Abolish the priesthood?

SOMEONE sent me an article that was proposing for the

abolition of the priesthood. The reason behind are the many clerical

scandals that have been plaguing the Church for years now, mostly in

the US and other countries but also—at least a few cases—in the local

scene.

  

            Of course, my immediate reaction was that while it is

unfortunate to hear about these scandals, abolishing the priesthood is

not the solution at all to the problem. Rather, it will make things

worse.

              And that is because abolishing the priesthood is

practically like abolishing the Church, or worse, abolishing Christ in

our life, since the priest, in spite of his unworthiness, is the

sacramental representation of Christ, head of the Church.

  

            Abolishing the priesthood is like throwing the baby

together with the bath water. Yes, we have to do something about what

is wrong in these scandals. It may be a long, painful process, but it

is all worthwhile. But what we cannot do is to abolish the priesthood.

              The priest, of course, should be constantly aware of his

sacramental identity and try his best to live up to that dignity. He

should be keenly aware that with his ordination he is conformed to

Christ as head of the Church, and not just a member of the Church

capable of participating in the one sacrifice of Christ to his Father

for our salvation.

  

            His priesthood, which is called ministerial or

hierarchical, is different from the common priesthood of the lay

faithful of the Church that is based on his baptismal status, not only

in degree but in essence. The priest acts “in persona Christi

capitis,” in the person of Christ as head of the Church.

             As such, he renews in the whole course of time till the

end the very sacrifice of Christ, and everything else that is oriented

to that sacrifice of Christ. He makes present the whole redemptive

work of Christ.

  

            The lay faithful who have the common priesthood do not

have the power to renew this sacrifice. What their priesthood empowers

them is to offer their whole life as a sacrifice to God, doing so by

uniting their sacrifice with the sacrifice of Christ as renewed in the

Mass that is celebrated by the priest.

            Of course, human as we are, the priest will always have

his own share of shortcomings, weaknesses, and yes, sin. This should

not surprise anyone. Even Christ was not spared of Judas, one of his

original apostles. But like anybody else, and in a sense, even more

than anybody else, the priest should really take extreme care of his

spiritual life.

  

            The priest should be keenly aware that the lay faithful

depend on them. How he is somehow determines how the lay faithful will

be. If he is faithful to his identity as another Christ head of the

Church, then the lay faithful will also most likely be like Christ as

they should.

   

            But such state of affairs should not make the priest feel

superior to the lay faithful, but rather should keenly feel the duty

to serve them, as Christ loved and served all of us by offering his

life on the cross. Like Christ, he should have the attitude of wanting

to serve and not to be served. (cfr. Mt 20,28)

  

            He should never feel privileged, assuming the mentality of

entitlement or falling into the anomaly called clericalism. Rather he

has to assume the mind of Christ, a servant and a willing sacrificial

lamb for all of us.

   

            He has to continually wage a personal spiritual struggle

to keep his priestly identity intact. For this, he has to continually

purify himself and renew his dedication frequently.

   

            Of course, it would be most helpful if the lay faithful

will also help in making the priest a priest through and through,

totally living out his sacramental identity as Christ head of the

Church.