Fr. Pavone, John Wesley, and "particular churches"

Canon lawyer Dr. Ed Peters remarks upon a recent interview given by Fr. Frank Pavone with Al Kresta:

In his interview Pavone recounted for Kresta that, while he was a seminarian, he had on the wall of his dorm room a map of the world underneath which was written Methodist John Wesley's famous line "All the world is my parish" (Pt. I, 21:30 ff). Granted, a Catholic sense can be given Wesley's point, but such a slogan falls well short of the Catholic vision of pastoral organization, and its continued use by Pavone is telling.

Wesley's low ecclesiology let him see the world as a sort of parish, but Catholics can see more. We have "particular churches" known as dioceses (c. 368) under the direction of bishops (c. 381) who have the fullness of Orders, and it is within the context of the particular Church that most Catholic men ordained to diocesan priesthood are called for most of their lives to work out their salvation, yes, in fear and trembling. Pavone and many of his allies, however, are applying Wesley's model of the Church against Zurek.

Consider: However Methodism might expect its ministers to graduate from seminary and find communities to serve, diocesan Catholic priests such as Pavone are not ordained for at-large ministry wherever they decide to carry it on. Church law knows of extra-diocesan priestly work and makes certain provisions for it, but paradigmatic ordained Catholic ministry is generally offered, and will always be offered, by clergy working over extended periods in a specific place under a local ordinary. It is Pavone's style of national (for that matter, international) priestly ministry that needs special authorization, and not Zurek's exercise of authority that needs to be tailored to Pavone's perception of his mission.

Read the entire post on the "In the Light of the Law" blog. In addition to the Code of Canon Law, see paragraphs 813ff of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for important statements about "particular churches", the unity of the Church, and the authority of bishops.