Holy Orders

COMPENDIUM

Holy Orders is the Sacrament which gives the power of exercising the Sacred Ministry which concerns the worship of God and the salvation of souls, and which stamps on the soul of him who received it the character of a Minister of God. It is called Orders, because it consists in various degrees, subordinate to one another, whence proceeds the sacred Hierarchy. The highest of these degrees is the Episcopate, which comprises the fullness of the Priesthood; then comes the Presbyterate, or simple Priesthood; then the Diaconate, the Subdiaconate, and the Orders called Minor.

Jesus Christ instituted the Sacerdotal Order at the Last Supper, when He conferred upon the Apostles and their Successors the power of consecrating the Most Holy Eucharist. The day after His Resurrection, He conferred on them also the power of remitting and of retaining sins, making them the first Priests of the New Law in all the fullness of their power. The Minister of this Sacrament is the Bishop.

The dignity of the Christian Priesthood is of the highest owing to the twofold power which Jesus Christ has conferred upon it over His real Body and over His mystical Body, which is the Church; and owing to the divine mission entrusted to Priests of leading all men to eternal life.

The Catholic Priesthood is necessary to the Church, because without it, the faithful would be without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and most of the Sacraments, nor would they have anyone to instruct them in the Faith, and they would be like sheep without a shepherd at the mercy of wolves; and, in brief, the Church would not exist in the way which Jesus Christ established it. And therefore, the Catholic Priesthood, notwithstanding the war waged against it by hell, will last to the end of time, since Jesus Christ has promised that the power of hell shall never prevail against His Church.

It is, therefore, a very grave sin to despise the Priesthood, because contempt and wrongs offered to Priests fall upon Jesus Christ Himself, who said to His Apostles: He who despises you, despises Me.

The one end of him who embraces the Ecclesiastical state should be the glory of God and the salvation of souls. To become an Ecclesiastic, it is necessary before everything else to have a divine Vocation. To discover whether one has such a Vocation, one must:

1. Fervently pray to the Lord to show what His will is.
2. Take the advice of one's own Bishop or of a learned and prudent director.
3. Make a diligent examination as to whether one has the necessary capacity for study and the ministry, and for the obligations of the calling.

To become an Ecclesiastic without a divine Vocation would be a serious evil and would expose one to the danger of perdition. And, hence, parents do ill who, from temporal motives, induce their children to become Ecclesiastics without a Vocation, and commit a grave wrong, because thereby they take upon themselves the right which God has reserves to Himself alone of selecting His Ministers, and they put their sons in danger of eternal damnation.

The following are the duties of the faithful towards those who are called to Holy Orders:

1. To allow their sons and dependents full liberty to follow the call of God.
2. To pray to God to vouchsafe to His Church good Pastors and zealous Ministers, since it is for this very end that fasts are ordained at the four Ember seasons.
3. To show singular respect towards all those who are, by means of Holy Orders, consecrated to the service of God.

CATECHISM

814. What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders?

Holy Orders is the Sacrament which gives power to exercise the sacred duties connected with the worship of God and the salvation of souls, and which imprints the character of Minister of God on the soul of him who receives it.

815. Why is it called Orders?

It is called Orders, because it comprises various grades, the one subordinate to the other, from which the Sacred Hierarchy is composed.

816. Which are these grades?

The highest is the Episcopate, which contains the fullness of the Priesthood; then comes the Priesthood; then the Diaconate, the Subdiaconate, and the Orders called Minor.

817. Did Jesus Christ personally institute the grades of Holy Orders?*

Jesus Christ personally instituted the two higher grades of Holy Orders, namely, the Episcopate and the Priesthood; through the Apostles, He instituted the Diaconate, from which the other Minor Orders are derived.

818. When did Jesus Christ institute the Sacerdotal Order?

Jesus Christ instituted the Sacerdotal Order at the Last Supper when He conferred on the Apostles and their Successors the power of consecrating the Blessed Eucharist. Then, on the day of His Resurrection, He conferred on them the power of remitting and retaining sin, thus constituting them the first Priests of the New Law in all the fullness of their power.

819. Who is the Minister of this Sacrament?

The Bishop is the Minister of this Sacrament.

820. Is the dignity of the Christian Priesthood a great dignity?

The dignity of the Christian Priesthood is great indeed, because of the two-fold power which Jesus Christ has conferred upon it, viz. that over His real Body and that over His mystical Body, or the Church; and because of the divine mission committed to Priests to lead men to eternal life.

821. Is the Catholic Priesthood necessary in the Church?

The Catholic Priesthood is necessary in the Church, because without it the faithful would be deprived of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and of the greater part of the Sacraments; they would have no one to instruct them in the Faith; and they would be as sheep without a shepherd, a prey to wolves; in short, the Church, such as Christ instituted it, would no longer exist.

822. Will the Catholic Priesthood, therefore, never cease on this earth?

In spite of the war that hell wages against it, the Catholic Priesthood will last until the end of time, because Jesus Christ has promised that the powers of hell shall never prevail against His Church.

823. Is it a sin to despise Priests?

It is a very grave sin, because the scorn and insults cast on Priests fall upon Jesus Christ Himself, who said to His Apostles: He who despises you, despises Me.

824. What motive should he have who embraces the Ecclesiastical state?

The motive of one who embraces the Ecclesiastical state should be the glory of God and the salvation of souls alone.

825. What is necessary to enter the Ecclesiastical state?

To enter the Ecclesiastical state, a divine Vocation is necessary before all else.

826. What should be done to find out whether God calls us to the Ecclesiastical state?

To find out if God calls us to the Ecclesiastical state, we should: 1. fervently pray the Lord to make known His will to us; 2. consult our Bishop or a learned and prudent director; 3. diligently examine whether we have the capacity necessary for the studies, the duties, and the obligations of this state.

827. If one were to enter the ecclesiastical state without a divine Vocation, would he do wrong?

If one were to enter the Ecclesiastical state without a divine Vocation, he would commit a great wrong and run the risk of being lost.

828. Do those parents sin who, from worldly motives, impel their sons to embrace the Ecclesiastical state without any Vocation?

Those parents who, for worldly motives, impel their sons to embrace the Ecclesiastical state without any Vocation commit a very grave sin, because, by thus acting, they usurp the right God has reserved to Himself alone of choosing His own Ministers; and they expose their children to the danger of eternal damnation.

829. Which are the duties of the faithful towards those who are called to Holy Orders?

The faithful should: 1. give their children and dependents full liberty to follow the call of God; 2. pray God to deign to grant good Pastors and zealous Ministers to His Church — it is precisely for this end that the fasts of Ember days have been instituted; 3. have special respect for all who are consecrated by Holy Orders to God's service.