Priests and amassing wealth
In the Catholic Church, a secular, or diocesan, priest does not make vows. However, he is required by church law to remain celibate and to obey the bishop
Church leaders are good at talking about and criticizing government corruption. But do they monitor and even conduct lifestyle checks on their own ranks as there are several clerics who violate the vow of poverty?
A source told me that one of the members of Team Ministry in a Mandaue parish has “amassed wealth” since he was assigned in that parish a couple of years ago. The source said that the priest, who is very good in his homily, has acquired seven new vehicles. Even some of his co- members in the Team Ministry were surprised that he could afford those vehicles, considering that he does not come from a well- to- do family.
Some church employees are also complaining about his attitude towards them. He is very strict. If churchgoers park their vehicles in parking areas reserved for him, he would order his staff to deflate the tire of the vehicles. The source said that maybe this priest is suffering from “culture shock” because he was assigned in poor parishes, which had limited income. But now that he is assigned in one of the biggest parishes in Metro Cebu, he has “amassed wealth” to satisfy his “greed.”
Every time I hear this story, I remember those priests in Minglanilla, headed by Fr. Jojo Deligero, who committed various infractions a couple of years ago. They built a jacuzzi inside the convent, put up a firing range and drove SUVs. Where did they acquire those expensive cars? They led very comfortable lives at the expense of parishioners’ contributions.
But according to the article of John Moore, in the Catholic Church, a secular, or dioce- san, priest does not make vows. However, he is required by church law to remain celibate and to obey the bishop. In contrast, religious priests make three vows called the evangelical counsels to the superior of their religious order: poverty, chastity and obedience. Therefore, the promises of secular priests correspond to two of three vows made by their religious counterparts.
According to Moore, “Secular priests do not make commitment to poverty ( as so religious priests), which meas that they are permitted to own property. However, they do function under certain financial constraints. Canon 285 and 286 indicate that secular priests cannot take on the management of goods belonging to lay persons nor they conduct business or trade personally or through others. Therefore, the secular priest-- while not committed to poverty-- is unlikely to amass wealth. Nevertheless, the commitments and promises that secular priests make are quite distinct from the vows of religious priests.”
I know that priests, like ordinary persons, have their own personal needs. So where do they get financial support to address their needs? I understand that the Parish Pastoral Council ( PPC) handles the financial accounts of the parish. The priests’ allowances should be handled by the PPC. Some parish priests “call the shots” when it comes to the parish’s financial matters. This is one of the conflicts between parish priests and the parishioners.
But whatever it is, priests, as the servants of God, should live simply and lead modest lives. Jesus Christ came from a poor family and he lived as an ordinary person. I hope all priests will follow his footsteps. Amen