"......the hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of woman is being achieved in all its fullness..." as Vatican II affirmed. In this work, a woman speaks to women simply, warmly, humbly........ [from back cover.]

"The priesthood is going through a dark time", according to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Robert Cardinal Sarah. "Wounded by the revelation of so many scandals, disconcerted by the constant questioning of their consecrated celibacy, many priests are tempted by the thought of giving up and abandoning everything." In this book, the pope emeritus and the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments give their brother priests, and the whole Church, a message of hope. They honestly address the spiritual challenges faced by priests today, while pointing to deeper conversion to Jesus Christ as the key to faithful and fruitful priestly ministry and genuine reform. Benedict XVI and Cardinal Sarah "fraternally offer these reflections to the people of God and, of course, in a spirit of filial obedience, to Pope Francis", who has said, "I think that celibacy is a gift for the Church. . . . I don't agree with allowing optional celibacy, no." Responding to calls for refashioning the priesthood, including proposals from participants in the Amazonian Synod, two wise, spiritually astute pastors explain the importance of priestly celibacy for the good of the whole Church. Drawing on Vatican II, they present celibacy as not just "a mere precept of ecclesiastical law", but as a sharing in Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross and his identity as Bridegroom of the Church. of his collaboration with Benedict XVI in writing From the Depths of Our Hearts.

Addressing the needs of the faithful necessitates addressing the needs of those who bring Christ to us in a special way: priests, religious and consecrated persons. In the aftermath of the abuse scandals, a burden of doubt, mistrust and suspicion lies heavy in some quarters. Dr. Baars draws on profound insights to aid laypersons, priests and religious in surmounting doubt and galvanizing their energies towards ushering in a new springtime in the life of the Church.

"Explores the doctrine of the priesthood of the baptized and examines its significance for the spiritual growth of the faithful and the revitalization of the church"--Provided by publisher.

"My priest is My other self; I love him, but he must be holy." Mother Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche (1868-1915), a Visitation sister, was commissioned first by Our Lord, then by her religious superiors to write THE SACRED HEART AND THE PRIESTHOOD based on her lifetime conversations with the Divine Master. Its purpose is to strengthen the souls of priests in the love of their sublime vocation and unite them more than ever to Jesus Christ, the eternal Priest and to give the faithful a Greater confidence in an more religious and filial respect for the orders of the sacred hierarchy. (p. xxxii) The Holy See has declared her writings to be in conformity with the teachings of the Church and has sanctioned the organization of priests, which she had drawn up under the name of The Priests Universal Union of the Friends of the Sacred Heart. A gift for seminarians, priests and anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of this vocation. Impr. 224 pgs. PB "To do My work, to extend the reign of love, priests must be full of it themselves, and it is to My Heart that they must come to draw it." Christ to Mother Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche

“Courageous and inspiring.”—Karen Armstrong, author of The Case for God “James Carroll takes us to the heart of one of the great crises of our times.”—Stephen Greenblatt, author of The Swerve An eloquent memoir by a former priest and National Book Award–winning writer who traces the roots of the Catholic sexual abuse scandal back to the power structure of the Church itself, as he explores his own crisis of faith and journey to renewal NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY James Carroll weaves together the story of his quest to understand his personal beliefs and his relationship to the Catholic Church with the history of the Church itself. From his first awakening of faith as a boy to his gradual disillusionment as a Catholic, Carroll offers a razor-sharp examination both of himself and of how the Church became an institution that places power and dominance over people through an all-male clergy. Carroll argues that a male-supremacist clericalism is both the root cause and the ongoing enabler of the sexual abuse crisis. The power structure of clericalism poses an existential threat to the Church and compromises the ability of even a progressive pope like Pope Francis to advance change in an institution accountable only to itself. Carroll traces this dilemma back to the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages, when Scripture, Jesus Christ, and His teachings were reinterpreted as the Church became an empire. In a deeply personal re-examination of self, Carroll grapples with his own feelings of being chosen, his experiences as a priest, and the moments of doubt that made him leave the priesthood and embark on a long personal journey toward renewal—including his tenure as an op-ed columnist at The Boston Globe writing about sexual abuse in the Church. Ultimately, Carroll calls on the Church and all reform-minded Catholics to revive the culture from within by embracing anti-clerical, anti-misogynist resistance and staying grounded in the spirit of love that is the essential truth at the heart of Christian belief and Christian life.

In The Unchanging Heart of the Priesthood, Father Thomas Acklin presents an apologetic for that which is immutable?that which cannot change since it is found in the unchanging heart of Christ. Father Acklin refutes modern misconceptions and false understandings of the priesthood, while uncovering the beauty, strength, and hope that is found in God's plan. This book will encourage the heart of every priest and help the laity to understand and appreciate the reality and mystery of the priesthood in the Church. In The Unchanging Heart of the Priesthood Father Thomas Acklin presents an apologetic for the immutability of the priesthood?that which cannot change since it is found in the unchanging heart of Christ. Father Acklin refutes modern misconceptions, while uncovering the beauty, strength, and hope that is found in God's plan, bringing the reader to an appreciation of the reality and mystery of the priesthood in the Church.