When did RC adopt a "priesthood"?

[jwithnell]

I'm working from the assumption that after the time of Christ, the presence of a priesthood denotes the presence of a sacerdotal system. When did the Roman church establish a priesthood?

 

[RamistThomist]

It's more of a gradual encroaching. You can find sacerdotal language at Nicea with "bloodless sacrifice" and "holy mysteries."

 

[Andrew35]

DG Hart had a fascinating post relating to this recently: https://oldlife.org/2020/03/30/not-the-priesthood-Jesus-founded/

 

[RamistThomist]

Normally, though, most people mark Gregory the Great as the turning point. That's not 100% accurate, since it ignores all developments in the East, but it works as a date to get the investigation started.

 

[earl40]

Do not reformed pastors offer the sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, and supplication when they pray for and with the congregation during worship? So in a way our pastors are priests albeit not like RC priests.

 

[RamistThomist]

Do not reformed pastors offer the sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, and supplication when they pray for and with the congregation during worship? So in a way our pastors are priests albeit not like RC priests.

Our sacrifices of praise do not vicariously forgive sins.

 

[earl40]

Our sacrifices of praise do not vicariously forgive sins.

No doubt. Though our reformed pastors perform those tasks for the congregation for us to God.

 

[RamistThomist]

The writings of Pseudo-Dionysius also played a big role after 400 or so. He was clearly a neo-Platonic monk, if not Damasius himself, who passed himself off as Paul's traveling companion. His writings, while beautiful, are pure mystagogy and represent a priest as a mediator in the cosmos.

 

[B.L.]

I'm working from the assumption that after the time of Christ, the presence of a priesthood denotes the presence of a sacerdotal system. When did the Roman church establish a priesthood?

Interestingly enough The North American Anglican published an article today titled "The Protestant Problem with Priesthood", which you might be interested in skimming.

 

[Susan777]

No doubt. Though our reformed pastors perform those tasks for the congregation for us to God.

we also perform these tasks to the glory of God.

 

[SRoper]

To muddy things a bit, the English word "priest" comes from the Greek "presbyter" which means elder. Some reformation traditions reject sacerdotalism while maintaining "priests."

 

[yeutter]

Interestingly enough The North American Anglican published an article today titled "The Protestant Problem with Priesthood", which you might be interested in skimming.

The article to which you link is by Alexander Whitaker, an Attorney, an Anglican, who is President of King University in Bristol, TN.