October 23, 2009
The Bishop's Forum
The Year for Priests: From whence a priest?
by Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger
Last of a series: Does one have the right to Holy Orders?
In six columns during the Year for Priests, I have attempted to demonstrate that the source of all vocations is the first of the social sacraments, that of Marriage and Family Life. My experience is very personal as it is the only one I know. Each deacon, priest and bishop has his own story. Every family of which we are sons also has its own story, most often untold.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the second of the two social sacraments. Holy Matrimony is the first!
These two sacraments are called social as they are meant to sanctify not only the individuals receiving them but also the community of believers, thereby building up the Mystical Body of Christ.
Because Marriage and Holy Orders are social in nature, there is an added accountability.
Last year in a series of columns, I emphasized that marriage as a vocation is not a private matter even though, unfortunately, in our culture it seems to have been made to seem so. It is a family matter which means that married couples are accountable to the larger family, i.e. the Church. The Church recognizes that a couple has a right to be married provided all is in order in their personal lives. In the case of Holy Matrimony, the couple calls each other in an espousal to be faithful to one another and so pledges it publicly in the midst of the church community. The Church affirms the espousal if the couple is in compliance with the laws of the Church governing marriage.
This year, I have attempted to point out that the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the other social sacrament. It is different from the Sacrament of Matrimony.
Any man aspiring to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders must understand that he has no right to the Sacrament of Holy Orders within the Church no matter how much he may aspire to the diaconate, the priesthood or episcopate. The Church must call him to serve in that capacity hence the words, “vocation to holy orders.”
Once called by the Church through the voice of the ordaining bishop, the newly ordained deacon or priest pledges obedience to the bishop and his successors; this commitment is not unlike the pledge of fidelity that spouses commit to each other. A priest or deacon then must assume his role as a public figure in the Catholic community of believers. He therefore must be accountable for his ministry of presence to those entrusted to his care.
In closing, I recall a personal experience that Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis related to the 30 deacon candidates of the North American College in Rome. It was my privilege to concelebrate that Ordination Mass in St. Peter’s. The archbishop’s story emphasized the issue of worthiness of a candidate for Holy Orders.
At the conclusion of a conference with a student in the seminary aspiring to the priesthood, the young man told the Archbishop that he would study and pray that he might be worthy to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Archbishop Carlson told the young man that he could save him a lot of study and prayer “as neither he nor any other man could ever be worthy enough to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders.” It was a sobering reminder to all of us in the magnificence of St. Peter’s Basilica.
As I conclude this series may I express that we priests are most grateful to all of you who are holding us in prayer throughout this year of the priesthood. Although we may never be worthy of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, pray that each of us will continue to do our best to be faithful to our commitment to serve.