Interview Series with Thomas McKenna Part 2: Exploring the Sacrificial Essence of the Priesthood

Dear Friend, 

What is a priest? That is the question that Thomas McKenna asks our panelists Fr. John Trigillio and Karl Keating in this amazing interview about the sacred and sacrificial nature of the Catholic Priesthood. It is a question to which the Church gives a clear answer even in times of confusion such as ours.

At its core, the priest is an alter Christus, “another Christ” who serves others not just in active ministry but with his very being. This is the difference between a Catholic priest and a minister in a denomination without an ordained priesthood. As Fr. Trigillio tells the seminarians he teaches: “The life you live as a priest is not your life anymore.” It is a life consecrated through exclusivity (celibacy), obedience to Christ and the Church, and the sacrificial gift of self to God’s people. 

Throughout history, every religion that has had an official priesthood, Christian or not, viewed priests as “sacrificers” whose role was to intercede before God on behalf of others. The sacrificial nature of any priest is fundamental to his identity but more so in the Catholic priesthood, where the priest offer the Church’s sacred mysteries. 

The priest’s role of celebrating the sacraments is always personal and direct. Catholics cannot receive sacraments via zoom calls or over the telephone because the priest’s ministry is immediate and personal in order for it to be valid. By extension, physical participation in Mass, direct confession of sins, personal reception of sacraments like anointing and confirmation are necessary to avoid the privatization of religion which is so common in Christianity today.

The sacrament of Holy Orders is called a “sacrament in the service of communion” for good reason. The Catholic priest truly keeps the Church focused on Christ and authentic worship, without which the Church would cease to be. 

Your friend in Christ,

Thomas McKenna

Founder and President

Catholic Action For Faith And Family
http://www.catholicaction.org/

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