Why does Catholicism have priests but Protestantism does not? The Catholic Church (and apparently Lutheran, Anglican and Episcopalian churches) have clergy with the title of "priest", as did Old Testament Judaism.  Are Protestant "preachers", "reverends", "pastors", "ministers", etc. all essentially "priests", or is there some difference between these two systems of clergy titles?  Why didn't Protestants just keep on with the title "priest" for it's clergy?  Why does Catholicism not follow the same logic and avoid that title?
In the Old Testament, priests would appeal to God on behalf on sinful men through sacrifices.  Jesus is the Great High Priest who 1) offered Himself as a sacrifice once for all and 2) who ever lives to intercede for us.  

The old priesthood order was of the line of Aaron, but in 70 A.D. in the destruction of Jerusalem, the ancestral records were destroyed, I believe.  Therefore, there is no current Aaronic Priesthood.  Jesus was of the greater Melchizedek Priesthood that preceded the Aaronic Priesthood.

Consequently, there is no need for a man to intercede on our behalf to God, since Jesus does that.  Indeed, the New Testament states that there is "one mediator between man and God--the Man Christ Jesus".  

The New Testament also states that all believers are priests (a chosen priesthood) to worship God.

The role of priest is not mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-12


  It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service.


The Protestant church has the office of pastor and teacher and evangelists.  Missionaries could be considered apostles, since that word means "one who is sent out".  Teaching pastors could be considered prophets--not necessarily in foretelling the future, in proclaim the message of God.

So, Protestants reject the notion that there is the need for any other mediator between us and God.  We confess our sins to God--not to any man.  (Only one place in the New Testament are we commanded to confess sins to another person, and it states there that is "to one another"--not to a priest.  So, confessing to a "priest" is valid if the "priest" confesses to you as well).