Wednesday, February 22, 2012

A Priesthood to Nourish Priestly People

"In some Christian circles it is unfashionable to talk much about the ordained ministry, because of the fear of being guilty of elitism, one of contemporary society's catalogue of unforgivable sins. Without going into elaborate discussion about this fear, I will make two simple points. First, I hope I have made clear my belief that it is the whole Church which is called to be- in Christ- a royal priesthood, that every member of the body is called to the exercise of this priesthood, and that this priesthood is to be exercised in the daily life and work of Christians in the secular business of the world. But this will not happen unless there is a ministerial priesthood which serves, nourishes, sustains, and guides this priestly work. The priestly people needs a ministering priesthood to sustain and nourish it.... And, second, one can put the same point from the other side. The full participation of the members of a body in its activity does not happen without leadership. The business of leadership is precisely to enable, encourage, and sustain the activity of all the members. To set 'participation' and 'leadership' against each other is absurd. Clericalism and anticlericalism are simply two sides of one mistake."

No comments: