Priests have played a central role throughout most of the Christian church history, so it might be surprising that exactly what the role should have not always been clear. In the early Church, priests were the Jewish men offering sacrifices in the Temple. Catholics today may understand Jesus as the ultimate priest who sacrificed his life for the sinful generation. One of the main functions of priests in the Catholic Church is to offer religious guidelines to the Christians in line with the Biblical directives. They are the embodiment of the faith in their respective churches. In most instances, a number of offerings in the Catholic Church are directed and overseen by the priests. This was also central in the intercessory worships in which priests offer an array of sacrifices on behalf of the faithful (Nyenyembe and Jordan 200).
The Interviewee
This paper will mainly focus on interview answers from a catholic priest, and the various roles that he plays in the operations of the church, and more importantly in the nurturing of the spirituality of the faithful. More particularly, Father John Bosco, a priest in the Catholic Church will be interviewed to result into the various aspects of priesthood in the church (Pruter, Karl and Paul 398). The interviewee holds the position of the senior priest in the parish and therefore has a number of roles he should play in the management of the church institution, besides other church-owned institutions. Among the leadership roles of the priest in his defined duties is the selection of various persons to help in effecting the leadership activities at different levels in the institution.
Expectations of the Clergy
As the leader of the church, the priest is expected to safeguard the doctrines of the church. This is mainly achieved by constantly teaching the faithful on the required undertakings as members of the church. In the event that conflicts are witnessed in the issues concerning the church management and the doctrines, the priest is expected to offer the guideline to be adopted.
Why the Priest Decided to be Ordained
The priest expressed a number of factors that contributed to his decision to serve as a priest with the Catholic Church. Initially, what became pronounced is that the individual had the talent to give back to society through various volunteer activities. The priesthood, therefore, became desirable to him as this could offer him the support of impacting positively on the less fortunate persons in the society (Plante and Thomas 120). In addition, based on his spiritual talents, the priest was encouraged to seek a position in the church service as this could nature greatly the already identified talent and use it for the service of God and others. This urge was also promoted by various persons that encouraged him to seek the opportunity in service in the church in any available capacity. A humble Christian life was also natured through the environment that the priest lived in during his early life. This resulted in the desired qualities that were vital in the service as a church priest.
Requirements to Become Ordained
To be ordained as a priest in the Catholic Church, the priest has to meet certain required standards. Firstly, he had to attend a missionary institution for a period of two years. This helped in equipping him with the required skills demanded of the priesthood. This learning process also allowed him to adopt management skills that were necessary for achieving efficiency and effectiveness in running the church. Moreover, the priest was required to meet certain ethical standards of behavior before being g officially ordained (Nyenyembe and Jordan 90).
Conclusion
The interview with the present clearly presented the place of the clergy in the Christian religion. The priests are highly responsible for the spiritual growth of the faithful in the various churches besides giving hope to the fortunate persons in the society. In addition, the interview manifests a very vital aspect of the priesthood. (Nyenyembe and Jordan 193) This is that individuals are highly trained for their expected roles. The interview greatly changed my perception of the position of the clergy in Christianity. The perception that the position was desired by persons for revenue source was altered as it became evident that priesthood is for the spiritually called persons who can effectively offer service to others.
Works Cited
Nyenyembe, Jordan. African Catholic Priests: Confronting an Identity Problem. Mankon, Bamenda: Langaa Research & Publishing CIG, 2011. Print.
Plante, Thomas G. Sin against the Innocents: Sexual Abuse by Priests and the Role of the Catholic Church. Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers, 2004. Print.
Pruter, Karl, and Paul D. Seldis. The Catholic Priest: A Guide to Holy Orders. San Bernardino, Calif: St. Willibrord’s Press, 1993. Print.