DIRECTORY FOR THE MINISTRY AND LIFE OF PRIESTS (1994)

The Second Vatican Council called for a Directory for the Ministry and Life of Priests (Christus Dominus, no. 44). A long time in the making, the Directory was approved by Pope John Paul II, Jan. 31, 1994 and authorized for publication by the Congregation for the Clergy. The directory does not replace canon law, but rather addresses the principal questions of a doctrinal, disciplinary, and pastoral nature faced by priests of the Latin rite, especially diocesan priests.

The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Priests is divided into three almost equal chapters: The Identity of the Priest, Priestly Spirituality, and Ongoing Formation. The identity of the priest is described in terms of four dimensions of his life: the Trinitarian, Christological, pneumatological, and ecclesial. These dimensions form the basis for his relationship with God, with the hierarchy, and with all the Christian faithful. The chapter on priestly spirituality is a more practical exposition of the priest's life of prayer, ministry, relationship to the Word of God and the sacraments, celibacy, and obedience. The third chapter acknowledges the rapid rate of change in the modern world and calls for a spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral education that is continuous, systematic, and personal. in addition to suggesting practical means to achieve this goal, the directory recognizes that responsibility for those programs belongs to the entire community and that the special circumstances of new priests and those of advanced age must be taken into account.

The directory is related to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and relies heavily on Pope John Paul II's apostolic exhortation Pastores dabo vobis, published after the eighth assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

Bibliography: d. goergen, ed., Being a Priest Today (Collegeville, Minn. 1992). r. schwartz, Servant Leaders and the People of God (New York 1989).

[e. pfnausch]