CatholicTheology.info

Choose a topic from Part 3 Suppl:

• Penance (Continued)
• Extreme Unction
• Order (Holy Orders)
  • 34. The Sacrament of Orders
  • 35. The Effect of the Sacrament of Orders
  • 36. Qualities in Those to be Ordained
  • 37. The Distinction of Orders: The Character
  • 38. The Minister of Holy Orders
  • 39. The Impediments to Orders
  • 40. Matters Pertinent to the Sacrament of Orders
• Matrimony
• The General Resurrection
• The Last Things
• Appendix I (The Innocents in Limbo)
• Appendix II (Two Notes on Purgatory)

34. The Sacrament of Orders

1. Orders, or holy orders as it is more generally called,is the sacrament by which bishops, priests, and deacons are giventhe power to perform their sacred functions.

2. Peter the Lombard defines the sacrament of orders as:"A seal of the Church by which spiritual power is conferred onthe person ordained." Rightly understood, this is a gooddescription of orders. The sacrament is a sign or seal. It is"of the Church" in the sense that Christ instituted itand consigned it to the Church for administering; our Lord did thiswith all the sacraments; hence it is common to hear the expression,"the sacraments of the Church," even though the Churchcannot institute or abrogate any sacrament. The definition of Peterthe Lombard indicates the effect of this sacrament in therecipient, namely, spiritual power.

3. A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ,while he was here on earth before his Ascension into heaven, whichboth signifies and confers an inward grace. The sacrament of orderssquares with this definition. It is therefore a true sacrament.

4 & 5. This sacrament is conferred by the imposing of thebishop's hands upon the recipient (this constitutes thematter of the sacrament) followed by prescribed prayers(the form) which indicate the meaning of the matter orsign, and constitute it a sacrament.

"Whoever wants to stand alone without the support of a master and guide will be like the tree that stands alone in a field without a proprietor. No matter how much the tree bears, passers-by will pick the fruit before it ripens. "
St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

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"Let no one wear a mask, otherwise he will do ill; and if he has one, let him burn it."
St Philip Neri

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"If, devout soul, it is your will to please God and live a life of serenity in this world, unite yourself always and in all things to the divine will. Reflect that all the sins of your past wicked life happened because you wandered from the path of God's will. For the future, embrace God's good pleasure and say to him in every happening: "Yea, Father, for so it hath seemed good in thy sight." "
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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