WHY should Catholics SHOW REVERENCE and HONOR to the priest?
Catholics should show reverence and honor to the priest because he is the representative of Christ Himself, and the dispenser of His mysteries. 1. The dignity of a priest is higher than any earthly dignity, for his is the representative of God. He has the power that the most powerful civil rulers do not possess. The humblest priest by his word can call down God upon the altar and convert bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. He can say to the sinner, “I absolve thee,” and the sinner’s soul is saved from hell. Not even the Blessed Virgin possessed the power to forgive sins, to grant absolution that erases the very guilt of sin. 2. We owe the priest reverence due to his dignity as a representative of Christ. Even if a priest’s life does not correspond with the requirements of his office, we should give respect; this we offer to his office. The priest is “alter Christus” — another Christ. Our Lord calls him “a city built upon a hill,” the “salt of the earth.” He is in the wor
