(Hebrew: kohanim) The caste within the people of Israel designated by God to be in charge of the sacrificial service (see KOHEN). Aaron, brother of Moses, was consecrated as the first Israelite priest, and from him all Israelite priests trace their...

Cross-cultural use of the terms priest and priesthood is an example of a familiar pattern in modern description of religion. Frequently, terms with European meanings and linguistic derivations are pressed into service for the description of a range of...

A priesthood is a body of priests, shamans, or oracles who are thought to have special religious authority or function. The term also refers to the office, dignity, authority, or character of a priest. Various restrictions may apply to who can join the...

Vatican City -- News reports suggest that the Vatican intends to approve an Instruction barring men with homosexual tendencies from the priesthood. Although media treat the reports as a "new" departure in Catholic practice, it would actually reiterate a binding directive already given...

The Phineas Priesthood is analyzed as it relates to various terrorist acts in the United States taken out in the credo's honor. The story comes from the Bible's Book of Numbers and is used as a justification by many hate groups to kill off...

An excommunicated Roman Catholic archbishop continued his defiance of the Vatican on Sunday when he ordained two married men as priests.In front of a congregation that included nearly two dozen members of the media at the Trinity Reformed Church, Raymond A. Grosswirth of Rochester, N.Y.,...

An excommunicated Roman Catholic archbishop continued his defiance of the Vatican on Sunday when he ordained two married men as priests.In front of a congregation that included nearly two dozen members of the media at the Trinity Reformed Church, Raymond A. Grosswirth of Rochester, N.Y.,...