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I. Its Foundations in the Economy of Salvation
Illness in human life
§1500
Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in
human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and
his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death.
§1501
Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt
against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his
life what is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is. Very often
illness provokes a search for God and a return to him.
The sick person before God
§1502
The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is
before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and
death, that he implores healing.98 Illness becomes a way to conversion;
God's forgiveness initiates the healing.99 It is the experience of
Israel that illness is mysteriously linked to sin and evil, and that
faithfulness to God according to his law restores life: «For I am the
Lord, your healer.» 100 The prophet intuits that suffering can also
have a redemptive meaning for the sins of others.101 Finally Isaiah
announces that God will usher in a time for Zion when he will pardon every
offense and heal every illness.102
Christ the physician
§1503
Christ's compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of
infirmity are a resplendent sign that «God has visited his
people» 103 and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand. Jesus has
the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins;104 he has come to
heal the whole man, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need
of.105 His compassion toward all who suffer goes so far that he
identifies himself with them: «I was sick and you visited
me.» 106 His preferential love for the sick has not ceased through
the centuries to draw the very special attention of Christians toward all those
who suffer in body and soul. It is the source of tireless efforts to comfort
them.
§1504
Often Jesus asks the sick to believe.107 He makes use of signs to heal:
spittle and the laying on of hands,108 mud and washing.109 The
sick try to touch him, «for power came forth from him and healed them
all.» 110 and so in the sacraments Christ continues to
«touch» us in order to heal us.
§1505
Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the
sick, but he makes their miseries his own: «He took our infirmities and
bore our diseases.» 111 But he did not heal all the sick. His
healings were signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God. They announced a more
radical healing: the victory over sin and death through his Passover. On the
cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away the
«sin of the world,» 112 of which illness is only a
consequence. By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new
meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to him and unite us with
his redemptive Passion.
«Heal the sick . . .»
§1506
Christ invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their
turn.113 By following him they acquire a new outlook on illness and the
sick. Jesus associates them with his own life of poverty and service. He makes
them share in his ministry of compassion and healing: «So they went out
and preached that men should repent. and they cast out many demons, and
anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.» 114
§1507
The risen Lord renews this mission ("In my name . . . they will lay their
hands on the sick, and they will recover.» 115) and confirms it
through the signs that the Church performs by invoking his name.116
These signs demonstrate in a special way that Jesus is truly «God who
saves.» 117
§1508
The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing118 so as to
make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord. But even the most
intense prayers do not always obtain the healing of all illnesses. Thus St.
Paul must learn from the Lord that «my grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness,» and that the sufferings to be endured
can mean that «in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's
afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church.» 119
§1509
«Heal the sick!» 120 The Church has received this charge from
the Lord and strives to carry it out by taking care of the sick as well as by
accompanying them with her prayer of intercession. She believes in the
life-giving presence of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. This
presence is particularly active through the sacraments, and in an altogether
special way through the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life and that
St. Paul suggests is connected with bodily health.121
§1510
However, the apostolic Church has its own rite for the sick, attested to by St.
James: «Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders [presbyters] of
the Church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will
raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be
forgiven.» 122 Tradition has recognized in this rite one of the
seven sacraments.123
A sacrament of the sick
§1511
The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one especially
intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of
the Sick:
This sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper sacrament of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by Mark, but is recommended to the faithful and promulgated by James the apostle and brother of the Lord.124
§1512
From ancient times in the liturgical traditions of both East and West, we have
testimonies to the practice of anointings of the sick with blessed oil. Over
the centuries the Anointing of the Sick was conferred more and more exclusively
on those at the point of death. Because of this it received the name
«Extreme Unction.» Notwithstanding this evolution the liturgy has never
failed to beg the Lord that the sick person may recover his health if it would
be conducive to his salvation.125
§1513
The Apostolic Constitution Sacram unctionem infirmorum,126 following
upon the Second Vatican Council,127 established that henceforth, in the
Roman Rite, the following be observed:
The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given to those who are seriously ill by anointing them on the forehead and hands with duly blessed oil - pressed from olives or from other plants - saying, only once: «Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.» 128
II. Who Receives and Who Administers This Sacrament?
In case of grave illness . . .
§1514
The Anointing of the Sick «is not a sacrament for those only who are at
the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in
danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive
this sacrament has certainly already arrived.» 129
§1515
If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the
case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same
illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be
repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a
serious operation. the same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more
pronounced.
« . . . let him call for the presbyters of the Church»
§1516
Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick.130
It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this
sacrament. the faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to
receive this sacrament. the sick should prepare themselves to receive it with
good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community,
which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers
and fraternal attention.
III. How is This Sacrament Celebrated?
§1517
Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal
celebration,131 whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital
or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is
very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's
Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be
preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the
Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be
the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the «viaticum» for
«passing over» to eternal life.
§1518
Word and sacrament form an indivisible whole. the Liturgy of the Word, preceded
by an act of repentance, opens the celebration. the words of Christ, the
witness of the apostles, awaken the faith of the sick person and of the
community to ask the Lord for the strength of his Spirit.
§1519
The celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal elements: the
«priests of the Church» 132 - in silence - lay hands on the
sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church133 - this is the
epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if
possible, by the bishop.
These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the
sick.
IV. The Effects of the Celebration of This Sacrament
§1520
A particular gift of the Holy Spirit. the first grace of this sacrament is one
of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with
the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a
gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens
against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and
anguish in the face of death.134 This assistance from the Lord by the
power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul,
but also of the body if such is God's will.135 Furthermore, «if he
has committed sins, he will be forgiven.» 136
§1521
Union with the passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick
person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to
Christ's Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by
configuration to the Savior's redemptive Passion. Suffering, a consequence of
original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving
work of Jesus.
§1522
An ecclesial grace. the sick who receive this sacrament, «by freely
uniting themselves to the passion and death of Christ,» «contribute
to the good of the People of God.» 137 By celebrating this
sacrament the Church, in the communion of saints, intercedes for the benefit of
the sick person, and he, for his part, though the grace of this sacrament,
contributes to the sanctification of the Church and to the good of all men for
whom the Church suffers and offers herself through Christ to God the Father.
§1523
A preparation for the final journey. If the sacrament of anointing of the sick
is given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity, even more
rightly is it given to those at the point of departing this life; so it is also
called sacramentum exeuntium (the sacrament of those departing).138 The
Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of
Christ, just as Baptism began it. It completes the holy anointings that mark
the whole Christian life: that of Baptism which sealed the new life in us, and
that of Confirmation which strengthened us for the combat of this life. This
last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for
the final struggles before entering the Father's house.139
V. Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian
§1524
In addition to the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about
to leave this life the Eucharist as viaticum. Communion in the body and blood
of Christ, received at this moment of «passing over» to the Father,
has a particular significance and importance. It is the seed of eternal life
and the power of resurrection, according to the words of the Lord: «He who
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day.» 140 The sacrament of Christ once dead and now risen,
the Eucharist is here the sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this
world to the Father.141
§1525
Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a
unity called «the sacraments of Christian initiation,» so too it can
be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum
constitute at the end of Christian life «the sacraments that prepare for
our heavenly homeland» or the sacraments that complete the earthly
pilgrimage.
IN BRIEF
§1526
«Is any among you
sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith
will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed
sins, he will be forgiven» (⇒ Jas 5:14-15).
§1527
The sacrament of
Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace on
the Christian experiencing the difficulties inherent in the condition of grave
illness or old age.
§1528
The proper time for
receiving this holy anointing has certainly arrived when the believer begins to
be in danger of death because of illness or old age.
§1529
Each time a Christian
falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also when,
after he has received it, the illness worsens.
§1530
Only priests (presbyters
and bishops) can give the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, using oil
blessed by the bishop, or if necessary by the celebrating presbyter himself.
§1531
The celebration of the
Anointing of the Sick consists essentially in the anointing of the forehead and
hands of the sick person (in the Roman Rite) or of other parts of the body (in
the Eastern rite), the anointing being accompanied by the liturgical prayer of
the celebrant asking for the special grace of this sacrament.
§1532
The special grace of the
sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:
- the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and
that of the whole Church;
- the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the
sufferings of illness or old age;
- the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through
the sacrament of Penance;
- the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
- the preparation for passing over to eternal life.
THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION
§1533
Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are sacraments of Christian initiation.
They ground the common vocation of all Christ's disciples, a vocation to
holiness and to the mission of evangelizing the world. They confer the graces
needed for the life according to the Spirit during this life as pilgrims on the
march towards the homeland.
§1534
Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation
of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through
service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the
Church and serve to build up the People of God.
§1535
Through these sacraments those already consecrated by Baptism and
Confirmation1 for the common priesthood of all the faithful can receive
particular consecrations. Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders are
consecrated in Christ's name «to feed the Church by the word and grace of
God.» 2 On their part, «Christian spouses are fortified and,
as it were, consecrated for the duties and dignity of their state by a special
sacrament.» 3
ARTICLE 6
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS
§1536
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to
his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time:
thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate,
presbyterate, and diaconate.
(On the institution and mission of the apostolic ministry by Christ, see above, no. 874 ff. Here only the sacramental means by which this ministry is handed on will be treated.)
I. Why Is This Sacrament Called «Orders"?
§1537
The word order in Roman antiquity designated an established civil body,
especially a governing body. Ordinatio means incorporation into an ordo. In the
Church there are established bodies which Tradition, not without a basis in
Sacred Scripture,4 has since ancient times called taxeis (Greek) or
ordines. and so the liturgy speaks of the ordo episcoporum, the ordo
presbyterorum, the ordo diaconorum. Other groups also receive this name of
ordo: catechumens, virgins, spouses, widows,....
§1538
Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished by a rite
called ordinatio, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a
blessing or a sacrament. Today the word «ordination» is reserved for
the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops,
presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation,
delegation, or institution by the community, for it confers a gift of the Holy
Spirit that permits the exercise of a «sacred power» (sacra
potestas)5 which can come only from Christ himself through his Church.
Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an
investiture by Christ himself for his Church. the laying on of hands by the
bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign of this
ordination.
II. The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Economy of Salvation
The priesthood of the Old Covenant
§1539
The chosen people was constituted by God as «a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation.» 6 But within the people of Israel, God chose one of
the twelve tribes, that of Levi, and set it apart for liturgical service; God
himself is its inheritance.7 A special rite consecrated the beginnings
of the priesthood of the Old Covenant. the priests are «appointed to act
on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for
sins.» 8
§1540
Instituted to proclaim the Word of God and to restore communion with God by
sacrifices and prayer,9 this priesthood nevertheless remains powerless
to bring about salvation, needing to repeat its sacrifices ceaselessly and
being unable to achieve a definitive sanctification, which only the sacrifice
of Christ would accomplish.10
§1541
The liturgy of the Church, however, sees in the priesthood of Aaron and the
service of the Levites, as in the institution of the seventy elders,11
a prefiguring of the ordained ministry of the New Covenant. Thus in the Latin
Rite the Church prays in the consecratory preface of the ordination of bishops:
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by your gracious word
you have established the plan of your Church.
From the beginning,
you chose the descendants of Abraham to be your holy nation.
You established rulers and priests
and did not leave your sanctuary without ministers to serve you....12
§1542
At the ordination of priests, the Church prays:
Lord, holy Father, . . .
when you had appointed high priests to rule your people,
you chose other men next to them in rank and dignity
to be with them and to help them in their task....
you extended the spirit of Moses to seventy wise men....
You shared among the sons of Aaron
the fullness of their father's power.13
§1543
In the consecratory prayer for ordination of deacons, the Church confesses:
Almighty God . . ..
You make the Church, Christ's body,
grow to its full stature as a new and greater temple.
You enrich it with every kind of grace
and perfect it with a diversity of members
to serve the whole body in a wonderful pattern of unity.
You established a threefold ministry of worship and service,
for the glory of your name.
As ministers of your tabernacle you chose the sons of Levi
and gave them your blessing as their everlasting inheritance.14
The one priesthood of Christ
§1544
Everything that the priesthood of the Old Covenant prefigured finds its
fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the «one mediator between God and
men.» 15 The Christian tradition considers Melchizedek,
«priest of God Most High,» as a prefiguration of the priesthood of
Christ, the unique «high priest after the order of Melchizedek»;16
«holy, blameless, unstained,» 17 «by a single offering he
has perfected for all time those who are sanctified,» 18 that is,
by the unique sacrifice of the cross.
§1545
The redemptive sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for all; yet it
is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church. the same is true of
the one priesthood of Christ; it is made present through the ministerial
priesthood without diminishing the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood:
«Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his
ministers.» 19
Two participations in the one priesthood of Christ
§1546
Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church «a
kingdom, priests for his God and Father.» 20 The whole community of
believers is, as such, priestly. the faithful exercise their baptismal
priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in
Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of
Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are «consecrated to be . . . a holy
priesthood.» 21
§1547
The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the
common priesthood of all the faithful participate, «each in its own proper
way, in the one priesthood of Christ.» While being «ordered one to
another,» they differ essentially.22 In what sense? While the
common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal
grace - a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit -
,the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is
directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. the
ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and
leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the
sacrament of Holy Orders.
In the person of Christ the Head . . .
§1548
In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is
present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest
of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by
saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in
persona Christi Capitis:23
It is the same priest, Christ
Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by
reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is truly made like
to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of
the person of Christ himself (virtute ac persona ipsius Christi).24
Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a figure
of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of
Christ.25
§1549
Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the
presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the
community of believers.26 In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius
of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God
the Father.27
§1550
This presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if the latter
were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit of domination, error, even
sin. the power of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee all acts of ministers in
the same way. While this guarantee extends to the sacraments, so that even the
minister's sin cannot impede the fruit of grace, in many other acts the
minister leaves human traces that are not always signs of fidelity to the
Gospel and consequently can harm the apostolic fruitfulness of the Church.
§1551
This priesthood is ministerial. «That office . . . which the Lord
committed to the pastors of his people, is in the strict sense of the term a
service.» 28 It is entirely related to Christ and to men. It
depends entirely on Christ and on his unique priesthood; it has been instituted
for the good of men and the communion of the Church. the sacrament of Holy
Orders communicates a «sacred power» which is none other than that of
Christ. the exercise of this authority must therefore be measured against the
model of Christ, who by love made himself the least and the servant of
all.29 «The Lord said clearly that concern for his flock was proof
of love for him.» 30
. . . «in the name of the whole Church»
§1552
The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ - Head
of the Church - before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the
name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and
above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice.31
§1553
«In the name of the whole Church» does not mean that priests are the
delegates of the community. the prayer and offering of the Church are
inseparable from the prayer and offering of Christ, her head; it is always the
case that Christ worships in and through his Church. the whole Church, the Body
of Christ, prays and offers herself «through him, with him, in him,"
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to God the Father. the whole Body, caput et
membra, prays and offers itself, and therefore those who in the Body are
especially his ministers are called ministers not only of Christ, but also of
the Church. It is because the ministerial priesthood represents Christ that it
can represent the Church.
III. The Three Degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders
§1554
«The divinely instituted ecclesiastical ministry is exercised in different
degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called bishops, priests,
and deacons.» 32 Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the
Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are
two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ: the
episcopacy and the presbyterate . the diaconate is intended to help and serve
them. For this reason the term sacerdos in current usage denotes bishops and
priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of
priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service
(diaconate) are all three conferred by a sacramental act called
«ordination,» that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders:
Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the senate of God and the assembly of the apostles. For without them one cannot speak of the Church.33
Episcopal ordination - fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders
§1555
«Amongst those various offices which have been exercised in the Church
from the earliest times the chief place, according to the witness of tradition,
is held by the function of those who, through their appointment to the dignity
and responsibility of bishop, and in virtue consequently of the unbroken
succession going back to the beginning, are regarded as transmitters of the
apostolic line.» 34
§1556
To fulfil their exalted mission, «the apostles were endowed by Christ with
a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit coming upon them, and by the imposition
of hands they passed on to their auxiliaries the gift of the Spirit, which is
transmitted down to our day through episcopal consecration.» 35
§1557
The Second Vatican Council «teaches . . . that the fullness of the
sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that fullness
namely which, both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and the language
of the Fathers of the Church, is called the high priesthood, the acme (summa)
of the sacred ministry.» 36
§1558
«Episcopal consecration confers, together with the office of sanctifying,
also the offices of teaching and ruling.... In fact ... by the imposition of
hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit
is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in an
eminent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher,
shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative (in Eius persona
agant).» 37 «By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has
been given to them, bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers
of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors.» 38
§1559
«One is constituted a member of the episcopal body in virtue of the
sacramental consecration and by the hierarchical communion with the head and
members of the college.» 39 The character and collegial nature of
the episcopal order are evidenced among other ways by the Church's ancient
practice which calls for several bishops to participate in the consecration of
a new bishop.40 In our day, the lawful ordination of a bishop requires
a special intervention of the Bishop of Rome, because he is the supreme visible
bond of the communion of the particular Churches in the one Church and the guarantor
of their freedom.
§1560
As Christ's vicar, each bishop has the pastoral care of the particular Church
entrusted to him, but at the same time he bears collegially with all his
brothers in the episcopacy the solicitude for all the Churches: «Though
each bishop is the lawful pastor only of the portion of the flock entrusted to
his care, as a legitimate successor of the apostles he is, by divine
institution and precept, responsible with the other bishops for the apostolic
mission of the Church.» 41
§1561
The above considerations explain why the Eucharist celebrated by the bishop has
a quite special significance as an expression of the Church gathered around the
altar, with the one who represents Christ, the Good Shepherd and Head of his
Church, presiding.42
The ordination of priests - co-workers of the bishops
§1562
«Christ, whom the Father hallowed and sent into the world, has, through
his apostles, made their successors, the bishops namely, sharers in his
consecration and mission; and these, in their turn, duly entrusted in varying
degrees various members of the Church with the office of their
ministry.» 43 «The function of the bishops' ministry was
handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed
in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcapal order for the
proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to it by
Christ.» 44
§1563
«Because it is joined with the episcopal order the office of priests
shares in the authority by which Christ himself builds up and sanctifies and
rules his Body. Hence the priesthood of priests, while presupposing the
sacraments of initiation, is nevertheless conferred by its own particular
sacrament. Through that sacrament priests by the anointing of the Holy Spirit
are signed with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest
in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the head.» 45
§1564
«Whilst not having the supreme degree of the pontifical office, and
notwithstanding the fact that they depend on the bishops in the exercise of
their own proper power, the priests are for all that associated with them by
reason of their sacerdotal dignity; and in virtue of the sacrament of Holy
Orders, after the image of Christ, the supreme and eternal priest, they are
consecrated in order to preach the Gospel and shepherd the faithful as well as
to celebrate divine worship as true priests of the New
Testament.» 46
§1565
Through the sacrament of Holy Orders priests share in the universal dimensions
of the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles. the spiritual gift they
have received in ordination prepares them, not for a limited and restricted
mission, «but for the fullest, in fact the universal mission of salvation
'to the end of the earth,"'47 «prepared in spirit to preach
the Gospel everywhere.» 48
§1566
«It is in the Eucharistic cult or in the Eucharistic assembly of the
faithful (synaxis) that they exercise in a supreme degree their sacred office;
there, acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming his mystery, they unite
the votive offerings of the faithful to the sacrifice of Christ their head, and
in the sacrifice of the Mass they make present again and apply, until the
coming of the Lord, the unique sacrifice of the New Testament, that namely of
Christ offering himself once for all a spotless victim to the
Father.» 49 From this unique sacrifice their whole priestly
ministry draws its strength.50
§1567
«The priests, prudent cooperators of the episcopal college and its support
and instrument, called to the service of the People of God, constitute,
together with their bishop, a unique sacerdotal college (presbyterium)
dedicated, it is, true to a variety of distinct duties. In each local assembly
of the faithful they represent, in a certain sense, the bishop, with whom they
are associated in all trust and generosity; in part they take upon themselves
his duties and solicitude and in their daily toils discharge
them.» 51 priests can exercise their ministry only in dependence on
the bishop and in communion with him. the promise of obedience they make to the
bishop at the moment of ordination and the kiss of peace from him at the end of
the ordination liturgy mean that the bishop considers them his co-workers, his
sons, his brothers and his friends, and that they in return owe him love and
obedience.
§1568
«All priests, who are constituted in the order of priesthood by the
sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate sacramental brotherhood,
but in a special way they form one priestly body in the diocese to which they
are attached under their own bishop. . ;» 52 The unity of the
presbyterium finds liturgical expression in the custom of the presbyters'
imposing hands, after the bishop, during the Ate of ordination.
The ordination of deacons - «in order to serve»
§1569
«At a lower level of the hierarchy are to be found deacons, who receive
the imposition of hands 'not unto the priesthood, but unto the
ministry."'53 At an ordination to the diaconate only the bishop
lays hands on the candidate, thus signifying the deacon's special attachment to
the bishop in the tasks of his «diakonia.» 54
§1570
Deacons share in Christ's mission and grace in a special way.55 The
sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint (“character») which
cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the
«deacon» or servant of all.56 Among other tasks, it is the
task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine
mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in
assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and
preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the
various ministries of charity.57
§1571
Since the Second Vatican Council the Latin Church has restored the diaconate
«as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy,» 58 while the
Churches of the East had always maintained it. This permanent diaconate, which
can be conferred on married men, constitutes an important enrichment for the
Church's mission. Indeed it is appropriate and useful that men who carry out a
truly diaconal ministry in the Church, whether in its liturgical and pastoral
life or whether in its social and charitable works, should «be
strengthened by the imposition of hands which has come down from the apostles.
They would be more closely bound to the altar and their ministry would be made
more fruitful through the sacramental grace of the diaconate.» 59
IV. The Celebration of This Sacrament
§1572
Given the importance that the ordination of a bishop, a priest, or a deacon has
for the life of the particular Church, its celebration calls for as many of the
faithful as possible to take part. It should take place preferably on Sunday,
in the cathedral, with solemnity appropriate to the occasion. All three
ordinations, of the bishop, of the pRiest, and of the deacon, follow the same
movement. Their proper place is within the Eucharistic liturgy.
§1573
The essential rite of the sacrament of Holy Orders for all three degrees
consists in the bishop's imposition of hands on the head of the ordinand and in
the bishop's specific consecratory prayer asking God for the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to which the candidate is
being ordained.60
§1574
As in all
the sacraments additional rites surround the celebration. Varying greatly among
the different liturgical traditions, these rites have in common the expression
of the multiple aspects of sacramental grace. Thus in the Latin Church, the
initial rites - presentation and election of the ordinand, instruction by the
bishop, examination of the candidate, litany of the saints - attest that the
choice of the candidate is made in keeping with the practice of the Church and
prepare for the solemn act of consecration, after which several rites
syrnbolically express and complete the mystery accomplished: for bishop and
priest, an anointing with holy chrism, a sign of the special anointing of the
Holy Spirit who makes their ministry fruitful; giving the book of the Gospels,
the ring, the miter, and the crosier to the bishop as the sign of his apostolic
mission to proclaim the Word of God, of his fidelity to the Church, the bride
of Christ, and his office as shepherd of the Lord's flock; presentation to the
priest of the paten and chalice, «the offering of the holy people"
which he is called to present to God; giving the book of the Gospels to the
deacon who has just received the mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ.
V. Who Can Confer This Sacrament?
§1575
Christ himself chose the apostles and gave them a share in his mission and
authority. Raised to the Father's right hand, he has not forsaken his flock but
he keeps it under his constant protection through the apostles, and guides it
still through these same pastors who continue his work today.61 Thus,
it is Christ whose gift it is that some be apostles, others pastors. He
continues to act through the bishops.62
§1576
Since the sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacrament of the apostolic ministry,
it is for the bishops as the successors of the apostles to hand on the
«gift of the Spirit,» 63 The «apostolic
line.» 64 Validly ordained bishops, i.e., those who are in the line
of apostolic succession, validly confer the three degrees of the sacrament of
Holy Orders.65
VI. Who Can Receive This Sacrament?
§1577
«Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred
ordination.» 66 The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college
of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose
collaborators to succeed them in their ministry.67 The college of
bishops, with whom the priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college
of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return.
the Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord
himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.68
§1578
No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Indeed no one
claims this office for himself; he is called to it by God.69 Anyone who
thinks he recognizes the signs of God's call to the ordained ministry must
humbly submit his desire to the authority of the Church, who has the
responsibility and right to call someone to receive orders. Like every grace
this sacrament can be received only as an unmerited gift.
§1579
All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent
deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life
and who intend to remain celibate «for the sake of the kingdom of
heaven.» 70 Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to
the Lord and to «the affairs of the Lord,» 71 they give
themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to
the service of which the Church's minister is consecrated; accepted with a
joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.72
§1580
In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for many
centuries: while bishops are chosen solely from among celibates, married men
can be ordained as deacons and priests. This practice has long been considered
legitimate; these priests exercise a fruitful ministry within their
communities.73 Moreover, priestly celibacy is held in great honor in
the Eastern Churches and many priests have freely chosen it for the sake of the
Kingdom of God. In the East as in the West a man who has already received the
sacrament of Holy Orders can no longer marry.
VII. The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders
The indelible character
§1581
This sacrament configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the
Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church. By
ordination one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the
Church, in his triple office of priest, prophet, and king.
§1582
As in the case of Baptism and Confirmation this share in Christ's office is
granted once for all. the sacrament of Holy Orders, like the other two, confers
an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated or conferred
temporarily.74
§1583
It is
true that someone validly ordained can, for a just reason, be discharged from
the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can be forbidden to
exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the strict
sense,75 because the character imprinted by ordination is for ever. the
vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him
permanently.
§1584
Since it is ultimately Christ who acts and effects salvation through the
ordained minister, the unworthiness of the latter does not prevent Christ from
acting.76 St. Augustine states this forcefully:
As for the proud minister, he is to be ranked with the devil. Christ's gift is not thereby profaned: what flows through him keeps its purity, and what passes through him remains dear and reaches the fertile earth.... the spiritual power of the sacrament is indeed comparable to light: those to be enlightened receive it in its purity, and if it should pass through defiled beings, it is not itself defiled.77
The grace of the Holy Spirit
§1585
The grace of the Holy Spirit proper to this sacrament is configuration to
Christ as Priest, Teacher, and Pastor, of whom the ordained is made a minister.
§1586
For the bishop, this is first of all a grace of strength (“the governing
spirit": Prayer of Episcopal Consecration in the Latin rite):78
The grace to guide and defend his Church with strength and prudence as a father
and pastor, with gratuitous love for all and a preferential love for the poor,
the sick, and the needy. This grace impels him to proclaim the Gospel to all,
to be the model for his flock, to go before it on the way of sanctification by
identifying himself in the Eucharist with Christ the priest and victim, not
fearing to give his life for his sheep:
Father, you know all hearts.
You have chosen your servant for the office of bishop.
May he be a shepherd to your holy flock,
and a high priest blameless in your sight,
ministering to you night and day;
may he always gain the blessing of your favor
and offer the gifts of your holy Church.
Through the Spirit who gives the grace of high priesthood grant him the power
to forgive sins as you have commanded
to assign ministries as you have decreed
and to loose from every bond by the authority which you
gave to your apostles. May he be pleasing to you by his gentleness and purity of heart,
presenting a fragrant offering to you,
through Jesus Christ, your Son....79
§1587
The spiritual gift conferred by presbyteral ordination is expressed by this
prayer of the Byzantine Rite. the bishop, while laying on his hand, says among
other things:
Lord, fill with the gift of the Holy Spirit
him whom you have deigned to raise to the rank of the priesthood,
that he may be worthy to stand without reproach before your altar
to proclaim the Gospel of your kingdom,
to fulfill the ministry of your word of truth,
to offer you spiritual gifts and sacrifices,
to renew your people by the bath of rebirth;
so that he may go out to meet our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, your only Son,
on the day of his second coming,
and may receive from your vast goodness
the recompense for a faithful administration of his order.80
§1588
With regard to deacons, «strengthened by sacramental grace they are
dedicated to the People of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of
priests, in the service (diakonia) of the liturgy, of the Gospel, and of works
of charity.» 81
§1589
Before the grandeur of the priestly grace and office, the holy doctors felt an
urgent call to conversion in order to conform their whole lives to him whose
sacrament had made them ministers. Thus St. Gregory of Nazianzus, as a very
young priest, exclaimed:
We must begin by purifying
ourselves before purifying others; we must be instructed to be able to
instruct, become light to illuminate, draw close to God to bring him close to
others, be sanctified to sanctify, lead by the hand and counsel prudently. I
know whose ministers we are, where we find ourselves and to where we strive. I
know God's greatness and man's weakness, but also his potential. [Who then is
the priest? He is] the defender of truth, who stands with angels, gives glory
with archangels, causes sacrifices to rise to the altar on high, shares
Christ's priesthood, refashions creation, restores it in God's image, recreates
it for the world on high and, even greater, is divinized and divinizes.82
and the holy Cure of Ars: «The priest continues the work of redemption on
earth.... If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die not of
fright but of love.... the Priesthood is the love of the heart of
Jesus.» 83