In a previous blog post, I wrote about the joys and similarities which bind together the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. As tragic as our lack of full communion with one another is, there is a bond which unites us even now while our sacramental reunion is mostly a hope for the future. This bond is [...]

As a Reformed Christian, my lips pursed at the very idea of 7th graders beginning “seminary.” Only the Catholics could come up with such a bizarre scheme, I thought. It made as much sense to me as gifted monks spending all of their earthly days milling about in silence. I didn’t get it. But two [...]

In this episode, Tom Riello interviews Tim Troutman on his recent article “Holy Orders and the Sacrificial Priesthood.” Who are the rightful shepherds of Christ’s flock?  Is Holy Orders truly a sacrament?  These and other questions are addressed in this episode. Download the mp3 by right clicking here.

St. Paul’s Apostleship was unique because he was not part of the original twelve nor was he, like St. Matthias, ordained to fulfill a vacancy in the twelve. 1 In my recent article on Holy Orders, it may not be clear how some of the claims I made about the Apostolic office apply to St. [...]

In my recent article on Holy Orders, I gave a condensed explanation of the male-only priesthood in footnote #233. For further reading, I’d like to recommend the following recent posts on the topic: Jeffrey Steel: Women priests? A Marian Church in a fatherless and motherless culture, by von Balthasar Dr. Edward Feser: God, man, and [...]

At the heart of the separation of Catholics and Protestants lies a disagreement about the ecclesial hierarchy. Who are the rightful shepherds of Christ’s flock? This article will examine the Catholic Church’s doctrine of the sacrificial priesthood, and in doing so, will lay the foundation for our subsequent discussion on the critical issue of apostolic [...]

Lawrence Feingold Two weeks ago, Lawrence Feingold of the Institute for Pastoral Studies at Ave Maria University, presented a teaching on the Catholic doctrine of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the ministerial priesthood, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The audio of this teaching is available below, in two parts, each about 34 [...]