The role of priests is to serve as mediators between God and man as ministers of divine worship. In the Catholic Church, there are two degrees of priests: The bishop, who is in a sense a high priest, possessing all the powers of the priesthood and in control of divine worship, and the priests of the second degree, who are most often affiliated with a parish. Every priest has the power to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass, forgive sins, bless, preach, and fulfill all liturgical obligations and priestly functions not reserved to the bishop.

In the early days of the Church, all priests (or presbyters) belonged to a council that looked after the affairs of the Church, which included liturgy and worship, and they worked together in cities under the supervision of the bishop. As the Church grew and spread to suburban and rural areas, priests were assigned to reside in parishes and to look after the spiritual needs of the faithful. These priests could no longer work closely with the bishop. However, the bishop had authority over those priests, as their parishes were part of his diocese and subject to his jurisdiction. This arrangement persists in the Church today.

Priests may be diocesan or parish priests, or they may be ordained through a religious order. (The section of this chapter titled “Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience” provides more information on the latter). A pastor or parish priest has the role and duty known as Cure of Souls (Cura animarum). His job is to nurture the spiritual welfare of Church members by preaching, bestowing the sacraments, and supervising and counseling the faithful in matters they bring to him. He usually has a certain number of souls to look after (that is, the Catholic population of his parish), and he gets a salary for his work.

Some pastors are irremovable. They cannot be transferred unless there is a serious reason, such as violation of a canonical or criminal law. Other pastors or rectors are movable, but a bishop would usually need a good reason to transfer a priest against his will.

Parish priests, or pastors, are supposed to provide religious instruction (especially to the young), administer the sacraments to parishioners, look after the Church and its property, and oversee the needs of their parishioners in matters of faith and morals. Canon Law obliges them to say Mass for their flock on Sundays and designated holy days. If a priest's parish becomes too large or duties too numerous, the bishop may appoint an assistant or auxiliary priest or priests to help him.

Revisions of the Priestly Role

In the early days of the Church, the priest was a local leader who grew up in his community and, in a sense, was chosen by that community to serve it. As Church history and the history and theology of the sacraments evolved, priests developed in relationship to their powers. They had the power to offer the sacrifice of the Mass and to confer sacraments. They received special education, and they developed an environment that kept them apart from the faithful. Many rites and rituals were performed exclusively by the priests and were at times inaccessible to the laity.

Vatican II took it upon itself to diminish the cultlike status of the priests and return them to their original roles in the community. In the Decree on the Ministry and the Life of Priests, Vatican II declared that all the faithful are part of the priesthood, and that the priest is there to serve the faithful just as all the faithful are there to serve each other.

Vatican II recommended that priests be prepared and educated to serve in the community. As well as administering the sacraments and preaching, priests were called upon to act as teachers and examples among the faithful, to lead the faithful in various ministries, and to cultivate the appropriate interpersonal skills.