A question from a reader

Last week reader BCB sent in the following:

My question pertains to newly ordained priests and a diocese or state. Recently I noticed that a newly ordained priest from Quincy was going to a diocese in another state. How does that work? Does the newly ordained priest request to be a priest in another state ahead of time, or can the bishop who ordains him assign him to another state? And, if the bishop can assign him to another state, does it often happen?

This is a very good question and concerns what is known as incardination into a Diocese and excardination out of a Diocese.

The Code of Canon Law reminds us that "every cleric must be incardinated either in a particular church [diocese] or personal prelature [such as Opus Dei], or in an institute of consecrated life or society endowed with this faculty [such as the Franciscans], in such a way that unattached or transient clerics are not allowed at all" (c. 265).

The word incardination means that a man becomes part of the heart of the local Church and in this way is attached to the Bishop, his clergy and the laity. There can be no such thing as a loner priest, for every priest receives his ministry through that of the Bishop.

A man becomes incardinated "through the reception of the diaconate" (c. 266 § 1). From that time forward he is bound to that particular Diocese, personal prelature, or institute of consecrated life.

If a man is a secular (diocesan) cleric, he may be assigned anywhere within the bounds of the Diocese. His Bishop may release him for service in another diocese. Such is often done if a cleric wishes to teach at a university or if he wishes to offer his service to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, which has no priests of its own. We often speak of this as a cleric being "on loan."

If a man is incardinated into a personal prelature or religious order, his superior may assign him anywhere the prelature or order has missions, with the consent of the local Bishop in whose Diocese the mission is.

It is possible for a priest to incardinate into a different Diocese, but he must first receive a letter of excardination from his own Bishop, which takes effect only upon acceptance from the new Bishop.

Clergy will request excardination and incardination into another local Church for reasons for health, family and other various reasons.

A bishop should not grant the requested incardination unless his diocese will benefit, he is certain that excardination has been granted and that the cleric is fit, and the cleric has expressed to him in writing his desire to incardinate into his Diocese.

Excardination "cannot be denied, however, except for evident, grave causes" (c. 270).

A Diocesan Administrator, if the See has been vacant for more than one year, may grant requests for excardination with the consent of the College of Consulters.

If I ever move to Hawaii, this would be the process that would be followed.

Hummes to Priests

Claudio Cardinal Hummes, O.F.M., Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, issued a letter to the piests of the Roman Catholic Church on the Feast of Saint Francis de Sales, 24 January 2006.

Having only recently taken up the post, the Brazilian Cardinal admits, "I still feel like something of a novice."

Addressing the theology of the priesthood, the Prefect reminded priests that

We are bearers of a specific identity that constantly characterizes us in our existence and in our activity. We are consecrated and incorporated into the activity of Christ. The gestures and the words of Jesus become reactualized in time and in history to provoke in those who fulfil them “the same sentiments of Christ” and the same effects of salvation.

The Church, in conferring the sacrament of Orders, ontologically constitutes the Priest as an alter Christus, or as some say, an ipse Christus; and it establishes him as a minister of the Word and as a minister of the prophetic action and pastoral love of Christ. His function, therefore, is not to exhaust himself exclusively in the dimension of worship, but to complete himself in the prophetic dimension by proclaiming the Word and in the pastoral dimension by being a guide for the community.

Among the beautiful expressions of the Second Vatican Council is the following statement, which synthesizes the functions of the priest while delineating his identity: “Priests, while engaging in prayer and adoration, or preaching the word, or offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice and administering the other sacraments, or performing other works of the ministry for men, devote all this energy to the increase of the glory of God and to man's progress in the divine life.” (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2).

He said to his brother priests: "we are proud and joyful of our sacerdotal identity. We are proud to be priests. " Offering further words of encouragement to those entrusted to his care, he admitted:

It is true: ours is not an easy mission. But united to Christ the Eternal High Priest, and with Mary, Mother of the first Priest and of all Priests, we will always be mindful of giving testimony to the hope that is within us to our numerous brothers and sisters who, even today, long for the Way, the Truth and the Life.