"Reclaiming our Priestly Character"

I have just received a review copy of "Reclaiming our Priestly Character" by Fr David Toups. The book includes a historico-theological examination of the doctrine of Priestly Character, an analysis of post-conciliar confusion over the priesthood, and a positive presentation of six key principles in the foundation of priestly life

Fr Toups is a priest of the diocese of St Petersburg, Florida, ordained in 1997 and currently working with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops as the Associate Director of the Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

"Reclaiming Priestly Character" is based on his Doctoral thesis, completed in 2004 at the Angelicum in Rome. The footnotes are wisely left in the text, thus offering a source of further reading and, as Fr Toups says, "as a reminder that this work is not simply my own opinion or perspective."

This is an excellent book which I would recommend especially to priests and seminarians but also to laity who would be heartened by such a solid, balanced and doctrinally solid presentation of the priestly ministry and life with a frank assessment of some of the problems that have beset the priesthood in recent decades.

The book can be ordered directly from the Institute for Priestly Formation at $17.95 for the paperback and $25.95 for the hardback.

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