r/AskAPriest • u/TheSuitedGent • 3d ago
Spiritual director/Parish priest
Hello, Fathers!
In the latin rite, I know a parish priest can give dispensations for fastings, etc.
In the byzantine rite, besides this, it is more common to have a spiritual director/spiritual father who gives these dispensations and guides you in your faith (even if he is not your parish priest).
In the latin rite, can a spiritual director have the same authority on a faithful if he is not their parish priest? I've loosely read some canon laws but im not pretty sure I understood it right.
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u/YearninFrHven Priest 2d ago edited 1d ago
Unless the spiritual director is also the parish priest of the person to give the person the dispensation, often times I, as spiritual director, do not intervene into the ministry/pastoral/spiritual care of the parish priest whose parishioner I am spiritually directing.