What is the difference between a religious priest and a diocesan priest?
A diocesan priest lives and ministers along with his bishop and fellow priests in a particular geographic area called a diocese. He does not belong to a religious community or order. He lives celibately and promises obedience to the bishop. He most often works in a parish, but may also be involved in many other forms of ministry: teaching, hospital chaplaincy, prisons, university, migrants and disadvantaged groups. Through ordained ministry, a priest proclaims God’s word and celebrates the sacraments. A religious priest belongs to a community that may go beyond the geographical diocese. He lives within a community of other like-minded men for mutual support in meeting the needs of church and society, and freely commits himself to live a vowed life of poverty, celibacy and obedience. Some religious priests may be Dominicans, Franciscans or Jesuits. A Religious Priest administers sacraments as an ordained minister. • What’s the difference between a Religious Brother and a Religious Pries
