In the forty years following Vatican II, new questions regarding the presbyterate have arisen: the ordination of women, priestly spirituality and issues of life style, the necessity of continuing education, the explosion of lay ministry, the incorporation of former married presbyters from the Lutheran church and the Anglican communion into various dioceses, etc. Moreover, the matter of obligatory clerical celibacy continues to be an important issue for priest-presbyters and for the people of God, who are frequently left without sufficient numbers of pastors. Overwork, burnout, and deferred retirement are becoming the standard of the day for many presbyters. The highly publicized sexual scandals among priest-presbyters in recent years have also contributed to low morale and the dwindling number of recruits in North America and Europe. Since my days as a student during the council, much has changed regarding the presbyterate, some for the better and some for the worse. One thing has remained constant—continued reflection on the nature of the ordained presbyteral ministry. I propose to examine some of the principal theological resources available for rethinking the identity and the ministry of the priest-presbyter.