Two books offer information, encouragement on priesthood today
Reviewed by Mitch Finley
Catholic News Service
Father Lawrence B. Porter, author of
“The Assault
on Priesthood,”
is a priest of the Archdiocese of New-
ark, N.J., and a professor in the department of systematic
theology in the Seminary School of Theology at Seton
Hall University, South Orange, N.J. In this reviewer’s
opinion, Father Porter’s book should be required read-
ing in all seminaries. All priests and laity who would
be better informed about the theology of the ordained
priesthood should read this book as well.
Following an introduction in which he lays a solid
scriptural and historical foundation, Father Porter re-
sponds to challenges to what he calls “the concept and
institution of priesthood in the Catholic Church” since
the Protestant Reformation and, more recently, from
within the Catholic Church itself. He then discusses
various images of the priesthood as a way of recovering
an understanding of the priesthood that is, simultane-
ously, biblically and theologically responsible.
As he develops his theological discussion, Father
Porter follows a path with which neither exceptionally
conservative nor exceptionally liberal Catholics will
be entirely happy. Instead, he develops a theology of
priesthood that stiff-arms theological ideologies of both
the left and the right.
In language that both educated laity and clergy will
find enlightening,
“The Assault on Priesthood”
propos-
es a theology of priesthood that learns from the history
of religions, the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and
the early church. Father Porter also helps the reader to
see how inadequate translations of relevant documents
of the Second Vatican Council led to understandings of
priesthood that have served the church inadequately in
the decades since the council.
This book deserves a wide readership. No matter
who you are, no matter if you are Catholic or Protes-
tant, and no matter what your vocation may be, read this
book. Of course, in particular if you are a bishop, priest
or seminarian, read this book.
In
“Letters to My Brothers,”
Msgr. Stephen J. Ros-
setti looks at the priesthood from an entirely different
angle. In his introduction to this compact, warm, en-
couraging collection of letters to his fellow American
priests, he recalls a recent statement of Cardinal Donald
W. Wuerl of Washington that a “tsunami of secularism
(is) sweeping across our land.”
Msgr. Rossetti wrote the letters in his book, he ex-
plains, because it can be particularly painful for priests
to live during a time when “entire populations” distance
themselves from God. The author writes, he says, “to
help prepare (priests) for the trials ahead.”
The reader may agree with Cardinal Wuerl’s bleak
assessment. Or the reader may prefer to take that assess-
ment with a few grains of salt. Regardless, Msgr. Ros-
setti’s letters, while they seem to presume, even encour-
age, a siege mentality in the American Catholic Church,
also do priests the great favor of encouraging them to
be men of prayer, and he takes seriously the many chal-
lenges with which today’s priests must contend.
“Letters to My Brothers”
is a book that will provide
priests with some of the affirmation and encouragement
that they often do not get enough of today from those
they dedicate themselves to serving. Get your parish
priest a copy; he’ll appreciate it.
Finley is the author of more than 30 books onCatholic
themes, including “The Seeker’s Guide to Being Catho-
lic” (Wipf and Stock).Visit ww.mitchandkathyfinley.
com.
These are the covers of “TheAssault on Priesthood: A
Biblical and Theological Rejoinder,” by Lawrence B.
Porter, and “Letters to My Brothers: Words of Hope
and Challenge for Priests,” by Stephen J. Rossetti.
The books are reviewed by Mitch Finley.
CNS
Quebec archbishop hopes Holy Door will draw Americans
closer to faith
The Holy Door is opened at the Basilica-Cathedral
Notre Dame de Quebec in Quebec City Dec. 8. A
special Mass marked the opening of the Holy Door
and the 350th anniversary of Notre Dame de Quebec,
one of the oldest parishes in North America. The
Holy Door is the first of its kind outside of Europe
CNS photo/Daniel Abel, courtesy of the Basilica Notre-Dame de
Quebec
By Catholic News Service
TORONTO (CNS) -- Quebec Archbishop Gerald
Lacroix hopes the Holy Door being installed at the Ba-
silica-Cathedral Notre Dame de Quebec will draw more
than a million North Americans closer to their roots and
faith.
“The idea is not to just come to the door,” the arch-
bishop told the Canadian weekly
The Catholic Register
.
“People love to go to the roots of their faith. We get
over a million visitors already a year in our cathedral,
(and) we’ll certainly get a lot more.”
At a special Mass marking the opening of the Holy
Door and a jubilee year for the 350th anniversary of
Notre Dame de Quebec, the oldest parish in French-
speaking North America, Archbishop Lacroix told the
congregation that “passing through the Holy Door is a
great sign of hope.”
“When people decide to embark on this journey
toward encountering and following Christ, anything
becomes possible. A New World can be achieved,” he
said.
The Holy Door is in the wall of the Chapel of the
Sacred Heart on the north side of the basilica. It will
remain unlocked for visitors to pass through until Dec.
28, 2014.
The special door was authorized by the Vatican and
is a symbol of communion with the universal church.
It is the first Holy Door outside Europe and only the
seventh in the world: Four can be found at the major ba-
silicas in Rome, one is in France and the other in Spain.
Sculpted by Quebec artist Jules Lasalle, the door de-
picts an open-armed Jesus on the exterior with an image
of Mary on the interior side.
“The open arms say a lot; that is what the church
is called to be, open arms to humanity, to everyone,”
Archbishop Lacroix told
The Catholic Register
. “Pope
Francis is inviting us so much to come back to Jesus,
to re-center our lives and found our lives on the Gos-
pel and Jesus Christ, so I think this is very prophetic
in the history of the church. Maybe in some other time
we would have had a crucified Christ or we would have
some other image of Jesus, but this time he’s got open
arms, and he is welcoming, and he is joyful. That is
beautiful.”
See holy door, page 15
14
Gulf Pine Catholic
•
January 3, 2014
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