"Feed my lambs…feed my sheep", said Jesus. The Church is HIS flock. Lumen Gentium, paragraph 8, identifies this sole Church of Christ as that which our Saviour after his resurrection, handed over or entrusted to Peter’s pastoral care and that of the other apostles. Christus Dominus, the Decree on the Bishops’ Pastoral Office in the Church, paragraph 11, tells us that in a particular church, that is a diocese, "the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and operative". It is still the flock of Christ, "a portion" of which (canon 369) is now entrusted to the diocesan bishop. Canon 515 states: "A parish is a certain community of Christ’s faithful stably established within a particular Church, whose pastoral care, under the authority of the diocesan Bishop, is entrusted to a parish priest as its proper pastor (qua proprio eiusdem pastori)." Canon 519 states: "The parish priest is the proper pastor (pastor proprius) of the parish entrusted to him".

Dioceses are not mere administrative divisions of the universal Church. The diocesan Bishop is not a delegate or vicar of the Pope. A parish is not an autonomous entity, but nor is it a "branch office" of the diocese, nor like a McDonald’s food outlet! The whole flock of Christ is entrusted to the Pope and the College of Bishops; a diocese is entrusted to the diocesan Bishop. A parish is entrusted to the parish priest. The parish priest is not an employee, agent or delegate of the diocesan Bishop. He is not a hireling, spoken of by Christ in the Gospel. He shares the ministry of Christ with the diocesan Bishop.

Some canonists maintain that the parish priest has "functions without power (‘potestas’)", the power belonging to the diocesan Bishop. Yet, the words "entrusted to" and "proper pastor" and the canons which follow 519 give to the parish priest ordinary power, given to him in the law by reason of the office he holds. His power is proper, exercised in his own name. (New Comm. p.690)

The parish is where it all happens. After all, people don’t get married in the Chancery or diocesan offices. The Parish Priest is "their proper, their own pastor".

Canons 521-539 spell out the parish priest’s requirements, qualities, powers, rights and obligations and tenure of office (which, ideally should be for an indeterminate time, since stability is necessary).

Canons 528 and 529 are long canons, very pastoral in tone, and provide excellent material for meditation and for examination of conscience. The Parish Priest’s flock is Christ’s flock, entrusted to him. It is important to remember Christ’s teaching on authority and power, and to see these in terms of loving service. Christ works in and through him – for his own salvation and the salvation of the flock entrusted to him.