Key elements of a catholic understanding and exercise of common priesthood

We have studied the notion and implications of common priesthood in Luther and Calvin, which is a horizontal priesthood exercised by each believer on earth in God’s direct heavenly presence, without an essentially distinct ministerial priesthood, as maintained in Catholic theology. A study of the current Reformed and Evangelical positions on common priesthood falls without the scope of this book, but it is presupposed that the reformers’ basic framework and lines of thought in the 16 th century still stand today among many Evangelical and Reformed denominations, and can be found even among Catholics. In order to clarify the importance of the relationship between the common and ministerial priesthoods, this section presents some key elements of Catholic doctrine—especially since the Second Vatican Council 1 —that are relevant for a proper understanding and exercise of these two forms of participation in Christ’s priesthood by believers in God’s Church on earth.