Interregnum Ponderings

(from this month's parish magazine)

By his resignation Fr Tony has created a vacancy in benefice. We are without a priest incumbent until such time as a new appointment is announced.

The Archbishop has power to license a priest in charge but this is not usually considered necessary for the comparatively short interval between the vacation by one incumbent and the admission of the next. Churchwardens, together with the Rural Dean, become sequestrators until a new incumbent is instituted. They are “to use their best endeavours to encourage parishioners in the practice of the true religion”. It is their responsibility to ensure that visiting clergy are available for church services. The Churchwardens are generally appointed as PCC representatives in connection with the selection of the new incumbent.

What qualities should we hope for in a new parish priest? I have no authority to speak for anyone other than myself in this matter but my prayer will be for another ‘holy priest’.

On the 23^rd of this month we keep the feast of St Pio of Pietrelcina . As part of the inaugural observances of this Year of the Priest, Pope Benedict made a pilgrimage to and celebrated mass at the San Giovanni Rotondo, the resting place of Saint Padre Pio who died in 1968. Along with St Jean Vianney, Cure of Ars, he was pointing to Padre Pio as a good example of a holy priest.

The Additional Curates Society puts it well for Anglicans:

Almighty God, give us priests:
to establish the honour of your holy name;
to offer the holy sacrifice of the altar;
to give us Jesus in the holy sacrament;
to proclaim the faith of Jesus;
to baptise and to teach the young;
to tend your sheep;
to seek the lost;
to give pardon to the penitent sinner;
to bless our homes;
to pray for the afflicted;
to comfort mourners;
to strengthen us in our last hour;
to commend our souls;
Almighty God, give us priests!
Holy Father, you gave us Christ as the shepherd of our souls;
may your people always have priests
who care for them with his great love.
We make our prayer,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.