"There can be no genuine priestly ministry except in communion with the Supreme Pontiff"
Archbishop Bernard Longley ordained eight priests for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Chad, Birmingham, on Pentecost Sunday, 12 June 2011.
Mgr Keith Newton, Ordinary for the Ordinariate, under the Patronage of Blessed John Henry Newman, who took part in the deeply moving ceremony, said that the number of priests in the Ordinariate now numbered 35.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB, Parish Priest of Chipping Norton, Mgr Canon John Moran, Vicar General and Canon Gerry Breen, Dean of the Cathedral, together with more than 30 priests, concelebrated the Mass with the Archbishop of Birmingham.
Celebrating their first Mass as Catholic priests – in order of ordination – were: Fr Richard Smith, Fr John Pitchford, Fr John Lungley, Fr Paul Burch, Fr Christopher Marshall, Fr Matthew Pittam, Fr David Mawson, and Fr Paul Berrett.
To read more, click here.
To view photos of the Birmingham ordinations, click here.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,a holy nation,a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV) The claim that the only genuine priests are in communion with the Pope finds no support in this passage or anywhere else in the Bible. The New Testament recognizes only one priesthood under the New Covenant--the priesthood of all believers.
3 comments:
Exodus 19:6 says, "and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” (ESV)
There are two possible interpretation of this: either this doesn't mean that all of Israel were priests (but that have the priests in their midst made then a 'kingdom of priests'), and as such, the same interpretation can be given to 1 Peter 2:9. This is the meaning I infer.
However, maybe it means that Israel were all priests, but not of the same order as Aaronic priesthood. Again, though, the same interpretation can be given in the NT - that the priestly role of the presbyter is different from the priestly role of the whole Church.
Either way, such parallel verses demand to be interpreted in the same way.
Ian,
Where do find in Scripture that presbyters have a different priestly role from that of the whole church?
A major principle in Anglican hermeneutics is that it is not lawful for the Church to expound one passage of Scripture that it disagrees with another. There are many more passages in the New Testament that are applicable in the interpretation of 1 Peter 2:9. The fact that Exodus 19:6 and 1 Peter 2:9 appear to parallel each other does not as you suggest demand that they be interpreted in the same way. To insist upon such an interpretation without considering what else is written in Scripture, particularly in the New Testament, can lead to the misreading of Scripture.
In the Old Testament you will read that the people themselves slaughtered the sacrificial animals but that the Aaronic priesthood, which was hereditary and confined to one tribe, sprinkled the blood upon the altar. (Cont'd)
1 Peter 2:9 must be read in context:
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2(B) Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual(C) milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3if indeed you have(D) tasted that the Lord is good.
4As you come to him, a living stone(E) rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5(F) you yourselves like living stones are being built up as(G) a spiritual house, to be(H) a holy priesthood,(I) to offer spiritual sacrifices(J) acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:
(K) "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
(L) and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
7So the honor is for you who(M) believe, but for those who(N) do not believe,
"The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,"[a]
8and
(O) "A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense."
They stumble because they disobey the word,(P) as they were destined to do.
9But you are(Q) a chosen race,(R) a royal(S) priesthood,(T) a holy nation,(U) a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you(V) out of darkness into(W) his marvelous light. 10(X) Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Beloved, I urge you(Y) as sojourners and exiles(Z) to abstain from the passions of the flesh,(AA) which wage war against your soul. 12(AB) Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers,(AC) they may see your good deeds and glorify God on(AD) the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:1-12 ESV)
Footnotes
a.1 Peter 2:7 Greek the head of the corner
b.1 Peter 2:13 Or every institution ordained for people
c.1 Peter 2:13 Or king; also verse 17
d.1 Peter 2:16 Greek bondservants
Cross-References
B.1 Peter 2:2 : Matt 18:3
C.1 Peter 2:2 : 1 Cor 3:2; Heb 5:12, 13
D.1 Peter 2:3 : Psalm 34:8; Heb 6:5
E.1 Peter 2:4 : 1 Peter 2:6, 7
F.1 Peter 2:5 : Eph 2:20-22; 1 Cor 3:9
G.1 Peter 2:5 : Heb 3:4, 6
H.1 Peter 2:5 : 1 Peter 2:9
I.1 Peter 2:5 : Isa 56:7; Mal 1:11; Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15
J.1 Peter 2:5 : Rom 15:16; Phil 4:18
K.1 Peter 2:6 : Isa 28:16
L.1 Peter 2:6 : Rom 9:33; 10:11
M.1 Peter 2:7 : 2 Cor 2:16
N.1 Peter 2:7 : Psalm 118:22
O.1 Peter 2:8 : Rom 9:33; Isa 8:14
P.1 Peter 2:8 : Rom 9:22; Jude 4
Q.1 Peter 2:9 : Deut 10:15; Isa 43:20
R.1 Peter 2:9 : Exodus 19:6; Rev 1:6; 5:10
S.1 Peter 2:9 : Isa 61:6; 66:21
T.1 Peter 2:9 : Deut 7:6
U.1 Peter 2:9 : Exodus 19:5; Deut 7:6; Isa 43:21; Mal 3:17
V.1 Peter 2:9 : Isa 42:16; Acts 26:18
W.1 Peter 2:9 : Psalm 36:9
X.1 Peter 2:10 : Hos 1:6, 9, 10; 2:23; Rom 9:25, 26; 10:19
Y.1 Peter 2:11 : Lev 25:23
Z.1 Peter 2:11 : Rom 13:14; Gal 5:24
AA.1 Peter 2:11 : James 4:1
AB.1 Peter 2:12 : 1 Peter 3:16; 2 Cor 8:21; Phil 2:15; Titus 2:8
AC.1 Peter 2:12 : Matt 5:16; 2 Cor 9:13; Gal 1:24
AD.1 Peter 2:12 : Isa 10:3; Luke 19:44
The context of 1 Peter 2:9 indicates that Peter is referring to all believers and not one class of believers.
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