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I've been asked to speak about why the Catholic Church has priests.

Catholic priests are often critiqued as either sinful or unnecessary or oppressive.

In response, I will try to show in this talk that the Catholic priesthood

bestows salvation and honor upon others. There are two related challenges here. One is that there

are no spiritual differences at all between individual persons. The second is that any spiritual

differences cannot be systemic.

With respect to the first challenge for a Christian,

it's rather easily dismissed.

Because if we think about the challenge

that there are no spiritual differences at all,

the very existence of Jesus, who he is, ends the discussion because Jesus, Christians affirm, is God, and yet he's

also man. He is spiritually different than us. He's spiritually better than us. He is our Savior.

We need something better than us to save us. He's spiritually better. So are there spiritual differences? Yes,

Jesus proves it. Second challenge, though, can there be systemic spiritual differences?

Can there be a system whereby some have a spiritual advantage that they confer to others?

That's the trickier question. That's really the question

that brings me here this evening. We tend to think or act as if legitimate spiritual difference

depends upon, for instance, a charismatic spiritual gift, something that is a one-of-a-kind,

unique divine calling. Think of a prophet, for instance, of the Old Testament.

Someone who's a singular figure, he's been given the call, he's the one who's able to preach

...