SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS • Deacons assist the bishop and priest in the liturgy, in

ministries of the word, in pastoral governance, and

• Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the in various ministries of charity
mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues • There are two ways of being a deacon:
to be exercised in the Church until the end of time. o As a traditional deacon, during a period of
• It is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. service before being an ordained priest
o As a permanent deacon
“Order” § Married men may be ordained as
• The word order in Roman antiquity designated an permanent deacons
established civil body, especially a governing body.
• Ordinatio means incorporation into an ordo. Matter
• It includes three degrees: • Laying on of the Bishop’s hands with the
o Episcopate – bishops consecratory prayer
o Presbyterate – priests Form
o Diaconate – deacons • The Bishop’s “specific consecratory prayer asking
God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his
Bishops gifts proper to the ministry to which the candidate is
• Bishops receive the fullness of Holy orders being ordained”
• Theirs is the chief office in the Church, because they
are the direct successor of the apostles Five Symbols:
• Each bishop who has a responsibility for a particular • Oil - It signifies that the one anointed has been
diocese serves as Christ’s vicar in that diocese called by God to a special service
• He is also concerned to promote the welfare of the • Laying of Hands - It signifies that the Church
universal Church authorizes the anointed to perform this service
• Each Bishop has a special relationship with all other • Stole – It signifies a sign of ministry
bishops (collegiality), and to the Pope, who guards • Chalice and Paten – Both signify the celebration
the unity of the whole Church of the Eucharist to offer a sacrifice to the Lord
• The Eucharist celebrated by the bishop, with the • Ring – It is a sign of faithfulness to being a Catholic
whole Church gathered around him, is an especially and the Church
significant image of the Church’s identity
Celebration of the Holy Orders
Priests • A bishop is the minister of the Sacrament of Holy
• Priests are co-workers with the bishop, in carrying Orders
out the apostolic mission entrusted to them by • Ordination should take place on a Sunday, the
Christ Cathedral, in the context of the Eucharist, with as
• In each local assembly of the Church, they represent many of the faithful as possible taking part in the
the bishop celebration
• They depend on the bishop, have a relationship of
trust with him, and promise to obey him Effects of the Holy Orders
• They are consecrated to preach the Gospel, • The person who is ordained enters into a new
shepherds of the faithful, and celebrate the worship relationship with Christ and with the Church, and
of God deepens his baptismal commitment
• In the Eucharistic assembly of the faithful they • Because of Holy Orders, he participates in the
exercise their sacred office in its highest degree priestly, prophetic, and pastoral mission of Christ in
• They unite the offerings of the faithful to Christ and a distinctive way
make present Christ’s unique sacrifice on the cross
• All priests are part of one brotherhood because of Holy Orders
the sacrament of Holy Orders • Like Baptism and Confirmation, the Sacrament of
• They also are united with another in a special way Holy Orders imprints a permanent character or mark
within a diocese on the soul of the person receiving it
• That person makes a lifetime commitment to serve
Deacons the community according to the particular
• Deacons are ordained to help and serve bishops, responsibilities of his order as bishop, priest or
priests, and the faithful deacon
• They are ordained in service, not in the priesthood
• Deacons, like Christ, make themselves servants to all
Living the Sacrament of Holy Orders of local Christian leaders is
• Those who are ordained to the priesthood in the described
Latin Rite live a life of celibacy for the sake of the § They presented these men to the
kingdom apostles, who prayed and laid their
• All deacons and priests make a solemn promise of hands on them (Acts 6:6)
obedience to the bishop of the diocese (the § “Holy Orders is the Sacrament
Ordinary) and the successors through which the mission
• Those who receive Holy Orders are committed to a entrusted by Christ to the apostles
life of service to the Church continues to be exercised in the
• They are also committed to a life of prayer, which Church”
includes the daily prayer of the liturgy of the Hours,
in union with the entire Church
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Biblical Foundations
• The Priesthood Of The Old Covenant: 3 Vows or Covenants a Priest Must Make To God:
o A prefiguring of the ordained ministry of 1. Chastity
the New covenant 2. Poverty
o Instituted to proclaim the Word of God and 3. Obedience
to restore communion with Him by
sacrifices and prayer • Diocesan priests do not need to heavily emphasize
o For the fulfillment of Christ Jesus, the “one on the vow of poverty.
mediator between God and men” • Religious organizations are not allowed to own
o “’You will be for me a kingdom of priests luxurious personal possessions. Instead, all the
and a holy nation.’ These are the words you priests in the community own it.
are to speak to the Israelites.’” (Exodus • Religious priests have community life (eating
19:6) together, going together, etc.). Diocesan priests do
o “Every high priest is selected from among not.
the people and is appointed to act on • Diocesan priests are obliged to obey the orders of
behalf of men in relation to offer God, to the bishops.
offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” (Hebrews • Chastity is considered a gift because they are not
5:1) obliged to give love to just one person.

• The Priesthood Of The New Testament: 1. Aspirancy – mind formation (4 years)

o Jesus Christ is the only priest in the New 2. Postulancy – human formation (1 year)
Testament 3. Novice – spiritual formation (2 years)
o His sacrifice is made present on the altars 4. First Profession of Vows – theological formation
through the ministerial priesthood (2 years)
o “Only Christ is the true priest, the others 5. Deaconate – (1)
being only his ministers.” (CCC 1545) 6. Priesthood
o The New Testament speaks about the
Ordination of Priest
o In Mark 3:13-19, Jesus “calls” and
“appoints” the 12 apostles
§ 16
These are the twelve he
appointed: Simon (to whom he
gave the name Peter), 17 James son
of Zebedee and his brother John
(to them he gave the names
Boanerges, which means “sons of
thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas,
James son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19
and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed
him. (Mark 3:16-19)
§ In Acts 6:6, 1 Tim 4:14, 2 Tim 1:6,
the “laying of hands” as the
“ordaining” or commissioning rite