STEUBENVILLE — Students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the Diocese of Steubenville “Ask the Bishop” Jeffrey M. Monforton.
Q: How many years does it take to become a priest or bishop?
Caden Henniger
Marietta
A: This is a very good question for not many people are aware of the amount of time and energy that goes into preparation for a man to become a priest.
The answer for the second part of the question is bishops are chosen from among priests by the Holy Father. The first thing that must happen for a man to even begin the pilgrimage toward priestly ordination is he must be called or invited by Jesus. In short, we’d like to say that Jesus invites, we respond.
The man formally preparing for the priesthood must have at least graduated from high school or be at the high school graduating age. Following entrance into the seminary, usually a seminarian prepares for the priesthood with a course of six to eight years depending on his collegiate academic background. The formation process itself is made at college level and includes pre-theology at theology level (which is graduate studies). The graduate studies usually take four to five years.
The four dimensions (formally known as pillars) of priestly formation are intellectual, spiritual, pastoral and human. In other words, the seminarian is expected to grow in each one of these areas. In fact, he is preparing to become a priest of Jesus Christ, in which he will be the head of the household for whatever parish he is entrusted. He will share the person of Jesus Christ with others through his celebration of the sacraments, the proclamation of the word and in his service to his fellow brothers and sisters in need.
Please join me as we pray for our seminarians preparing to serve the people of God in our beloved diocese in the person of Jesus Christ.
Q: Can a priest absolve themselves of sin?
Kassidy Costlow
St. Clairsville
A: No, a priest cannot absolve himself of any sin. All of us, including the pope himself must go to another priest for confession. You see, a priest is present in the person of Christ, toward another, namely the penitent or the person confessing their sins, and so a priest cannot place himself in both roles as the confessor forgiving the sins and the penitent confessing the sins.
Hopefully, our readers find this answer comforting, for we priests and bishops visit our confessors as well in the sacrament of penance. In fact, how I began to learn to be a confessor was when I began to go to confession as a penitent. Let us join each other in prayer that more and more of our fellow Catholics will place greater value on this sacrament of forgiveness.
Q: Why can’t a non-Catholic receive the Eucharist?
Owen Buxton
Kipling
A: In question is the preservation of the integrity of the Eucharist and one’s witness to believe in the truth of the Catholic faith. While we live in a society of inclusion, we can at times go to extremes to ask the question: Can we not do anything? That question can apply to who can receive the Eucharist.
Our faith is quite clear that one’s adherence to the profession of faith that is the creed we recite every Sunday is essential for one to receive the Eucharist. What, also, is understood is that the person must be “in good standing” with the church’s teaching in order to receive the Eucharist. It is fundamental that a person in the communion line believes that they are going to receive the body and blood of Christ. I cannot tell you how many people over my time as a priest have chosen to become Catholic in order that they may receive Jesus Christ at holy Communion.
The Eucharist is a sign of unity in which the community comes together to receive the body and blood of Christ, all sharing common belief in the Catholic Church and having embraced its teaching in their words and actions.
Together let us pray for Christian unity as our Lord Jesus, the prince of peace, works within our lives bringing brother and sister together in his name. May you and your family have an enjoyable and relaxing Memorial Day weekend.