Friends of the Bridegroom

Book excerpt: With the mind of a theologian and the heart of a pastor, Marc Cardinal Ouellet releases this timely book to help Catholics arrive at a deeper understanding of the Church's traditional teaching on the priesthood and the discipline of celibacy. As the Church rises to the duty of evangelization amid the challenges of secularism, Cardinal Ouellet sounds a clarion call to discover enduring solutions rooted in the basics of holiness. Cardinal Ouellet deftly draws the tradition into the present, adding fresh insights that challenge us to think anew about the beauty and power of the priesthood. He shows the deep connection between the ministerial priesthood of the clergy and the royal priesthood of all believers—how they are united in Christ's priesthood, and how they work together to build up the Kingdom of God on earth. Friends of the Bridegroom is a book not just about the priesthood but for priests, and should therefore find a welcome home in rectories and seminaries everywhere. It promises to confirm them confidently in their vocation, their hope in Christ, and remind them of their dignity and duties in relation to the challenges of the modern world. As the Church prepares for the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, Cardinal Ouellet charts a path forward that is both sensitive to the missionary duties of the Church and steeped in Her incomparable and irreplaceable tradition. As the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Cardinal Ouellet knows and loves this land and its people; his prescription for the priesthood is full of evangelical zeal and pastoral warmth. This is an essential document for understanding not just the priesthood, but this pivotal moment in Church history.