The priesthood of Christ in the light of John Paul II’s letters to priests for Maundy Thursday
Tomasz Nawracała
Faculty of Theology Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland)Abstract
The long pontificate of John Paul II was a time for the Church to continue reflecting on the fundamental themes that constitute the identity of the community of Christ’s disciples. Among many subjects, the priesthood appears to be a special topic: on the one hand, through the pope himself and his pastoral activity, and on the other - through a series of documents devoted to the priesthood. This article will present the person of Christ as a priest since it is the starting point for reflection on the priesthood as such. In the mind of the Polish Pope, Christ is the only priest who connects His priesthood with the sacrifice on the cross. This sacrifice includes the perfection of mediation between God and people, and simultaneously, the completion of what Christ possesses eternally as the Son. Sonship, mediation and the priesthood are topics that should be considered together as they not only interpenetrate but also complement each other. Such a broad approach to the subject, however, is limited to the analysis of the Letters to priests for Maundy Thursday.
Keywords:
John Paul II, priesthood, letters, Holy Thursday, Christ, mediator, sacrificeReferences
John Paul II, 1979, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 10.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1980, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 10.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1981, Apostolic letter A concilio Constantinopolitano I, in: The Holy See [online], access: 27.10.2020 . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1982, Prayer for Priests, in: Annus Sacerdotalis [online], access: 28.10.2020, < http://www.annussacerdotalis.org/pls/clerus/v3_s2ew_consultazione.mostra_paginat?id_pagina=1615&target=0>. Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1983, Letter to priests, in: Annus Sacerdotalis [online], access: 15.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1984, Homily and Letter to Priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 14.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1985, Letter to Priests, in: Annus Sacerdotalis [online], access: 28.10.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1986, Letter to priests, in: Annus Sacerdotalis [online], access: 5.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1987, Letter to priests, in: Annus Sacerdotalis [online], access: 15.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1988, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 27.10.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1989, Letter to priests, in: Annus Sacerdotalis [online], access: 15.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1990, Letter to priests, in: Annus Sacerdotalis [online], access: 5.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1992, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 10.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1993, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 29.10.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1995, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 10.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1996, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 5.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1997, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 28.10.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1998, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 28.10.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 1999, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 24.10.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 2000, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 15.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 2001, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 15.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 2004, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 5.11.2020, . Google Scholar
John Paul II, 2005, Letter to priests, in: The Holy See [online], access: 10.11.2020, . Google Scholar
Pius XII, 1947, Mediator Dei, in: The Holy See [online], access: 15.11.2020, . Google Scholar
Faculty of Theology Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland)
