Holy Orders

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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ordination . (Discuss)

Historically, the word "order" (Latin ordo) designated an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordinatio meant legal incorporation into an ordo. The word "holy" refers to the Church. In context, therefore, a holy order is simply a group with a hierarchy that is set apart for ministry in the Church.

Other offices such as Pope, Cardinal, Monsignor, Archbishop, Archimandrite, Archpriest, Protopresbyter, Hieromonk, Protodeacon, Archdeacon, etc., are not sacramental orders. These are simply offices and titles and thus, though they are usually imparted with a blessing of some sort, their reception is not an instance of the sacrament of holy orders.

Roman Catholicism

The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches number Holy Orders, which is the Sacrament that confers ordination as bishops, priests, and deacons of the church, among three sacraments that create an indelible mark called a sacramental character[1] on the recipient's soul (the other two are baptism[2] and confirmation).[3]

The purpose of the Sacrament is to constitute a person as a minister within the Church.

Deacons are ministers of service, delegated to act in the name of the Church and therefore are able to witness marriages (the Sacrament of Matrimony is actually conferred by the couple on each other, with the deacon as witness), to baptize solemnly (any human being may baptize in an emergency but a deacon may do so on ordinary occasions with full ceremony), and to preach.

Bishops receive the "Spirit of governance" and are the successors of the Apostles, as a group (that is, the "college" or body of bishops is the successor body to the college of apostles; in Roman Catholic theology, there is a belief that the apostle Peter had a role of leadership in the college of apostles, which the pope retains today among the bishops; this is often accepted by the Orthodox churches, but with significant modifications). Bishops, since they have the "fullness of orders," may confer all seven of the sacraments and are empowered to lead the Church in terms of sound doctrine and pastroal administration. Bishops are governors of the church to the point where a bishop in the Catholic Church, even if not given authority over a functional diocese, will be given a "titular" diocese (a diocese that no longer exists on earth) as a sign of the leadership with which all bishops are charged.

Priests, as cooperators of the bishops in their sacramental ministry, may confect all of the sacraments except Holy Orders, the sacrament of governance, itself.

Until 1972 the Latin Church inside the universal Catholic Church also had four minor orders leading up to the major order of subdeacon, which were conferred on all seminarians before they became deacons. The minor orders and the subdiaconate were not considered sacraments proper and were practically suppressed under Pope Paul VI as part of the implementation of the Second Vatican Council.[4] They were, however, retained by the Eastern Catholic Churches and by traditionalist Roman Catholics, including papally-approved Indult priestly associations. Only the sacramental orders (deacon, priest, bishop) were retained in the reformed Latin Rite, but modern Catholic seminarians are "instituted" in "ministries" called acolyte and reader or lector, which replace the former "minor orders."

Eastern Christianity

The Eastern Orthodox Church considers Ordination to be a Sacred Mystery (what in the West is called a sacrament). This Mystery is limited in that it may only be conferred by a bishop, and not by a priest (all of the other Mysteries may be performed by a priest). Certain archimandrites may be given permission to bestow minor orders, but only a bishop may ordain a priest, deacon or, normally together with at least one or two other bishops, another bishop.

It was the mission of the Apostles to go forth into all the world and preach the Gospel, baptizing those who believed in the name of the Holy Trinity (Matthew 28:18-20). In the Early Church those who presided over congregations were referred to variously as episcopos (bishop) or presbyteros (priest). These successors of the Apostles were ordained to their office by the laying on of hands, and according to Orthodox theology formed a living, organic link with the Apostles, and through them with Jesus Christ himself.[5] This link is believed to continue in unbroken succession to this day. Over time, the ministry of bishops (who hold the fullness of the priesthood) and presbyters or priests (who hold a portion of the priesthood as bestowed by their bishop) came to be distinguished. In Orthodox termology, the terms priesthood and sacerdotal refer to the ministry of bishops and priests. All of the ordination ceremonies take place during the Divine Liturgy.

A bishop is the Teacher of the Faith, the carrier of Sacred Tradition, and the living Vessel of Grace through whom the energeia (divine grace) of the Holy Spirit flows into the rest of the church.[5] A bishop is consecrated through the laying on of hands by other bishops, normally at least two or three, but in emergency situations, such as times of persecution, a single bishop may ordain another. His consecration takes place before the Little Entrance of the Liturgy. A Gospel Book is laid over the head of the one being ordained, and the consecrating bishops lay their hands upon the Gospel Book, while the prayer of ordination is read, after this, he ascends the synthranon (bishop's throne in the sanctuary) for the first time.

A priest may serve only at the pleasure of his bishop. A bishop bestows faculties (permission to minister within his diocese) by giving a priest chrism and an antimension; he may withdraw faculties by demanding the return of these items. The ordination of a priest takes place at the Great Entrance of the Liturgy. He is taken three times around the Holy Table (altar) and then kneels on both knees, resting his forehead upon the Holy Table. The ordaining bishop then places his omophorion over the ordinand's head and reads the prayer of ordination. He will then be vested as a priest. Later, after the Epiklesis of the Liturgy, the bishop hands him a portion of the Lamb (Host) and says the words:

Receive thou this pledge, and preserve it whole and unharmed until thy last breath, because thou shalt be held to an accounting therefor in the second and terrible Coming of our great Lord, God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ..[6]

A deacon is ordained after the epiklesis. He is taken three times around the Holy Table and then kneels on one knee, resting his forehead on the Holy Table. The ordaining bishop then places his omophorion over the ordinand's head and reads the prayer of ordination. He will then be vested as a deacon and given an hexateryga (liturgical fan). An Orthodox deacon is not permitted to perform weddings or baptisms (except, in the case of baptism in extremis, under which circumstances any Orthodox layman may do the same). An Orthodox deacon will not normally preach, unless he has the bishop's explicit permission to do so.

The Orthodox Church has two minor orders, those of reader and subdeacon. Altar servers are normally not invested with a special service, though the rank of "taper-bearer" has been incorporated into the rite of blessing for readers. Candidates for ordination receive the clerical tonsure prior to being ordained by the laying on of hands to these minor orders. There is a distinction between the laying on of hands for minor orders (chirothesis) and that for major orders (chirotony). Those in these lesser orders are not considered clergy in the same sense as those in major orders.

Anglicanism

The Anglican Communion believes its bishops to be in Apostolic Succession, though there is some difference of opinion with regard to whether ordination is to be regarded as a sacrament or not. The Book of Common Prayer provides rites of ordination for bishops, priests and deacons, and only permits bishops to administer ordination. Typically, within Anglicanism three bishops are required for ordination to the episcopate, and one bishop will perform ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate. Anglo Catholics will tend to be closer to the Roman Catholic position with regard to the sacramental nature of ordination and in the use of Minor Orders.