Priests - What Lies Ahead?

by Carlos Granados

Overview

Through in-depth interviews, four prominent Church leaders refl ect on the mission of the Catholic priest in the modern world. They discuss how changes in the Church and the societies in which Catholics live present priests with both challenges and opportunities to be teachers, fathers, physicians, and shepherds in imitation of Jesus Christ. In order to better understand these four images, four priests—Archbishop Charles Chaput, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, Cardinal George Pell, and Msgr. Livio Melina— present their personal insights on the meaning and the future of the priestly vocation. Within the framework of an extended conversation with Father Carlos Granados, they offer vivid, straightforward testimonies of their own experiences while raising and answering the major questions about the priesthood today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781642290424
Publisher:	Ignatius Press
Publication date:	08/22/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
Sales rank:	716,309
File size:	203 KB

About the Author

Fr. Carlos Granados is the General Director of the Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos (Library of Christian Authors). He holds a Ph.D in Sacred Scripture.

Table of Contents

Preface 7

Foreword Gerhard Cardinal Müller 13

I The Priest as Teacher of a Doctrine of Life (Archbishop Luis F. Ladaria, S.J.) 17

1 A singular parish 17

2 How does the gospel yield fruit? 20

3 What is the glory of God? 26

4 How can we participate in the being and work of Jesus? 34

5 When does Christ's Cross lose its relevance? 41

6 Is theology pastoral? 46

II The Priest as Father Who Propagates through the Sacraments (George Cardinal Pell) 51

1 A thread running through his own life: A call to be Pontifex, Bridge Builder 51

2 In what way is the priest a father? 56

3 Is the priest a man for others? 65

4 Is sacramentality a kind of sacramentalism? 70

5 What purpose do creative minorities serve? 74

6 How can the priest be a companion on the path opened by the sacraments? 78

7 Are there today a neo-gnosticism and a neo-Pelagianism? 85

III The Priest as Physician and Healer of Wounds (Monsignor Livio Melina) 91

1 The vocation: Discovering a great life 91

2 What light can we offer the priest in the "liquid" society? 100

3 What is happiness? A beautiful ideal? 104

4 Do the sacraments transform our being, energize our freedom? 111

5 Why is the dedication of the Good Samaritan the path to follow? 118

6 What is discernment? 125

7 Priests for the family 130

8 Is Humanae vitae still relevant? 133

9 How is the family a part of all pastoral work? 139

10 What path should be offered to divorced persons in a new union? 141

11 Is the truth of love useful? 150

12 Is there a forever in the priesthood? 156

IV The Priest as Pastor and Guide in the Church and in Society (Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M., Cap.) 163

1 The story of a vocation 163

2 Why the pastor? 165

3 What is the education of a priest? 168

4 What is the illuminating word? 171

5 Does the priest engender society? 172

6 Does celibacy make the priest great? 175

7 What can we hope for from a priest? 180

Editorial Reviews

"One of this book's most important insights is that there is no better way for a priest to fulfill his sacred calling than by being a prayerful, truthful, compassionate, and loving man of God."
— Fr. Donald Calloway, M.I.C., Author, Champions of the Rosary

"Through four lengthy interviews with steadfast guides and seasoned Churchmen, Father Granados' book will help a new generation of priests understand what makes a man an alter Christus—teacher, father, physician, shepherd—but above all a lover of souls and a man fi lled with the alluring joy of Christ's own heart."
— Fr. David Meconi, S.J., Editor, Homiletic & Pastoral Review

"A must read for anyone wishing to break through the sometimes superfi cial analyses given, and facile solutions proposed, to the complex problems facing the Church today. It is especially so for priests, who will find renewal in their own call to be teacher, father, physician, and shepherd of Christ's people from the depth of knowledge and priestly spirituality of these four prominent Churchmen."
— Most Rev. Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco

"Father Granados introduces the reader to four excellent examples of priests who love Jesus Christ, his Church, and his Gospel. They seek God, truth, and service of others rather than power to change the Gospel. The Church needs their voices to prepare us for an authentic Catholic future."
— Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., Host of EWTN Live

"The interview format of this book not only helps retain reader interest but conveys the personal nature of these refl ections. The three bishops and one priest come from diverse backgrounds and have had very different ministerial experiences, yet the underlying conviction that comes across loud and clear is that the very foundation of priesthood is fatherhood originating in the Fatherhood of God."
— Fr. Peter Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D., Editor, The Catholic Response

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