Msg Base:  AREA 5  - ASK FATHER            CIN ECHO   AMDG
  Msg No: 208.  Fri 12-13-91 15:42  (NO KILL)  (MAILED)
    From: Father Mateo
      To: Bill Leaming
 Subject: Catholic doctrines

+-
| I received this message on one of my conferences and thought I might
| pass it on to you. I don't feel qualified to answer the question.
| Br. Bill
|  
|  I recieved a book some time ago that stated some interesting things
|  and I wish to clear it up and I thought you would be a good source.
|  Do you have "The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine"? What is
|  it's importance? Do you still use it? Why,why not?
|  
|  While working in the NICU [ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit], I hear/saw
|  a catholic pastor teach from James 5:14,15. I quote it-
|  
|  Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church,
|  and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
|  Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is
|  sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins,
|  they will be forgiven him.
|  
|  Now this pastor substituted the word elder with the word priest. He
|  emphasised that the priest's were to do this ministry. Would you
|  please explain why the substitution of words here? My understanding
|  of the word elder is a lay-person who is trained in special
|  ministries.
 
Dear Bill,
 
If you have a question about a book, let me have all the pertinent
information: title, author, publisher, date, edition, ISBN number.  I
can't look it up without this information.
 
About "elder": New Testament titles are not so precise as they
later became. EPISKOPOS (overseer) might mean a bishop or a priest.
PRESBYTEROS (elder) was a church leader.  Was the PRESBYTEROS always
a cleric? Uncertain.
 
What is certain is this: the usage of the Church often determines the
meaning of a Bible passage.  In fact, the anointing of the sick, as far
back as we can trace it, is the function of priests.  Furthermore,
there are some English translations of the Bible which translate
James 5:14,15 with the word "priests".
 
Today, English-speaking Catholics do not use the word "elder".  In
non-Catholic language, "elder" may be a specially trained layman.
 
                                Sincerely in Christ,
 
                                Father Mateo