What’s the difference between a diocesan priest and a religious priest?
A diocesan priest serves the Church within a geographical area of the church, known as a “diocese”, and makes a promise to be obedient to the bishop of that diocese. He ordinarily serves the people as a parish priest, but he may also be involved in many other forms of ministry: teaching, Chaplain in hospitals, prison ministry, campus ministry, etc. A religious priest, on the other hand, is a member of a community that goes beyond the geographical limits of any diocese. For the diocesan priest, the people of his parish become his primary “faith community.” For a religious priest, the other members of his order constitute the primary community in which he lives and worships. The vows and promises also differ.
