The 3 Major
or Sacred Orders:
I.
Priests
-
Bishops
- the
First Degree of the Priesthood
-
Priests
- the
Second Degree of the Priesthood
The duties and powers of the priest are to confect the Eucharist at the Mass;
offer the Sacraments of Penance, Communion, and Unction; to preside at the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony; to solemnly baptize; to preach;
to teach, guide, and sanctify his sheep. With ordination to the priesthood,
a man has received the fullness of the Sacrament of Order. The symbols of
this office are the stole, the chasuble, a paten with bread on it, and a
Chalice filled with wine.
II.
Deacons
The duties of the deacon are to handle the sacred vessels, to be of service
to the priests and Bishops (inside and outside of the liturgy), to read the
Epistle and Gospel at the Mass, to be general stewards, and to serve the
widows and orphans. This Order is Sacramental, and the first of the three
divinely-instituted grades of the hierarchy of Orders, the others being the
priesthood and the episcopate. The symbols of this office are the dalmatic,
the stole (worn over the left shoulder, as opposed to around the neck as
priests wear them, and under the dalmatic), and the Book of the Gospels.
III.
Subdeacons
The duties of a subdeacon are to serve the deacon at Mass; to prepare the
bread, wine, and sacred vessels for the Sacrifice; to present the chalice
and paten at the Offertory, and pour water into the wine for the Eucharist;
to chant the Epistle; and to wash the sacred linens. This office is
non-sacramental, but it is now that the vow of celibacy is taken. The symbols
of this order are the empty Chalice and the paten, basin and towel, two little
cruets, and the book of epistles.
The 4 Minor
Orders:
IV.
Acolytes
The duties of the acolyte are to light the Altar candles, carry the candles
in procession, prepare the water and wine for the Mass, and assist the priest
during the Mass The symbols of this order are the candle, the cruet, and
a linen bag. (Note that altar boys are sometimes designated "acolytes" and
fulfill the duties of the acolyte during the Mass.)
V.
Exorcists
In the early Church, the duty of the exorcist was to cast out demons. Now
that duty belongs to the priest alone, but this minor order is kept in
traditional priestly societies nonetheless. The symbol for this order is
the book containing the Rite of Exorcism.
VI. - Lectors
or Readers
The duty of the lector is to chant the Epistle when Mass is sung without
a deacon and subdeacon. The symbol of this order is the Book of the
Epistles.
VII. Porters
- Doorkeepers or Ostiaries or Sextons
The duties of the porter are to ring the bells, to open the church and sacristy,
and to open the book for the priest. Most of these duties have passed to
the laity, such as sacristans, etc., but in traditional priestly orders,
this clerical order is kept as an office and stepping-stone toward the
priesthood. The symbol for this order is keys.
A man who is to become a priest first receives the "tonsure"
i.e., he
is received into the clerical state by being given a surplice and having
hair shorn away at the crown of the head (over the last 400 years or so,
the hair-shearing has passed out of use due to Protestant persecutions).
With the tonsure, he becomes a cleric, but still has not received the Sacrament
of Orders.
The Sacrament
Holy Orders is the Sacrament by which men become priests and are given a
sacred power "sacra potestas"
to act in total sacramental identification with Christ (i.e., to act in
persona Christi) in order confect Christ's Body and offer it up to the
Father at the Mass for the remission of sins; to forgive sins through the
Sacrament of Penance; to solemnly baptize; to preside during the Sacrament
of Holy Matrimony; to offer Unction to the dying; to preach; and to otherwise
teach, guide, and sanctify their sheep. With -- and only with -- the permission
of his Bishop, he may be delegated to offer the Sacrament of Confirmation,
but to the Bishop alone is reserved the power to ordain other priests (though
a priest may be delgated to ordain men to the sub-diaconate and the minor
orders).
As in Baptism and Confirmation, the Sacrament of Holy Orders leaves an indelible
mark on the soul of the recipient and can never be repeated once validly
received; once a priest, always a priest (even if a priest is laicized and
removed from his office, this mark remains).
As said, the minister of the Sacrament of Holy Orders is the Bishop, and
the matter of the Sacrament is the imposition of hands, which takes place
during the beautiful ceremony of ordination.
The form of the Sacrament is
the words:
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty
Father, to these Thy servants, the dignity of the Priesthood; renew the spirit
of holiness within them, so that they may hold from Thee, O God, the office
of the second rank in Thy service and by the example of their behavior afford
a pattern of holy living.
Latin: Da, quaesumus, omnipotens Pater, in hos famulos tuos presbyterii
dignitatem.
Innova in visceribus eorum spiritum sanctitatis, ut acceptum a te, Deus,
secundi meriti munus obtineant; censuramque morum exemplo suae conversationis
insinuent.
The recipient of the Sacrament
must be a baptized, healthy, heterosexual male, at least 25 years of age,
who has a vocation from God, a strong Catholic faith, intelligence, a good
moral character, and a life marked by sanctity. He must be committed to living
a celibate and chaste life, and to prayer (especially the Divine Office,
which he is obligated to pray), and must have been properly formed in
seminary.
Traditional priestly formation, lasts for 6 years and includes a thorough study of Latin, liturgy,
liturgical chant, philosophy, Theology, Church History, moral Theology, dogmatic
Theology, and Canon Law. During the first year, they receive the cassock;
during the second, the tonsure; during the third and fourth, they are ascend
through the minor orders; in the fifth, they are ordained to the
sub-diaconate
and then the diaconate; and after the sixth, they are ordained priests. The
seminarian's days are heavily scheduled, much like a monk's, with daily Mass,
the Divine Office, classes, private study, and community devotions.
It is customary
for those who attend the priest's Ordination and/or first Mass to kiss the
palms of his hands which have been consecrated by holy oils. Palm-kissing
at either time results in an indulgence of
100 days under the usual conditions. An indulgence of 7 years, under the
usual conditions, is received for piously attending a priest's first Mass;
the indulgence is plenary if the one attending is related to the third degree
to the newly-ordained priest.
Pray for vocations and encourage any priestly vocation your sons might have. Teach your children
to have the utmost respect for priests, by word and your own behavior. Don't
call a priest by his first name; he should be addressed as, for example,
"Father Manzione" or simply "Father." He should enjoy the place of honor
(barring the presence of higher ranking hierarchs) at social gatherings.
Kiss his hands to show reverence for the Eucharist. Let your sons see that
to be a priest is to answer God's highest calling, and that the fruits of
the priesthood are His merciful gifts to us. In this way vocations are nurtured
and God's people can continue to be nourished with the very Body of Christ.
And pray for priests, who give us so much. |
