However, many outside of his parish know him as Fr. Pontifex, a rapper whose frankness, orthodoxy and engaging style has made him a rising star in the ever-emerging genre of Catholic hip-hop. In his first full length release, “Ordained,” Fr. Pontifex’s songs range from the autobiographical to the catechetical. A casual observer might think the idea of a rapping priest to be campy or gimmicky, and perhaps on some level, it is. However, Fr. Pontifex’s style, which is simultaneously engaging and disarming, is something that this reviewer found difficult to dismiss out of hand.