who needs priests?

The idea may be gaining currency that in order for there to be a proper Christian church there has to be a priest, ordained by a bishop. That is why a small number of people are now leaving the Church of England for the Roman Catholic Church. They are profoundly wrong, but we are all entitled to be wrong about our choice of beliefs. Publicity given to the 'ordinariate' (more religious jargon) gives the impression that Christianity depends on a separated, ordained priesthood, which Catholics say is the province of males ordained in the succession of Peter. It does not. There is a well-defined 'priesthood of all believers which generally applies in nonconformist churches. This says that all who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ as Lord are entitled to peform all the functions of church leadership. There is no need for a special kind of human being  to preside at the sacraments of the Church; all that is necessary is that such a person, male or female, is a Christian, normally invited to undertake these duties by a Christian fellowship. These include presiding at communion serviecs and baptising infants. The idea that the church exists only when there is a priest in charge is a fallacy, and might lead people to think that what they receive from the church without a priest is invalid. Not so. It would release the Catholic Church from its paralysis if it allowed lay leadership, as happens anyway in parts of the world where there is a perceived shortage of priests. In parts of S America Cheristians organise their worship and sacraments where there are no ordained priests. This makes them, virtually 'congregational' churches like the one to which I belong. We need to abandon the idea that there is a special category of 'holy'orders which validates God's blessing, which is freely available to all. .