I attended a wedding yesterday. The couple was married by their Lutheran pastor. I've attended Lutheran worship services, served with pastors and members of other faith traditions while exercising ministry and enjoy the company of those of other faith traditions, even the evangelical Atheists. I dig them all. Really. The sight of a Lutheran pastor in a Roman collar though was a tad off-putting. It's not the first time I've seen a Lutheran pastor in a Roman collar but it does give me reason to pause and it made me immediately think of 'Friends with Benefits' (as gross and disgusting as that is to contemplate) because that's the bad taste it left.
You see "Pastors with Benefits" take all the benefits of being recognized as clergy without the sacrificial self-giving of oneself completely in ministry. Perhaps some would argue that's not the case. Perhaps where you live a Roman collar means Methodist minister, but universally throughout the world, sorry a Roman collar denotes unity with Rome. It means a priest is available for the sacrament of confession and for annointing of the sick in any situation including emergencies. Denominational ministers are not conferred the sacrament of Holy Orders and thereby do nothing more for me than any other lay person can do. Through the power of the church any denominational pastor cannot absolve me of my sins because by definition(of denomination) that pastor is not in communion with the Catholic church. Granted they may have knowledge, schooling, and gifts no other has and thus can discuss faith with public persons... just like any other lay person can.
A priest is available for ministry at any hour. He can be called to anoint the sick with the oils consecrated by the Bishop. While any pastor can minister to the sick, the priest by virtue of his ordination doesn't exercise HIS own ministry, he acts in Persona Christi ("in the person of Christ"), meaning that however sinful he is, however unworthy HE might be for ministry, God has set him apart to minister. It is Christ acting through him to bring healing, and the forgiveness of sins to His people. He does this by virtue of his ordination in communion with the church. It's not something he does on his own. It's a minor distinction, but it's critical. Some people think priests never disagree with the teachings of the church, but that's not the case. While they may be sympathetic to arguments made against certain teachings of the church, the truth is because they don't exercise their own ministry, because they exercise obedience to church teachings they and we who follow are guaranteed not to err. Any denomenational pastor or person who disagrees with his churchs' teaching are free to splinter off and create the next new and greater denomination with new church teachings and they do so at an alarming rate.
Further, the priest gives of himself completely by embracing celibacy. Is it easy? Not a chance. Is it radical? Absolutely! As Christians we are called to love. What wouldn't you do for your lover? Would you love them in a radical way? Sleeping with a potential spouse before marriage is an easy thing to do. Waiting until after marriage for sex, well that's a radical way to love. It's sacrificial. It hurts. A Roman Catholic priest sacrifices a potential wife and family to take as his bride the church. He takes a vow of obedience to his Bishop, a vow of chastity and some also take a vow of poverty. Are there abuses? Yes. Are they widespread? Not a chance. I've known way too many priests and am good friends with more than a few to know that abuses in the priesthood hurt them. I've seen firsthand how they suffer the repercussions of the priest abuse scandal. So it pains me when I see denominational ministers sporting the Roman collar for recognition, but easily side-step away from the taunts of those who acuse them of abuse because, they aren't "Catholic". They can listen to my story. They can bring me words of comfort. They can pray with me, but they cannot give me the body and blood of Christ and they cannot absolve me of my sins not even in an emergency. So why wear the collar?
Michael Duffy has an answer as the collar as yolk and witness.
Citing Monsignior Mangen and Fr. Murray's also weigh in Why a priest should wear his Roman collar:
"The Roman collar makes the priest available for the Sacraments, especially Confession and the Anointing of the Sick, and for crisis situations. Because the Roman collar gives instant recognition, priests who wear it make themselves more apt to be approached, particularly when seriously needed. The authors can testify to being asked for the Sacraments and summoned for assistance in airports, crowded cities and isolated villages because they were immediately recognized as Catholic priests."
Pastor Reckart a denominational pastor even quoted the Monsignior's piece in giving reasons why pastors should NOT wear the Roman collar.
