The monograph presented here, The Spirituality of the Diocesan Priest, is intended as a contribution to reflection on the undeserved gift of the priestly vocation and its lived experience. It presents different perspectives on the way in which the identity of the priest is lived, with particular reference to the spirituality of the diocesan priest. Some chapters are inspired by the Word of God, others are based on Church documents, homilies, catecheses or encyclicals and exhortations of the Bishops of Rome, including the most recent statements of Pope Francis. Still others are based on the lived experience of many years of priestly ministry itself, supplemented by the insights of pastoral theology, liturgical studies and history.
The audience of the monograph is the wider professional public, as well as the lay Christian faithful, priests, seminary superiors, students of theology, and those preparing for or considering the priesthood.