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BY OSCAR CRUZ
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Obligations and rights of priests
AS FORMALLY and expressly enacted by pertinent Church normative provisions – in accord with the nature, features and finalities of the priesthood – the following are the obligations and rights of priests as legislated by Canon Law, hereunder expressed in simple terms and abbreviated forms:
1. to show reverence and obedience to their ecclesiastical superiors
2. to accept and fulfill the priestly assignments given to them
3. to pray, to live and work together with their fellow priests
4. to promote and support the mission/apostolate of the laity
5. to seek holiness of life serving people in the Church and in the world
6. to remain faithful and dedicated to their ministerial work
7. to properly celebrate the Mass and administer the Sacraments
8. to pray the breviary daily for the right season and in the right time
9. to undergo regular spiritual retreat and attend updating seminars
10. to faithfully engage themselves in mental prayer and penitential rites
11. to teach and promote official Church devotions and religious practices
12. to live and observe continence and thus live a celibate life
13. to deal with prudence towards persons who could deviate their oath
14. to refrain from joining associations/activities dissonant with their solemn oath
15. to continue studying Scriptures, Church doctrine, Papal teachings
16. to go on attending theological, pastoral and administrative seminars
17. to seek knowledge of other Sacred Sciences and renewed pastoral methods
18. to have and maintain some form of common life with other priests
19. to follow a simple way of life and avoid worldliness
20. to apply unneeded resources to Church needs and charitable works
21. to observe the Law of residence as determined by Church officials
22. to wear suitable clothing becoming of priests
23. to shun everything unbecoming of their priesthood
24. to avoid anything improper to their priestly life and calling
25. to refuse any Office with exercise of civil power
26. to reject management of temporal goods belonging to lay people.
27. to abstain from practicing commerce or trade alien to the priesthood
28. to foster harmony and peace through the observance of justice and truth
29. to renounce all political offices and not to belong to any labor party
30. to avoid volunteering for military service except through chaplaincy
RIGHTS
1. to belong to an Association with priestly/religious objectives
2. to be provided for his personal needs according to local living standard
3. to be attended to in sickness and in his old age, burial included
All the above cited “Obligations and Rights” of Catholic Priests – as formally provided and defined by Church Law may appear too many and too little in number and nature respectively.
The sequence even is about “Obligations and Rights” as the former are much more complex and complicated in terms of the same factors although the standard phrase used is “Rights and Obligations.”
It is not only good but also proper and useful to know these realities./PN
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