Quotes & Sayings About Catholic Priesthood

A Catholic understanding of priesthood is so strongly rooted in the historic actions of Jesus and in all their antecedents in the place of sacrifice in life. And those things ... they are rooted to the role of the man. — Vincent Nichols

We pay a heavy, very heavy price for the superhuman dignity of our calling. The ridiculous is always so near to the sublime. And the world, usually so indulgent to foibles, hates ours instinctively. — Georges Bernanos

If he had given away anything else, he would have been charged with indecent exposure. — Edmund Campion

O miracle - thus to be able to give [peace] we ourselves do not possess, sweet miracle of our empty hands! — Georges Bernanos

The Catholic Church holds that it is not admissible to ordain women to the priesthood, for very fundamental reasons. These reasons include: the example recorded in the Sacred Scriptures of Christ choosing His apostles only from among men; the constant practice of the Church, which has imitated Christ in choosing only men; and her living teaching authority which has consistently held that the exclusion of women from the priesthood is in accordance with God's plan for His Church. — Pope Paul VI

You will go far in the Church."
"I have no desire to go far. My only ambition is to be a good priest."
"You will be that, of course. Nevertheless, you will go higher. And do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because," said Orselli, "you are not afraid of worldliness. I do not mean that you are worldly. Far from it. But you have a talent for being all things to all men. — Henry Morton Robinson

In early Judaism, the priesthood was maintained within various families and passed down from father to son, thus necessitating marriage. But this is the old covenant, and even within this model priests were required to abstain from having sex with their wives during the time they served in the Temple. Catholics believe that priests fulfill this Temple relationship ever day - the Mass and the Eucharist mean they are serving in the Temple every day of their ordained lives. — Michael Coren