could someone tell me if when a priest retires, he is still considered a priest? It seems like it would be quite a drastic lifestyle change if one should retire while still fairly young. Are they allowed to pursue another career and marriage after retiring?

-- Ima Catholic (knot@home.net), July 26, 2004

Answers

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-- (bump@bump.bump), July 26, 2004.

A priest never retires from being a priest, but remains a priest until death. He is told at his ordination: “You are a priest forever”. He may retire from the duties of being a parish priest, but he remains a priest and usually continues saying Mass and administering the sacraments when he can and where he is needed. If he gets sick or feeble his duties may be reduced or he may be relieved of doing them, but he remains a priest.

Some priests seek and are granted laicisation (usually because they find they can’t cope with the demands of priesthood) and some are forcibly laicised if they have committed very serious and ongoing sin. In this case they are no longer clerics and are no longer allowed to exercise any priestly function (even to do the priestly duties which can be delegated to laypeople, such as reading from the lectionary at Mass, or administering holy communion). We usually call them ex-priests, but technically they remain priests. They may pursue another occupation and they may marry.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), July 27, 2004.