An open letter to priests

In today’s fast-paced and secularist world, the ministry of the Catholic priest is as important as ever. The sight of a Catholic priest faithfully performing his duties is a shining light in the darkness of modern culture, a culture that seeks to exclude God from every inch of the public sphere.

So we exhort our dear priests to continue in the good work they do, which our Lord started, and to witness in their lives the commandments of Almighty God.

The holy sacrifice of the Mass, as said to be “the source and summit of Christian life,” is the primary reason that Christ established the priesthood. That is why Canon Law earnestly recommends that priests celebrate Mass daily.

In this regard, we are thankful that Masses are easily accessible all over our Archdiocese, with many of our parishes offering Mass several times a day. We encourage our priests to continue this generous offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass, and to offer it always with love and reverence.

They should always celebrate Mass according to the liturgical rubrics, and do away with any showmanship and personal innovation. As the saying goes, lex orandi, lex credendi, which translates as “the law of prayer is the law of faith.”

In connection with this great access to the Holy Mass, we commend the priests who offer Mass even when the faithful have little or nothing to offer. As said in Can. 945.2, “It is earnestly recommended to priests that, even if they do not receive an offering, they celebrate Mass for the intention of Christ’s faithful, especially of those in need.”

The Manual for Parish Priests also points out, “Praiseworthy are the priests who without any stipend celebrate the Holy Sacrifice for the poor who have little or nothing to offer for the Mass. ”

In the Sacrament of Confession too, the priestly power given by Christ is also made evident. That is why it so important that our churches devote adequate time for hearing the confessions of the faithful.

The drive to hear confessions frequently should also be supplemented with clear and unambiguous preaching on the dangers of sin and the mercy of God. In that way, more faithful will realize their need to go and confess their sins.

As lay people, we must continually pray, support, and encourage our priests in their ministry. In this way, the theme, “The Parish as a Communion of Communities” can be fully realized.--