Case 2. A Priest's Support

Titius, the Rector of a mission, when during a political disturbance he did not receive the stipend due to him, deserted the mission of which he was in charge, because no one is bound to work without pay, although his confessor opposed him, saying that innocent sheep ought not to be handed over to the wolf by the shepherd. Then the Bishop, after taking useless pains to make Titius return to the mission, in virtue of holy obedience ordered a priest who did not have the care of souls to act in place of the fleeing Rector; but he too refused to obey. Hence it is asked:

1. Do secular priests have a right to receive support?

2. Can one with the care of souls abandon residence because he does not receive the stipend due to him?

3. What is the force of the Apostolic oath commonly pronounced by priests of England?

4. What is to be said of the priests in the case?

The case was proposed in the Diocese of Northampton, 1901?

1. Have secular priests a right to their decent support?

Yes, the Church forbids any one to be promoted to sacred Orders without a title, i.e., a provision for his decent support. If a bishop culpably ordains a priest without a title, the bishop is bound to provide for his support until he can provide for himself.¹

1 will answer in the words of Gasparri: “ But, having received the priesthood, a priest is so incardinated in the diocese to which he belongs that he cannot depart without the permission, or without the letters, as they say, of excardination of his Bishop. The Bishop can deny permission to depart, provided that he assigns a suitable support to the priest. But if the Bishop both denies permission and cannot or will not assign a suitable support, the priest cannot on that account depart by his own will, but has recourse to the Sacred Congregation. The Bishop can recall one departing without his permission or that of the Sacred Congregation, even by censures, even if the priest had obtained a residential benefice in another diocese. This doctrine is most certain, and the Sacred Congregation has handed it down rather often.” (De Sac. Ordin., n. 860).

2. Can one who has the cure of souls abandon his charge because he does not receive the pension which is due to him?

3. What is the force of the Mission oath commonly taken by English priests?

By the terms of the Mission oath the cleric swears that he will not enter into any Religious Order after he is promoted to sacred Orders without special leave of the Holy See. He further swears that he will work for the salvation of souls in the diocese for which he is ordained, under the authority of the bishop. The formula of the oath is given in Concilia Westmon., p. 385.

4. The case. Titius should not have abandoned his post. He should have applied to the bishop whose duty it was to try to make provision for the decent support of Titius, and if this could not be done, to remove him to another post. Even if the bishop improperly refused to do anything for him, Titius should not have left the place, but should have appealed to Rome. The other priest on being ordered by his bishop to fill the vacancy was bound to obey, and he sinned in not obeying; but he also had a claim on the diocese for his decent support if he had no other title.

2 Gasparri, De Sacra Ordin., n. 612.