How different is the position of the other Christians
on the ministerial priesthood?
The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Armenian,
Coptic, Ethiopian, Jacobites Syrian and Malankara Syrian) and the Assyrian Orthodox Church
of the East recognize the priesthood equivalent to the Catholic's ministerial priesthood.
On the other hand Protestant churches reject the ministerial priesthood because it is not
mentioned directly in the New Testament (although there are allusions to it, refer again
to the article). They also reject the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist, making the
ministerial priesthood an obsolete office.
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Does the ministerial priesthood contradict the fact
that Jesus is the only mediator between God and men (1 Tim 2:5)?
The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus is the only true and High Priest
while those Catholic priests are only His ministers (CCC # 1410, 1545). Thus they do not
replace His Priesthood. For comparison, any Christian can participate in bringing the good
news that Jesus is the only Saviour; so he/she does play a role in the salvation of a
person without becoming a saviour. Other comparison is only God can create life, yet God
gives all living things the ability to reproduce itself.
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Do Eze 22:26 and 2 Chr 13:9 show that the Catholic's
ministerial priesthood is a false institution?
Eze 22:26 says:
Her priests have done violence to my law and have
profaned my holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the common,
neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have
disregarded my sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
Reading the whole Ezekiel 22 (not just verse 26) shows that it
describes the abominable of Jerusalem during Ezekiel time which also includes their
priests. The prophet Ezekiel denounces the whole people of Israel for the abominations
they practiced in Egypt, in the Wilderness, and in Canaan (Eze 20). For these Juda shall
be consumed by fire, and Jerusalem shall be exterminated by the sword (Eze 21). Abominable
is the immorality of Jerusalem (Eze 22), but Juda is more guilty than Israel has ever been
(Eze 23).
2 Chr 13:9 says:
Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the
sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourself like the people of other
lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a
priest of what are no gods.
This verse is addressed to Jeroboam who casted out the levitical
priests and appointed his own priests (2 Chr 11:13-15). After the death of Solomon, his
kingdom split into two and Jeroboam became the king of the northern kingdom. He
established his headquarters at Sichem, and then added a religious schism. Fearing that
the pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem (which was not under his rule) prescribed by
the Law might make his people go back to their old allegiance, he decided to provide
places of worship within their own boundaries. He set up two golden calves to be
worshipped, one in Bethel and the other in Dan. He also built temples in the high places
and had them served by priests selected not from the Levites (1 Kings 12:26-31).
Both Eze 22:26 and 2 Chr 13:9 describe events which already took place and are not
prophecies. Thus they definitely do not refer to Catholic's ministerial priesthood.
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Why must the Catholic priests and bishops remain
celibate if The New Testament says that a bishop can marry and raise children (1 Tim
3:2,4)?
The celibacy is not a doctrine but a discipline imposed on the priests
and bishops of the Latin (western) rite Catholic Church. Married men can be ordained as
priests in the eastern rite Catholic Church, but their bishops must be celibate. The
purpose of celibacy is to give oneself entirely to God and men. It is not contrary to the
Bible because they do not marry for sake of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:12). As for 1
Tim 3:2, it does not indicate that a man has to marry and to have children in order to
become a bishop.
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Why do Catholics call their priests
"Fathers" if the Bible forbids to do so (Matthew 23:9)?
Matthew 23:9 says: And call no man your father on
earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
If we follow this verse strictly, then we cannot use the term
"father" to call our biological father either. Even if this one is excluded, it
is not a total ban to call other men as "fathers". In Acts 7:2, Stephen used the
term "brothers and fathers" to refer to those who falsely accused him.
Jesus also used the same term to refer to Abraham (John 8:56). The priests are called
fathers because in a sense they are the spiritual fathers of the baptised Catholics, like
Paul relation to Timothy (Phil 2:22) and to the Christians in Corinth (1 Cor 4:15). The
term "father" in Matthew 23:9 should refer to the false gods on earth. Similarly
the terms "teacher" in verse 8 and "master" in verse 10, both refer to
false messiahs and can definitely be used (and are being used by all Christians) to refer
to some persons.
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Why can't the Catholic Church ordain women as
priestess?
The ministerial priesthood is modelled after the Aaronic priesthood of
the Old Testament. Only Aaron and his sons (and their male descendants) can
become priests (Num 18:1). In John 17:19 Jesus consecrated his disciples (minus Judas) who
were all males. Some might say that Jesus did not have female disciples because of the
social-cultural reason. However, it is very unlikely Jesus will obey such society made
regulation. If He did not hesitate to ask a Samaritan woman for a drink (John 4:7-9) which
is against the Jewish custom, then definitely He will have females among His twelve
disciples if it is a divine plan.
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How do we explain the sex scandals committed by some
priests? How can God let such sinners to be His priests if Pro. 15:8 says: The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord
Their wrong behaviour is truly regretable. Note that the media tends to
expose the scandals but hardly mentions about those priests (and bishops) with good
outstanding behaviour. Catholic priests are just humans and like any of us they are also
subject to temptation to sin and some (like any of us) may fail. God can use anybody to be
His instrument. In the Old Testament, He used a pagan Balaam to bless the Israelites while
Moses was still alive (Num 22-25). Some of the Levitical priests of the Old Testament are
sinners (cf. 1 Sam 2:12-16, 22), God will not abolish the priesthood just because some of
the members become sinners.
It is Jesus Himself (the eternal High Priest, Heb. 7:24) acting through the ministry of
the priests who offers the Eucharistic sacrifice (CCC # 1410). Therefore a sinful
Catholic priest does not make the Eucharistic sacrifice abomination to the Lord as stated
in Pro. 15:8.
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