Divisions Among the Priests

The General Message of the Lecture

The lecture addresses the danger of divisions among priests and their negative impact on the Church, the ministry, and the congregation. It explains the difference between legitimate doctrinal disagreement and unacceptable personal division, while offering spiritual and practical guidance to preserve Church unity.

📌 Summary

1️⃣ The Concept of Division

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that divisions among priests caused by personal matters, pride, authority, or money are unacceptable and become a stumbling block. However, differences for the sake of defending sound doctrine are not considered divisions.

2️⃣ Causes of Unacceptable Division

Divisions may arise from competition, desire for prominence, jealousy, differences in talents, or poor distribution of responsibilities, and may expand from limited disputes to divisions affecting the entire congregation.

3️⃣ Impact on the People and the Ministry

When priests are divided, the people form factions, the ministry loses its spiritual character, becomes a competition, and causes doubt and stumbling, even concerning the holy sacraments.

4️⃣ The Correct Spiritual Attitude

His Holiness advises silence before the people during disagreements and resolving issues privately without scandal or offense, according to the spiritual principle: “If you are afflicted, conceal it.”

5️⃣ Historical Examples

He refers to differences among saints and Church Fathers throughout history, which remained intellectual or theological and did not turn into personal hostility or ecclesiastical division.

6️⃣ The Role of the Bishop

The bishop has a vital role in preventing divisions through wise administration, organizing financial, liturgical, and pastoral matters, carefully choosing priests, and intervening when necessary to protect Church unity.

7️⃣ Faithfulness to Principles

Reconciliation must not come at the expense of spiritual or doctrinal principles. A priest must remain steadfast in truth without attacking others, because what is sound will ultimately endure.

8️⃣ Complementarity, Not Competition

His Holiness emphasizes that differences in gifts should lead to complementarity, not division. Each priest serves according to the grace given to him, in love and humility, to preserve the unity of the one Body.

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