The Order of Melchisedech: A Defence of the Catholic Priesthood

by Michael Treharne Davies

Explains the Catholic doctrine of the priesthood as it was traditionally taught and believed before the Second Vatican Council. The author then contrasts this with the Protestant viewpoint on the priesthood, with a particular focus on Anglicanism. Several chapters and appendixes examine the new Catholic ordination rite instituted after Vatican II.

Genres: Catholic, Religion

255 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Michael Treharne Davies (1936-2004) was a convert from Anglicanism to the Catholic Church in the 1950s, and was a Catholic writer who authored various works following the Second Vatican Council, in addition to unifying Una Voce America, a conservative group. He went on to compose such works as The Liturgical Revolution, The Order of Melchisedech, Partisans of Error, For Altar and Throne,, and The Wisdom of Adrian Fortescue. Upon Davies' death in 2004, Pope Benedict XVI called him a man of deep faith who was ready to embrace suffering

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at the Catholic priesthood and how it has come under attack since Vatican II, along with how Catholics and Protestants disagree about the nature of the priesthood. Personally, I thought it provided further proof of the necessity of Archbishop Lefebvre's actions, since the author provided ample documentation that the post-Vatican II bishops themselves pose a grave and serious threat to Catholic teaching and dogma. This is especially prominent with the work of ANCIC; as the author points out:

. . . although these deficiencies were obvious to a layman like myself, with no specialized theological knowledge, almost every Catholic hierarchy in the world pronounced in favour of the ARCIC Statements. The gravity of this fact cannot possibly be exaggerated. Can there have been such a virtually universal failure of the Teaching Church (Rome excepted) since the Arian heresy?