Priestly Code of Conduct

The priest, by virtue of ordination, embarks on a spiritual journey of holiness defined by the promises made at ordination, and renewed yearly at the Chrism Mass. Building on the grace of baptism, these promises identify the uniqueness of the priest’s life and ministry, as distinct from those of the baptized.

More than an occupation, the priesthood is a way of life; a path chosen in response to God’s call to serve. The promises and commitments made by the priest reflect the various relationships the priest is to maintain, and form the framework through which the priest grows in holiness, ministers to the people of God, and witnesses to the community at large.

The call to ministry is a sharing in the ministry of Christ of whom Isaiah says (41:27 – 42:8), “a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” The priest’s disposition is to be characterized by a humility that acknowledges God as the author of our life and ministry, and one that values the knowledge, experience, and needs of those he serves, deferring/seeking when necessary, to the expertise of the community he serves.

In today’s world priests have so many obligations and roles to fulfill. There is, too, such a great diversity of challenges they face, and often enough, they have to attend to them hastily. As a result they are sometimes in danger of scattering their energies in many directions.

For their part, priests, who are already involved in and distracted by the numerous duties of their office, additionally seek ways to unify their interior lives with their program of external activities. Determining appropriate behaviour can be challenging as members of today’s church expect so much more from their pastors than in previous generations.

Priests are often expected by the faithful to be competent in areas of management, administration, counselling, teaching and leading worship. Added to this are the higher expectations that are placed on priests as community leaders and public figures, including accountability for their actions in professional and personal life.

This guideline, the Code of Priestly Conduct, has been developed to assist priests to live and minister in contemporary society in a manner consistent with modern awareness, sensitivities and concerns. It has been developed to assist in building the fraternity of the priesthood as a living sign of God’s reign; to encourage respectful collaborative ministry with the laity; and to foster a stewardship of his life and ministry in a manner that others may benefit from the fruits of his holiness.

Click here to read the Code of Priestly Conduct in Full:
Code of Priestly Conduct