PRIESTLY IDENTITY AND NEW EVANGELIZATION: RESOLVING DEFICITS IN PRIESTLY IDENTITY THROUGH AUTHENTIC PATROLOGY .
The catholic priesthood has got a character with which the priests are easily marked out, even since antiquity. No matter the historical development of the priesthood, this character remains substantially intact. The consciousness of the character is also a source of great impetus for enthusiastic evangelization. However, one of the major challenges bedeviling the catholic priesthood in Nigeria is the crisis of identity. This plays out strongly in the minimal level of zeal displayed in the pastoral ministry, witnessing to Christ. It has been a clog in the wheel of the new evangelization, which remains almost only in theory and the fruit of its practice is elusive. What explains this crisis of identity? Is it really because we are product of our society? Is it the change in outlook in the course of history? Could it be because the priesthood has had some development? Does the historical development cause essential change leading to loss of identity today? This paper sets out to reveal yet another nuance to the issue of crisis of identity among priests in Nigeria, which is the seed-bed of the problems limiting ‘catholic evangelization’ on the Nigerian soil. This is because; the growth of any of the Church’s agenda relies to a large extent on her priests, who are the close pastors of the people. We shall submit that authentic patrological formation would help to ameliorate this menace, if not eradicating it totally. To achieve this, the method of exposition is employed.
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