Books

Christ Our High Priest, by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye

Reviewed by Br Barry Coldrey

Contents - Feb 2011 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Challenges ahead for the Church in 2011 - Michael Gilchrist Book Review: Cardinal Pell and Pope Benedict XVI's interview - Cardinal George Pell News: The Church Around the World Liturgical rights of Catholics must be upheld - Fr Martin Durham Marriage: US bishops signal a tougher stance in the culture wars - Michael Gilchrist Vocations: Following in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi - Kay Cozad Key issues of ecumenism: new Vatican president's assessment - AD2000 Report Science and Christian faith: the case for intelligent design - Babette Francis That ubiquitous F word: don't demean the sacred - Fr Max Barrett CSsR Young children: never too early to love God - Bishop Arthur Serratelli Pope Benedict honours Catholic Women's League member Brenda Finlayson - AD2000 Report IVF: The Catholic Church and reproductive technologies - Fr John Fleming Letters: Euthanasia - Leon Voesenek Letters: Apostles' wives - Francis Vrijmoed Letters: Leadership - Joe Lopez Letters: Correction - M.J. Gonzalez Letters: From India - Fr S. John Joseph Books: Isabel of Spain: The Catholic Queen, by Warren Carroll - Terri M. Kelleher (reviewer) Books: Christ Our High Priest, by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: MOTHER BENEDICT: Foundress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis, by Antoinette Bosco - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: MOTHER ANGELICA: Prayers and Personal Devotions, by Raymond Arroyo - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The great but neglected harvest of inactive Catholics - Joseph Agius

CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST
by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye
(Modotti Press/ConnorCourt Publishing, 2010, 164pp, $29.95, ISBN: 978-1-92142-153-2. Available from Freedom Publishing)

This attractively produced book offers the Spiritual Exercises given to Pope Benedict XVI and the Papal Household at their Lenten Retreat in the Vatican prior to Easter 2008. The Retreat's Director was the distinguished French Jesuit and Scripture Scholar, Cardinal Albert Vanhoye.

The Retreat Spiritual Exercises explored the Epistle to the Hebrews in exhaustive detail and outlined the priesthood of every baptised person compared and contrasted with the ministerial priesthood limited to the ordained.

Meanwhile, Father Joel Wallace, a parish priest of the Wagga Diocese, had recently returned from study leave in Rome. There, he met Cardinal Vanhoye who requested him to translate the 2008 Spiritual Exercises from Italian into English under the title of Let us Confidently Welcome Christ Our High Priest. This translation is now available in the present book.

Cardinal Vanhoye argues that the most effective way to understand the whole of the Christian message and our life in Christ is to commence by understanding our share in His priesthood. The result is a profound work, remarkable for its simplicity and accessibility.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 24 No 1 (February 2011), p. 17