I am not sure how often I have been asked that question. Even this evening, after supplying mass in a local parish people are worried about my status of priesthood. Many are confused about being a priest, but not having a fixed community to serve. Well, even when it was the 11th hour – I remain a priest and in employment of the church. The next question people ask is about the Fidei Donum priest – most have never heard of it.
Fidei Donum is the title of an encyclica of pope Paul VI where he encourages western churches to give priests to churches in developing countries. Most Fidei Donum priests of my diocese are in Bolivia as we have a partnership between Trier and Sucre in Bolivia.
The agreement says that I am now for the next 5 years as a Fidei Donum priest here in Cape Town with the portfolio of HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town, Catholic Aids Network and other entities and besides that, I will supply for parishes in need of a priest for the eucharist.
Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Reflection, Uncategorized, bolivia, cape town, Church Matters, Fideai Donum, mass supply, paul VI, priest
God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE 
I didn’t know what Fidei Donum referred to, and I assumed you were like the hordes of Irish priests we’ve had for decades, long before Paul VI. Apparently not.
Technically, who is your bishop – bp of CT or Trier? Into which diocese are you incardinated? Who do you get your permission from if you want to marry a couple?
Strange questions, but they help explain you 🙂
thx. Technically is always the bishop of the diocese where I belong to my bishop, which is and has been since ordination, the bishop of Trier. I stay incardinated into the diocese of Trier. The permission to spend the sacraments are from the bishop of the diocese, where I am working now. Hope this helps to explain myself…. 🙂
Yip … thanks!