Holy Orders
«And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life»
Matthew 19:29
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Apostles today
Priests are indispensable in our Catholic Church. Thanks to them, our Church has continuity.
Even though, since our Baptism we are all constituted as Priests, Prophets and Kings, Jesus entrusted them to administer the sacraments and thanks to their yes, to accept Jesus' choice of them, we, the baptized, can receive them.
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They are the only ones who can consecrate bread and wine in the Eucharist, and forgive sins in Confession.
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The Sacrament of Priestly Ordination can only be administered by a bishop.
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To know more about our priests...
For the non-consecrated or secular people, the priestly order seems a bit distant from our reality. Here are some ideas to better understanding this sacrament.
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1. Holy Orders is a sacrament that allows to consecrate deacons, priests and bishops, from the imposition of hands and some specific words, which depending on each degree is different.
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2. During Holy Orders, the Holy Spirit is especially present. The ordained person receives in his soul a seal that cannot be erased.
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3. In the Catholic Church, only men can receive this sacrament. It is interesting to note that permanent deacons can be married.
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4. The word Order comes from the Latin, ordinatio, and the Romans used it to designate members of the government.
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5. There are 3 ranks of Holy Orders:
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The deacon: assists the presbyters and bishops in their ministry. To become a priest, it is necessary to first be ordained a deacon.1.
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The priest: they are usually responsible for a community. They are in charge of administering the sacraments. They are under the orders of the bishop.
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The bishop: they are the successors of the apostles and direct their ministry under the direction of the Pope.
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