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class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Theology of the priesthood</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Theology_of_the_priesthood-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Theology of the priesthood subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Theology_of_the_priesthood-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Passover_and_Christ" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Passover_and_Christ"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Passover and Christ</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Passover_and_Christ-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Education" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Education"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Education</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Education-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Rite_of_Ordination" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Rite_of_Ordination"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Rite of Ordination</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Rite_of_Ordination-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Clerical_celibacy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Clerical_celibacy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Clerical celibacy</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Clerical_celibacy-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Clerical celibacy subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Clerical_celibacy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Early_Christianity" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Early_Christianity"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Early Christianity</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Early_Christianity-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-After_the_Great_Schism" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#After_the_Great_Schism"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>After the Great Schism</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-After_the_Great_Schism-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Duties_of_a_Catholic_priest" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Duties_of_a_Catholic_priest"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Duties of a Catholic priest</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Duties_of_a_Catholic_priest-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Eastern_Catholic_Churches" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Eastern_Catholic_Churches"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Eastern Catholic Churches</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Eastern_Catholic_Churches-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Demographics" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Demographics"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Demographics</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Demographics-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Demographics subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Demographics-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Asia" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Asia"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.1</span> <span>Asia</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Asia-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Singapore" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Singapore"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.1.1</span> <span>Singapore</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Singapore-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Europe" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Europe"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2</span> <span>Europe</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Europe-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Belgium" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Belgium"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2.1</span> <span>Belgium</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Belgium-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-France" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#France"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2.2</span> <span>France</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-France-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Luxembourg" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Luxembourg"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2.3</span> <span>Luxembourg</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Luxembourg-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Poland" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Poland"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2.4</span> <span>Poland</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Poland-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sweden" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sweden"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2.5</span> <span>Sweden</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sweden-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Switzerland" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Switzerland"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2.6</span> <span>Switzerland</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Switzerland-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-North_America" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#North_America"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.3</span> <span>North America</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-North_America-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Mexico" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Mexico"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.3.1</span> <span>Mexico</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Mexico-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-United_States" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#United_States"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.3.2</span> <span>United States</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-United_States-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" 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mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacerdot_(Esgl%C3%A9sia_cat%C3%B2lica)" title="Sacerdot (Església catòlica) – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Sacerdot (Església catòlica)" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kn%C4%9B%C5%BEstv%C3%AD_v_katolick%C3%A9_c%C3%ADrkvi" title="Kněžství v katolické církvi – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Kněžství v katolické církvi" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordination#Kirchen_katholischer_und_orthodoxer_Tradition" title="Ordination – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Ordination" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacerdote_(Iglesia_cat%C3%B3lica)" title="Sacerdote (Iglesia católica) – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Sacerdote (Iglesia católica)" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%A9%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%B4_%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9_%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%85%DB%8C" title="کشیش کاتولیک رومی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="کشیش کاتولیک رومی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gom mw-list-item"><a href="https://gom.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padrim_Pasot_Magnnem" title="Padrim Pasot Magnnem – Goan Konkani" lang="gom" hreflang="gom" data-title="Padrim Pasot Magnnem" data-language-autonym="गोंयची कोंकणी / Gõychi Konknni" data-language-local-name="Goan Konkani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>गोंयची कोंकणी / Gõychi Konknni</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imamat_dalam_Gereja_Katolik" title="Imamat dalam Gereja Katolik – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Imamat dalam Gereja Katolik" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacerdote_(cattolicesimo)" title="Sacerdote (cattolicesimo) – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Sacerdote (cattolicesimo)" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" 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.sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><table class="sidebar sidebar-collapse nomobile nowraplinks hlist"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-top-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Emblem_of_the_Papacy_SE.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Emblem_of_the_Papacy_SE.svg/25px-Emblem_of_the_Papacy_SE.svg.png" decoding="async" width="25" height="34" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Emblem_of_the_Papacy_SE.svg/38px-Emblem_of_the_Papacy_SE.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Emblem_of_the_Papacy_SE.svg/50px-Emblem_of_the_Papacy_SE.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="815" data-file-height="1105" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-pretitle-with-top-image">Part of <a href="/wiki/Category:Catholic_ecclesiastical_titles" title="Category:Catholic ecclesiastical titles">a series</a> on the</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle"><a href="/wiki/Hierarchy_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Hierarchy of the Catholic Church">Hierarchy of the<br />Catholic Church</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-image"><span class="notpageimage" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Gesupietrochiave.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Saint Peter" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Gesupietrochiave.jpg/150px-Gesupietrochiave.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="144" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Gesupietrochiave.jpg/225px-Gesupietrochiave.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Gesupietrochiave.jpg/300px-Gesupietrochiave.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1152" data-file-height="1103" /></a></span><div class="sidebar-caption"><a href="/wiki/Saint_Peter" title="Saint Peter">Saint Peter</a></div></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading" style="background-color:gold"> <a href="/wiki/Category:Catholic_ecclesiastical_titles" title="Category:Catholic ecclesiastical titles">Ecclesiastical titles</a> (<a href="/wiki/Order_of_precedence_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Order of precedence in the Catholic Church">order of precedence</a>)</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pope" title="Pope">Pope</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pope_Emeritus" class="mw-redirect" title="Pope Emeritus">Pope Emeritus</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cardinal_(Catholic_Church)" title="Cardinal (Catholic Church)">Cardinal</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cardinal_Vicar" title="Cardinal Vicar">Cardinal Vicar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crown-cardinal" title="Crown-cardinal">Crown</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prince_of_the_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Prince of the Church">Prince</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cardinal_protector" title="Cardinal protector">Protector</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Moderator_of_the_curia" title="Moderator of the curia">Moderator of the curia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chaplain_of_His_Holiness" title="Chaplain of His Holiness">Chaplain of His Holiness</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Papal_legate" title="Papal legate">Papal legate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Papal_majordomo" title="Papal majordomo">Papal majordomo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nuncio" title="Nuncio">Apostolic nuncio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nuncio" title="Nuncio">Apostolic delegate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_Syndic" title="Apostolic Syndic">Apostolic Syndic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_visitor" title="Apostolic visitor">Apostolic visitor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_vicariate" title="Apostolic vicariate">Vicar apostolic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exarch#Modern_Eastern_Catholic_churches" title="Exarch">Apostolic exarch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_prefecture" title="Apostolic prefecture">Apostolic prefect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Assistant_to_the_papal_throne" title="Assistant to the papal throne">Assistant to the papal throne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eparchy#Church_hierarchy" title="Eparchy">Eparch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metropolitan_bishop" title="Metropolitan bishop">Metropolitan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Patriarch#Catholic_Church" title="Patriarch">Patriarch</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Catholicos" title="Catholicos">Catholicos</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bishops_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Bishops in the Catholic Church">Bishop</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Archbishop" title="Archbishop">Archbishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bishops_in_the_Catholic_Church#Emeritus" title="Bishops in the Catholic Church">Bishop emeritus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diocesan_bishop" title="Diocesan bishop">Diocesan bishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Major_archbishop" title="Major archbishop">Major archbishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Primate_(bishop)" title="Primate (bishop)">Primate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Suffragan_bishop" title="Suffragan bishop">Suffragan bishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Titular_bishop" title="Titular bishop">Titular bishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coadjutor_bishop" title="Coadjutor bishop">Coadjutor bishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Auxiliary_bishop" title="Auxiliary bishop">Auxiliary bishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prelate" title="Prelate">Prelate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Provost_(religion)" title="Provost (religion)">Provost</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pontiff" title="Pontiff">Pontiff</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Territorial_prelate" title="Territorial prelate">Territorial prelate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Territorial_abbey" title="Territorial abbey">Territorial abbot</a></li></ul></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Liturgical titles</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Acolyte" title="Acolyte">Acolyte</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Consecrator" title="Consecrator">Consecrator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reader_(liturgy)#CatholicLector" title="Reader (liturgy)">Lector</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subdeacon" title="Subdeacon">Subdeacon</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Administrative and pastoral titles</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Auditor_(ecclesiastical)" title="Auditor (ecclesiastical)">Auditor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious_brother#Catholicism" title="Religious brother">Brother</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chancellor_(ecclesiastical)" title="Chancellor (ecclesiastical)">Chancellor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chaplain" title="Chaplain">Chaplain</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Military_chaplain#Roman_Catholic_Church" title="Military chaplain">Military chaplain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_ordinariate" title="Military ordinariate">Military ordinary</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coarb" title="Coarb">Coarb</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Confessor#Confession_of_sins" title="Confessor">Confessor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Consultor" title="Consultor">Consultor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Curate#Roman_Catholicism" title="Curate">Curate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deacon" title="Deacon">Deacon</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Archdeacon" title="Archdeacon">Archdeacon</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Defender_of_the_bond" title="Defender of the bond">Defender of the bond</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Definitor" title="Definitor">Definitor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Devil%27s_advocate" title="Devil's advocate">Devil's advocate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diocesan_administrator" title="Diocesan administrator">Diocesan administrator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ecclesiastical_judge" title="Ecclesiastical judge">Ecclesiastical judge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exorcist#Catholicism" title="Exorcist">Exorcist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_laity" title="Catholic laity">Laity</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lay_abbot" title="Lay abbot">Lay abbot</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abthain" title="Abthain">Abthain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commendatory_abbot" title="Commendatory abbot">Commendatory</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lay_cardinal" title="Lay cardinal">Lay cardinal</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minister_(Catholic_Church)" title="Minister (Catholic Church)">Minister</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Major_orders" title="Major orders">Major orders</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minor_orders" title="Minor orders">Minor orders</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Missionary" title="Missionary">Missionary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monsignor" title="Monsignor">Monsignor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Official#Ecclesiastical_judiciary" title="Official">Officialis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ostiarius" title="Ostiarius">Ostiarius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pastor" title="Pastor">Pastor</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Assistant_pastor" class="mw-redirect" title="Assistant pastor">Assistant pastor</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Palatinus_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Palatinus in the Catholic Church">Palatinus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personal_prelature" title="Personal prelature">Personal prelate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Preacher" title="Preacher">Preacher</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prefect#Ecclesiastical" title="Prefect">Prefect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Presbyter" title="Presbyter">Presbyter</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Elder_(Christianity)#Roman_Catholic_Church" title="Elder (Christianity)">Elder</a></li></ul></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Priest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Principal_(Catholic_Church)" title="Principal (Catholic Church)">Principal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protonotary_apostolic" title="Protonotary apostolic">Protonotary apostolic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Reverend" title="The Reverend">Reverend</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saint#Catholic_Church" title="Saint">Saint</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Servant_of_God" title="Servant of God">Servant of God</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Beatification" title="Beatification">Blessed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Venerable" title="The Venerable">Venerable</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seminary" title="Seminary">Seminarian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vicar" title="Vicar">Vicar</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Judicial_vicar" title="Judicial vicar">Judicial vicar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vicar_general" title="Vicar general">Vicar general</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dean_(Christianity)" title="Dean (Christianity)">Vicar forane</a> <ul><li>Sub-dean</li></ul></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Consecrated and professed titles</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abbess" title="Abbess">Abbess</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Abbot" title="Abbot">Abbot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Consecrated_virgin" title="Consecrated virgin">Consecrated virgin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corrector#Ecclesiastic_(Catholic)_titles" title="Corrector">Corrector</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Custos_(Franciscans)" title="Custos (Franciscans)">Custos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Friar" title="Friar">Friar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dean_(Christianity)#Roman_Catholic_Church" title="Dean (Christianity)">Dean</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_master_(order)" title="Grand master (order)">Grand master</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hermit" title="Hermit">Hermit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Novice_master" title="Novice master">Master of novices</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monk" title="Monk">Monk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Novice#Roman_Catholicism" title="Novice">Novice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nun" title="Nun">Nun</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Postulant" title="Postulant">Postulant</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oblate" title="Oblate">Oblate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prior_(ecclesiastical)" title="Prior (ecclesiastical)">Prior</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Provincial_superior" title="Provincial superior">Provincial superior</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rector_(ecclesiastical)" title="Rector (ecclesiastical)">Rector</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious_(Western_Christianity)" title="Religious (Western Christianity)">Religious</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Superior_general_(Christianity)" title="Superior general (Christianity)">Superior general</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Additional titles</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dicastery_for_the_Service_of_Charity" title="Dicastery for the Service of Charity">Almoner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Altar_server" title="Altar server">Altar server</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archimandrite" title="Archimandrite">Archimandrite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archpriest" title="Archpriest">Archpriest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archdeacon" title="Archdeacon">Archdeacon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canon_(title)" title="Canon (title)">Canon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Captain_General_of_the_Church" title="Captain General of the Church">Captain General of the Church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chorbishop" title="Chorbishop">Chorbishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coarb" title="Coarb">Coarb</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commissary_Apostolic" title="Commissary Apostolic">Commissary Apostolic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Custos_(under-sacristan)" title="Custos (under-sacristan)">Custos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_Dataria" title="Apostolic Dataria">Datarius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gonfalonier_of_the_Church" title="Gonfalonier of the Church">Gonfalonier of the Church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prelate_of_Honour_of_His_Holiness" title="Prelate of Honour of His Holiness">Honorary Prelate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Minor_canon" title="Minor canon">Minor canon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Notarius" title="Notarius">Notarius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ostiarius" title="Ostiarius">Ostiarius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Peritus" title="Peritus">Peritus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postulator" title="Postulator">Postulator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prebendary" title="Prebendary">Prebendary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Precentor" title="Precentor">Precentor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prince-bishop" title="Prince-bishop">Prince-bishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prince-abbot" title="Prince-abbot">Prince-abbot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prince-primate" title="Prince-primate">Prince-primate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prince-provost" title="Prince-provost">Prince-provost</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Devil%27s_advocate" title="Devil's advocate">Promotor Fidei</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protopriest" title="Protopriest">Protopriest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protodeacon#Roman_rite" title="Protodeacon">Protodeacon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protosyncellus" title="Protosyncellus">Protosyncellus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regionarius" title="Regionarius">Regionarius</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sacristan" title="Sacristan">Sacristan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sidewalk_counseling" title="Sidewalk counseling">Sidewalk Counselor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Church_usher" title="Church usher">Usher</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="color: var(--color-base)">Organization titles</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Grand_master_(order)" title="Grand master (order)">Grand master</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_grand_masters_of_the_Knights_Hospitaller" title="List of grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller">Knights Hospitaller</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_Masters_and_Lieutenancies_of_the_Order_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre" title="Grand Masters and Lieutenancies of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre">Order of the Holy Sepulchre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_Master_of_the_Teutonic_Order" title="Grand Master of the Teutonic Order">Teutonic Knights</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inquisitor" title="Inquisitor">Inquisitor</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Grand_Inquisitor" title="Grand Inquisitor">Grand Inquisitor</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Preceptor" title="Preceptor">Preceptor</a></li></ul></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below"> <ul><li><span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:046CupolaSPietro.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/046CupolaSPietro.jpg/16px-046CupolaSPietro.jpg" decoding="async" width="16" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/046CupolaSPietro.jpg/24px-046CupolaSPietro.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/046CupolaSPietro.jpg/32px-046CupolaSPietro.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="600" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Catholic_Church" title="Portal:Catholic Church">Catholic Church portal</a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Catholic_Church_hierarchy_sidebar" title="Template:Catholic Church hierarchy sidebar"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Catholic_Church_hierarchy_sidebar" title="Template talk:Catholic Church hierarchy sidebar"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Catholic_Church_hierarchy_sidebar" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Catholic Church hierarchy sidebar"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Priests_of_the_Archdiocese_of_Lipa_2024-06-29.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Priests_of_the_Archdiocese_of_Lipa_2024-06-29.jpg/320px-Priests_of_the_Archdiocese_of_Lipa_2024-06-29.jpg" decoding="async" width="320" height="180" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Priests_of_the_Archdiocese_of_Lipa_2024-06-29.jpg/480px-Priests_of_the_Archdiocese_of_Lipa_2024-06-29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Priests_of_the_Archdiocese_of_Lipa_2024-06-29.jpg/640px-Priests_of_the_Archdiocese_of_Lipa_2024-06-29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3400" data-file-height="1913" /></a><figcaption>A group of priests with two <a href="/wiki/Bishops_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Bishops in the Catholic Church">bishops</a> in <a href="/wiki/Batangas_City" title="Batangas City">Batangas City</a>, <a href="/wiki/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines</a>, 2024</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Priesthood" class="mw-redirect" title="Priesthood">priesthood</a> is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("<a href="/wiki/Ordained" class="mw-redirect" title="Ordained">ordained</a>") with the <a href="/wiki/Holy_orders" title="Holy orders">Holy orders</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church" title="Catholic Church">Catholic Church</a>. Technically, <a href="/wiki/Bishop_in_the_Catholic_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Bishop in the Catholic Church">bishops</a> are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms <i>priest</i> refers only to <a href="/wiki/Presbyters" class="mw-redirect" title="Presbyters">presbyters</a> and <a href="/wiki/Pastors" class="mw-redirect" title="Pastors">pastors</a> (parish priests). The church's doctrine also sometimes refers to all <a href="/wiki/Baptise" class="mw-redirect" title="Baptise">baptised</a> (<a href="/wiki/Laity" title="Laity">lay</a>) members as the "common priesthood",<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> which can be confused with the <a href="/wiki/Minister_of_religion" class="mw-redirect" title="Minister of religion">ministerial priesthood</a> of the consecrated clergy. </p><p>The church has different rules for priests in the <a href="/wiki/Latin_Church" title="Latin Church">Latin Church</a>–the largest Catholic <a href="/wiki/Particular_church" class="mw-redirect" title="Particular church">particular church</a>–and in the 23 <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches" title="Eastern Catholic Churches">Eastern Catholic Churches</a>. Notably, priests in the Latin Church must take a <a href="/wiki/Vow_of_celibacy" class="mw-redirect" title="Vow of celibacy">vow of celibacy</a>, whereas most Eastern Catholic Churches permit married men to be ordained.<sup id="cite_ref-Dragani_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Dragani-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Deacons are male and usually belong to the diocesan clergy, but, unlike almost all Latin Church (Western Catholic) priests and all bishops from Eastern or Western Catholicism, they may marry as laymen before their ordination as clergy.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Priesthood is open only to men; women are excluded. The Catholic Church teaches that when a man participates in priesthood after the <a href="/wiki/Sacrament" title="Sacrament">Sacrament</a> of <a href="/wiki/Holy_orders" title="Holy orders">Holy Orders</a>, he acts <i><a href="/wiki/In_persona_Christi" title="In persona Christi">in persona Christi</a> Capitis</i>, representing the person of Christ.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Unlike usage in English, "the Latin words <i>sacerdos</i> and <i><a href="/wiki/Sacerdotium" class="mw-redirect" title="Sacerdotium">sacerdotium</a></i> are used to refer in general to the ministerial priesthood shared by bishops and presbyters. The words <i>presbyter</i>, <i>presbyterium</i> and <i>presbyteratus</i> refer to priests in the English use of the word or presbyters."<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> According to the <i><a href="/wiki/Annuario_Pontificio" title="Annuario Pontificio">Annuario Pontificio</a></i> 2016, as of December 31, 2014, there were 415,792 Catholic priests worldwide, including both <a href="/wiki/Diocesan_priest" class="mw-redirect" title="Diocesan priest">diocesan priests</a> and priests in the <a href="/wiki/Catholic_religious_orders" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic religious orders">religious orders</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A priest of the regular clergy is commonly addressed with the title "Father" (contracted to Fr, in the Catholic and some other Christian churches).<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Catholics living a <a href="/wiki/Consecrated_life" title="Consecrated life">consecrated life</a> or <a href="/wiki/Monasticism" title="Monasticism">monasticism</a> include both the ordained and unordained. <a href="/wiki/Institutes_of_consecrated_life" class="mw-redirect" title="Institutes of consecrated life">Institutes of consecrated life</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Monk" title="Monk">monks</a>, can be deacons, priests, bishops, or non-ordained members of a <a href="/wiki/Catholic_religious_order" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic religious order">religious order</a>. The non-ordained in these orders are not to be considered laypersons in a strict sense—they take certain vows and are not free to marry once they have made solemn profession of vows. All female religious are non-ordained; they may be sisters living to some degree of activity in a communal state, or nuns living in cloister or some other type of isolation. The male members of religious orders, whether living in monastic communities or cloistered in isolation, and who are ordained priests or deacons constitute what is called the religious or <a href="/wiki/Regular_clergy" title="Regular clergy">regular clergy</a>, distinct from the <a href="/wiki/Diocese" title="Diocese">diocesan</a> or <a href="/wiki/Secular_clergy" title="Secular clergy">secular clergy</a>. Those ordained priests or deacons who are not members of some sort of religious order (<a href="/wiki/Secular_priests" class="mw-redirect" title="Secular priests">secular priests</a>) most often serve as clergy to a specific church or in an office of a specific diocese or in <a href="/wiki/Rome" title="Rome">Rome</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Traditional_Latin_Mass_-_Elevation.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Traditional_Latin_Mass_-_Elevation.jpg/220px-Traditional_Latin_Mass_-_Elevation.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="124" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Traditional_Latin_Mass_-_Elevation.jpg/330px-Traditional_Latin_Mass_-_Elevation.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Traditional_Latin_Mass_-_Elevation.jpg/440px-Traditional_Latin_Mass_-_Elevation.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5312" data-file-height="2988" /></a><figcaption>A priest celebrating the <a href="/wiki/Traditional_Latin_Mass" class="mw-redirect" title="Traditional Latin Mass">Traditional Latin Mass</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Catholic priests are ordained by bishops through the sacrament of <a href="/wiki/Holy_orders" title="Holy orders">holy orders</a>. Catholic bishops are ordained in an unbroken line of <a href="/wiki/Apostolic_succession" title="Apostolic succession">apostolic succession</a> back to the <a href="/wiki/Twelve_Apostles" class="mw-redirect" title="Twelve Apostles">Twelve Apostles</a> depicted in the <a href="/wiki/Catholic_Bible" title="Catholic Bible">Catholic Bible</a>. The ceremony of <a href="/wiki/Eucharist" title="Eucharist">Eucharist</a>, which can only be confected by priests, in particular derives from the story of the <a href="/wiki/Last_Supper" title="Last Supper">Last Supper</a>, when <a href="/wiki/Jesus" title="Jesus">Jesus</a> <a href="/wiki/Christ" class="mw-redirect" title="Christ">Christ</a> distributed bread and wine in the presence of the <a href="/wiki/Twelve_Apostles" class="mw-redirect" title="Twelve Apostles">Twelve Apostles</a>, in some versions of the <a href="/wiki/Gospel_of_Luke" title="Gospel of Luke">Gospel of Luke</a> commanding them to "do this in memory of me". (Some Protestant critics have challenged the historical accuracy of the claim of unbroken succession.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>) </p><p>Catholic tradition says the apostles in turn selected other men to succeed them as the bishops (<i>episkopoi</i>, Greek for "overseers") of the Christian communities, with whom were associated <a href="/wiki/Presbyter" title="Presbyter">presbyters</a> (<i>presbyteroi</i>, Greek for "elders") and <a href="/wiki/Deacon" title="Deacon">deacons</a> (<i>diakonoi</i>, Greek for "servants"). As communities multiplied and grew in size, the bishops appointed more and more presbyters to preside at the <a href="/wiki/Eucharist" title="Eucharist">Eucharist</a> in place of the bishop in the multiple communities in each region. The <a href="/wiki/Diaconate" class="mw-redirect" title="Diaconate">diaconate</a> evolved as the liturgical assistants of the bishop and his delegate for the administration of church funds and programmes for the poor. Today, the rank of "presbyter" is typically what one thinks of as a priest, although church catechism considers both a bishop and a presbyter as "priests".<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Pentarchic Church of the three first Holy Synods share the tradition of the sacrament of ordination by which the grace of apostolic succession is secured; this includes the <a href="/wiki/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Tewahedo_Church" title="Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church">Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church</a> (split from the Catholic Church in 424), the <a href="/wiki/Oriental_Orthodoxy" class="mw-redirect" title="Oriental Orthodoxy">Oriental Orthodoxy</a> (split in 451) and the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church" title="Eastern Orthodox Church">Eastern Orthodox Church</a> (split with the <a href="/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schism" title="East–West Schism">East–West Schism</a> of 1054). During the <a href="/wiki/Protestant_Reformation" class="mw-redirect" title="Protestant Reformation">Protestant Reformation</a>, <a href="/wiki/Martin_Luther" title="Martin Luther">Martin Luther</a> and <a href="/wiki/William_Tyndale" title="William Tyndale">William Tyndale</a> advocated the <a href="/wiki/Priesthood_of_all_believers" title="Priesthood of all believers">priesthood of all believers</a>, the idea that all baptized Christians are equally part of the sacred priesthood and that ministerial priesthood has no real authority beyond that of the congregation. This was a complex and controversial matter, contributing to further schisms within the <a href="/wiki/Reformation" title="Reformation">Reformation</a> movement of the <a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church" title="Catholic Church">Church</a>. The Lutheran-Evangelical <a href="/wiki/Swedish_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Swedish Church">Swedish Church</a> maintains the sacrament of ordination and the doctrine of Apostolic Succession, as does the <a href="/wiki/Anglican_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Anglican Church">Anglican Church</a>. The doctrine is interpreted in various ways by different Protestant denominations, with some dropping apostolic succession and holy orders as a sacrament, as per example the <a href="/wiki/Church_of_Norway" title="Church of Norway">Church of Norway</a> and <a href="/wiki/Church_of_Denmark" title="Church of Denmark">Denmark</a> who keep their respective Monarchs as <a href="/wiki/Pontifex" class="mw-redirect" title="Pontifex">Pontifexes</a>, sovereign heads of the church-hierarchy. There are different requirements for the performance of the Eucharistic ceremony to be valid among different kinds of Christian denominations, in regard of who are to oversee the sanctity of the Eucharist and stand as guarantor that the Holy Service is properly performed. There are significant differences particularly regarding the strictness/liberality of whom are welcome to receive the sacraments. </p><p>Through the principle of <a href="/wiki/Economy_(religion)" title="Economy (religion)">church economy</a>, the Catholic Church <a href="/wiki/Holy_orders_in_the_Catholic_Church#Norms" title="Holy orders in the Catholic Church">Norms</a> at the same time recognizes as valid the Holy Service of denominations practicing the <a href="/wiki/Nicene_Creed" title="Nicene Creed">Symbolum Nicaenum</a>, also known as the Nicene Creed, and deem illicit and therefore find the ordination of priests "objectively sacrilegious" in denominations separated from the one, holy, apostolic and catholic (i.e. universal) <a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church" title="Catholic Church">Church</a>. holding an unbroken apostolic succession. With the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches" title="Eastern Catholic Churches">Eastern Catholic Churches</a> it shares and defines the so-called <a href="/wiki/First_seven_ecumenical_councils" title="First seven ecumenical councils">First seven ecumenical councils</a>. The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches are 23 Eastern Christian sui iuris (autonomous) particular churches of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the <a href="/wiki/Bishop_of_Rome" class="mw-redirect" title="Bishop of Rome">Bishop of Rome</a>. Although they are distinct theologically, liturgically, and historically from the Latin Church, they are all in full communion with it and with each other. The <a href="/wiki/Coptic_Catholic_Church" title="Coptic Catholic Church">Coptic Catholic Church</a> among these 23 is not identical with the <a href="/wiki/Coptic_Orthodox_Patriarchate_of_Alexandria" class="mw-redirect" title="Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria">Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria</a>. The US-based expatriate <a href="/wiki/Polish_National_Catholic_Church" title="Polish National Catholic Church">Polish National Catholic Church</a> is an Old Catholic Congregation not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, or any other, except from their trace of Apostolic Succession with the Old Catholics of the Netherlands, yet part of is a communion of Old Catholic churches established in 2008 by the Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) of the United States, after the Union of Utrecht began ordaining women and blessing same-sex unions. Since then, it has expanded to include the Nordic Catholic Church (NCC), begun by people who had separated from the Church of Norway, a Lutheran-Evangelical church under sovereignty of the King of the , in opposition to similar practices and has developed a more Catholic theology. The <a href="/wiki/Nordic_Catholic_Church" title="Nordic Catholic Church">Nordic Catholic Church</a> includes the <a href="/w/index.php?title=Christ-Catholic_Church_of_German&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Christ-Catholic Church of German (page does not exist)">Christ-Catholic Church of German</a> in Germany as a daughter-church, which traces its history through the Old Catholics of the <a href="/wiki/Union_of_Utrecht" title="Union of Utrecht">Union of Utrecht</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Polish-Catholic_Church_of_the_Republic_of_Poland" class="mw-redirect" title="Polish-Catholic Church of the Republic of Poland">Polish-Catholic Church of the Republic of Poland</a>. In AD2008 the Old Catholics of the <a href="/wiki/Union_of_Scranton" title="Union of Scranton">Union of Scranton</a> broke away from the <a href="/wiki/Union_of_Utrecht" title="Union of Utrecht">Union of Utrecht</a> after the Union of Utrecht began ordaining women and blessing same-sex unions. It is after this it has expanded to include the Nordic Catholic Church . The <a href="/wiki/The_Holy_Apostolic_Catholic_Assyrian_Church_of_the_East" class="mw-redirect" title="The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East">Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Congregation of the East</a> holds apostolic succession, but is not in communion with either the Oriental Orthodox Congregation in full communion with the Roman or the Eastern Orthodox Church. In contrast to the Evangelical-Lutheran religion of Denmark and Norway, the <a href="/wiki/Church_of_Sweden" title="Church of Sweden">Church of Sweden</a> practices Apostolic Succession, and holds Ordination as a sacrament. Recognition of the ordination of <a href="/wiki/Anglican_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Anglican Church">Anglican Church</a> priests was denied in 1896 by <a href="/wiki/Pope_Leo_XIII" title="Pope Leo XIII">Pope Leo XIII</a> through the papal bull <i><a href="/wiki/Apostolicae_curae" title="Apostolicae curae">Apostolicae curae</a></i>, over a dispute in the wording of the Anglican ceremony starting in the 1500s. </p><p>In the time of National Socialism there were countless priests who offered resistance. In many cases they acted against the instructions of their church superiors. Many were executed or sent to concentration camps. The Austrian priest <a href="/wiki/Heinrich_Maier" title="Heinrich Maier">Heinrich Maier</a>, who saw himself as Miles Christi, headed a resistance group which, among other things, passed on plans and production sites for <a href="/wiki/V-2_rocket" title="V-2 rocket">V-2 rockets</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tiger_tank" title="Tiger tank">Tiger tanks</a>, <a href="/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109" title="Messerschmitt Bf 109">Messerschmitt Bf 109</a>, <a href="/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_163_Komet" title="Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet">Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet</a> and other aircraft to the Allies, which were crucial for the war. The Group informed very early about the mass murder of Jews. Like Maier, many priests were brutally tortured by the Gestapo and in the concentration camps.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKershaw2000210–211_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKershaw2000210–211-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1965, the <a href="/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council" title="Second Vatican Council">Second Vatican Council</a> released <i><a href="/wiki/Presbyterorum_Ordinis" title="Presbyterorum Ordinis">Presbyterorum Ordinis</a></i> on the ministry and life of priests, and <i><a href="/wiki/Optatam_Totius" title="Optatam Totius">Optatam Totius</a></i> on the training of priests. </p><p>Since 1970, the number of Catholic priests in the world has decreased by about 5,000, to 414,313 priests as of 2012.<sup id="cite_ref-CARA_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CARA-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but the worldwide Catholic population has nearly doubled, growing from 653.6 million in 1970 to 1.229 billion in 2012.<sup id="cite_ref-CARA_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CARA-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This has resulted in a worldwide <a href="/wiki/Priest_shortage_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Priest shortage in the Catholic Church">shortage of Catholic priests</a>. In 2014, 49,153 Catholic parishes had no resident priest pastor.<sup id="cite_ref-CARA_16-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CARA-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The number of priests is increasing in Africa and Asia, but not keeping pace with growth in Catholic populations there. The number of priests is falling in Europe and the Americas faster than the number of local Catholics is declining. This has resulted in some African and Asian priests being recruited to European and American churches, reversing the historical practice of <a href="/wiki/Catholic_missionaries" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic missionaries">Catholic missionaries</a> being sent from Western countries to the rest of the world. </p><p>Only men are allowed to receive holy orders, and the church does not allow any <a href="/wiki/Transgender" title="Transgender">transgender</a> people to do so.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Norton_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Norton-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the 1990s and 2000s, the <a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_cases" title="Catholic Church sexual abuse cases">cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests</a> gained worldwide attention, with thousands of accused priests and tens of thousands of alleged victims. The church estimated that over the 50 years ending in 2009, between 1.5% and 5% of Catholic priests had a sexual encounter with a minor,<sup id="cite_ref-Tomasi-2009_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Tomasi-2009-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and <a href="/wiki/Thomas_G._Plante" title="Thomas G. Plante">Thomas Plante</a> estimated a figure of 4%.<sup id="cite_ref-Plante1_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Plante1-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Public anger was fueled by the revelation that many accused priests were transferred to another parish rather than being removed from ministry or reported to police. The scandal caused some Catholics to leave the church, made recruitment of new priests more difficult, and resulted in billions of dollars in lawsuit <a href="/wiki/Settlements_and_bankruptcies_in_Catholic_sex_abuse_cases" title="Settlements and bankruptcies in Catholic sex abuse cases">settlements and bankruptcies</a> that increased financial pressure to close parishes with declining membership. In February 2019, clerical abuse of <a href="/wiki/Nun" title="Nun">nuns</a>, including <a href="/wiki/Sexual_slavery" title="Sexual slavery">sexual slavery</a>, has been acknowledged by the <a href="/wiki/Pope" title="Pope">Pope</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-BBC-20190206_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BBC-20190206-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20190205_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NYT-20190205-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Theology_of_the_priesthood">Theology of the priesthood</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Theology of the priesthood"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Sacerdotalism" class="mw-redirect" title="Sacerdotalism">Sacerdotalism</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Passover_and_Christ">Passover and Christ</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Passover and Christ"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Holy_Orders_Picture.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Holy_Orders_Picture.jpg/170px-Holy_Orders_Picture.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="201" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Holy_Orders_Picture.jpg/255px-Holy_Orders_Picture.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Holy_Orders_Picture.jpg/340px-Holy_Orders_Picture.jpg 2x" data-file-width="714" data-file-height="845" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Ordination" title="Ordination">Ordination</a> to the priesthood (<a href="/wiki/Latin_Church" title="Latin Church">Latin Church</a>); devotional card, 1925</figcaption></figure> <p>The theology of the Catholic priesthood is rooted in the priesthood of <a href="/wiki/Christ" class="mw-redirect" title="Christ">Christ</a> and to some degree shares elements of the ancient Hebraic priesthood as well, since the Catholic priesthood is considered the fulfillment of the priesthood of the <a href="/wiki/Old_Covenant" class="mw-redirect" title="Old Covenant">Old Covenant</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A <a href="/wiki/Priest" title="Priest">priest</a> is one who presides over a <a href="/wiki/Sacrifice" title="Sacrifice">sacrifice</a> and offers that sacrifice and prayers to <a href="/wiki/God" title="God">God</a> on behalf of believers. <a href="/wiki/Jewish_priesthood" class="mw-redirect" title="Jewish priesthood">Jewish priesthood</a> which functioned at <a href="/wiki/Temple_in_Jerusalem" title="Temple in Jerusalem">the temple</a> in <a href="/wiki/Jerusalem" title="Jerusalem">Jerusalem</a> offered animal sacrifices at various times throughout the year for a variety of reasons. </p><p>In Christian theology, Jesus is the <a href="/wiki/Lamb_of_God" title="Lamb of God">Lamb</a> provided by God himself as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. Before his <a href="/wiki/Crucifixion_of_Jesus" title="Crucifixion of Jesus">death on the cross</a>, Jesus celebrated the <a href="/wiki/Passover" title="Passover">Passover</a> with his disciples (the <a href="/wiki/Last_Supper" title="Last Supper">Last Supper</a>) and offered blessings over the bread and wine respectively, saying: "<i>Take and eat. This is my body</i>" and "<i>Drink from this all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of sins</i>." (Matthew 26:26–28 <a href="/wiki/Jerusalem_Bible" title="Jerusalem Bible">Jerusalem Bible</a>). The next day Christ's body and blood were visibly sacrificed on the cross. </p><p>Catholics believe that it is this same body, sacrificed on the cross and risen on the third day and united with Christ's divinity, soul and blood which is made present in the offering of each Eucharistic sacrifice which is called the <a href="/wiki/Eucharist" title="Eucharist">Eucharist</a>. The Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of <a href="/wiki/Transubstantiation" title="Transubstantiation">transubstantiation</a>, which states that the substances, or underlying reality, of the bread and wine is supernaturally changed by the <a href="/wiki/Institution_narrative" class="mw-redirect" title="Institution narrative">Words of Consecration</a> of the priest in the ritual of the <a href="/wiki/Catholic_Mass" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic Mass">Mass</a>. At the same time, the accidents (that is, the outward appearances and attributes) remain that of bread and wine: i.e. under normal circumstances, scientific analysis of the Eucharistic elements would indicate the physical-material properties of wine and bread.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Thus Catholic priests, in celebrating the Eucharist, join each offering of the Eucharistic elements in union with the sacrifice of Christ.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Through their celebration of the Holy Eucharist, they make present the one eternal sacrifice of Christ on the cross. </p><p>The Catholic Church teaches that the Sacrifice of the Mass and the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross are one and the same sacrifice (as decrees in the <a href="/wiki/Council_of_Trent" title="Council of Trent">Council of Trent</a> affirmed);<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "<i>The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one <b>single sacrifice</b></i>,"<sup id="cite_ref-scborromeo.org_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-scborromeo.org-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> whereas the Jewish concept of memorial states "..<i>the memorial is not merely a recollection of past events....these events become in a certain way present and real</i>" and thus "...<i>the sacrifice Christ offered once and for all on the cross remains ever present</i>."<sup id="cite_ref-scborromeo.org_29-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-scborromeo.org-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Properly speaking, in Catholic theology, as expressed by Saint <a href="/wiki/Thomas_Aquinas" title="Thomas Aquinas">Thomas Aquinas</a>, "Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his ministers."<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Thus, Catholic clergy share in the one, unique, Priesthood of Christ as his instruments.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Education">Education</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Education"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Candidacy" class="mw-redirect" title="Candidacy">Candidacy</a>, <a href="/wiki/Deacon" title="Deacon">Deacon</a>, and <a href="/wiki/List_of_Roman_Catholic_seminaries" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Roman Catholic seminaries">List of Roman Catholic seminaries</a></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Canon_law_(Catholic_Church)" class="mw-redirect" title="Canon law (Catholic Church)">canon law</a> of the Catholic Church holds that the priesthood is a sacred and perpetual vocational state, not just a profession (which is a reason for, and symbolized by, the state of celibacy). There are programs of formation and studies which aim to enable the future priest to effectively serve his ministry. These programs are demanded by canon law (in the Latin Church, canons 232–264) which also refers to the <a href="/wiki/Conference_of_Bishops" class="mw-redirect" title="Conference of Bishops">Bishops' Conferences</a> for local more detailed regulation. As a general rule, education is extensive and lasts at least five or six years, depending on the national Programme of Priestly Formation.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>In the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>, priests must have undergraduate-level instruction in philosophy plus an additional four to five years of graduate-level seminary formation in theology. A <a href="/wiki/Master_of_Divinity" title="Master of Divinity">Master of Divinity</a> is the most common degree. A preparatory (propaedeutic) year is now being added by many dioceses in the U.S. This spiritual year prepares aspirants for their eventual philosophical and theological studies.</li></ul> <ul><li>In <a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland">Scotland</a>, there is a mandatory year of preparation before entering seminary for a year dedicated to <a href="/wiki/Spiritual_formation" title="Spiritual formation">spiritual formation</a>, followed by several years of study.</li> <li>In Europe, Australasia and North America, seminarians usually graduate with a <a href="/wiki/Master_of_Divinity" title="Master of Divinity">Master of Divinity</a> or a <a href="/wiki/Master_of_Theology" title="Master of Theology">Master of Theology</a> degree, which is a four-year <a href="/wiki/Professional_degree" title="Professional degree">professional degree</a> (as opposed to a <a href="/wiki/Master_of_Arts" title="Master of Arts">Master of Arts</a> which is an academic degree). At least four years are to be in theological studies at the major <a href="/wiki/Seminary" title="Seminary">seminary</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>In Germany and Austria, priest candidates graduate with an <i>academic</i> degree (Magister theologiae, Diplom-Theologe, Master of Arts in Theology). The degree takes five years and is preceded by a year of spiritual formation (plus learning of the ancient languages) and followed by two years of pastoral practice (during which the candidate is ordained to the <a href="/wiki/Deacon#Latin_Catholicism" title="Deacon">deaconate</a>). Usually, priests spend all of that time in a seminary except one "free year".</li> <li>In Africa, Asia and South America, programmes are more flexible, being developed according to the age and academic abilities of those preparing for ordination.</li></ul> <p>Regardless of where a person prepares for ordination, the process includes not only academic but also human, social, spiritual and pastoral formation. The purpose of <a href="/wiki/Seminary" title="Seminary">seminary</a> <a href="/wiki/Education" title="Education">education</a> is ultimately to prepare men to be pastors of souls.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the end, however, each individual <a href="/wiki/Hierarch" class="mw-redirect" title="Hierarch">Ordinary</a> (such as a <a href="/wiki/Bishop_(Catholic_Church)" class="mw-redirect" title="Bishop (Catholic Church)">bishop</a> or <a href="/wiki/Superior_General" class="mw-redirect" title="Superior General">Superior General</a>) is responsible for the official call to priesthood, and only a bishop may ordain. Any ordinations done before the normally scheduled time (before study completion) must have the explicit approval of the bishop. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Rite_of_Ordination">Rite of Ordination</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Rite of Ordination"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Priesterweihe_in_Schwyz_2.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Priesterweihe_in_Schwyz_2.jpg/220px-Priesterweihe_in_Schwyz_2.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Priesterweihe_in_Schwyz_2.jpg/330px-Priesterweihe_in_Schwyz_2.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Priesterweihe_in_Schwyz_2.jpg/440px-Priesterweihe_in_Schwyz_2.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2084" data-file-height="1389" /></a><figcaption>During the Rite of Ordination, after the bishop, the priests present lay their hands on the ordinands.</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:External_Ornaments_of_a_Priest.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/External_Ornaments_of_a_Priest.svg/220px-External_Ornaments_of_a_Priest.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="240" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/External_Ornaments_of_a_Priest.svg/330px-External_Ornaments_of_a_Priest.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/External_Ornaments_of_a_Priest.svg/440px-External_Ornaments_of_a_Priest.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="380" data-file-height="415" /></a><figcaption>Coat of arms of a Catholic priest</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Holy_Orders_(Catholic_Church)#Rite" class="mw-redirect" title="Holy Orders (Catholic Church)">Holy Orders (Catholic Church) § Rite</a></div> <p>The Rite of Ordination is what makes one a priest, having already been a deacon and with the minister of <a href="/wiki/Holy_Orders" class="mw-redirect" title="Holy Orders">Holy Orders</a> being a validly ordained bishop.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Rite of Ordination occurs within the context of Holy Mass. After being called forward and presented to the assembly, the candidates are interrogated. Each promises to diligently perform the duties of the Priesthood and to respect and obey his <a href="/wiki/Ordinary_(Catholic_Church)" class="mw-redirect" title="Ordinary (Catholic Church)">ordinary</a> (bishop or religious superior). Then the candidates lie prostrate before the altar, while the assembled faithful kneel and pray for the help of all the saints in the singing of the <a href="/wiki/Litany_of_the_Saints" title="Litany of the Saints">Litany of the Saints</a>. The essential part of the rite is when the bishop silently <a href="/wiki/Laying_on_of_hands" title="Laying on of hands">lays his hands</a> upon each candidate (followed by all priests present), before offering the consecratory prayer, addressed to <a href="/wiki/God_the_Father" title="God the Father">God the Father</a>, invoking the power of the <a href="/wiki/Holy_Spirit" title="Holy Spirit">Holy Spirit</a> upon those being ordained. After the consecratory prayer, the newly ordained is vested with the <a href="/wiki/Stole_(vestment)" title="Stole (vestment)">stole</a> and <a href="/wiki/Chasuble" title="Chasuble">chasuble</a> of those belonging to the Ministerial Priesthood and then the bishop anoints his hands with <a href="/wiki/Chrism" title="Chrism">chrism</a> before presenting him with the <a href="/wiki/Chalice" title="Chalice">chalice</a> and <a href="/wiki/Paten" title="Paten">paten</a> which he will use when presiding at the Eucharist.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2019)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Clerical_celibacy">Clerical celibacy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Clerical celibacy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Clerical_celibacy_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church">Clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Early_Christianity">Early Christianity</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Early Christianity"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The earliest Christians were Jews and Jewish tradition has always deemed the married state as more spiritual than the celibate state.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Accuracy_dispute#Disputed_statement" title="Wikipedia:Accuracy dispute"><span title="The material near this tag is possibly inaccurate or nonfactual. (February 2023)">dubious</span></a> – <a href="/wiki/Talk:Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church#Dubious" title="Talk:Priesthood in the Catholic Church">discuss</a></i>]</sup> However, some Christian traditions place a higher spiritual value on chastity. According to the Bible, the Apostle Peter had a spouse from Gospel stories of Peter's mother-in-law sick with fever (Matt 8:14, Mark 1:29, Luke 4:38)<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and from Paul's mention that Peter took along a believing wife in his ministry (1 Cor 9:5). In <a href="/wiki/I_Corinthians" class="mw-redirect" title="I Corinthians">I Corinthians</a> 7, Paul makes it clear that celibacy is superior to the married state: "Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do... I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world... An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs; [b]ut a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world[.] I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. ...So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better."<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>38<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>From its beginnings, the idea of clerical celibacy has been contested in canon courts, in theology, and in religious practices. Celibacy for Roman Catholic priests was not mandated under canon law for the universal church until the <a href="/wiki/Second_Council_of_the_Lateran" title="Second Council of the Lateran">Second Lateran Council</a> in 1139.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>39<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Council_of_Elvira" class="mw-redirect" title="Council of Elvira">Council of Elvira</a> in Spain (<abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 305–306</span>) was the first council to call for clerical celibacy. In February 385, <a href="/wiki/Pope_Siricius" title="Pope Siricius">Pope Siricius</a> wrote the <a href="/wiki/Directa_Decretal" title="Directa Decretal">Directa decretal</a>, which was a long letter to Spanish bishop <a href="/wiki/Himerius_of_Tarragona" title="Himerius of Tarragona">Himerius of Tarragona</a>, replying to the bishop's requests on various subjects, which had been sent several months earlier to <a href="/wiki/Pope_Damasus_I" title="Pope Damasus I">Pope Damasus I</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>40<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It was the first of a series of documents published by the church's <a href="/wiki/Magisterium" title="Magisterium">magisterium</a> that claimed <a href="/wiki/Apostolic_succession" title="Apostolic succession">apostolic origin</a> for <a href="/wiki/Clerical_celibacy" title="Clerical celibacy">clerical celibacy</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="After_the_Great_Schism">After the Great Schism</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: After the Great Schism"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Within a century of the <a href="/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schism" title="East–West Schism">Great Schism</a> of 1054, the Churches of the East and West arrived at different disciplines as to abstaining from sexual contact during marriage. In the East, candidates for the priesthood could be married with permission to have regular sexual relations with their wives, but were required to abstain before celebrating the Eucharist. An unmarried person, once ordained, could not marry. Additionally, the Christian East required that, before becoming a bishop, a priest separate from his wife (she was permitted to object), with her typically becoming a nun. In the East, more normally, bishops are chosen from those priests who are monks and are thus unmarried. </p><p>In the West, the law of celibacy became mandatory by <a href="/wiki/Pope_Gregory_VII" title="Pope Gregory VII">Pope Gregory VII</a> at the Roman Synod of 1074.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>41<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-42"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>42<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This law mandated that, in order to become a candidate for ordination, a man could not be married. The law remains in effect in the Latin Church, although not for those who are priests of the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches" title="Eastern Catholic Churches">Eastern Catholic Churches</a>, who remain under their own discipline. (These churches either remained in or returned to full communion with Rome after the schism, unlike for example the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church" title="Eastern Orthodox Church">Eastern Orthodox Church</a> which is now entirely separate). The issue of mandatory celibacy in the Latin Church continues to be debated.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (February 2016)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Duties_of_a_Catholic_priest">Duties of a Catholic priest</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Duties of a Catholic priest"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Bishops, priests, and deacons who want to become priests are also required to recite the principal and minor offices of the <a href="/wiki/Liturgy_of_the_Hours" title="Liturgy of the Hours">Liturgy of the Hours</a>, or <i>Divine Office</i>, daily,<sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-43"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>43<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> a practice which is also followed by non-ordained people in some religious orders. </p><p>A priest who is a <a href="/wiki/Pastor" title="Pastor">pastor</a> is responsible for the administration of a <a href="/wiki/Parish_in_the_Catholic_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Parish in the Catholic Church">Catholic parish</a>, typically with a single church building dedicated for worship (and usually a nearby residence), and for seeing to the spiritual needs of Catholics who belong to the parish. This involves performing ceremonies for the seven <a href="/wiki/Sacraments_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Sacraments of the Catholic Church">sacraments of the Catholic Church</a>, and counseling people.<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-44"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>44<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He may be assisted by other <a href="/wiki/Diocesan_priests" class="mw-redirect" title="Diocesan priests">diocesan priests</a> and deacons, and serves under the local <a href="/wiki/Diocesan_bishop" title="Diocesan bishop">diocesan bishop</a>, who is in charge of the many parishes in the territory of the <a href="/wiki/Diocese" title="Diocese">diocese</a> or archdiocese. In some cases due to the <a href="/wiki/Priest_shortage_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Priest shortage in the Catholic Church">shortage of priests</a> and the expense of a full-time priest for depopulated parishes, a <a href="/wiki/Team_of_priests_in_solidum" title="Team of priests in solidum">team of priests <i>in solidum</i></a> may share the management of several parishes. </p><p>According to Catholic doctrine, a priest or bishop is necessary in order to perform the ceremony of the <a href="/wiki/Eucharist_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Eucharist in the Catholic Church">Eucharist</a>, <a href="/wiki/Sacrament_of_Penance" title="Sacrament of Penance">take confession</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-45"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>45<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and perform <a href="/wiki/Anointing_of_the_Sick" class="mw-redirect" title="Anointing of the Sick">Anointing of the Sick</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-46"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>46<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-47"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>47<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Deacons may distribute Holy Communion after a priest or bishop has consecrated the bread and wine, and, in extraordinary circumstances, lay people, called "Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion", may do so as well. Priests and deacons ordinarily perform <a href="/wiki/Baptism#Catholicism" title="Baptism">Baptism</a>, but any Catholic can baptize in emergency circumstances. In cases where a person dies before the baptism ceremony is performed, the Catholic Church also recognizes <a href="/wiki/Baptism_of_desire" title="Baptism of desire">baptism of desire</a>, where a person desired to be baptized, and baptism of blood, when a person is <a href="/wiki/Martyred" class="mw-redirect" title="Martyred">martyred</a> for their faith. </p><p>According to canon law, a parish priest or bishop, or another priest or deacon delegated by them, ordinarily performs ("assists") <a href="/wiki/Catholic_marriage" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic marriage">Holy Matrimony</a>, but the role can be delegated to a layperson if that is impractical and the arrangements are supported by the conference of bishops and the Holy See, and in an emergency a couple can perform the ceremony themselves as long as there are two witnesses. Church doctrine says it is the couple actually conferring marriage upon each other, and the minister is merely assisting and witnessing that it has been done properly.<sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-48"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>48<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Eastern_Catholic_Churches">Eastern Catholic Churches</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Eastern Catholic Churches"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Catholic_priest_with_his_Family.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Catholic_priest_with_his_Family.jpg/170px-Catholic_priest_with_his_Family.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="254" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Catholic_priest_with_his_Family.jpg/255px-Catholic_priest_with_his_Family.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Catholic_priest_with_his_Family.jpg/340px-Catholic_priest_with_his_Family.jpg 2x" data-file-width="482" data-file-height="720" /></a><figcaption>Married <a href="/wiki/Romanian_Church_United_with_Rome,_Greek-Catholic" class="mw-redirect" title="Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic">Romanian Eastern Catholic</a> priest from Romania with his family</figcaption></figure> <p>The Catholic Church has different rules for the priesthood in the 23 <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Eastern Catholic Church">Eastern Catholic Churches</a> than those in the Latin Church. The chief difference is that most of the Eastern Catholic Churches ordain <a href="/wiki/Clerical_marriage" title="Clerical marriage">married men</a>, whereas the Latin Church, with very few exceptions, enforces mandatory <a href="/wiki/Clerical_celibacy" title="Clerical celibacy">clerical celibacy</a>. This issue has caused tension among Catholics in some situations where Eastern churches established parishes in countries with established Latin Catholic populations. In the Americas and Australia, this tension led to bans on married Eastern Catholic priests, all of which were overturned by <a href="/wiki/Pope_Francis" title="Pope Francis">Pope Francis</a> in 2014.<sup id="cite_ref-Dragani_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Dragani-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Within the lands of the <a href="/wiki/Christendom" title="Christendom">Eastern Christendom</a>, priests' children often became priests and married within their social group, establishing a <a href="/wiki/Priestly_caste" title="Priestly caste">tightly-knit hereditary caste</a> among some <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Christian" class="mw-redirect" title="Eastern Christian">Eastern Christian</a> communities.<sup id="cite_ref-49" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-49"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>49<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-50" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-50"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>50<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Demographics">Demographics</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Demographics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Priest_shortage_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Priest shortage in the Catholic Church">Priest shortage in the Catholic Church</a></div> <p>Worldwide, the number of priests has remained fairly steady since 1970, decreasing by about 5,000. This stagnation is due to a balancing of large growth in Africa and Asia and a significant decrease in North America and Europe. </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236656977">.mw-parser-output .abbr-header{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .caption-purple{border:1px #a2a9b1 solid;border-bottom:none;background-color:lavender}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .caption-purple{background:inherit!important}}.mw-parser-output .table-pale{border:1px #a2a9b1 solid;border-top:none;background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa);padding:5px}@media screen and (max-width:640px){.mw-parser-output .table-pale{border-top:1px #a2a9b1 solid!important}.mw-parser-output .caption-purple{border:none}}</style><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests worldwide</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1970</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">419,728</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1975</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">404,783</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−3.6%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1980</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">413,600</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+2.2%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1985</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">403,480</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−2.4%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">1990</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">403,173</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">−0.1%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1995</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">404,750</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+0.4%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2000</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">405,178</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+0.1%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2005</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">406,411</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+0.3%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2010</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">412,236</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+1.4%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">2014</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">414,313</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">+0.5%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Asia">Asia</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Asia"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Singapore">Singapore</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Singapore"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in Singapore</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1950</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">43</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1969</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">105</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+144.2%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1980</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">90</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−14.3%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1990</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">119</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+32.2%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">2000</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">140</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">+17.6%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2004</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">137</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−2.1%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2010</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">131</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−4.4%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2014</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">145</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+10.7%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Europe">Europe</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Europe"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Belgium">Belgium</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Belgium"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in Belgium</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1950</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">14,690</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1970</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">12,100</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−17.6%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1980</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">12,741</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+5.3%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1990</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">9,912</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−22.2%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">2000</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">6,989</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">−29.5%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2004</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">6,366</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−8.9%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2013</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">5,595</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−12.1%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="France">France</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: France"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in France</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1955</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">40,000</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1856</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">32,475</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−18.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2003</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">17,473</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−46.2%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2006</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">15,440</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−11.6%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">2013</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">14,000</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">−9.3%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Luxembourg">Luxembourg</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Luxembourg"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in Luxembourg</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1950</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">601</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1969</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">524</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−12.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1980</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">457</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−12.8%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1990</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">352</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−23.0%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">2004</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">248</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">−29.5%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2013</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">205</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−17.3%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Poland">Poland</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Poland"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in Poland</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1848</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">2,218</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1912</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">6,500</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+193.1%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Sweden">Sweden</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Sweden"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in Sweden</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1949</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">45</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1969</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">80</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+77.8%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1980</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">99</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+23.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1990</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">110</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+11.1%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">2000</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">134</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px;border-bottom:1px solid #bbbbbb">+21.8%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2004</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">151</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+12.7%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2010</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">156</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+3.3%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2014</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">159</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+1.9%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Switzerland">Switzerland</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: Switzerland"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in Switzerland</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1970</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">2,877</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1989</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">2,100</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−27.0%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2009</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">1,441</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−31.4%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="North_America">North America</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: North America"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Mexico">Mexico</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Mexico"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in Mexico</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1980</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">10,192</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1990</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">11,641</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+14.2%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2000</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">14,176</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+21.8%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2010</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">16,856</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+18.9%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="United_States">United States</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: United States"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236656977"><table class="table-pale" style="width:45em;border-top-width:0;border-spacing: 0;margin:0.5em auto;"><caption class="caption-purple" style="padding:0.25em;font-weight:bold">Historical number of priests in the US</caption><tbody><tr valign="top"><td style="padding:0 0.5em"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1930</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">27,000</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">—    </td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1950</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">50,500</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+87.0%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1965</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">58,632</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+16.1%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1970</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">59,192</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">+1.0%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1975</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">58,909</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−0.5%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1980</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">58,398</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−0.9%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1985</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">57,317</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−1.9%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1990</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">52,124</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−9.1%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">1995</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">49,054</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−5.9%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2000</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">45,699</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−6.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding:0 0.5em;border-left:solid 1px #aaa"><table style="border-spacing:0;width:15em"><tbody><tr style="font-size:95%"><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;width:3em">Year</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px 2px;text-align:right">Priests</th><th style="border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);padding:1px;text-align:right"><abbr title="Percent change" class="abbr-header">±%</abbr></th></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2005</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">41,399</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−9.4%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2010</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">39,993</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−3.4%</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:center;padding:1px">2015</th><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">37,192</td><td style="text-align:right;padding:1px">−7.0%</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3" style="border-top:1px solid var(--color-base, #000000);font-size:85%;text-align:left">Includes both diocesan and religious priests.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239009302">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output 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data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Catholicism" class="mw-redirect" title="Portal:Catholicism">Catholicism portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Amovibility" title="Amovibility">Amovibility</a>, some canon law applying to priests</li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Catholic_priests" title="List of Catholic priests">List of Catholic priests</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ordination_of_women_and_the_Catholic_Church" title="Ordination of women and the Catholic Church">Ordination of women and the Catholic Church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious_minister" class="mw-redirect" title="Religious minister">Religious minister</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vocational_discernment_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Vocational discernment in the Catholic Church">Vocational discernment in the Catholic Church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Impediment_(Catholic_canon_law)" title="Impediment (Catholic canon law)">Impediment (Catholic canon law)</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Lumen Gentium 10</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) 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href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P4T.HTM">"Catechism of the Catholic Church – IntraText"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Catechism+of+the+Catholic+Church+%E2%80%93+IntraText&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Farchive%2FENG0015%2F__P4T.HTM&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Dragani-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Dragani_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Dragani_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDragani2016" class="citation encyclopaedia cs1">Dragani, Anthony (2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=73xfDQAAQBAJ&q=%22eastern+catholic%22+priesthood&pg=PA746">"Eastern Catholic Churches in the United States"</a>. In Kurian, George Thomas; Lamport, Mark A. (eds.). <i>Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States</i>. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 745–746. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1442244320" title="Special:BookSources/978-1442244320"><bdi>978-1442244320</bdi></a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">October 24,</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Eastern+Catholic+Churches+in+the+United+States&rft.btitle=Encyclopedia+of+Christianity+in+the+United+States&rft.pages=745-746&rft.pub=Rowman+%26+Littlefield&rft.date=2016&rft.isbn=978-1442244320&rft.aulast=Dragani&rft.aufirst=Anthony&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D73xfDQAAQBAJ%26q%3D%2522eastern%2Bcatholic%2522%2Bpriesthood%26pg%3DPA746&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Y.HTM">"Code of Canon Law – IntraText"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Code+of+Canon+Law+%E2%80%93+IntraText&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Farchive%2FENG1104%2F__P1Y.HTM&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160531230643/http://catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings/f/Women_Priests.htm">"Can a Woman Be a Priest in the Catholic Church?"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings/f/Women_Priests.htm">the original</a> on 31 May 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Can+a+Woman+Be+a+Priest+in+the+Catholic+Church%3F&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fcatholicism.about.com%2Fod%2Fbeliefsteachings%2Ff%2FWomen_Priests.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Woestman, Wm., <i>The Sacrament of Orders and the Clerical State</i> St Paul's University Press: Ottawa, 2006, p. 8, see also <i>De Ordinatione</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Junno Arocho Esteves, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/vatican-statistics-report-increase-baptized-catholics-worldwide">Vatican statistics report increase in baptized Catholics worldwide</a>, <a href="/wiki/Catholic_News_Service" title="Catholic News Service">Catholic News Service</a> (March 7, 2016).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/father">"Father"</a>. 4 October 2023.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Father&rft.date=2023-10-04&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.merriam-webster.com%2Fdictionary%2Ffather&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Cf. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PX.HTM">Code of Canon Law, canon 266</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Jay, Eric G. <i>The Church: its changing image through twenty centuries</i> John Knox Press: 1980, p.316f</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Catechism of the Catholic Church #1547–57; Aidan Nichols, Holy Order: The Apostolic Ministry from the New Testament to the Second Vatican Council</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Elisabeth Boeckl-Klamper, Thomas Mang, Wolfgang Neugebauer: "Gestapo-Leitstelle Wien 1938–1945." Vienna 2018, pp. 299–305.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEKershaw2000210–211-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKershaw2000210–211_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFKershaw2000">Kershaw 2000</a>, pp. 210–211.<span class="error harv-error" style="display: none; font-size:100%"> sfn error: no target: CITEREFKershaw2000 (<a href="/wiki/Category:Harv_and_Sfn_template_errors" title="Category:Harv and Sfn template errors">help</a>)</span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Hugo Pfeil "Leben, Leiden und Sterben der kath. Priester im KZ Dachau" (2012).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.traunsteiner-tagblatt.de/das-traunsteiner-tagblatt/chiemgau-blaetter/chiemgau-blaetter-2020_ausgabe,-der-priesterblock-im-lager-dachau-_chid,1052.html">Der Priesterblock im Lager Dachau</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-CARA-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-CARA_16-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CARA_16-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-CARA_16-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html">"Frequently Requested Church Statistics"</a>. <i>cara.georgetown.edu</i>. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160120072339/http://cara.georgetown.edu/caraservices/requestedchurchstats.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2016-01-20<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2016-02-01</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=cara.georgetown.edu&rft.atitle=Frequently+Requested+Church+Statistics&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fcara.georgetown.edu%2FCARAServices%2Frequestedchurchstats.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The church considers <a href="/wiki/Trans_men" class="mw-redirect" title="Trans men">trans men</a> to be women, and considers <a href="/wiki/Trans_women" class="mw-redirect" title="Trans women">trans women</a> to be men of unsuitable character. See <a href="/wiki/LGBT_clergy_in_Christianity#Roman_Catholic" title="LGBT clergy in Christianity">LGBT clergy in Christianity § Roman Catholic</a> for details.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Norton-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Norton_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNorton2003" class="citation news cs1">Norton, John (14 January 2003). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican-says-sex-change-operation-does-not-change-persons-gender">"Vatican says 'sex-change' operation does not change person's gender"</a>. <i>Catholic News Service</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">19 July</span> 2009</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Catholic+News+Service&rft.atitle=Vatican+says+%27sex-change%27+operation+does+not+change+person%27s+gender&rft.date=2003-01-14&rft.aulast=Norton&rft.aufirst=John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncronline.org%2Fnews%2Fvatican-says-sex-change-operation-does-not-change-persons-gender&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Tomasi-2009-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Tomasi-2009_19-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFTomasi2009" class="citation web cs1"><a href="/wiki/Silvano_Maria_Tomasi" title="Silvano Maria Tomasi">Tomasi, Silvano</a> (September 22, 2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/common-misconceptions/vatican-sets-record-straight-on-sexual-abuse.html">"Vatican Sets Record Straight on Sexual Abuse"</a>. <i>Catholic Education Resource Center</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2018-09-27</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Catholic+Education+Resource+Center&rft.atitle=Vatican+Sets+Record+Straight+on+Sexual+Abuse&rft.date=2009-09-22&rft.aulast=Tomasi&rft.aufirst=Silvano&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholiceducation.org%2Fen%2Fcontroversy%2Fcommon-misconceptions%2Fvatican-sets-record-straight-on-sexual-abuse.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Plante1-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Plante1_20-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Thomas Plante: OpEd: "A Perspective on Clergy Sexual Abuse," <i>San Jose Mercury News,</i> 24 March 2002 (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.psychwww.com/psyrelig/plante.html">updated online version</a>)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Pastoral Psychology,</i> Vol. 52, No. 5, May 2004 ( C ° 2004) "The Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Roman Catholic Church: What Psychologists and Counselors Should Know", Thomas G. Plante, 1;2;3 and Courtney Daniels1 Springer Publishing, 2004 <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.scu.edu/cas/psychology/faculty/upload/Plante-Clergy-Paper-2.pdf">http://www.scu.edu/cas/psychology/faculty/upload/Plante-Clergy-Paper-2.pdf</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BBC-20190206-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BBC-20190206_22-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFStaff2019" class="citation news cs1">Staff (February 6, 2019). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47134033">"Pope admits clerical abuse of nuns including sexual slavery"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/BBC_News" title="BBC News">BBC News</a></i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 9,</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=BBC+News&rft.atitle=Pope+admits+clerical+abuse+of+nuns+including+sexual+slavery&rft.date=2019-02-06&rft.au=Staff&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-europe-47134033&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-NYT-20190205-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-NYT-20190205_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFThe_Associated_Press2019" class="citation news cs1"><a href="/wiki/The_Associated_Press" class="mw-redirect" title="The Associated Press">The Associated Press</a> (February 5, 2019). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/02/05/world/europe/ap-eu-rel-vatican-nun-abuse-.html">"Pope Publicly Acknowledges Clergy Sexual Abuse of Nuns"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_New_York_Times" title="The New York Times">The New York Times</a></i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">February 9,</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+New+York+Times&rft.atitle=Pope+Publicly+Acknowledges+Clergy+Sexual+Abuse+of+Nuns&rft.date=2019-02-05&rft.au=The+Associated+Press&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Faponline%2F2019%2F02%2F05%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fap-eu-rel-vatican-nun-abuse-.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12409a.htm">"Priesthood"</a>. Catholic Encyclopedia<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Priesthood&rft.pub=Catholic+Encyclopedia&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newadvent.org%2Fcathen%2F12409a.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/transubstantiation">"transubstantiation | Definition & Doctrine | Britannica"</a>. <i>Encyclopedia Britannica</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-03-12</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Encyclopedia+Britannica&rft.atitle=transubstantiation+%7C+Definition+%26+Doctrine+%7C+Britannica&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftopic%2Ftransubstantiation&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSaunders2005" class="citation web cs1">Saunders, William (June 2005). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/transubstantiation.html">"Transubstantiation"</a>. <i>www.catholiceducation.org</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-03-12</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.catholiceducation.org&rft.atitle=Transubstantiation&rft.date=2005-06&rft.aulast=Saunders&rft.aufirst=William&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholiceducation.org%2Fen%2Fculture%2Fcatholic-contributions%2Ftransubstantiation.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Taylor Marshall, <i>The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of the Catholic Christianity</i>, Saint John Press, 2009 <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-578-03834-6" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-578-03834-6">978-0-578-03834-6</a> pp. 91–92</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10006a.htm">"CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Sacrifice of the Mass"</a>. <i>www.newadvent.org</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-03-12</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.newadvent.org&rft.atitle=CATHOLIC+ENCYCLOPEDIA%3A+Sacrifice+of+the+Mass&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newadvent.org%2Fcathen%2F10006a.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-scborromeo.org-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-scborromeo.org_29-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-scborromeo.org_29-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.htm#V">"Catechism of the Catholic Church – Part 2 Section 2 Chapter 1 Article 3"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Catechism+of+the+Catholic+Church+%E2%80%93+The+sacrament+of+Holy+Orders&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Farchive%2Fccc_css%2Farchive%2Fcatechism%2Fp2s2c3a6.htm%23I&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_presbyterorum-ordinis_en.html">"Presbyterorum ordinis"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Code+of+Canon+Law%3A+text+%E2%80%93+IntraText+CT&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.intratext.com%2FIXT%2FENG0017%2F_P3N.HTM&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-36">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Encyclopedia Judaica, second ed, vol 4, 2007, New York: Thomson Gale, 537</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-37">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Audet, Jean, Structures of Christian Priesthood, New York: Doubleday 1961</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-38">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%207&version=NIV">"1 Corinthians 7"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 January</span> 2023</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=1+Corinthians+7&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.biblegateway.com%2Fpassage%2F%3Fsearch%3D1%2520Corinthians%25207%26version%3DNIV&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-39">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The New Catholic Encyclopedia, Washington, DC: Catholic University of America: Washington, vol 3, 366</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-40">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=223465&event=6450SBF%7C221593%7C6450">"Current Sales Email Promotions - Christianbook.com"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Current+Sales+Email+Promotions+-+Christianbook.com&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christianbook.com%2FChristian%2FBooks%2Fcms_content%3Fpage%3D223465%26event%3D6450SBF%257C221593%257C6450&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-41">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">John Trigilio, Kenneth Brighenti. <i>Catholicism for Dummies</i>, p. 221 (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011). <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-118-07778-8" title="Special:BookSources/978-1-118-07778-8">978-1-118-07778-8</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-42">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Helen Parish, <i>Clerical Celibacy In The West: c. 1100–1700</i>, p. 100, footnotes 45 and 46 (Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2010). <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7546-3949-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7546-3949-7">978-0-7546-3949-7</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-43">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Congregation for Divine Worship, <i>Institutio generalis de Liturgia horarum</i> Feb. 2, 1971</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-44">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHerbermann1913" class="citation encyclopaedia cs1">Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). <span class="cs1-ws-icon" title="s:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Priesthood"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Priesthood">"Priesthood" </a></span>. <i><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia" title="Catholic Encyclopedia">Catholic Encyclopedia</a></i>. New York: Robert Appleton Company.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Priesthood&rft.btitle=Catholic+Encyclopedia&rft.place=New+York&rft.pub=Robert+Appleton+Company&rft.date=1913&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-45">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3G.HTM">"Code of Canon Law – IntraText"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Code+of+Canon+Law+%E2%80%93+IntraText&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Farchive%2FENG1104%2F__P3G.HTM&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-46">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3L.HTM">"Code of Canon Law – IntraText"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Code+of+Canon+Law+%E2%80%93+IntraText&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Farchive%2FENG1104%2F__P3L.HTM&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-47">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P38.HTM">"Code of Canon Law – IntraText"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 July</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Code+of+Canon+Law+%E2%80%93+IntraText&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Farchive%2FENG1104%2F__P38.HTM&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-48">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html#CHAPTER_V.">"Code of Canon Law, Canons 1108–1116"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">20 June</span> 2023</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Code+of+Canon+Law%2C+Canons+1108%E2%80%931116&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Farchive%2Fcod-iuris-canonici%2Feng%2Fdocuments%2Fcic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html%23CHAPTER_V.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-49">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFW._Braumüller2006" class="citation book cs1">W. Braumüller, W. (2006). <i>The Rusyn-Ukrainians of Czechoslovakia: An Historical Survey</i>. University of Michigan Press. p. 17. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9783700303121" title="Special:BookSources/9783700303121"><bdi>9783700303121</bdi></a>. <q>because Eastern Christian priests were allowed to marry and therefore the clergy soon became somewhat of a caste made up of a closely - knit families</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Rusyn-Ukrainians+of+Czechoslovakia%3A+An+Historical+Survey&rft.pages=17&rft.pub=University+of+Michigan+Press&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=9783700303121&rft.aulast=W.+Braum%C3%BCller&rft.aufirst=W.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3APriesthood+in+the+Catholic+Church" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-50">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Tarnavky, <i>Spohady</i>, cited in Jean-Paul Himka. (1986). <i>The Greek Catholic Church and Ukrainian Society in Austrian Galicia.</i> Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press pg. 444</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Priesthood_in_the_Catholic_Church&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 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Church</a></b></i>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/">The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church Current and historical information about its bishops and dioceses</a> (includes current and historical demographics for priests)</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://vocationguide.org/">VISION Vocation Guide</a> information about Roman Catholic priesthood and religious life with directory of men's religious communities and diocesan links.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.mptv.org/video/watch/?id=1414">Milwaukee Holy Orders: The Making of a Priest</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160316181258/http://www.mptv.org/video/watch/?id=1414">Archived</a> 2016-03-16 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Documentary produced by <a href="/wiki/Milwaukee_PBS" title="Milwaukee 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href="/wiki/Index_of_Catholic_Church_articles" title="Index of Catholic Church articles">Index</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outline_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Outline of the Catholic Church">Outline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glossary_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Glossary of the Catholic Church">Glossary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lists_of_Catholics" title="Lists of Catholics">Lists of Catholics</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="History of the Catholic Church">History</a><br /><small><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Timeline of the Catholic Church">Timeline</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Ecclesiastical_history_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Ecclesiastical history of the Catholic Church">Ecclesiastical</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Legal_history_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Legal history of the Catholic Church">Legal</a></small></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Early_Christianity" title="Early Christianity">Early Church</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Jesus_in_Christianity" title="Jesus in Christianity">Jesus</a> <a href="/wiki/Christ_(title)" title="Christ (title)">Christ</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ministry_of_Jesus" title="Ministry of Jesus">Ministry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crucifixion_of_Jesus" title="Crucifixion of Jesus">Crucifixion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Resurrection_of_Jesus" title="Resurrection of Jesus">Resurrection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Great_Commission" title="Great Commission">Great Commission</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostles_in_the_New_Testament" title="Apostles in the New Testament">Apostles</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_succession" title="Apostolic succession">Succession</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Primacy_of_Peter" title="Primacy of Peter">Petrine primacy</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Church_Fathers" title="Church Fathers">Church fathers</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_Fathers" title="Apostolic Fathers">Apostolic fathers</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_the_papacy" title="History of the papacy">History of the papacy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_papal_primacy" title="History of papal primacy">Primacy</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Great_Church" title="Great Church">Great Church</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Christianity_in_the_ante-Nicene_period" title="Christianity in the ante-Nicene period">Ante-Nicene period</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constantine_the_Great_and_Christianity" title="Constantine the Great and Christianity">Constantine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/First_seven_ecumenical_councils" title="First seven ecumenical councils">First seven ecumenical councils</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea" title="First Council of Nicaea">Nicaea I</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Council_of_Chalcedon" title="Council of Chalcedon">Chalcedon</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Christianity_in_late_antiquity" title="Christianity in late antiquity">Late antiquity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Biblical_canon" title="Biblical canon">Biblical canon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Christian_monasticism" title="Christian monasticism">Monasticism</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Christianity_in_the_Middle_Ages" title="Christianity in the Middle Ages">Middle Ages</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Early_Muslim_conquests" title="Early Muslim conquests">Islamic conquests</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pope_Gregory_I" title="Pope Gregory I">Pope Gregory I</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Papal_States" title="Papal States">Papal States</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schism" title="East–West Schism">Schism (1054)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Investiture_Controversy" title="Investiture Controversy">Investiture Controversy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crusades" title="Crusades">Crusades</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Western_Schism" title="Western Schism">Schism (1378)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inquisition" title="Inquisition">Inquisition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Medieval_university" title="Medieval university">Universities</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scholasticism" title="Scholasticism">Scholasticism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_the_Age_of_Discovery" title="Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery">Age of Discovery</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Christianity_in_the_modern_era" title="Christianity in the modern era">Modern era</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_Protestant" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic Church and Protestant">Protestantism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Reformation" title="Reformation">Protestant Reformation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Counter-Reformation" title="Counter-Reformation">Catholic Reformation</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Council_of_Trent" title="Council of Trent">Trent</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thirty_Years%27_War" title="Thirty Years' War">Thirty Years' War</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment" title="Age of Enlightenment">Enlightenment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dechristianization_of_France_during_the_French_Revolution" title="Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution">French Revolution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_Nazi_Germany" title="Catholic Church and Nazi Germany">Nazism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council" title="Second Vatican Council">Vatican II</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Holy_See%E2%80%93Soviet_Union_relations" title="Holy See–Soviet Union relations">Communism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_cases" title="Catholic Church sexual abuse cases">Sexual abuse scandal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_Islam" title="Catholic Church and Islam">Islam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_the_Catholic_Church" title="Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Catholic Church">COVID-19 pandemic</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Catholic_theology" title="Catholic theology">Theology</a><br /><small><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Bible" title="Catholic Bible">Bible</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Catholic_tradition" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic tradition">Tradition</a><br /><i><a href="/wiki/Catechism_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Catechism of the Catholic Church">Catechism</a></i></small></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th id="General" scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em">General</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/God_in_Christianity" title="God in Christianity">God</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Trinity" title="Trinity">Trinity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kingship_and_kingdom_of_God" title="Kingship and kingdom of God">Kingdom</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_theology_on_the_body" title="Catholic theology on the body">Body and soul</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Divine_grace" title="Divine grace">Divine grace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dogma_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Dogma in the Catholic Church">Dogma</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nicene_Creed" title="Nicene Creed">Nicene Creed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Original_sin" title="Original sin">Original sin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Catholic_saints" title="List of Catholic saints">Saints</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Salvation_in_Christianity" title="Salvation in Christianity">Salvation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mount" title="Sermon on the Mount">Sermon on the Mount</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ten_Commandments_in_Catholic_theology" title="Ten Commandments in Catholic theology">Ten Commandments</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vulgate" title="Vulgate">Vulgate</a></li> <li>Official Bible <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sixtine_Vulgate" title="Sixtine Vulgate">Sixtine Vulgate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sixto-Clementine_Vulgate" title="Sixto-Clementine Vulgate">Sixto-Clementine Vulgate</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Nova_Vulgata" title="Nova Vulgata">Nova Vulgata</a></i></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Christian_worship" title="Christian worship">Worship</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Catholic_ecclesiology" title="Catholic ecclesiology">Ecclesiology</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Communitas_perfecta" title="Communitas perfecta">Communitas perfecta</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_ecumenical_councils" title="Catholic ecumenical councils">Councils</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_ecumenism" title="Catholic Church and ecumenism">Ecumenism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Four_Marks_of_the_Church" title="Four Marks of the Church">Four marks</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/One_true_church" title="One true church">One true church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholicity" title="Catholicity">Catholic</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Infallibility_of_the_Church" title="Infallibility of the Church">Infallibility</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Mystici_Corporis_Christi" title="Mystici Corporis Christi">Mystici Corporis Christi</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/People_of_God" title="People of God">People of God</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Churches_Militant,_Penitent,_and_Triumphant" title="Churches Militant, Penitent, and Triumphant">Three states</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Subsistit_in" title="Subsistit in">Subsistit in</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy,_theology,_and_fundamental_theory_of_Catholic_canon_law" title="Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law">In canon law</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Sacraments_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Sacraments of the Catholic Church">Sacraments</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Baptism" title="Baptism">Baptism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Confirmation_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Confirmation in the Catholic Church">Confirmation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eucharist_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Eucharist in the Catholic Church">Eucharist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sacrament_of_Penance" title="Sacrament of Penance">Penance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anointing_of_the_Sick_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Anointing of the Sick in the Catholic Church">Anointing of the Sick</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Last_rites" title="Last rites">Last rites</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Holy_orders_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Holy orders in the Catholic Church">Holy orders</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marriage_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Marriage in the Catholic Church">Matrimony</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Mariology" title="Catholic Mariology">Mariology</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Assumption_of_Mary" title="Assumption of Mary">Assumption</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_Catholic_Mariology" title="History of Catholic Mariology">History</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Immaculate_Conception" title="Immaculate Conception">Immaculate Conception</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mariology_of_the_popes" title="Mariology of the popes">Mariology of the popes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mariology_of_the_saints" title="Mariology of the saints">Mariology of the saints</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theotokos" title="Theotokos">Mother of God</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perpetual_virginity_of_Mary" title="Perpetual virginity of Mary">Perpetual virginity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Veneration_of_Mary_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church">Veneration</a></li> <li>See also:</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Josephology" title="Josephology">Josephology</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Christian_philosophy" title="Christian philosophy">Philosophy</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Natural_law" title="Natural law">Natural law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_moral_theology" title="Catholic moral theology">Moral theology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personalism_(Catholic)" class="mw-redirect" title="Personalism (Catholic)">Personalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_social_teaching" title="Catholic social teaching">Social teaching</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Catholic_philosophers_and_theologians" title="List of Catholic philosophers and theologians">Philosophers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philosophy,_theology,_and_fundamental_theory_of_Catholic_canon_law" title="Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law">Philosophy of canon law</a></li> <li>See also:</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Science_and_the_Catholic_Church" title="Science and the Catholic Church">Science</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Evolution_and_the_Catholic_Church" title="Evolution and the Catholic Church">Evolution</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state" title="Separation of church and state">Separation of church and state</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Relations_between_the_Catholic_Church_and_the_state" title="Relations between the Catholic Church and the state">Relations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_politics" title="Catholic Church and politics">Politics</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Saint_(Catholic)" class="mw-redirect" title="Saint (Catholic)">Saints</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Holy_Family" title="Holy Family">Holy Family</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mary,_mother_of_Jesus" title="Mary, mother of Jesus">Mary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saint_Joseph" title="Saint Joseph">Joseph</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Patriarch" title="Patriarch">Patriarchs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prophets_of_Christianity" title="Prophets of Christianity">Prophets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archangel" title="Archangel">Archangels</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Christian_martyr" title="Christian martyr">Martyrs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Doctor_of_the_Church" title="Doctor of the Church">Doctors of the Church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Four_Evangelists" title="Four Evangelists">Evangelists</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Confessor_of_the_Faith" title="Confessor of the Faith">Confessors</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Disciple_(Christianity)" title="Disciple (Christianity)">Disciples</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virgin_(title)" title="Virgin (title)">Virgins</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%">Organisation<br /><small><a href="/wiki/Hierarchy_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Hierarchy of the Catholic Church">Hierarchy</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Canon_law_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Canon law of the Catholic Church">Canon law</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Catholic_laity" title="Catholic laity">Laity</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Order_of_precedence_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Order of precedence in the Catholic Church">Precedence</a><br /><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_by_country" title="Catholic Church by country">By country</a></small></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Holy_See" title="Holy See">Holy See</a><br />(<a href="/wiki/List_of_popes" title="List of popes">List of popes</a>)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pope" title="Pope">Pope</a> <a href="/wiki/Pope_Francis" title="Pope Francis">Francis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_ecumenical_councils" title="Catholic ecumenical councils">Ecumenical councils</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/College_of_Cardinals" title="College of Cardinals">College</a> of <a href="/wiki/Cardinal_(Catholic_Church)" title="Cardinal (Catholic Church)">Cardinals</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_living_cardinals" class="mw-redirect" title="List of living cardinals">List</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Council_of_Cardinal_Advisers" class="mw-redirect" title="Council of Cardinal Advisers">Advisers</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roman_Curia" title="Roman Curia">Roman Curia</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dicastery" title="Dicastery">Dicasteries</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Synod_of_Bishops_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church">Synod of Bishops</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Properties_of_the_Holy_See" title="Properties of the Holy See">Properties</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Vatican_City" title="Vatican City">Vatican City</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Index_of_Vatican_City%E2%80%93related_articles" title="Index of Vatican City–related articles">Index</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outline_of_Vatican_City" title="Outline of Vatican City">Outline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostolic_Palace" title="Apostolic Palace">Apostolic Palace</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lateran_Treaty" title="Lateran Treaty">Lateran Treaty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roman_Rota" title="Roman Rota">Roman Rota</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica" title="St. Peter's Basilica">St. Peter's Basilica</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swiss_Guard" title="Swiss Guard">Swiss Guard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vatican_Museums" title="Vatican Museums">Vatican Museums</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Ecclesiastical_polity" title="Ecclesiastical polity">Polity</a> (<a href="/wiki/Holy_orders_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Holy orders in the Catholic Church">Holy orders</a>)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Catholic_dioceses_(structured_view)" title="List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)">Diocese</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Episcopal_conference" title="Episcopal conference">Episcopal conference</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eparchy#Church_hierarchy" title="Eparchy">Eparchy</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bishops_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Bishops in the Catholic Church">Bishop</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Patriarch" title="Patriarch">Patriarch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Major_archbishop" title="Major archbishop">Major</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Primate_(bishop)" title="Primate (bishop)">Primate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metropolitan_bishop" title="Metropolitan bishop">Metropolitan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Archbishop" title="Archbishop">Archbishop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diocesan_bishop" title="Diocesan bishop">Diocesan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coadjutor_bishop" title="Coadjutor bishop">Coadjutor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Auxiliary_bishop" title="Auxiliary bishop">Auxiliary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Titular_bishop" title="Titular bishop">Titular</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pope_emeritus" class="mw-redirect" title="Pope emeritus">Emeritus</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parish_(Catholic_Church)" title="Parish (Catholic Church)">Parish</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Priest</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deacon" title="Deacon">Deacon</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Consecrated_life" title="Consecrated life">Consecrated life</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Religious_(Western_Christianity)" title="Religious (Western Christianity)">Religious</a>:</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Superior_(hierarchy)" title="Superior (hierarchy)">Superior</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abbot" title="Abbot">Abbot</a>, <a href="/wiki/Abbess" title="Abbess">Abbess</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Superior_general_(Christianity)" title="Superior general (Christianity)">General</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Provincial_superior" title="Provincial superior">Provincial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prior_(ecclesiastical)" title="Prior (ecclesiastical)">Prior, Prioress</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grand_master_(order)" title="Grand master (order)">Grand master</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious_brother" title="Religious brother">Brother</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Friar" title="Friar">Friar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Monk" title="Monk">Monk</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious_sister" title="Religious sister">Sister</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_nun" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic nun">Nun</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hermit" title="Hermit">Hermit</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Novitiate" title="Novitiate">Novice</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Novice_master" title="Novice master">Master</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oblate" title="Oblate">Oblate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postulant" title="Postulant">Postulant</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Catholic_particular_churches_and_liturgical_rites" title="Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites">Particular churches</a><br /><i><a href="/wiki/Sui_iuris" title="Sui iuris">sui iuris</a></i></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Latin_Church" title="Latin Church">Latin Church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches" title="Eastern Catholic Churches">Eastern Catholic Churches</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Albanian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Albanian Greek Catholic Church">Albanian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Armenian_Catholic_Church" title="Armenian Catholic Church">Armenian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Belarusian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Belarusian Greek Catholic Church">Belarusian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bulgarian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church">Bulgarian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chaldean_Catholic_Church" title="Chaldean Catholic Church">Chaldean</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coptic_Catholic_Church" title="Coptic Catholic Church">Coptic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greek_Catholic_Church_of_Croatia_and_Serbia" title="Greek Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia">Croatian and Serbian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eritrean_Catholic_Church" title="Eritrean Catholic Church">Eritrean</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ethiopian_Catholic_Church" title="Ethiopian Catholic Church">Ethiopian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Georgia" title="Catholic Church in Georgia">Georgian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greek_Byzantine_Catholic_Church" title="Greek Byzantine Catholic Church">Greek</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hungarian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Hungarian Greek Catholic Church">Hungarian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Italo-Albanian_Catholic_Church" title="Italo-Albanian Catholic Church">Italo-Albanian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Macedonian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Macedonian Greek Catholic Church">Macedonian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maronite_Church" title="Maronite Church">Maronite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Melkite_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Melkite Greek Catholic Church">Melkite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Romanian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Romanian Greek Catholic Church">Romanian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Russian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Russian Greek Catholic Church">Russian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ruthenian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church">Ruthenian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slovak_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Slovak Greek Catholic Church">Slovak</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Syriac_Catholic_Church" title="Syriac Catholic Church">Syriac</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Syro-Malabar_Catholic_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Syro-Malabar Catholic Church">Syro-Malabar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Syro-Malankara_Catholic_Church" title="Syro-Malankara Catholic Church">Syro-Malankara</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ukrainian_Greek_Catholic_Church" title="Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church">Ukrainian</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:12em"><a href="/wiki/Catholic_liturgy" title="Catholic liturgy">Catholic liturgy</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_liturgy" title="Eastern Catholic liturgy">Eastern Catholic liturgy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Alexandrian_liturgical_rites" title="Alexandrian liturgical rites">Alexandrian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Antiochene_Rite" title="Antiochene Rite">Antiochian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Armenian_Rite" title="Armenian Rite">Armenian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Byzantine_Rite" title="Byzantine Rite">Byzantine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/East_Syriac_Rite" title="East Syriac Rite">East Syriac</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/West_Syriac_Rite" title="West Syriac Rite">West Syriac</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Malankara_Rite" title="Malankara Rite">Malankara</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Latin_liturgical_rites" title="Latin liturgical rites">Latin</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ambrosian_Rite" title="Ambrosian Rite">Ambrosian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rite_of_Braga" title="Rite of Braga">Braga</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mozarabic_Rite" title="Mozarabic Rite">Mozarabic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roman_Rite" title="Roman Rite">Roman</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mass_of_Paul_VI" title="Mass of Paul VI">Paul VI</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tridentine_Mass" title="Tridentine Mass">Tridentine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anglican_Use" title="Anglican Use">Anglican</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zaire_Use" title="Zaire Use">Zaire</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Catholic_culture" class="mw-redirect" title="Catholic culture">Culture</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_art" title="Catholic art">Art</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Marian_art_in_the_Catholic_Church" title="Marian art in the Catholic Church">Marian</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Catholic_artists" title="List of Catholic artists">Artists</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Catholic_writers" title="List of Catholic writers">Writers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lists_of_Catholic_church_buildings" title="Lists of Catholic church buildings">Church buildings</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Altarpiece" title="Altarpiece">Altarpieces</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Folk_Catholicism" title="Folk Catholicism">Folk</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vatican_Library" title="Vatican Library">Library</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vatican_Museums" title="Vatican Museums">Museums</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Catholic_music" title="Category:Catholic music">Music</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_the_Holy_See" title="Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See">Distinctions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Role_of_Christianity_in_civilization" title="Role of Christianity in civilization">Role in civilisation</a></li> <li>See also:</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Catholic_Church" title="Criticism of the Catholic Church">Criticism of the Catholic Church</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anti-Catholicism" title="Anti-Catholicism">Anti-Catholicism</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Catholic_media" title="Category:Catholic media">Media</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Holy_See_Press_Office" title="Holy See Press Office">Holy See Press Office</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vatican_Media" title="Vatican Media">Vatican Media</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Vatican_News" title="Vatican News">Vatican News</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vatican_Television_Center" class="mw-redirect" title="Vatican Television Center">Vatican Television Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vatican_Radio" title="Vatican Radio">Vatican Radio</a></li></ul></li> <li>Vatican Polyglot Press</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/L%27Osservatore_Romano" title="L'Osservatore Romano">L'Osservatore Romano</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Acta_Apostolicae_Sedis" title="Acta Apostolicae Sedis">Acta Apostolicae Sedis</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Annuario_Pontificio" title="Annuario Pontificio">Annuario Pontificio</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Religious_order_(Catholic)" title="Religious order (Catholic)">Religious orders</a>,<br /><a href="/wiki/Religious_institute" title="Religious institute">institutes</a>, <a href="/wiki/Society_of_apostolic_life" title="Society of apostolic life">societies</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Assumptionists" title="Assumptionists">Assumptionists</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_the_Annunciation_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary" title="Order of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary">Annonciades</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Augustinians" title="Augustinians">Augustinians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_Saint_Basil_the_Great" title="Order of Saint Basil the Great">Basilians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Benedictines" title="Benedictines">Benedictines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bethlehemites" title="Bethlehemites">Bethlehemites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_the_Most_Holy_Annunciation" title="Order of the Most Holy Annunciation">Blue nuns</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Camaldolese" title="Camaldolese">Camaldoleses</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Camillians" title="Camillians">Camillians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carmelites" title="Carmelites">Carmelites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carthusians" title="Carthusians">Carthusians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cistercians" title="Cistercians">Cistercians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Poor_Clares" title="Poor Clares">Clarisses</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Conceptionists" title="Conceptionists">Conceptionists</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canons_Regular_of_the_Order_of_the_Holy_Cross" title="Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross">Crosiers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dominican_Order" title="Dominican Order">Dominicans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Franciscans" title="Franciscans">Franciscans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Congregation_of_Our_Lady_of_Charity_of_the_Good_Shepherd" title="Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd">Good Shepherd Sisters</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hieronymites" title="Hieronymites">Hieronymites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jesuits" title="Jesuits">Jesuits</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legionaries_of_Christ" title="Legionaries of Christ">Legionaries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary_of_Mercy" title="Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy">Mercedarians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_Minims" title="Order of Minims">Minims</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Olivetans" title="Olivetans">Olivetans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oratory_of_Saint_Philip_Neri" title="Oratory of Saint Philip Neri">Oratorians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Piarists" title="Piarists">Piarists</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Premonstratensians" title="Premonstratensians">Premonstratensians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Redemptoristines" title="Redemptoristines">Redemptoristines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Servite_Order" title="Servite Order">Servites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theatines" title="Theatines">Theatines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trappists" title="Trappists">Trappists</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trinitarians" title="Trinitarians">Trinitarians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Order_of_the_Visitation_of_Holy_Mary" title="Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary">Visitandines</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Association_of_the_Christian_faithful" title="Association of the Christian faithful">Associations<br />of the faithful</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Confraternity" title="Confraternity">Confraternities</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_lay_organisations" title="Catholic lay organisations">Lay</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Marian_movements_and_societies" title="Catholic Marian movements and societies">Marian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_youth_work" title="Catholic youth work">Youth</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/World_Movement_of_Christian_Workers" title="World Movement of Christian Workers">Workers</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Third_order" title="Third order">Third orders</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Third_Order_of_Saint_Dominic" title="Third Order of Saint Dominic">Saint Dominic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lay_Carmelites" title="Lay Carmelites">Lay Carmelites</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Secular_Order_of_Discalced_Carmelites" title="Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites">Discalced</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Third_Order_of_Saint_Francis" title="Third Order of Saint Francis">Saint Francis</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Secular_Franciscan_Order" title="Secular Franciscan Order">Secular</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_order_(religious_society)#International" title="Military order (religious society)">Military orders</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fimcap" title="Fimcap">Fimcap</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Action" title="Catholic Action">Catholic Action</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Charismatic_Renewal" title="Catholic Charismatic Renewal">Charismatic Renewal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Communion_and_Liberation" title="Communion and Liberation">Communion and Liberation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Community_of_Sant%27Egidio" title="Community of Sant'Egidio">Sant'Egidio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Focolare_Movement" title="Focolare Movement">Focolare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Alliance_of_Catholic_Knights" title="International Alliance of Catholic Knights">International Alliance of Catholic Knights</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/International_Catholic_Conference_of_Scouting" title="International Catholic Conference of Scouting">Scouting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legion_of_Mary" title="Legion of Mary">Legion of Mary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neocatechumenal_Way" title="Neocatechumenal Way">Neocatechumenal Way</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Opus_Dei" title="Opus Dei">Opus Dei</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Schoenstatt_Apostolic_Movement" title="Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement">Schoenstatt</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background-color:gold;width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Catholic_charities" title="Catholic charities">Charities</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aid_to_the_Church_in_Need" title="Aid to the Church in Need">Aid to the Church in Need</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Caritas_Internationalis" title="Caritas Internationalis">Caritas</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Charities_USA" title="Catholic Charities USA">Catholic Charities USA</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Home_Missions" title="Catholic Home Missions">Home Missions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Relief_Services" title="Catholic Relief Services">Relief Services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/CIDSE" title="CIDSE">CIDSE</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pax_Christi" title="Pax Christi">Pax Christi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Society_of_Saint_Vincent_de_Paul" title="Society of Saint Vincent de Paul">Society of Saint Vincent de Paul</a><br /></li> <li>See also:</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_health_care" title="Catholic Church and health care">Health care</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_school" title="Catholic school">Schools</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catholic_higher_education" title="Catholic higher education">Universities</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2" style="background-color:gold"><div> <ul><li><span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:046CupolaSPietro.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/046CupolaSPietro.jpg/16px-046CupolaSPietro.jpg" decoding="async" width="16" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/046CupolaSPietro.jpg/24px-046CupolaSPietro.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/046CupolaSPietro.jpg/32px-046CupolaSPietro.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="600" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Catholic_Church" title="Portal:Catholic 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