Expert: Fr. Michael - 1/15/2008

Question
Dear Fr. Jerome:

Today I celebrated Mass of St. Hilary with a commemoration of St. Felix, using my 1955/56 Latin Altar Missal.
It was interesting to see that St. Felix was listed in the "Kalendarium" as "Com. S. Felicis Presbyteri et Mart.", and in the Propers of 14 JAN as "Pro Sancto Felice Presbytero et Martyre".
I found this interesting, because in reading thru some of the responses you give to people who have asked you questions, you have used the terminology "Presbyter" with the explanation that such are not Priests, and are merely some kind of ministers of a "New Religion."
I suppose that I am questioning this particular distinction you are trying to make in reference to the "terminology" you employ.  It would seem, based upon the Latin liturgical tradition that the very word "Presbyteros" is used, and not exclusively the word "Sacerdos" for Priest;
so furthermore, the translation of "Presbyteros" is "Presbyter", and also "Priest," because in Catholic Sacramental Theology of Holy Orders a "Presbyter" IS a "Priest."
It seems very protestant of you to employ the word "presbyter" to mean specifically "not-Priest" in their manner of denying the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  Honestly, I find your use of terms in this manner very confusing and inaccurate, and quite outside the very Catholic Tradition you claim to uphold in such astute and perfect manner compared to "the others".  Honestly, this reminds me of the Publican and the Pharisee in the Gospels.
I really would like to get an understanding of what your view would be how the word "Presbyteros" can be used in the Traditional 1955 Missale Romanum?
Thanks.

Fr. Timothy Johnson

Answer
"Presbyteros" in Greek is an ambiguous term; thus, it is no suprise that the New Order should use it to describe its clergy who are not ordained, but installed in a way different from the prescriptions of Pope Pius XII's
dogmatic constitution "Sacramentum Ordinis" of 1947, canonizing the traditional form of ordination.

As you correctly put it, the term "presbyter" does not unambiguously describe a priest (Latin "sacerdos"), that is, not one who offers sacrifice (from "sacer" - sacred, "do" - give), but rather an "elder" or, to use your term, "minister" of a "New Religion."

"Presbyteros" is actually the comparative adjectival form in Greek of "presbyter," meaning literally "elder," a term that is used in many Protestant churches for various officials and quasi-clergy.

In the context of the missal going back to the early Church, the term "presbyteros" could still be used as an archaic synonym for "sacerdos," and the reference was clear.  However, in the post-Vatican II context, the reference is not clear.  The New Order uses other specialized terms with changed meanings, examples of which would be "liturgy" for "Mass" and "homily" for "sermon."

It was for this very defect of terms used out of their traditional context that Pope Leo XIII declared Anglican Orders invalid in his papal constitution, "Apostolicae Curae."