Since joining the St Vincent’s community over a year ago, I have perceived that two models of church have been endeavoring to operate on the same venue at the same time. For me, this problem was focused on Holy Thursday as I listened to Gerry’s reflection on the significance of the liturgy. He claimed that his dogmatic formulations arose with the apostles, but, as claimed by a higher source than me, notably Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger:
"Liturgical forms and custom, dogmatic formulations thought to have arisen with the apostles now appeared as products of complicated processes of growth within the womb of history."
Ratzinger wrote in 1966 that this insight was one of the theological highlights of Vatican II.
I think that complicated process that resulted in the priesthood as we now have it must be accepted as given. How else can we explore such important issues as ‘the priesthood of the People of God’ or, for example, ‘what should be the criteria for ordination?’ Matters that matter in our church!