The Meaning of Catholic Ordination

Friends, in the latest episode of the Word on Fire Show, I sat down with Matthew Petrusek to discuss the meaning of Catholic ordination. We examine why the Church maintains a distinction between clergy and laity, how ordination configures a man to Christ, the offices of deacon, priest, and bishop, common critiques of the practice, and the distinctive contribution of the ordained to the life of the Church and the work of evangelization.

00:00 | Introduction
01:18 | Bishop Barron visits the grave of Archibald “Moonlight” Graham
02:43 | Ordaining 18 deacons in St. Peter’s Basilica
03:40 | The Mass of ordination
07:20 | The laying on of hands and its significance
10:13 | Ordination and ontological change
12:35 | The three degrees of clerical life
14:30 | Is ordination biblical?
17:40 | What about the priesthood of all believers?
18:56 | What about limiting the priesthood to men?
22:21 | Defining authentic preaching
24:34 | Three key ingredients for every sermon: Logos, pathos, and ethos
27:47 | The state of preaching within the American church today
30:03 | The shared duty to proclaim the gospel
31:31 | Given Matthew 23:9, how can we call priests “Father”?
33:53 | Join the Word on Fire Institute