Two kinds of priests
 What's
the difference between "religious" priests and "diocesan"
priests?
Dear Inquirer,
First,
all priests are men called by God to serve the people of God. Their
ministerial service includes preaching, administering the Sacraments
and pastoral leadership.
With
regard to your specific question, diocesan priests are men who are incorporated
into a geographic area called a diocese under the leadership of a bishop.
They are ordained to serve the people of the diocese, usually in a specific
area called a parish. In collaboration with the bishop they take care
of the spiritual needs of the people and evangelize in that part of
the Church.
Religious
priests, who belong to a religious community, exercise their priesthood
according to the spirit and mission of their religious community. An
example of a religious community would be the Redemptorists or the Passionists.
They are bound to the religious group by the vows they take. Their ministry
is as wide as the mission of the religious community. While they may
serve in this or that given area, they are also available to serve wherever
the superior assigns them. They are not restricted to any given area.
Wherever
they work, religious priests exercise their priesthood according to
the spiritual mission of their religious community. For example, the
Passionists were founded by St. Paul of the Cross and approved by the
Church to keep alive the memory of our Lord's Passion and Death. And
we do it in a variety of ways and in many countries of the world.
more about the Passionists
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