Years ago, I was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New York and was assigned to a variety of positions and responsibilities over the years.
Right now, I’m retired and have no assigned position or responsibilities, but I’m expected to observe two continuing commitments: celibacy (i.e., not to marry) and praying the Divine Office daily.
I will not be assigned or obliged to anything more by church authorities, but I may be offered or requested to do some thing or assume some official responsibility for a specific occasion or period of time; these are all voluntary matters.
What’s the best way of describing me? Am I an off-duty priest? a retired priest? a former priest? an ex-priest?
What would the best way be if I were a doctor, lawyer, judge, teacher, athlete, machinist, or husband?
– “Off-duty” means that for a specific period of time an active-duty person is relieved or excused.
– “Retired” means to be sort of permanently off-duty, usually because of age and/or incapacity to continuing to exercise the responsibilities of the job or office.
– “Former” is similar but more permanent. It describes a position once but no longer held nor exercised.
– “Ex” is similar to former but with overtones of having been terminated or dismissed from a former position, perhaps punitively.
Being ordained a priest used to be considered as a forever thing in the sense that it could never be entirely relinquished. It used to be considered a kind of change of the very essence or being of the person.
But with the introduction of retirement for priests, bishops, and even popes, it is being seen more like any other profession or occupation—a function or job, not a permanent alteration of the class or nature of the person.
In some ways the retirement of priests has some similarity to military service. In case of emergency the (experienced and trained) officer may be temporarily reactivated, called back to active duty.
An example: Joseph Ratzinger once held the office of and served as pope with the title of Benedict XVI. Right now, due to his voluntary resignation of office, he is a former pope. Loosely, he could be described as a retired pope, but that sounds a little like he no longer functions as pope due to some rule or customary practice.
In my case, I’m not an ex-priest, nor a former priest, but I am a retired priest. This implies that I can volunteer or may be requested to perform some priestly duties, subject to the decision of proper authorities.
I don’t necessarily identify myself as Father, Brother, Reverend, Doctor, Monsignor, or Archimandrite, although I may be addressed as such by others. As a courtesy or custom, former office holders often are addressed with their former title and may identify themselves by it.
Of course, former office holders also may be presumed to act with the dignity and professionalism of their former office.
All this reflects attitudes and thinking that are relatively recent in terms of church history, sacramental theology, and canon law—another of those changes that may be disturbing or unpleasant to some, but which are the fruit of a better understanding, growth, and development.
And, to make it a tad more complicated, it’s not universal—i.e., the usages, customs, and understandings still vary from place to place, group to group, and person to person!
6 February 2022