Friday, December 17, 2004

Quick Thought: Role of Preacher vs. Priest

So often, we hear the criticism that Catholics depend so heavily on their priest, who, after all, is just a man and does not affect their relationship with Christ.

Yet, ironically, many non-Catholics will quit their church or stop attending altogether because they don't like or trust their preacher. They are tired of boring sermons, visible sins, or bad administration.

What does that say about whose leaders' sins, personalities, or habits more negatively affect whose relationships with Christ?

Even if a priest gives boring sermons or doesn't even speak English well, a faithful Catholic remains faithful because the priest retains the authority to offer the Eucharist, which is the central component of the community's worship.

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