The Method of Choosing the New Priest
The Method of Choosing the New Priest
His Holiness Pope Shenouda believes in a principle he proclaimed while he was a bishop and implemented while he was a patriarch. This principle is:
It is the right of the people to choose their shepherd…
And perhaps we may ask here: What is the meaning of the word people?
To answer this question, the first pastoral letter written by the Pope had as its subject Church Membership…
He explained in his letter four types of church membership:
1- General membership: which is for every baptized person, even children.
2- Spiritual membership: and includes members of the Church who enter into her spiritual fellowship, attend her meetings, practice the sacraments, and live a virtuous life.
3- Active membership: and includes everyone who has a service in the Church, including spiritual, educational, liturgical, and social service, and all the activities of the Church…
4- Leadership membership: and includes the leaders of active service.
Regarding the choice of the priest, it is very good that the choice be made by people who have understanding and knowledge, and who possess mature judgment, not driven by quick influence or impulsive following…
With experience, the Pope rejected choosing a priest through endorsements.
These endorsements include signatures of many people requesting the ordination of a certain person, because many sign such endorsements out of embarrassment, fear, being led by others, flattery, or indifference…
Meaning that they are ready to sign any endorsement without a sense of responsibility.
Some sign the endorsement in ignorance of the person they are recommending, or ignorance of the motives behind recommending him, or merely trusting the one who calls for the endorsement, or out of respect for him.
Thus many endorsements do not express the suitability of the recommended person, nor do they express knowledge or the true will of those endorsing him!!
Also, endorsements present only the side of the supporters while ignoring the side of the opponents of the ordination, and the reasons that move them to this opposition. It is very beneficial to know their opinion, and it may be harmful to ignore it, if it is based on established facts…
For this reason, the Pope preferred to meet with the people or their representatives.
He would distribute papers to them… each one would write in them what he wanted, nominate whom he wanted, and present what he believed to be the reasons for that… with a good conscience before God, without external influence or pressure…
If the nominees were many, the opinion of the majority would be taken, and likewise if the nominee was one and the majority agreed on him.
And we do not deny that some lobbying might occur before this meeting, and we cannot prevent this, for people have the right to discuss as they wish, and it is rare to find a group in which some do not influence others.
Nevertheless, the opinion of the majority may not be taken if they are unaware of facts that prevent the ordination…
In such a case, the matter is managed with wisdom, and the decision may be postponed for further study, without presenting reasons that could harm anyone’s reputation…
Here we cite the well-known ecclesiastical rule which says:
The chief priest has the right to refuse, but he does not have the right to impose…
He does not have the right to impose, because the people have the right to choose their shepherd, and because a priest who takes care of a people who do not want him cannot fulfill his responsibility in such a rejecting environment…
And just as the chief priest does not impose a nominee on the people, they also do not impose on him a nominee to ordain while his conscience is not at peace:
For he is the one who lays on the hands… and the Scripture says: “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins” (1 Tim. 5:22). If he sees in this ordination what disturbs his conscience, he cannot join the people in choosing him for the priesthood.
Thus the matter requires agreement from both sides:
Agreement between the people and the chief priest on who is fit for ordination as a priest…
Sometimes the Pope would call all the people to choose, or everyone who wanted to attend… And sometimes such general attendance would not achieve the desired goal, for it would happen that many had no opinion or knowledge, but simply repeated what was told to them before the meeting by certain leaders…
And it is known that opinions should not be counted, but weighed:
Therefore relying on leadership membership, while including as many as possible from active membership and spiritual membership, was the best and safest approach.
For this reason, the Pope required at least the presence of:
1- The fathers the priests.
2- The members of the Church Council.
3- The servants, male and female.
4- The Church deacons.
5- Those working in all the activities of the Church, such as:
Social service – the Ladies’ Committee – the library – the club – the remaining Church committees.
6- The known archons, and everyone who has labored in the Church and is zealous for her, from those who have spiritual membership.
Lists with the names of all these, their roles, and their service are to be submitted before calling for the meeting, and the invitation sent to all, ensuring that no one is prevented from attending…
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