Archbishop Lefebvre on the Priesthood

Archbishop Lefebvre on the Priesthood

As envisioned by Archbishop Lefebvre in its statutes, the apostolate of the Society of Saint Pius X is the restoration of the Catholic Priesthood and the preservation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. These ends were clearly on His Grace’s mind when he gave this sermon at the Society’s International Seminary of the Holy Curé of Ars (Flavigny, France) on February 2, 1988. The occasion was the Feast of the Purification of Our Lady on which date seminarians were tonsured and received the clerical habit known as the “cassock.” The Order of Tonsure is the official public act of the Catholic Church making a man a cleric. In reading this sermon, who can deny that Archbishop Lefebvre was a prelate sent to the Catholic Church to restore the spirit of God’s priests?

Exorcism in Italy a job 'too scary' for young priests

James Reynolds 

"That is a possessed woman there," says Fr Vincenzo Taraborelli as he points up to an 18th Century fresco in his Roman church. "They're holding her with her mouth open. She has little devils coming out of her body. She's being freed."

It is a scene the 79-year-old priest says he knows well. For the past 27 years, Fr Taraborelli has performed exorcisms - the Catholic rite of expelling evil spirits.
He stumbled into the job when a fellow priest needed help.

Pope Benedict XVI Struggled With Celibacy

Pope Benedict XVI Struggled With Celibacy

AP Press

Benedict XVI fell in love during his student days in Germany and struggled with the idea of celibacy, said the author of a new book to be published Friday.

St. Alphonsus De Ligouri: The Vocation to the Priesthood

St. Alphonsus De Ligouri: The Vocation to the Priesthood

The Dignities and Duties of the Priest
by St. Alphonsus Liguori C.SS.R.
Doctor of the Church

 The Vocation to the Priesthood
Necessity of a Divine Vocation to take Holy Orders

To enter any state of life, a Divine vocation is necessary; for without such a vocation it is, if not impossible, at least most difficult to fulfill the obligations of our state, and obtain salvation. But if for all states a vocation is necessary, it is necessary in a particular manner for the ecclesiastical state. He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber. [John 10:1] Hence he who takes holy orders without a call from God is convicted of theft, in taking by force a dignity which God does not wish to bestow upon him. And before him St. Paul said the same thing: Neither doth any man take the honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. So Christ also did not glorify Himself that He might be made a high priest, but He that said unto Him: Thou art My Son; this day I have begotten Thee. [Heb 5:4, 5]

Fr. Voigt- Command rejected; Credibility denied; Commendation forgotten.

Command rejected; Credibility denied; Commendation forgotten. 

Are you aware of the first command uttered by the Lord after He rose from the dead? Most are completely surprised to hear that Jesus after exposing His hands and feet breathe upon the apostles and told them:  "Whose sins you shall forgive; they are forgiven.  Whose sins you shall retain; they are retained."  The priesthood becomes the authority of Christ to forgive men's sins.  As ambassadors of this power to forgive the priests are to go forth and heal the souls of people bound by the sins committed.