Here is the final segment of the information which I have been sharing with you over the past few weeks.
Pope Benedict XVI
(Meetings with Italian Priests July 2007)
Q: How can priests handle growing responsibilities and multiple parishes?
A: "[Bishops] must see clearly how to ensure that the parish priest continues to be a pastor and does not become a holy bureaucrat.”
“Furthermore, I think it very important to find the right ways to delegate…; [the priest] should be the one who holds the essential reins himself but can rely on collaborators. This is one of the important and positive results of the council: the co-responsibility of the entire parish, for the priest is no longer the only one to animate everything.”
Wrap Up
- We have a challenging vision of parish
- There are significant changes in parish life
- Key question: How best do we organize parish life to maximize
the gifts and talents of pastors and the community?
