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Holy orders in the Catholic Church
The sacrament of holy orders in the Catholic Church includes three orders of men: bishops, priests, and deacons, in decreasing order of rank, collectively comprising the clergy. In the phrase "holy orders", the word "holy" means "set apart for a sacred purpose". The word "order" designates an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordination means legal incorporation into an order. In context, therefore, a group with a hierarchical structure that is set apart for ministry in the Church.
Men in the last year of seminary training who are seeking ordination as a priest are typically ordained to the "transitional diaconate", while men who are not seeking priestly ordination are instead ordained to the "permanent diaconate". Deacons, whether transitional or permanent, receive faculties to preach, to perform baptisms, and to witness marriages (either assisting the priest at the Mass, or officiating at a wedding not involving a Mass). They may assist at services where Holy Communion is given, such as the Mass, and they are considered the ordinary dispenser of the Precious Blood (the wine) when Communion is given in both types and a deacon is present, but they may not celebrate the Mass themselves. They may officiate at a funeral service not involving a Mass, including a visitation (wake) or the graveside service at burial. After six months or more as a transitional deacon, a man will be ordained to the priesthood. Priests may preach, perform baptisms, witness marriages, hear confessions and give absolutions, anoint the sick, and celebrate the Eucharist or the Mass. Some priests are later chosen to be bishops, who are the ordinary ministers of confirmation and holy orders; bishops may ordain priests, deacons, and other bishops.
The Rite of Ordination always occurs within Mass, and normally occurs in the cathedral on a Sunday or other holy day of obligation. In all cases, all members of the faithful are invited to attend, and a bishop is always the minister of the sacrament.
Holy orders leave an "indelible" mark on the soul of each man ordained, meaning that ordination is an irreversible act. Thus, no person's orders and abilities as an ordained man can be removed, though their ability to perform actions licitly may be revoked in some cases.
Bishops are chosen from among the priests in the Catholic Church. Among Eastern Catholic Churches, which permit married priests, bishops must be widowers or unmarried. Catholic bishops are often ordinaries (leaders) of territorial units called dioceses.
The ordination of bishops through the laying on of hands is a central tenet in Catholicism, as it provides for the apostolic succession required by the church and its teaching of the Nicene creed. The church believes that each bishop is a "Successor of the Apostles", and is endowed with the same fullness of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave to the apostles at Pentecost, as seen in John 20:21-23. For this reason, any bishop with apostolic succession can validly ordain any priest as a bishop, though it is only licit if they receive a mandate to do so from the pope (can. 1013). Any bishop who consecrates a bishop without such a mandate is excommunicated latae sententiae (automatically) (can. 1387).
Only bishops can administer the sacrament of holy orders (can. 1012). When consecrating another bishop, it is generally required that two other bishops join the consecrating bishop in the ordination (can. 1014). In the Latin Church, usually only bishops may licitly administer the sacrament of confirmation, but if an ordinary priest administers that sacrament illicitly, without an indult (reserved to the Holy See prior to Vatican II, and reserved to the local Ordinary after the New Code of Canon Law was promulgated), it is nonetheless considered valid. In Eastern Catholic Churches, confirmation is done by parish priests via the rite of chrismation, and is usually administered to both babies and adults immediately after their baptism.
The word "priest" derives ultimately either from the Greek πρεσβύτερος/presbuteros ("elder") or the Latin praepositus ("superintendent"). The Catholic Church sees the priesthood as both a reflection of the ancient Jewish priesthood in the Temple, and the work of Jesus as priest. The liturgy of ordination recalls the Old Testament priesthood and the priesthood of Christ. In the words of Thomas Aquinas, "Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a prefiguration of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ" Summa Theologiae III, 22, 4c. Priests may celebrate Mass, hear confessions and give absolution, celebrate baptism, serve as the Church's witness at the sacrament of holy matrimony, administer anointing of the sick, and administer confirmation if authorized to do so by the bishop. See Presbyterorum Ordinis for the Second Vatican Council decree on the nature of the Catholic priesthood.
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Holy orders in the Catholic Church
The sacrament of holy orders in the Catholic Church includes three orders of men: bishops, priests, and deacons, in decreasing order of rank, collectively comprising the clergy. In the phrase "holy orders", the word "holy" means "set apart for a sacred purpose". The word "order" designates an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordination means legal incorporation into an order. In context, therefore, a group with a hierarchical structure that is set apart for ministry in the Church.
Men in the last year of seminary training who are seeking ordination as a priest are typically ordained to the "transitional diaconate", while men who are not seeking priestly ordination are instead ordained to the "permanent diaconate". Deacons, whether transitional or permanent, receive faculties to preach, to perform baptisms, and to witness marriages (either assisting the priest at the Mass, or officiating at a wedding not involving a Mass). They may assist at services where Holy Communion is given, such as the Mass, and they are considered the ordinary dispenser of the Precious Blood (the wine) when Communion is given in both types and a deacon is present, but they may not celebrate the Mass themselves. They may officiate at a funeral service not involving a Mass, including a visitation (wake) or the graveside service at burial. After six months or more as a transitional deacon, a man will be ordained to the priesthood. Priests may preach, perform baptisms, witness marriages, hear confessions and give absolutions, anoint the sick, and celebrate the Eucharist or the Mass. Some priests are later chosen to be bishops, who are the ordinary ministers of confirmation and holy orders; bishops may ordain priests, deacons, and other bishops.
The Rite of Ordination always occurs within Mass, and normally occurs in the cathedral on a Sunday or other holy day of obligation. In all cases, all members of the faithful are invited to attend, and a bishop is always the minister of the sacrament.
Holy orders leave an "indelible" mark on the soul of each man ordained, meaning that ordination is an irreversible act. Thus, no person's orders and abilities as an ordained man can be removed, though their ability to perform actions licitly may be revoked in some cases.
Bishops are chosen from among the priests in the Catholic Church. Among Eastern Catholic Churches, which permit married priests, bishops must be widowers or unmarried. Catholic bishops are often ordinaries (leaders) of territorial units called dioceses.
The ordination of bishops through the laying on of hands is a central tenet in Catholicism, as it provides for the apostolic succession required by the church and its teaching of the Nicene creed. The church believes that each bishop is a "Successor of the Apostles", and is endowed with the same fullness of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave to the apostles at Pentecost, as seen in John 20:21-23. For this reason, any bishop with apostolic succession can validly ordain any priest as a bishop, though it is only licit if they receive a mandate to do so from the pope (can. 1013). Any bishop who consecrates a bishop without such a mandate is excommunicated latae sententiae (automatically) (can. 1387).
Only bishops can administer the sacrament of holy orders (can. 1012). When consecrating another bishop, it is generally required that two other bishops join the consecrating bishop in the ordination (can. 1014). In the Latin Church, usually only bishops may licitly administer the sacrament of confirmation, but if an ordinary priest administers that sacrament illicitly, without an indult (reserved to the Holy See prior to Vatican II, and reserved to the local Ordinary after the New Code of Canon Law was promulgated), it is nonetheless considered valid. In Eastern Catholic Churches, confirmation is done by parish priests via the rite of chrismation, and is usually administered to both babies and adults immediately after their baptism.
The word "priest" derives ultimately either from the Greek πρεσβύτερος/presbuteros ("elder") or the Latin praepositus ("superintendent"). The Catholic Church sees the priesthood as both a reflection of the ancient Jewish priesthood in the Temple, and the work of Jesus as priest. The liturgy of ordination recalls the Old Testament priesthood and the priesthood of Christ. In the words of Thomas Aquinas, "Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a prefiguration of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ" Summa Theologiae III, 22, 4c. Priests may celebrate Mass, hear confessions and give absolution, celebrate baptism, serve as the Church's witness at the sacrament of holy matrimony, administer anointing of the sick, and administer confirmation if authorized to do so by the bishop. See Presbyterorum Ordinis for the Second Vatican Council decree on the nature of the Catholic priesthood.