Priesthood with its
different variants, prevalent, rather dominant in the church was of later
origin. Seemingly it was the place of the elders the priesthood grabbed to
reign the roost. It was conveniently clubbed with that of the apostles also.
The bishops, claimed to be the successors of the apostles are said to have the
‘fullness’ of priesthood and the priests only have a share in that. With the
‘conversion’ of Constantine, the bishops were endowed with titles of feudal
lords and all that follow them. Thereafter the prophet Jesus was relegated to
the corner and Christ the King and Jesus the high priest came to adorn the
center stage.
The priests today
claim only the last supper role, ignoring everything else. They can work the
‘wonder’ of transforming the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ
along with the forgiveness of sins and nothing more. This they do with all
priestly and royal investiture and paraphernalia ignoring the very personal and
informal gestures of Jesus. Now, that is invariably connected with money in the
name of intentions and stipends.
Again it gave rise to
the daily Eucharist and now the adoration aspects. Man is conveniently
sidelined against the categorical demand of Jesus that ‘Sabbath is made for
man’ and not the other way round. Priests are more managers and administers
than spiritual ‘dispersers’.
They can sacrifice
anything and everything except the institution of the church and its
structures. It won’t become a grain of wheat to give way to the ‘reign of God’
announced by Jesus who himself accepted death to rise in glory.
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