education
Ask a Canon Lawyer This month’s question:
“In addition to celibacy, what are the Church’s other
expectations for the way a priest should live, such as poverty?”
by Fr. Mark Steffl, STL, JCL
T
here is a significant portion of the Code of Canon Law that deals with things relating to the lives of priests, as well as specific duties and obligations relating to different assignments priests may receive (such as to serve in a particular parish or as a chaplain to some specific group) or offices that they may hold (such as vicar general or judicial vicar for a diocese). In addition to what is in the Code of Canon Law, the Holy See has issued a “Directory for the Ministry and Lives of Priests.” National conferences of Catholic bishops can regulate specifics of priests in a certain country and each diocese can (and usually does) have its own policies
governing what is expected of and provided for priests. (One can imagine, for example, that a priest in a missionary area of the world might require very different remuneration for basic personal expenses than someone in an urban area of a developed nation.) Relating to the specific area of the question, we can find much of our answer in canon 282 of the Code of Canon Law, in a chapter titled “The Obligations and Rights of Clerics” (see inset box). It is important to start with the misconception that all priests make vows of poverty. There are certain religious congregations wherein members make a vow of poverty, meaning that they have nothing that they themselves can own. But diocesan priests that make up the great majority of the priests
Bishops advocate for families (Continued from page 1.) view the Church as a home for people to know, love, and serve the Lord. Opposition to sports gambling platforms Minnesota’s Catholic bishops joined a coalition of faith leaders from Minnesota’s Jewish, Muslim, and Protestant communities to express their opposition to the legalization of commercial sports gambling via a letter delivered to the governor and every member of the Minnesota House and Senate. The letter – which was spearheaded by MCC’s partner organization, the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) – lays out concerns not only from a moral perspective, but also addressing the very real costs of gambling and the damage that would be created by normalizing mobile gambling.
dozen faith leaders ranging from rabbis in Duluth, to rural area Protestant leaders, to Muslim imams in the Twin Cities, highlights the underreported reality that the push by sports gambling companies to enter Minnesota is not as widely embraced as lawmakers may have been led to believe. The full letter can be read at www.mncatholic.org/gambling.
Action Alert!
Lawmakers are attempting to make Minnesota the land of anytime, anywhere gambling by allowing sports betting through mobile apps. A new source of addition and depravation must not be unleased just so a privileged few can have a bit more fun watching a ballgame. Please visit MCC’s Action Center to find ways to get engaged on this important issue, at www. mncatholic.org/actioncenter.
The fact that the letter was signed by a diverse array of nearly two
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that are serving in parishes in the Diocese of New Ulm do not make such a “vow of poverty” but instead are bound to live a “simple way of life and to avoid anything that has a semblance of vanity or worldliness” as the first section of canon 282 prescribes. (Diocesan priests are specifically referred to in the Code as “secular priests” to differentiate from “religious priests” who belong to a religious institute such as the Benedictines or Jesuits.) Diocesan priests receive a small salary which is intended to cover the expenses that they have in their personal upkeep and to provide for their personal and pastoral needs, such as to have a car, clothes and other necessities. Housing is provided for a priest who is assigned to work in a parish, usually in the form of a rectory or other accommodations which the parish provides,
Can. 282 §1. Clerics are to follow a simple way of life and avoid anything that has a semblance of vanity or worldliness. §2. Goods which they receive on the occasion of the exercise of an ecclesiastical office, and which are over and above what is necessary for their worthy upkeep and the fulfillment of all the duties of their state, they ought to use for the good of the Church and for charitable works. including furniture. Health insurance and a stipend for food and groceries are other examples of things that are also supplied to priests who are assigned to a parish. The “simplicity of life” that is expected of a priest means that he does not get weighed down with the things of the world that would be a distraction either for him or the Christian faithful that he serves. For example, a priest needs a car and clothing, but there is a difference between different models and brands of cars that might be seen as a luxury rather than a basic need. It is easily seen that the Lord has this expectation of his apostles when he sends them out with very specific instructions as to what they are to take and not take along in their mission, such as in Luke 9:2 when the Lord says, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a
bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics.” In section 2 of canon 282, the Church directs that anything above the needs of a priest should be used “for the good of the Church and for charitable works.” These are some challenging words to the priest so that he will learn to trust in the Lord and better live a life of service to the Christian faithful. Editor’s note: Fr. Mark Steffl is a canon lawyer and serves as judicial vicar of the diocesan Office of the Tribunal. If you have a question regarding Canon Law for Fr. Steffl, email The Prairie Catholic, cclancy@dnu.org. NEXT ISSUE: What is the relationship and difference between an archbishop and a bishop?
U.S. Bishops’ Migration Chairman addresses termination of Title 42 WASHINGTON – On April 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order terminating the use of Title 42 of the U.S. Code to prohibit certain noncitizens from entering the United States, effective May 23, 2022. Originally begun in a purported effort to reduce COVID-19 transmission, this policy has led to the expulsion of more than one million migrants by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since 2020, including many asylumseeking children and families. In implementing this policy, DHS has overridden normal immigration proceedings and skirted due process protections, forcibly returning vulnerable individuals to places where their lives are in danger. Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, issued the following statement: l
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“We welcome the end of this harmful policy. In its place, my brother bishops from along the U.S.-Mexico border and I have long urged policies that are supported by sound scientific rationales, respect migrants’ intrinsic dignity, preserve human life, and provide for safe, orderly, and humane immigration, all while acknowledging the right of nations to maintain their borders. “Let us be clear: any perceived or actual increase in vulnerable migrants seeking refuge at our border in the coming months will not be a direct result of this change. Many are already at our door, having been forced to languish in Mexico for an indefinite period of time, unable to avail themselves of the opportunity to seek protection in accordance with U.S. and international law. Persecution, violence, natural disasters, and other root causes of migration will continue to force people to seek protection until more robust
April/May 2022
efforts are undertaken to address them. “We urge the Biden Administration to implement a comprehensive plan for the border that ensures the humane treatment of all persons and respects their God-given dignity, while safeguarding due process. This can only be achieved successfully through government-led preparations made in close coordination with border communities and civil society across the country, especially organizations providing humanitarian support. “In less than two weeks, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Easter. In preparing our hearts to encounter Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, let us ponder his unwavering love for us and allow it to move us toward that same outpouring of charity when faced with the challenges of our time.”
