This has been hashed and rehashed here for decades. I would simply call your attention to this one example from the New Testament for the fatherhood of the priesthood:
"I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:14–15)
There are others...
Good quote.
Paul NEVER called himself ‘Father’ or ‘Holy Father’ to anyone. Notice Paul was specific, ‘through the gospel’... and Christ flat out said to NOT call flesh beings .. Father, as in representative of the Heavenly Father... There is a world of difference in the ‘flesh’ body, and the ‘spirit/soul body’ which is what returns to the Maker that sent them.. flesh returns to the dust from which it came. Only the Heavenly Father can eternally destroy souls.
There is not going to be any bought and paid for commission to decide doctrine when the flesh age ends. Might be/go much easier IF the many would/could get it correctly before this flesh age ends... but, prophecy declares otherwise... people got to do what people do.
I wasn’t questioning the plain meaning of the gospel. I was questioning that the priest claimed those plain words were so hard to understand!