen a priestly vocation for forty years. Something is wrong. And, if parishes are to be shut down, close the ones where there have been no vocations for twenty years, now considered a generation. Something is wrong.  Financial viability is not the only criteria for keeping a church open. What about spiritual viability? What about the number of marriages, baptisms, and priestly vocations as a sign of viability?

Where are the Latino vocations? Here are statistics from this year's ordinands. Note that a quarter were not American born. This is a scandal for our American Church.

Two-thirds of responding ordinands (69 percent) report their primary race or ethnicity as Caucasian/European American/white. Compared to the adult Catholic population of the United States, ordinands are more likely to be of Asian or Pacific Islander background (10 percent of responding ordinands), but less likely to be Hispanic/Latino (14 percent of responding ordinands). Compared to diocesan ordinands, religious ordinands are less likely to report their race or ethnicity as Caucasian/European American/white.  One-quarter of the ordinands (25 percent) were born outside the United States, with the largest numbers coming from Colombia, Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria, Poland, and Vietnam. On average, responding ordinands who were born in another country have lived in the United States for 12 years. Between 20 and 30 percent of ordinands to diocesan priesthood for each of the last ten years were born outside of the United States, as were 25 percent of this year’s diocesan ordinands.  Most ordinands have been Catholic since birth, although 7 percent became Catholic later in life. Eighty-four percent report that both of their parents are Catholic and more than a third (37 percent) have a relative who is a priest or a religious.  Almost all ordinands in the Class of 2015 (96 percent) have at least one sibling. Seven in ten (74 percent) have more than two siblings, while one in five (22 percent) have five or more siblings. Ordinands are most likely to be the oldest in their family (36 percent). USCCB website.

Parents, give the first child to God....a long tradition in the Catholic Church. I also blame priests for not speaking out against mixed religion marriages. Note that the vast majority of priests ordained had Catholic mums and dads. 

I know of many churches in the Midwest where there have not been vocations for forty years or more, and a few which have young men going into the seminaries in a regular fashion-especially in rural areas.. Interesting...and the blocks to vocations are yet more reasons for a house of prayer set aside to pray for priests, bishops, cardinals, and seminarians.

A Necessary Clarification

36. Wherefore, strictly adhering, in this matter, to the decrees of the pontiffs, our predecessors, and confirming them most fully, and, as it were, renewing them by our authority, of our own initiative and certain knowledge, we pronounce and declare that ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void.

Thus, Pope Leo XIII in Apostolicae Curae defined the reality of Anglican ordinations. A few days ago, I was discussing this with a Catholic who did not understand that Anglican orders are and have been invalid.

Catholics recognize that their priests are in the line of Apostolic Succession-the unbroken tradition of the laying of hands in the Sacrament of Ordination which goes back to Christ's call of the Apostles. The Eucharist is only valid when consecrated by validly ordained Catholic priests. 

Pope Leo XIII clearly did not mess with modern "false ecumenism".

39. We wish to direct our exhortation and our desires in a special way to those who are ministers of religion in their respective communities. They are men who from their very office take precedence in learning and authority, and who have at heart the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Let them be the first in joyfully submitting to the divine call and obey it, and furnish a glorious example to others. Assuredly, with an exceeding great joy, their Mother, the Church, will welcome them, and will cherish with all her love and care those whom the strength of their generous souls has, amidst many trials and difficulties, led back to her bosom. Nor could words express the recognition which this devoted courage will win for them from the assemblies of the brethren throughout the Catholic world, or what hope or confidence it will merit for them before Christ as their Judge, or what reward it will obtain from Him in the heavenly kingdom! And we, ourselves, in every lawful way, shall continue to promote their reconciliation with the Church in which individuals and masses, as we ardently desire, may find so much for their imitation. In the meantime, by the tender mercy of the Lord our God, we ask and beseech all to strive faithfully to follow in the path of divine grace and truth.

Some of the confusion has to do with the difference between intent and the words of ordination. But, the good pope covered this point as well. I read a modern commentator on line who was confused on this point, a convert from Anglicanism, who did not understand the following illumination.

32. Many of the more shrewd Anglican interpreters of the Ordinal have perceived the force of this argument, and they openly urge it against those who take the Ordinal in a new sense, and vainly attach to the Orders conferred thereby a value and efficacy which they do not possess. By this same argument is refuted the contention of those who think that the prayer, "Almighty God, giver of all good Things", which is found at the beginning of the ritual action, might suffice as a legitimate "form" of Orders, even in the hypothesis that it might be held to be sufficient in a Catholic rite approved by the Church.

33. With this inherent defect of "form" is joined the defect of "intention" which is equally essential to the Sacrament. The Church does not judge about the mind and intention, in so far as it is something by its nature internal; but in so far as it is manifested externally she is bound to judge concerning it. A person who has correctly and seriously used the requisite matter and form to effect and confer a sacrament is presumed for that very reason to have intended to do (intendisse) what the Church does. On this principle rests the doctrine that a Sacrament is truly conferred by the ministry of one who is a heretic or unbaptized, provided the Catholic rite be employed. On the other hand, if the rite be changed, with the manifest intention of introducing another rite not approved by the Church and of rejecting what the Church does, and what, by the institution of Christ, belongs to the nature of the Sacrament, then it is clear that not only is the necessary intention wanting to the Sacrament, but that the intention is adverse to and destructive of the Sacrament.

The intent of the original men who broke with Rome in the Anglican communion involved that desire to no longer be part of the Roman Catholic Church. The changes in the rite occurred in order to reflect the decision to break with Rome.

Those members of the Ordinariate understand this distinction and receive the sacrament of Catholic ordination. One can recall that Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman was ordained in October, 1846, in Rome, one year after his conversion to Catholicism. 

“To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant.”

 
Blessed John Henry Newman

Today's Gospel Noli Me Tangere-One More Indwelling Post-Six

John 20:11-18

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look[a] into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,[b] “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

One of the most mysterious sayings of Christ in the entire New Testament occurs when He meets Mary Magdalene in the garden tomb area after His Resurrection.

Christ tell me not to "hold" on to him, not to touch Him, as He has "not yet ascended to the Father."

That is mysterious enough, but Christ goes on to tell Mary that she must carry the message of His ascending "to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

Was Christ stating that after the Resurrection He went up to heaven, or is He prophesying His Own Ascension which will happen in forty days?

And, in either case, why cannot Mary touch Him, or "hold" Him?

This passage has nothing to do with the fact that Mary was a sinner, as she has, at this time, been forgiven and witnessed the Crucifixion, thereby earning great merit, with St. John and those who did not run away.

The great sinner, now a holy follower of Christ, is also given the task to be a messenger to the apostles. Christ entrusts her with the news of His Resurrection-a great honor.

Here are a few thoughts on this event.

I see this as a Eucharistic and Priestly revelation.

Mary was told not to hold on to Jesus as Christ was now in His Glorified Body-He is no longer the pre-death Jesus, but the Victor over death and sin, having been to Hell and brought the captive faithful, now freed, to heaven. He is revealing to Mary His Divinity, in a way which before the Resurrection was mostly hidden. Only three apostles witnesses the Transfiguration, a hint of Christ in Glory. Now, many will see Christ Glorified Body.

Christ has not yet ascended into heaven, where He will reign until the Second Coming. We relate to Christ in a different manner, through the Eucharist, through the Church, through grace which leads to Union. Christ will become "universally touchable"-available to all men and women, not just those who knew Him on earth through the Eucharist. Mary is told of a new relationship. 

None of us can claim Christ as "only" our Lover, our Bridegroom, although that is the goal of all Christians who desire an intimate relationship with Christ. Yes, He is a personal Savior, but so much more. He is now the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the True Messiah Who leads all men and women to God, His God, the Father, and our God. Christ is revealing Himself to Mary as the Second Son of the Blessed Trinity, in Glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Her initial zeal is checked by a new revelation. Christ will now dwell within Mary, and all of us in the Indwelling of the Trinity.

The apostles, especially Thomas, are allowed to touch Jesus-because they are priests. Sharing in the Priesthood of Christ, they have a relation to Him which women do not, not because women are less in honor, but because Christ created the male priesthood at the Last Supper. This "noli me tangere" may very well be Christ's way of explaining to His followers that His Presence must be reverenced in a new way.

Yet, Mary is given the task to tell the apostles Christ is Risen. She is the bearer of the Good News to the men who did not come to the tomb, until John and Peter run back after Mary tells them. The women know first because their love is greater-they were not afraid to bring herbs and spices despite the soldiers being on guard. Christ responds to their love.

Just a few thoughts on this Easter Tuesday morning....

Mysterious Words of Christ

Today, we hear Christ telling the apostles at the Last Supper that He will be glorified. This is stated clearly after Christ shows that Judas will betray Him.

Two mysterious things happen almost simultaneously. Satan enters Judas because Judas has given himself over to Satan in order to betray Christ. He is now possessed, by willingly giving over his free will, his decision of treachery to the dark side of evil. Those of us who have been betrayed by loved ones or trusted friends join with Christ in His suffering.

It is as if Satan and Judas have made a pact--Christ's death for Judas' soul. Judas cooperates with Evil to bring down Christ, the Son of God. But, Satan does not see the end of the story.

The second mysterious occurrence is announced by Christ in these words said after Judas leaves:

 When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself; and immediately will he glorify him.

Christ speaks of His glory, and that the Father is glorified because of Him, Christ. God gives the glory back to Christ in line 32, as the Father and the Son are One.

What is this glory? I think the glory is threefold. 

First of all, the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, the Passion, begins in this Upper Room with the Institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood.

Christ and the Father are glorified both in the Mass and in the priesthood. The apostles become each an alter Christus, the other Christs, bringing the Body and Blood of Christ to all Catholics down to this present day through the apostolic succession. Indeed, these two new rites, new sacraments, Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders, bring glory to God, to Christ, to the Church. 

Second, Christ is glorified, and therefore, glorifies the Father through His perfect obedient Passion and Death on the Cross, which is the New Passover, the freeing of all mankind from the bondage of eternal death and sin. Christ is the Second Adam, undoing the sin of Adam through suffering as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. God is glorified in His Son's redemption of all people. Freedom to be saints, to regain the lost innocence of Adam and Eve is given to all. The New Passover Lamb leads the New People of God through the new Red Sea of baptism, earned on the Cross by Christ. Christ is the New Adam, the New Moses, the New King David.

Third, Christ is glorified in His love for both the Father and all mankind, and this Love is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Ghost. The Trinity is glorified at this Last Supper, in Gethsemane, on Calvary, and finally, as shown to all the world, at the Resurrection.

So, now is the Son glorified...

John 13:

18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me, shall lift up his heel against me.

19 At present I tell you, before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe that I am he.

20 Amen, amen I say to you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

21 When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit; and he testified, and said: Amen, amen I say to you, one of you shall betray me.

22 The disciples therefore looked one upon another, doubting of whom he spoke.

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him: Who is it of whom he speaketh?

25 He therefore, leaning on the breast of Jesus, saith to him: Lord, who is it?

26 Jesus answered: He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

27 And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him: That which thou dost, do quickly.

28 Now no man at the table knew to what purpose he said this unto him.

29 For some thought, because Judas had the purse, that Jesus had said to him: Buy those things which we have need of for the festival day: or that he should give something to the poor.

30 He therefore having received the morsel, went out immediately. And it was night.

31 When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself; and immediately will he glorify him.

A Silent Epidemic

When I was in college, at Christmas time during the senior year, it was almost universally accepted that the girls would finally get engaged to be married to their best boyfriends. Girls would come back after Christmas break with the dazzling engagement rings and the perceptive day of the wedding, usually in June or August of the now new year.

Most women in my generation got married right out of college, not high school, the latter which was more true in my mother's day, although my own mother had one year of college before she got married in 1948.

I was highly unusual in the fact that not only did I not have a best boyfriend out of several, but that I had no intention of getting married right out of college. I was going to graduate school, and so on.

Since I have been back to the States, I have noticed something which I call the "silent epidemic" among Catholics who are about to graduate from university, or who already have.

The vast majority are not only not planning on getting married, but they are not even dating.

In the past six weeks, I have met, over and over, parents who have talked about their single, very single, adult children. None are dating and all are working.

About the time I graduated from college, roughly 9 out of a 1,000 Catholics got married. By 2010, the ratio was just less than 3% out of 1,000. The ratio is most likely worse now.

Just as there is a priest shortage, there seems to be a married couple shortage. I cannot believe the many parents with whom I have discussed families in the past six weeks, families of adult children ranging from 50 years of age to 20, families of adult children who are not married and who never have been married, are not examples of a larger problem.



One in five parishes in the US does not have a resident priest. The average age of priests in the US is 63. In 2010, there was 1 priest to 1,653 Catholics, and now that is worse.

Here is the cause for the silent epidemics of both less Catholic married couples and less priests--contraception.

No one talks about this as a cause for the lack of vocations, either to the priesthood or to married life.

In the old days, when Catholic parents had 12 or even more children, of course, one or two would stay single and one or two would become priests or religious.

The rest would get married. There were exceptions. I know of one Irish family with ten children and they all became priests and nuns. 

I know of one family with three boys and they all became priests. But, this was and is, even now, more rare.

The priest and couple shortage caused by contraception is compounded by the reluctance of young people to commit to anything. It is easier to stay single than to be committed to something.

It is true that some young people are totally committed to their careers. 

It is also true that professions demand longer time in university.


However, people in professions use to get married. Two of my best friends had doctor daddies and one had lawyer daddy. These dads manage to have nine kids, six kids, and twenty kids, respectively.

Sadly, I have not heard a sermon about contraception for years and years and years.

Perhaps those priests who would have spoken about such never were given a chance to live.

We have another silent epidemic which will burst out soon in a horrible disease, called schism. 63% of American Catholics support ssm and 50% of Mass-going Catholics supporting ssm.

We are in for a bumpy ride....

Ruminating on Vocations

A vocation is a call from God. A person cannot create a vocation to the priesthood, religious life of a monk, or nun or active sisterhood, if God does not initiate the call.

I have been thinking of some young people I know who have been struggling with vocations and I want to address them, and parents as well.

First of all, God calls the humble, not the proud. To be a priest or sister, a monk or nun, demands an attitude of service to the Church and not a careerist attitude. Too many young people see the priesthood, especially, as a way to "get ahead", to have influence in the world on a human level. This reaching out for status is particularly a temptation for those who think they do not fit in the world, or who even have little talents for worldly occupations. If one cannot work, one cannot serve. To be a good priest is hard work. Also, as noted before, a seminarian and a priest must be a teachable person, one open to learning the long history, theology and philosophy of the Church, plus all the pastoral skills. Humility is key.

Second, a call does not depend necessarily on intelligence or skills, but one must be able to fulfill the duties of a novitiate or a seminary. The Church needs bright young sparks to become priests, especially today, as the need for apologetic seems more and more necessary. One cannot have learning disabilities or a low IQ and be a pastor who must administer perhaps five parishes, travel consistently, balance budgets, encourage the laity and be a saint. To do what most lay people would not have to do, that is, multitask, forms a huge role of the priest in today's society. Long gone is the priest in his ivory tower dictating roles to others, especially if there are no lay persons willing to help out. Last year, at Easter, my parents' pastor pleaded for help in the Church and especially for young men to consider the deaconate, as so many priests in that diocese were getting old and even some younger one were ill with constant problems.

To be a priest in any situation now, is to be a missionary and not a prima donna. I can see the hard work and long hours necessary for the priest in most countries. Even in Malta and Gozo, there is now a priest shortage, which means most priests have multiple jobs, such as pastor and teacher, as they have in my old home diocese. A canon lawyer also works in a parish, even as a pastor, and so on.

Third, a priest or nun, brother or sister in religion, must leave all and follow God. To think they can live like comfortable middle-class people is not only an error in judgement, but a sign that, perhaps, that young person does not have a call. Again, the comfortable life is fast disappearing. To be physically uncomfortable is now part of the call, and should be.

Fourth, a call is a mysterious relationship between the individual and God. This relationship has been in the Mind of God for all time, despite the difference of time, historical context and genetics. God knows those He calls from the very moment of their existence in the womb. A call just does not pop out of nowhere, but comes from the Lord Who created the person to be a priest, a nun and so on.

That relationship can be thwarted, by free will, as no one is forced into following a vocation. But, there is another side to this coin of free will and that is grace. God gives the grace to say "yes" and I believe that if someone says "no", they have rejected a particular grace.

Fifth, in opposition to the fourth point is the truth that one cannot conjure up a call if one does not have one. Grace simply is not there to be a priest, a nun, a brother, a sister. One cannot work or live without grace for any length of time, as that life is built on sand and not solid rock. Sadly, I know several men who thought they were called to the priesthood and wasted time seeking the place to live this vocation out when there was no place, because that was not God's will for them.

To keep trying and failing is a sign of a lack of a vocation and too many people want to blame others, such as the order, or institution, the diocese or even Rome for being rejected. God does the choosing and God does the rejecting for His purposes, especially if someone has tried several orders or dioceses. Such moving about from one diocese or order to another is a sign that a person does not have a vocation.

Sixth, physical strength and health, as well as the absence of disablities is a sign as well. Again, the lifestyles are demanding. These physical demands are what proved to me that I did not have a vocation to the one order which was open to me joining-Tyburn. I simply could not keep up with the very disciplined and hard schedule. God did not make me for such a rule, as much as I loved being in Tyburn.

Seventh, one can love the trappings of the religious life or priesthood, such as the Liturgy or monastic environments, even soutanes and habits, but this does not mean that one has a vocation, as these are outward manifestations of a larger reality, and an interest, or even a passion, could mean one is called to be a liturgist, a cantor, a writer of sacred music, or a maker of vestments, as examples.

Eighth, a real sign of a vocation today is to accept the Church as it is, with both the EF and NO form of the Mass, and the various female orders either new and with teething pains, or old and needing patience. One does not get married if one wants to CHANGE the woman or man to whom one is engaged. That is a recipe for disaster. Likewise, one does not join a religious order or a diocese thinking that one will change the status quo. Not only does that exhibit the sin of pride, but an immaturity. Saints who reform orders, or men or women who convert their spouses, are rare, indeed.

We are made in the image and likeness of God and how God wants us to work out our salvation is His perfect plan for us. Several excellent writers have noted that a person will not find happiness or peace in this life if he or she chooses the wrong vocation. Even if that happiness is the unfelt joy of St. Therese, there must be a deeply rooted peace about one's vocation.

I am writing this as I am grieved by two friends who refuse to give up pursuing something to which God has not called them after several failures. These two women have tried again and again to become nuns and have left several orders because they have not fit in.

Why they are so stubborn reveals a mislaid pride, thinking that the only way they can be holy is to be a nun. And, they are, I am afraid, seeking a status or lost ideal of perfection. They have lived very unhappy and thwarted lives. I wish them the best, but they need to move on into a lay mindset.

The rule of orders is the more perfect way, as a rule is set up to help a person be a saint, which our jobs in the world do not do. Secular pursuits are not perfect objectively, ordered to the growth of the spiritual life, as are the rules of the Benedictines, Carmelites and so on.

But, to be humble and recognize that God has called one to a less perfect way in the world and still strive for great sanctity is a true gift of self-denial, death to the self. Sometimes, a man is a "bad priest" or a woman a "bad nun" because they should not have been such in the first place.

What happens in reality is God's Will. I firmly believe this. One must embrace this truth. However, God honors our free wills as sacred.  A tragic thing happened to someone who struggled with a vocation to the priesthood for years and years, finally falling in love and becoming engaged. His mind kept going back and forth on his decision even to the day of the wedding. On his wedding day, he actually heard God, as he stood at the altar, that the marriage was not God's will for him. But, he went ahead with the sacrament. That man has been married for over twenty years now, and he has a core of sad peace. He knows he chose incorrectly, but he loves his wife and will continue with his vows until he dies. He believes that he just did not listen well. One should get advice from others, and many people thought he should have been a priest. The parish people discussed this for years when he was young. There is a mystery in his life, but he is good and dedicated. His wife knows the story and they have come to love each other in a special way, in a suffering, but at peace. One can say "no" to God. I wonder if when they are older, she may not let him go into the priesthood? This is possible, as one can leave a vow to go on to a higher call.

One cannot play God and be something God did not create one to be. And, like marriage, or the rare call of singleness for the Lord, one is being, not just doing, what God intended for all time for one's life.

Being not doing...

A man or woman must honestly look at who they are, what their gifts are, and what physical traits are theirs in order to understand whether they have a vocation or not. To be holy is to fulfill the call of God, not to fulfill one's own desires, which may not be in keeping with God's plans.

Pray for two groups of people today. Pray for those who are being called to the priesthood or religious life, and pray for those who are not, who are confused about what it means to become holy, that they may embrace their lay calls

A light goes on sometimes

Extrapolating from the comments made below by Ben Carson, it dawned on me why Catholic vocations are at such a low tide-or yet another reason than those commonly defined.

What Ben Carson notes about the black youth not growing up respecting authority is true for the way Catholic parents are referring to the clergy, even in so-called good Catholic homes.

We had good friends who were priests who served as brilliant examples of good priests for my son. We did not speak against the clergy in any general anti-clerical sense, but I have seen over and over in families where priests are so criticized that any young man who may consider a vocation would be discouraged from doing so.

Authority must be respected in the role of authority. Whether a particular person measures up to that role is another question entirely.

I respect the pope because he is the pope. I respect my bishop because he is the bishop.

The merits of the person are separate from the office, which is something many Catholics simply do not understand.

The great divide in the Church over the EF and NO families has caused problems with vocations. A young man must never think the NO in invalid, for example, and think he has a vocation. He must be willing to say both, unless he joins an order where the charism is only saying the EF.

Respect for the authority of the Church must be part of the young person's character if he thinks he is called to the priesthood. We have enough priests who do not love the Church and we absolutely do not need more like that, either liberal or conservative.

Sadly, with parents wanting to be friends rather than parents, too many young men have not had experience with authority. They simply do not know how to submit. And, an adversarial attitude is not the mark of a vocation.

I see this daily.

And, this attitude would be a deterrent to a young man considering a vocation. Or, he simply would not last in the seminary. Only a young man who is humble, who is teachable, can learn to be a priest.

Discernment Part Five

There is much more in Garrigou-Lagrange's book and much more on this subject, but I want to highlight only this selection below. I have found that in my life there have been people who have seemed holy only for me to discover that they do not love the Church, or desire the Eucharist. One wonders at the discrepancies, until one realizes that all the virtues come to be exhibited by the person who is truly holy. All the baptized are called to holiness. but without discernment, we can be fooled in following erroneous ideas or waste time in groups or endeavors which actually lead us into pride.

Too many people also fall into the category described below as "exotic". Eccentricity is not a sign of holiness.  Simplicity and a genuine humility are always signs of the spirit of God, whether in priests or in lay people. That God allows humiliation in one's life is a sign that He is working on the virtues, freeing one from the ego so that these virtues may flourish.

I have emphasized some characteristics of this topic in order to show that we are capable of developing the gift of discernment which has a real purpose in our lives. It is too easy for anyone to fall into self-deceit concerning progress on the road to perfection without a grounding in discernment.

Here are the last paragraphs for consideration at this time. One can see how these ideas follow some of the entries in Raissa's Journal. That Garrigou-Lagrange was part of the lives of the Maritains should surprise none of my readers.

Therefore the spirit which chafes under humiliation is not a perfect spirit: neither is the spirit which neglects to deny itself a spirit of solid virtue, since all the virtues ought to develop in unison as they are so closely related to each other.

It follows, therefore, that a spirit which prompts a man to numerous acts of mortification but not to ready obedience is imperfect, and must be regarded at least to some extent as having an evil intention, since it is so insistent on following its own will. True it is that such a spirit is often the cause of many good works but these are not inspired by any love of God, as is evident from the lack of growth in humble obedience the sure sign of loving conformity to the will of God.

Neither is that spirit to be trusted which is always urging man to paradoxical action, which is continually forming judgments that conflict with the common opinion of prudent men. Such a spirit is, so to speak, exotic and artificial; it is impulsive rather than virtuous.

Similarly, there cannot be any doubt about the evil nature of a spirit which fosters in man a desire for what is extraordinary and willingly speaks of this to all and sundry. God would never lead a soul to the higher planes of the spiritual life without making it at the same time extremely humble, since all the virtues arc inter-related and so are perfected together. That is why it is so easy to distinguish the truly high-minded person from one who is presumptuous. It is part of the devil's plan to incite in man a desire for what is new, curious, abnormal, amazing, unusual, and so to excite the wonder and admiration of others that they will think of him as a saint.

The same holds true of a person not yet firmly grounded in the virtues of humility and obedience, who while professing a desire to imitate the saints, concentrates on details of their lives which were never intended to be imitated but simply admired, and dedicates himself to a life of extraordinary forms of prayer and penance.

How foolish to commence erecting a spiritual mansion from the top, like a bird trying to fly without wings! We should never be misled by the apparent success of a soul which makes such an attempt; its flight into the realms of mysticism is deceptive, dangerous, and to no purpose.

Discernment Part Four

Again, we see that one can discern, can judge actions. Again, we see that the call to perfection is not an option. Again, we see that Garrigou-Lagrange could stand back and criticize the actions of priests who had fallen from this path, this call.

But, we are all called to be fervent in prayer, attentive in Mass, giving God time in silence, and being absolutely obedient to the teachings of the Catholic Church. 

To discern the human spirit is not difficult for most of us.  However, what is more difficult for some is the discerning of the spirit of evil, as satan pretends to be an angel of light.

First, a review of a priest caught up in his human spirit.

On the other hand, when this interior spirit is allowed to grow and develop it produces fruits of real sanctity. We become all the more clearly aware of the value and excellence of our religious vocation.

"This interior spirit is formed in us by the practice of the means of perfection suggested by ascetical theology, but it is firmly established and perfected by spiritual growth in the different stages of the mystical life, as is well explained by St. Thomas. The mystical life is the completion of the ascetical life, the peak of the soul's ascent through the various stages of Christian perfection. There have been periods when this teaching was regarded with suspicion, when practical errors in this respect stunted the growth of the spirit of genuine piety; but now we can be grateful for the return to traditional teaching, which has re-opened the way for souls a thirst for the supernatural life to come to a knowledge of mystical realities And in this life of perfection the spirit of God is most certainly present revivifying the soul."

Obvious examples of the influence of the spirit of nature are tepidity in the celebration of Holy Mass, haste in the saying of one's Office almost like a machine. curiosity and eventually sloth in the pursuit of one's studies, carelessness in observing the rule of silence and other practical rules, restrictions attached to the extent of one's obedience, cringing obedience out of love for the human superior and not for God or with a view to the obtaining of new honours and dignities.

Now, the hard bit....discernment of evil. We must all, in these difficult times of chaos and "mess" learn to discern the spirit of evil. We have the gift, the grace to do so. It is imperative that we learn to discern evil.

In contrast to the spirit of God the spirit of the devil at first lifts the soul to the heights of pride and then plunges it down into turmoil and despair, just as the devil himself sinned through pride and is now condemned to an eternity of despair and hatred of God.

In order to recognize this evil spirit we must first observe its effect on mortification, humility, and obedience, and then its effect on the theological virtues.

Prudence, temperance and obedience are signs of the spirit of God. The opposites show something else.

The spirit of the devil does not always deter a soul from mortification; in this respect it differs from the spirit of nature. On the contrary, it often urges the soul to go to extremes in the practice of exterior mortification which everyone can see, which results in spiritual pride and injury to the individual's health. Such a spirit has no time for the interior mortification of the imagination, heart, and one's own will and judgment, although it pretends to be concerned about it by making the soul scrupulous over details but careless in matters of greater importance; for example, in the principal duties of one's state of life. It prompts the soul to hypocrisy: "I fast twice in the week" (Luke xviii, 12).

Humility is never encouraged by this spirit, for it gradually distorts the soul's vision to see itself as greater than it really is, greater than anyone else. Almost unconsciously it makes the prayer of the Pharisee its own: "I thank thee, God, that I am not like the rest of men ... or like this publican here" (Luke xviii, 11). This spiritual pride goes hand in hand with a false humility, which accuses itself of some evil so as to avoid being accused by others of even greater faults and in order to make them think that we are truly humble. Sometimes the evil spirit leads us to confuse humility with faint-heartedness, which is the daughter of pride and fears to ran the risk of contempt. The evil spirit is also an enemy of obedience, prompting us either to open disobedience or to servility according to circumstances.

If I know a seminarian is practicing fasting, I know he will be a good priest. But, if a young person is caught up either in a middle class lifestyle or the excesses of asceticism, one can be sure that pride, if not ignorance, is involved.

Garrigou-Lagrange shows how each virtue of faith, hope and charity can be distorted by the evil one.

I do not have time to go into each category, but this section applies to the laity especially with regard to private revelations.

As regards the virtue of faith the spirit of the devil distracts our attention from the truths of the Gospel which are simpler and yet more profound such as those contained in the Our Father which we ought always to say with special care and devotion, or those portrayed in the mysteries of the Rosary and encourages us to focus our mind on what is extraordinary. Remember his tempting of Christ: "If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down to earth; for it is written, He has given charge to his angels concerning thee, and they will hold thee up with their hands, lest thou shouldst chance to trip on a stone. Jesus said to him, But it is further written, Thou shalt not put the Lord Thy God to the proof" (Matt, iv, 6-7).

The spirit of God, on the other hand, shows us clearly how to discern a person of faith, and helps us on our way to perfection.

The spirit of God nourishes our faith on the simpler and more profound truths of the Gospel, such as those contained in the Our Father. It keeps us faithful to tradition and strangers to novelty. This genuine supernatural faith helps us to see God in our superiors, and thus our spirit of faith is perfected since we come to judge everything in the light of this virtue.

Garrigou-Lagrange then comes to the core of how to react to extraordinary graces. This section is important to all of us. Remember, revelations must tend towards bringing the person to greater holiness and greater humility.

It would be presumptuous on our part to crave for extraordinary graces, such as revelations or interior conversations. But a soul which lives and perseveres in humility, self-denial, and almost continual recollection often receives in accordance with the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost special inspirations which result in a wonderful blending of simplicity and prudence, humility and zeal, firmness and gentleness. This harmony and blending of the virtues is a sure sign of the presence of God's spirit.

Those who do receive extraordinary graces from God must be prepared to carry the cross, to maintain complete silence and secrecy, and to speak about their favours to no one other than their spiritual director. Otherwise they stand in grave peril of spiritual pride.

There is a special danger in revelations which seem to refer to future events or to questions of doctrine, since they so easily give rise to deception. Even if the original inspiration were from God, the individual could later on superimpose his own interpretation which may be to a greater or less extent erroneous and is usually too material. In conclusion, it cannot be stressed too often that ecstasies and revelations which do not result in a more perfect way of life and do not make the subject less sure of himself cannot be attributed to the spirit of God especially if they promote discord, and interfere with the fulfilment of the duties attached to one's state of life.

Therefore the signs of God's spirit are humble obedience, brotherly love, peace, spiritual joy which radiates itself to all around.

to be continued....

For Seminarians to Read Today

The spirituality of priestly celibacy Divo Barsotti Theologian Christian perfection is perfection of charity. Just as faith is sure and peaceful adhesion to the truth and does not involve doubts, so charity is the fruit of the Spirit and in each of even its lowest degrees involves an absolute adhesion to God. There is no charity where God is not loved as supreme good: if you think you can share love for him with love for others, you do not love. The order of charity is that God is to be loved with a total love: with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. And as faith excluding all doubt is a gift from God, so too is that charity a gift from God that excludes all division. But how is a spiritual journey possible, if right from the start of the journey we are within God? On the other hand, were we not in God, how could we be saved, not having reached perfection of charity? But clearly no spiritual life is possible that does not entail the overcoming of human conditions. How otherwise could we transcend ourselves and all created things, so as to reach God and cling to him in faith and love? Faith is a gift from God, and charity is a gift from God. So we must find which route to take to lead us to spiritual perfection. The Spirit does not operate in our nature as an external force, beyond our powers, but in our own gifts. He moves our powers in such wise that our whole nature becomes God’s instrument. If we are in grace, we are already in God, but God requires us to cooperate in his activity, and the way we must cooperate in God’s activity is by consenting and being docile to the activity of the Spirit. God transfers us into himself, but in God we can complete ‘our’ journey, which can be without end in a God without end. What happens in the spiritual life is rather like what happens in ordinary life. At birth we are already human beings, but what a long way we have to go before we can live like human beings! The progress we make in the spiritual life depends on how docile we are to God’s activity. Practising the moral virtues then is only the actual expression of a spiritual life, since the practice of these virtues, which depends on the activity of the Spirit, is as it were transparent, is as it were leavened by love. For the virtues of a Christian are enlivened by charity; if not enlivened by charity, they cannot be called Christian. So it may be said, the virtues are, as it were, a kind of embodiment of love and, as there is no Christian virtue without love, so there is no charity in a Christian without the virtues in which charity lives. There is a journey in the virtues which bespeaks the soul’s progress in docility to the Spirit. In this docility, all human behaviour becomes transformed. So, the spiritual life involves all the virtues.. In the moral life of human beings you might find one virtue without another, but in the spiritual life of Christians you cannot have one virtue without all the rest. In the spiritual life of the priest, there is one virtue which postulates all the others but nonetheless seems particularly significant of his state and mission. To speak of the spirituality of the priesthood is particularly to consider this virtue. It is ecclesiastical celibacy. In the practice of this virtue are we then to recognize the priest’s particular route towards his own perfection of charity? It might seem that celibacy was not an expression of love; of itself it seems only to speak of renunciation, and besides celibacy is not essentially linked to priesthood. The term indeed is not a happy one: ‘celibacy’ as it stands says something negative, that is to say renunciation of marriage, and could even mean a state of life that excludes love and shuts a man in on himself. Quite the reverse: the celibacy of the priest is not intended to mean something negative: by celibacy, the Church desires the perfect chastity of the priest. Priestly spirituality has its truest expression precisely in perfect chastity, since chastity, in the priest, is the actual expression of his charity. We have said, one virtue postulates all the others, but in any given state of life there is one particular virtue which seems to express and reveal charity best. Were chastity not enlivened by charity, it would be rejection of love. But by celibacy, contrariwise, the Church manifests the desire for its priests to be holy. Chastity in the priesthood, contrary to being a defence against love, is the charism of perfect love, of a love which, like God’s, is prevenient, gratuitous, universal. For the priest’s devotion to his mission is not his response to being loved by the brethren: the priest too, like the Lord, has to love first. If he can name any reason for his love, it is because he is particularly drawn by the wretchedness of those he has to save. True, the unique Saviour of all is Jesus the Son of God, but the salvation he has won for all in point of fact reaches each individual through the priestly service of those whom Christ associates with himself in his mission. The gives his life for the brethren; priestly ordination consecrates him to a service from which henceforth he may never be freed: a service demanding the total gift of self. And to no one per se can he refuse his love. How could the priest live this love, were Jesus not living within him? Priesthood demands and at the same time postulates the most intimate union, indeed a certain unity, with Christ: Christ himself must live within him, and Christ’s life is love to the point of sacrifice, love till death. This unity with Christ, for whom there is only one life and only one love, cannot be lived without perfect chastity. Priestly chastity is therefore, as it were, the sacramental sign of the priest’s union with Christ. It has often been said and we say it again: the priest is ‘another Christ’. In the exercise of the priesthood, every priest acts in the person of Christ, but that which comes about by the power conferred on him in ordination, though per se assuring the efficacity of his sacramental acts, nonetheless demands that the priest’s life — lest it be a lie —be one with Christ’s. So, contrary to living the rejection of love, in chastity the priest realizes that nuptial union which, according to the greatest spiritual masters, is indeed the very perfection of spiritual life. Were it not so, chastity could not become a condition of loving, and would instead become a condition of self-centredness, closing the priest’s soul and heart, making his life empty and sterile. For marriage was raised by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament because the love of men and women prefigured the union of Christ with the Church. The perfect chastity of the priest is not only a figure of that union, but its more or less perfect fulfilment. Only thus, by becoming one sole Spirit with Christ will the priest live a true participation in Christ’s prevenient and gratuitous love and be Christ personified, in him to live his same passion of love, his mission of universal salvation. Exclusive love for Christ, for whose sake the priest freely renounces having a family of his own, so dilates his heart as to make him capable of a love that knows no bounds. His family is the universe. True, human conditioning persists. Even Jesus was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but this did not prevent him from being in fact the Saviour of the world. If on the visible and social plane a limit is set to a man’s activity, charity knows no limit other than its own imperfection. This is why the priest too receives a canonical mission limited in time and space, but the charity that inspires him, of itself, knows no bounds, is eternal and cannot exclude anyone. One and indivisible is the mission of Christ, and each of us Christians lives it in the state of life in which the Lord has placed us and in those conditions of time and place which Providence has assigned for us to live in. But more than the ordinary Christian, the priest, in the chastity uniting him to Christ in an indivisible charity, is committed to living Christ’s own mission. Indeed, it is perfect chastity which opens him to universal charity: nothing and no one ties him down and divides him from others. He is one with Christ, to become one with all. This union is only accomplished in Christ and involves all humanity, all creation, in a manner being assumed by the Word and becoming one sole Christ in him. Thus the Person of the Word, by whom all things were made, becomes the principle of unity for the whole human race and for the whole creation too; but none of this happens without the priesthood. The priesthood is God’s instrument for accomplishing this marvellous design. True, this is mainly by means of the sacraments that we priests administer, but more important still by the witness of our whole lives. We are taught that Holy Order sets a seal on the nature of the priest. Character does not radically transform human nature but makes it so that each activity of this nature cannot be other than a priestly activity. With all his life, the priest is at the service of the Word, to lead human beings and the world back to Him. For this to be done, the physical world must be subjected to the spirit and the spirit to God. Chastity is the force that brings our emotional life back to obeying the spirit; and therefore in chastity lie the first means for freeing us from the slavery of the senses and for ordering us to the spiritual life. The priest should set an example of this liberation in himself, and be our guide. For, as regards chastity, we are all summoned to begin our journey of healing for a human nature fragmented by sin. Hence the importance of chastity in the life of every Christian, but hence the exceptional importance this virtue ought to have in the life of the priest, who is more directly called to live Christ’s mission, so that all physical nature too may be ordered to God. This salvation which is meant to heal the rupture between human beings and God, between human beings among themselves, between human beings and the creation and, lastly, within human beings themselves, which has been brought about by sin, requires that before all else the unity of the human personality be restored. How can the priest be the messenger of and witness to salvation, if he does not by his own life show that he has himself been saved? Once the flesh has been subjected to the spirit, we can then order ourselves Godwards and be safe in God. But salvation cannot isolate, cannot divide us from our fellow-beings and, for the priestly mission, even less can it divide the priest from all the people to whom he has been sent. Chastity, which heals human nature fragmented by sin, is, in the priest, also a commitment to healing the division sin has caused between human beings, and between human beings and the creation. Perfect chastity is that divine force not only raising human nature up to God but raising the whole creation, by ordering it to him. Important for his sanctification, chastity is supremely important for the priest’s ministry. In his freedom from all family ties, he is entirely available for his ministry: nothing can or should divert him from that self-giving to which he was consecrated by priestly ordination. He can no longer lead a life of his own, have a profession of his own, have even a name of his own: he belongs to Christ alone. And in him, Christ lives a mission which the priest can say he has accomplished if Christ asks him for the gift of his whole life. The celibacy the Church wants of him would be a mutilation, were it not, on the contrary, the condition through which the mystery of Christ becomes present in him: the mystery of Christ’s life and death for the salvation of the world. To deny there is a sacrifice on the natural plane is to deny the obvious, but the celibacy of the priest is not loneliness if it is union with Christ, nor sterility if it is loving service. Although it is union with Christ, faithfulness to the pledge of celibacy needs prayer to nourish love, a lively prayer in the priest’s personal relationship with Christ. If it is to be loving service, the priest must not shut himself up in himself but feel more and more intensely that he lives for others, that others are his life. Thus we may sum up the spirituality of the priest: he ought to live in intimate union with Christ, with him to be one act of praise to the Father and to be together too in serving others. He will live his union with Christ in self-giving to the brethren. Holiness and mission will thus be inseparable and their union will be the fruit of a chaste love. Celibacy, which might seem to isolate him, becomes the sign of a love which, by uniting him to Christ, also makes him a man for all.http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_cclergy_doc_01011993_spiri_en.html