Why Priests? Answers Guided by the Teaching of Benedict XVI

When—as we often hear—there are too few priests, can and should lay people assume some part of the priestly ministry? And when all men and women have equal dignity in the eyes of God, is it not also time to organize parishes democratically? Also, why does the Church need priests at all?

Just in time for the “Year for Priests,” Paul Josef Cardinal Cordes, the president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum and a close friend of Pope Benedict XVI, offers a wide-ranging view of the priesthood which draws on the Holy Father’s thinking and scholarship over a period of fifty years. The book covers four major themes: origins of priesthood, development through the history of the Church, the limitations and problems faced by priests, and finally, personal faith and the Church’s salvific means. Through these reflections the Cardinal offers a deeper understanding of the Catholic priesthood which is sure to be helpful for the priest and his parish, the seminarian and his ambience, as well as all those interested in the priestly ministry and the Church’s decision-making process.