E5: The Priesthood (Catholic or Protestant: What's the Difference?)

For Episodes 2-10 we'll be diving into the 9 key differences between Catholicism and Protestantism in a series called Catholic or Protestant: What's the Difference?

In today's episode we'll be exploring the Catholic Priesthood and what makes it different from Protestant Ministers called Priests. We'll also be talking about Priests acting In Persona Christi Capitis,  as well as apostolic succession and the Episcopate (Bishops), the Indelible Mark of Priesthood and, lastly, why only men can be ordained Priests.

Code of Canon Law, Canon 1008: “By divine institution, some of the Christian faithful are marked with an indelible character and constituted as sacred ministers by the sacrament of holy orders. They are thus consecrated and deputed so that, each according to his own grade, they may serve the People of God by a new and specific title.”

Bible Passages Quoted:
-1 Timothy 2:5
-John 20:21-23
-2 Corinthians 2:10
-Matthew 10:40
-Hebrews 7:17

Resources:
Is There a New Covenant Ministerial Priesthood? | Catholic Answers
Why Anglican Priests Aren’t Catholic Priests | Catholic Answers
Did Jesus Make the Apostles Priests at the Last Supper? |Catholic Answers
Once a Priest, Always a Priest | Catholic Answers
Excommunication Doesn’t Negate Priestly Power | Catholic Answers
What is Apostolic Succession? w/ Dr. Andrew Swafford | Pints With Aquinas
Why Women Can't Be Priests | Theology of the Body Institute
This Is Why Priests Don’t Get Married | Theology of the Body Institute

Have a question about the Faith you’d like to have answered on the Podcast? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/zorQwuUGtSdukzjc6

Transcript

·         Code of Canon Law, Canon 1008: “By divine institution, some of the Christian faithful are marked with an indelible character and constituted as sacred ministers by the sacrament of holy orders. They are thus consecrated and deputed so that, each according to his own grade, they may serve the People of God by a new and specific title.”

o   Many objections to the validity of the Catholic priesthood come from a rejection of needing any mediation whatsoever in the New Covenant. “Isn’t this the whole point of the New Covenant? We don’t have to go to a mediator on earth anymore. We can go directly to God through Christ.” In one sense, this is true. We can go directly to God through Jesus Christ in offering our prayers and sacrifices in union with Him. But we do not either go to God or go to his representatives on this earth when we have needs; the Catholic Church and Scriptures say we do both. 

§  Referring back to our episode on the Sacraments – we are human people, body and soul, and have been given the opportunity to receive spiritual nourishment via the physicality of the Sacraments. He made us this way and wants to encounter us this way.

o   “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus…” (1 Tim. 2:5)

§  Catholics don’t believe that Priests are additional mediators alongside Christ, but rather, Christ has appointed them to participate in his one mediation.

·         “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn. 20:21-23)

·         St. Paul: “if I have pardoned anything for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:10)

·         Jesus not only gives the authority to forgive sins to the apostles, but he gives them divine authority to proclaim the gospel as well: “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me” (Matt. 10:40)

·         Protestant Ministers called Priests (i.e. Lutheran, Anglican, & Episcopalian)

o   Two main reasons that these ministers, called priests, are not the same as Catholic Priests:

§  Their ordination has taken place outside of the communion of the Catholic Church and they have lost the privilege of apostolic succession (we’ll discuss apostolic succession in a bit)

§  One of the fundamental requirements for the validity of a Sacrament (Holy Orders being one of them) is that the minister of the Sacrament intends what the Church intends in the celebration of the Sacrament. 

·         For example, the Anglican rite of ordination, while it is similar to the rite of Orders in the Catholic Church, does not hold the same intention as the Church in their conferring of Orders. Clearest evidence of this can be seen in their ordination of women (all 3 denominations, actually). In addition, the ordination is occurring outside of apostolic succession. *Article from Catholic Answers is linked in the show notes if this topic peaks your curiosity.

·         In Persona Christi Capitis = In the Person of Christ, the Head

o   By their guidance, prayers, presence, and life of sacrifice, our Priests participate in Christ’s saving work as the Head of the Church as Priest, Prophet, and King.

§  Teaching Office = Prophetic Office

·         Participation in Christ’s saving us from error, for faith & the beatific vision – glory! 

§  Governing Office = Kingly Office

·         Participation in Christ’s saving us from malice, for charity

§  Sanctifying Office = Priestly Office

·         Participation in Christ’s saving us from sin, for grace & glory

·         Presbyterate alongside Episcopate

o   Priests are vicars of the Bishop to the flock entrusted to their care (But the Bishop is not a vicar of the Pope) – vicar = representative minister 

o   Bishops have the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders – they are able to ordain others whereas a priest is not given that authority.

·         Apostolic Succession & the laying on of hands

o   Christ gave authority to the Apostles with the intention of them passing this authority down to their successors. The Bishops are the successors of the Apostles, and by the laying on of hands, they pass on their authority to forgive sins and share in the office of In Persona Christi Capitis. 

o   All men who have been ordained a priest in the Catholic Church have been consecrated to this work by the laying on of hands of a bishop, who was given this authority and privilege in the same way, tracing all the way back to the apostles.

·         Indelible Mark

o   Character of the Sacrament – just as you cannot be re-baptized or re-confirmed, you cannot be re-ordained at the same level of Holy Orders as the sacrament imparts a unique seal on one’s soul.

o   “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Heb 7:17

o   Once ordained a priest, forever a priest – even if laicized, meaning they have been dispensed from the obligations and privileges of the clerical state, he is still allowed to perform the sacraments only in the case of emergency.

·         Why can only men be priests?

o   Only men can become fathers, only women can become mothers.

§  “The physical truth reveals the spiritual truth. A man trains to be a priest in the seminary and, once ordained, is called father. A woman cannot be ordained a priest because she is not ordained by God to be a father; she is ordained by God to be a mother.” (GNSM, CW p. 190)

o   actually natural law, not church law; therefore cannot be changed.

o   Incredible video and clear explanation of this from Christopher West with the Theology of the Body Institute – linked in show notes.

§  Also a really great video from TOBI linked in the show notes on why Priests don’t get married.

·         Priests are human too – pray for our spiritual fathers!!!