HOLY ORDERS
Holy Orders and Matrimony are sacraments at the service of communion in the Church. They are received so that the recipients may dedicate themselves towards the salvation of others. They do contribute to the salvation of the recipients, but only because the recipients work for the salvation of others.
The sacrament of Holy Orders was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.
The grace of the sacraments imprints an indelible character on the soul of the recipient and configures him to Christ.
Only baptized men may receive the sacrament of Orders.
The sacrament of Holy Orders can be received only once in each of its degrees: deacon, priest, and bishop.
In the western (Latin) Church, only men willing to embrace celibacy may be ordained as bishops and priests. (In the Eastern Churches, married men may be ordained as deacons and priests, but only those who are celibate may be ordained as bishops.)
Unmarried men may be ordained as deacons if they embrace celibacy.
Married men may be ordained as deacons if they are willing never to marry again (even if a spouse should die).
Those who wish to be ordained present themselves to the Church. Usually there is a period of intellectual and spiritual preparation before a man is called by the proper Church authority to be ordained to the order of deacon.
An unmarried deacon who has embraced celibacy may be ordained as a priest if the Church calls him to the priesthood. There is usually some further preparation for deacons before they are ordained as priests.
Any priest may be ordained as a bishop if he is called by the Church to the episcopacy.
No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Orders.
The practice of ordaining only baptized men rests on the decision of Christ to call only men to these orders in the Church. Not even Mary, the Immaculate Conception, was called by Christ to be a deacon, priest, or bishop.
The essential rite of Holy Orders in each of its degrees is the consecratory prayer said by the bishop and the laying of his hands on the head of the one to be ordained.
Only bishops can confer the sacrament on Holy Orders in each of its degrees.
A bishop has the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders.
The bishops are the successors of the Apostles and have a responsibility for the universal Church as well as for the local Church (diocese) entrusted to each of them.
Since all bishops have a responsibility to the universal Church, only those men called to the episcopacy by the Pope, the supreme visible bond of the communion of the Church, can be ordained.
If a particular bishop breaks the bond of communion with the Pope, he breaks the communion either in law (schism) or in doctrine (heresy) and will be subject to the penalties established in church law for clerics who are schismatic or heretical.
The Apostles ordained bishops giving them Holy Spirit through the imposition of hands. This practice has continued to the present day in an unbroken succession.
The bishops have the fullness of Christ's hierarchical priesthood.
Bishops are the teachers of the faith.
Priests are co-workers of the bishops.
Priests do not have the fullness of Christ's hierarchical priesthood as bishops do, but they do share in it.
Priests depend on the bishop for the exercise of their priesthood.
Nevertheless, priests have the privilege of consecrating the Eucharist and forgiving sins in the sacrament of Penance in the Anointing of the Sick.
Priests have the responsibility of preaching the gospel and shepherding the people of God.
Through their ordination and in union with their bishops, priests share in the universal missions of the Church to preach the Gospel to all nations.
All the priests of a diocese, in union with the bishop, constitute the priestly college of the diocese.
All priests throughout the world are united together with each other through the bond of Holy Orders.
Deacons are ordained for service to the bishop.
Deacons do not share in the hierarchical priesthood of Christ, but they have received the sacrament of Holy Orders and share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way.
Deacons are ordained especially to serve the bishop.
Deacons also assist the priest.
Deacons assist at the celebration of the Eucharist. They also distribute Holy Communion, bless marriages, proclaim and preach the Gospel, preside over funerals, and dedicate themselves to works of charity.
All the baptized share in the priesthood of Christ.
However, the priesthood of Christ conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a cared power for the service of the faithful.
Still, there would be no need for the ordained if there were no baptized people and the baptized members of the Church could not offer the sacrifice of Christ without a priest. The baptismal priesthood of Christ and the hierarchical priesthood of Christ complement one another and are necessary to one another.
Information on this page was taken from Outlines of the Catholic Faith with permission from The Leaflet Missal Company. Click here for more information about Leaflet Missal Company publications.