CAPG's Blog 

For carrying on divine worship, ruling the Church, and administering the sacraments, a priesthood is required, and it belongs to God alone to institute the priesthood.

In the Old Law, God chose and raise to the priesthood Aaron, his children and their descendants, and they were to be assisted in their priestly functions by the members of the tribe of Levi; and thus the priesthood was transmitted to posterity simply by family descent. In the New Law the means instituted by Christ for the transmission of the priesthood was not by limiting to one family or tribe, but by having the sacrament of holy orders conferred on those Christians whom the Apostles and their successors should see fit to choose among the baptized and who are willing to be ordained.

Holy orders, then, is a sacrament by which bishops, priests, and other ministers of the Church are ordained, and receive power and grace to perform their sacred duties.

The sacramental character of holy orders is manifest in Holy Scripture. St. Paul, in his epistles to St. Timothy, says: "Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood." (1 St. Timothy iv 14.) "I admonish thee that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee by the imposition of my hands." (2 St. Timothy i. 6).

Here we have all the essentials of a sacrament - the outward sign - the inward grace annexed - and divine appointment; for, as we have before said, God alone can make outward signs to be means of grace.

Source: The Glories of the Catholic Church: The Catholic Christian Instructed in Defense of His Faith, Volume 1. 1895

His zeal was ardent and fearless. In order to convert hardened sinners, he sent terror into their hearts. He tore the mask from the hypocrite. To put a stop to scandal, he raised his voice in a thunder of invective. He spared no one. The proud as well as the hypocritical he attacked with the courage of Christ Himself, whose precursor he was. When he saw the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he exclaimed: "Brood of vipers" - that is to say, you who instill into the souls of men the poison of false doctrines and traditions - "who hath showed you to flee from the wrath to come? do ye penance." The true preachers of God's Gospels must show at times just fiery zeal for the glory of the Master: "And Elias the prophet stood up as a fire, and his words burnt like a torch." (Eccl. xLviii. 1.)

O Priest of God, is your eloquence as penetrating, is it as full of burning fire as was that of St. John? Does it go deep into the soul? Does it wound the soul unto conversion? Is it a burning torch, is it a cutting sword, is it a piercing dagger? Zeal is only another name for charity. A good father does not like to chastise his disobedient son, but love prompts him to do so. And is not the preacher a spiritual father?

True zeal, as we see it in St. John, is prudent, energetic, and yet to some extent, lenient. If St. John saw poor, humble, or ignorant people eager to become instructed he had a cheering word for them. To such he promised pardon. They will not have to retire into the desert as did the precursor himself; let them practice justice, give alms, live according to the state of life. All are called to be saints, but sanctity does not imply for all a very austere life, or the performance of heroic deeds. Sanctity consists in doing the will of God, each one according to his vocation.

A truly zealous preacher is not elated by success. He is entirely forgetful of self. An ordinary man might have been tempted to pride or vain-glory on seeing the messengers sent to him, and the unbounded admiration of the multitudes who listened to him. Not so John the Baptist. His soul was filled with humility and confusion. It entered the minds of many that he might be the Messiah; even his disciples told him: " He of whom thou gavest testimony, behold He baptizeth and all come to Him." But John reproved them. The more they praised him, the more he humbled himself. Far from wishing to pass as the Messiah, he declared that he was not worthy to loose the latchet of His shoe. His sole desire was that they overlook the precursor, and prepare for Him who is to come.

Truly that priest deserves little success, O my God, who looks for it more to glorify himself than to glorify his Master. If souls be saved, what is the praise of men to a good priest, the instrument of their salvation?

A truly zealous man is not easily tired; nothing discourages him, neither the frequency of his instruction, nor the ignorance of his hearers. For all he has an answer and a kind word.

A truly zealous man is also brave; he knows no danger, he flatters no one, and if he meets with a Herod, he will not hesitate to say: Non Licet. To show regard for the dignity or social position of a wicked man is to become, to some extent, an accomplice of his wickedness; for the more exalted a man's position, the greater the harm he does by a scandalous mode of living. John's courage in reproving Herod cost him his life; but was not martyrdom the fittest recompense of his holy preaching?

What a model is offered to evangelical preachers in the person of St. John!

Source: Meditations For The Use Of The Secular Clergy, from the French of Father Chaignon, S.J. 1907

A Catechesis on the Human Person and Gender Ideology

"The claim to “be transgender” or the desire to seek “transition” rests on a mistaken view of the human person, rejects the body as a gift from God, and leads to grave harm. To affirm someone in an identity at odds with biological sex or to affirm a person's desired “transition” is to mislead that person. It involves speaking and interacting with that person in an untruthful manner. Although the law of gradualness ¹⁸ might prompt us to discern the best time to communicate the fullness of the truth, in no circumstances can we confirm a person in error. 

Indeed, there is ample evidence that “gender affirmation” not only does not resolve a person's struggles but also can in fact exacerbate them. The acceptance and/or approval of a person's claimed transgender identity is particularly dangerous in the case of children, whose psychological development is both delicate and incomplete. First and foremost, a child needs to know the truth: He or she has been created male or female, forever. Affirming a child's distorted self-perception or supporting a child's desire to “be” someone other than the person (male or female) God created, gravely misleads and confuses the child about “who” he or she is.  

In addition, “gender-affirming” medical or surgical interventions cause significant, even irreparable, bodily harm to children and adolescents. These include the use of puberty blockers (in effect, chemical castration) to arrest the natural psychological and physical development of a healthy child, cross-sex hormones to induce the development of opposite-sex, secondary sex characteristics, and surgery to remove an adolescent's healthy breasts, organs, and/or genitals. These kinds of interventions involve serious mutilations of the human body, and are morally unacceptable. 

Although some advocates justify “gender affirmation” as necessary to reduce the risk of suicide, such measures appear to offer only temporary psychological relief, and suicidal risks remain significantly elevated following gender-transitioning measures.¹⁹  

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to claims that “gender transition” will resolve their difficulties. Long-term studies show “higher rates of mortality, suicidal behavior and psychiatric morbidity in gender-transitioned individuals compared to the general population.” ^20/21 In addition, studies show that children and adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria have high rates of comorbid mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety, are three to four times more likely to be on the autism spectrum, and are more likely to have suffered from adverse childhood events, including unresolved loss or trauma or abuse.²² Psychotherapeutic treatments that incorporate “ongoing therapeutic work … to address unresolved trauma and loss, the maintenance of subjective well-being, and the development of the self,” along with established treatments addressing suicidal ideation are appropriate interventions.²³ Gender transition is not the solution.  

Indeed, to disregard or withhold information about the harms of pursuing “transition” or about the benefits of alternative, psychotherapeutic treatments constitutes a failure in both justice and charity. "

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"The faithful should avoid using “gender-affirming” terms or pronouns that convey approval of or reinforce the person's rejection of the truth. It is not harsh or judgmental to decline to use such language. In the broader culture, Catholics may experience significant pressure to adopt culturally-approved terminology. However, in no circumstances should anyone be compelled to use language contrary to the truth. The right to speak the truth inheres in the human person and cannot be taken away by any human institution. Attempts by the state, corporations, or employers to compel such language, particularly by threats of legal action or job loss, are unjust. We must love in the truth, and truth must be accurately conveyed by our words. At the same time, clarity must always be at the service of charity, as part of a broader desire to move people towards the fullness of the truth. "

"To all foregoing considerations permit me to add that the salvation of souls is the great work of priests, whose holy office was founded simply for man's salvation. How weighty are the obligations of priests! What a burden is laid upon their shoulders! Listen to the words of the Prophet Ezechiel, " I will seek that which was lost; and that which was driven away, I will bring again. And I will bind up that which was broken and I will strengthen that which was weak, and that which was fat and strong I will preserve: and I will feed them in judgment." (Ezech. 34, 16). Five things must be observed to discharge these sacerdotal obligations.

The first is for the priest to conduct himself so that his life may be a model of priestly devotion. "Be Thou an example of the faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity." (1 Tim. 4, 12). "In all things shew thyself an example of good works, in doctrine, in integrity, in gravity." (Titus 2, 7). A priest should be such that he may say at all times, " For we are the good odour of Christ unto God" (2. Cor. 2, 15). Thus, he should be a living example of charity, purity, sobriety, humility and patience. He should be like John the Baptist, " A voice of one crying in the wilderness" (Luke 3, 4) that is, crying to sinners in the wilderness of the world: "Do penance".

Do you not know that the robe of the Great High Priest was adorned with little bells to show, as st. Jerome explains, that the priest should be totus vocalis, all voice, and that everything about him should be a tongue preaching and instructing those who come in contact with him.

Nothing is so potent as the example given by the priest be it good or bad. Thus, St. Gregory says that priests deserve eternal damnation as often as they give bad example to those confided to their care.

The priest should be "a burning and shining light". (St. John 5, 35), burning before God, shining before men; burning in prayer, shining in action; burning by example, shining by doctrine. "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven," says St. Matthew (5, 16). And St. Bernard says that "the light shed by a priest must be so strong and so bright that the wind of vanity will not extinguish it."

The second thing that the priest must do is to instruct the faithful on their Christian obligations.. He must teach them to know and love God, to fear and serve Him through obedience to His Commandments. He must lead them to know their Savior, His principal mysteries, Jesus and Mary, the Church and the Sacraments. They must be made to pray in gratitude and petition for pardon and help. They should learn to recite their daily prayers with utmost care, the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Creed and the Confiteor. Through exhortations from the pulpit and in catechism classes, the priest should encourage the faithful to cooperate to the fullest extent in their own salvation.

 Thirdly, he should eradicate spiritual disorders from the lives of the flock. To do this he must know this people and their conduct. He should be unsparing in his pains to track down and root out evils which may exist; he should frequently visit the schools to instruct and guide the young in the way of salvation. He should enjoin great respect for the church and all holy places, insisting on proper deportment there at all times. He should keep everything pertaining to the altar in good order and see that the liturgical functions are carried our with the dignity becoming the King of heaven and earth.

Fourthly, the priest should practice charity. He should be affable and kind to all without distinction. He should be assiduous in visiting the sick, especially those in danger of death. He should console the afflicted and the needy, and be ever kind to the poor. He should advise those who seek his fatherly counsel, correct those who are wayward and seek to put an end to any quarreling among his parishioners.

Fifthly, he must administer the Sacraments with holiness, for the glory of God and becomingly lest though carelessness he neglect any requisite. Above all else, he should apply himself heartily to the administration of the Sacrament of Penance, for though it he will know the state of his people, their spiritual needs and weaknesses. Through it he will find the means of curing the ailments of their souls. He will open to them unexplored avenues of grace, will spread before them in his instructions and encouragements a banquet of heavenly delicacies.

These are the chief obligations of the priest and he must be ever vigilant lest even one souls be neglected or lost for the Sovereign Pastor will hold him responsible, and the price of Christ's Blood will be visited upon him: "I will require his blood at thy hand." ( Exech. 3, 20). I mention neglect for this makes him a murdered in God's eyes, a murdered of souls committed to his charge.

St. John Chrysostom observes that when priest allow themselves to fall into sin, the people quickly follow. Every soul will be held to a strict accounting of his misdeeds, but the priest will also be held responsible for those of his flock who fall because of his example.

"If each individual soul will find it difficult to render an account of his works on judgment Day, " says St. Augustine, "What must be said of priests, who must give an accounting of the souls committed to their care?"

Source: The Priest His Dignity And Obligations St John Eudes

By Msgr. George W. Shea , S.T.D.

"The Mass has a fourfold purpose, and therefore a fourfold efficacy. It is offered, first and foremost, to adore God, whence it is called the "Sacrifice of Praise ". Secondly, it is offered to thank God for His great glory and for the benefits He has showered upon us, whence the Mass is called the "Eucharistic Sacrifice," that is the “Sacrifice of Thanksgiving ". Thirdly, it is offered to implore new benefits, notably grace, whence it is called an "lmpetratory Sacrifice ". Finally, it is a "Propitiatory Sacrifice", because it is offered to move the divine mercy to the pardon of sins.

Of these various effects of the Mass, the two which derive to men (the impetratory and the propitiatory) are usually termed the "fruits" of the Mass. Whereas the effects of the Mass insofar as it is a Sacrifice of Praise and of Thanksgiving are infinite, the “fruits" of the Mass are limited. The measure in which they are bestowed depends especially on the dispositions of those to whom they are given.

To whom are they given? To some degree or other the fruits of the Mass are bestowed upon the celebrant, upon those who serve or assist at the Holy Sacrifice, upon the person or persons for whom it is offered, upon all living, especially the members of the Church, and also upon the souls in Purgatory. The latter, however, are capable only of the propitiatory fruits of the Mass.

That the celebrant shares in the fruits of the Mass is readily understandable. No one more than he participates in the sacrifice. His active cooperation is necessary. He acts as the instrument of Christ, the High Priest, in virtue of the power received at Ordination. So he has a right to what is called the “most special fruit" of the Mass.

Sharing with him in this "most special fruit", but to a lesser degree, are the faithful who serve or assist at the Holy Sacrifice. The greater their devotion, the more plentiful are the graces God gives them through the Mass.

The person or persons for whom the priest celebrates the Mass in particular obtain what is termed the "special fruit" of the Mass. The priest may offer the Holy Sacrifice for any living person (although only privately for the excommunicated), and for the souls in Purgatory (although only privately for those to whom the Church has denied ecclesiastical burial). Since we have no way of knowing to what extent this special fruit is obtained by a soul in Purgatory for whom a particular Mass is offered, it is a pious practice to have the Holy Sacrifice celebrated repeatedly for the faithful departed.

Then, finally, there is the “general fruit" of the Mass. This comes to all the living, especially the members of the Church, and also to all the souls in Purgatory. At the Offertory of the Mass the celebrant prays that "the Sacrifice will be beneficial not only for himself and for all here present", but also for all faithful Christians, whether living or dead", not only for our own salvation," but also for that of the whole world ".

This is a most consoling thought because of our membership in the Church we share in a general way (but more intimately than those who are outside the Church) in the effects of every single Mass being offered up anywhere on earth Even when we are absorbed in our dally routine there accrue to us the beneficent effects of every Mass!

Source: The Catholic Advocate Vol 8 N17, 10 April 1959