Previous parts in this series:
Part 1: Introduction to the Sacraments
Part 2: Baptism
Part 3: Confirmation
Part 4: Eucharist
Part 4.1: De Defectibus
Part 5: Penance
Part 6: Extreme Unction
Part 7: Marriage
The seventh and final sacrament is the sacrament of Holy Orders, in which a man is ordained to the sacred order of the priesthood. He is ordained to serve God's holy Church through the Mass, the Divine Office, and the sacraments, and to lead the faithful entrusted to his care to heaven. It is a tremendous and sacred responsibility, requiring incredible grace and strength of faith.
Part 1: Introduction to the Sacraments
Part 2: Baptism
Part 3: Confirmation
Part 4: Eucharist
Part 4.1: De Defectibus
Part 5: Penance
Part 6: Extreme Unction
Part 7: Marriage
The seventh and final sacrament is the sacrament of Holy Orders, in which a man is ordained to the sacred order of the priesthood. He is ordained to serve God's holy Church through the Mass, the Divine Office, and the sacraments, and to lead the faithful entrusted to his care to heaven. It is a tremendous and sacred responsibility, requiring incredible grace and strength of faith.
There
are three degrees of the Holy Orders. First is the order of deacon.
The sacred order of deacon (the “diaconate”)
was prefigured by the Levites of the Old Covenant (Numbers 3:5‑13).
After our Lord's Ascension, the apostles appointed men as deacons to
assist them in the work of the Church (Acts 6:2‑7). Deacons
assist priests and bishops in the management of the Church, sing the
Gospel at Mass, pour wine into the chalice, care for the sacred
vessels, visit the sick, and bring alms to the poor.
The
second degree is the priesthood. The priesthood of the New Covenant
was prefigured by Melchizedek. Melchizedek is a seemingly minor
character in the Old Covenant who appears in Genesis 14:18-20,
presenting bread and wine (foreshadowing the Mass) and declaring,
“Blessed be Abram by the most high God.” In Psalm 109:4, King
David sings, “Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of
Melchisedech.” In the New Testament, it is written in Hebrews 6:20,
“Where the forerunner Jesus is entered for us, made a high priest
for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.” Thus, Jesus is
ordained by God as the eternal high priest.
In
John 15:15, Jesus commissions the priesthood of the New Covenant,
saying, “I will not now call you servants: for the servant knoweth
not what his lord doth. But I have called you friends: because all
things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, I have made known to
you.” The priests of the Catholic Church are ordained into this
sacred priesthood to act in persona Christi
(in the person of Christ) by making Jesus Christ's sacrifice present
in the Mass. In addition to offering the Mass, priests are ordained
to forgive sins, grant blessings, and lead a parish. Because of their
role as a spiritual father to a parish, we address priests as
“Father.”
The
third and final degree of the Holy Orders is that of bishop. Bishops
have the fullness of the Holy Orders and are the successors to the
apostles. At the Great Commission, Jesus sends forth his apostles to
continue his ministry, preaching the Gospel
to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:16‑20, Mark 16:14‑18,
Luke 24:44‑49, John
20:19‑23, Acts 1:4‑8). On the Day of Pentecost, the
apostles received the Holy
Ghost and with it the power to continue the ministry of the Catholic
Church (Acts 2:1‑6).
The bishops of the Church
have the authority over the Church that Christ gave to the apostles.
In
addition to their temporal
and spiritual authority, bishops alone have the power to ordain other
men to the Holy Orders.
Since
Jesus ordained the apostles as the first bishops, all deacons,
priests, and bishops derive their authority from apostolic
succession.
Every
priest is
ordained by the laying on of hands by a bishop, who himself received
laying on of hands from another bishop, who received laying on of
hands from another bishop, and so on, in an unbroken chain all the
way back to the apostles. In
the second century, St. Irenaeus wrote, “Wherefore we must obey the
priests of the Church who have succession from the Apostles”
(Adversus Haereses
IV, 26).
From
the third century until 1972, men preparing
to be priests, called seminarians,
were ordained to a series of minor
orders
as part of their preparation. The minor orders are still observed by
traditionalist groups such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.
Seminarians
are required to be unmarried men.
First,
a man
receives the first
tonsure,
in which he is admitted to the clerical state. The bishop cuts five
locks of hair from his head in
the form of a cross
to symbolize giving up earthly treasures. As
he continues his preparation for the priesthood over the next few
years, a
seminarian
is ordained to each of the four minor orders.
-
Porters, or doormen, have responsibility for the church building.
-
Lectors are ordained to read the readings at the Mass and Divine Office, particularly the readings of Matins.
-
Exorcists are ordained to grant simple blessings and expel demons.
-
Finally, acolytes are the highest minor order, ordained to assist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by lighting and extinguishing the candles and presenting the cruets of water and wine.
The
four minor orders are followed by the four major
orders of subdeacon,
deacon, priest, and bishop. Of these, only subdeacon is not part of
the sacrament of Holy Orders. Subdeacons
are ordained to assist deacons and priests by singing the Epistle at
Mass, pouring water into the Chalice at the Offertory, and caring for
the sacred vessels. Starting
with their ordination to the subdiaconate, seminarians are obligated
to offer the entire Divine Office every day. Along with receiving all
of these orders, candidates to the priesthood must be taught and
formed both spiritually and intellectually.
The
essential matter of the sacrament of Holy Orders is the laying on of
hands. The essential form is
the prayer that the bishop says, investing the candidates with the
sacred priesthood. The essential minister is a bishop. Since
ancient times, deacons have been ordained by a bishop alone, priests
have been ordained by a bishop along with other priests, and bishops
have been ordained by many bishops. However,
only one bishop is necessary for the validity of all three orders.
The Holy Orders make an
indelible mark on the soul and give a man the permanent character of
a priest. Thus, like the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, each
degree of the Holy Orders can only be received once in a lifetime.
Like
the nuptial blessing of a newly married couple, ordinations to the
Holy Orders are among the most solemn blessings, so they take place
within the Holy Mass, between
the Epistle and Gospel. The
liturgies are found in the Roman Pontifical. There
are separate ceremonies for ordinations
of deacons,
priests,
and bishops.
In this article, I will
explain the ordination of a priest.
At
the ordination ceremony, the bishop wears vestments proper to his
office. Like at Confirmation, he wears the pontifical stockings and
sandals, amice, alb, cincture, pectoral cross, maniple, and stole
(straight down on both sides, not crossed). Since a bishop has the
fullness of the Holy Orders, he wears a tunicle, dalmatic, and
chasuble, the proper vestments of each of the major orders. On his
hands he wears the pontifical
gloves, gloves made of
silk in the color of the day, with a cross embroidered on the back.
On his head he wears the mitre, which represents the helmet of
salvation and the office of bishop. Also among
the people who take part in the ceremony is
an archdeacon.
Originally,
the archdeacon was a senior administrative position in a diocese.
Today, the rector of the seminary may serve as the archdeacon.
Mass
begins
as usual up until the Alleluia verse or Tract, which is stopped short
of its final line. The archdeacon invites the candidates to come
forward. Each candidate is called by name, just as God has called the
candidate by name to be a
priest. This is the
candidate's vocation—his
calling to the priesthood.
Each candidate kneels before the altar, wearing
amice, alb, cincture, maniple, and stole. Since he
is still just a
deacon, he
wears
the stole across his
chest like a deacon. He
carries a chasuble on his left arm and holds a lighted
candle in his right hand. (B
indicates what the bishop says or sings, and AD
indicates what the archdeacon says or sings.)
AD
Reverendissime pater,
postulat sancta mater Ecclesia catholica, ut hos praesentes
Diaconos ad onus Presbyterii ordinetis. B Scis illos esse dignos? AD Quantum humana fragilitas nosse sinit, et scio, et testificor ipsos dignos esse ad hujus onus officii. B Deo gratias. |
AD
Most Reverend Father, our
holy Mother, the Catholic Church, requests that you ordain the
deacons here present to the office of the priesthood. B Dost thou know them to be worthy? AD As far as human frailty allows to know, I know and I testify that they are worthy of the charge of this office. B Thanks be to God. |
The bishop then addresses the
faithful about the sacrament of Holy Orders. He compares priests to
the captain of a ship, with the faithful as the passengers. Like the
Banns of Marriage, the bishop admonishes the faithful to speak up if
anyone knows a reason why the men should not be ordained. However,
the bishop says that anyone making an objection should be mindful of
his own condition before speaking against the clergy. This is similar
to Jesus's admonition to remove the beam from our own eye before
removing the speck from our neighbor's eye (Matthew 7:5).
Dearly beloved brethren, the captain of a ship as well as the passengers are in the same condition as to safety or danger. Their cause is common, therefore they ought to be of the same mind. Indeed, not without reason did the Fathers ordain that in the election of those who were to be employed in the service of the altar the people also should be consulted. For it happens here and there that, as to the life and conduct of a candidate, a few know what is unknown to the majority. Necessarily, also, people will render obedience more readily to the ordained if they have consented to his ordination. Now, with the help of the Lord, these deacons are to be ordained priests. As far as I can judge, their life has been of approved goodness and pleasing to God, and, in my opinion, merits for them promotion to a higher ecclesiastical honor. However, lest one or a few be mistaken in their judgment, or deceived by affection, we must hear the opinion of many. Therefore, whatsoever you know about their lives or character, whatsoever you think of their worthiness, freely make it known. Testify as to their fitness for the priesthood according to merit rather than according to affection. If anyone has anything against them, before God and for the sake of God let him confidently come forward and speak. However, let him be mindful of his condition. |
If no objections are raised,
the bishop proceeds to address the candidates about the seriousness
of the sacrament they are about to receive.
Dearly beloved sons, you
are about to be ordained to the order of the priesthood. Strive to
receive it worthily, and having received it, to discharge its
duties in a praiseworthy manner. The office of the priest is to
offer sacrifice, to bless, to govern, to preach, and to baptize.
Truly, it must be with great fear that you ascend to so high a
station; and care must be taken that heavenly wisdom, an
irreproachable character, and long-continued righteousness shall
commend the candidates chosen for it.
It is for this reason that the Lord, when commanding Moses to select from the whole people of Israel seventy men to assist him, and to impart to them a share in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, added this direction: Take whom thou knowest to be elders among the people. Now you have been typified by the seventy men who were elders, if, observing the Ten Commandments of the Law by the help of the seven-fold Spirit, you will be men of virtue, mature in knowledge as well as in work. Under the same mystery and figure, the Lord chose in the New Testament seventy-two disciples and sent them two by two, to go before him, preaching. Thus he wished to teach by word and deed that the ministers of his Church should be perfect in faith and practice, in other words, that they should be grounded in the twin virtue of charity, namely, the love of God and the love of neighbor. Therefore, endeavor to be such that, by the grace of God, you may be worthy to be chosen as helpers of Moses and the twelve apostles, that is, the Catholic bishops who are signified by Moses and the twelve apostles. Truly wonderful is the variety with which holy Church is endowed, adorned, and governed. Its ministers are men ordained to various orders, some bishops, others inferior in rank, priests and deacons and subdeacons; and out of many members distinguished as to dignity, the one body of Christ is formed. And so, dearly beloved sons, chosen by the judgment of our brethren to be our helpers in the ministry, maintain in your deportment inviolate purity and holiness of life. Understand what you do, imitate what you administer. Inasmuch as you celebrate the mystery of the death of the Lord, you should endeavor to mortify in your members all sin and concupiscence. Let your teaching be a spiritual medicine for the people of God and the odor of your lives a delight for the Church of Christ. May you thus build up, by preaching and example, the house, that is, the family of God, so that your promotion may not be a cause of damnation for me, nor the reception of so great an office for you, but rather of reward. May he by his grace grant it to us. Amen. |
To implore God's help for the
men who are about to join the sacred priesthood, we call upon the
entire court of heaven in the Litany of the Saints. In the
Litany of the Saints, we invoke many saints by name and sing, “Ora
pro nobis,” meaning, “Pray for us.” These men have been called
by name beyond their earthly concerns to be priests of God, so now,
they present themselves prostrate before the altar of God and ask the
prayers of all of the angels and saints.
After the Litany of the
Saints, the solemn ordination itself takes place. In silence, each
candidate kneels before the bishop. The bishop lays his hands on the
candidate's head. This is the essential matter of the sacrament.
Through this laying on of hands, the candidate is ordained into
apostolic succession. After each candidate has received the laying on
of hands from the bishop, every priest in attendance lays their hands
on each of the candidates. Pictured below is His Excellency Alexander
King Sample, Archbishop of Portland, ordaining a priest at the FSSP's
priestly ordinations in May 2018.
Image
credit: Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
Once this process is
completed, the bishop sings several prayers for the candidates.
Oremus, fratres
charissimi, Deum Patrem omnipotentem, ut super hos famulos suos,
quos ad Presbyterii munus elegit, coelestia dona multiplicet; et
quod ejus dignatione suscipiunt, ipsius consequantur auxilio. Per
Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Oremus.
Flectamus
genua. Levate.
Exaudi
nos, quaesumus, Domine Deus noster et super hos famulos tuos bene
+ dictionem Sancti Spiritus, et gratiae Sacerdotalis infunde
virtutem: ut, quos tuae pietatis aspectibus offerimus
consecrandos, perpetua muneris tui largitate prosequaris. Per
Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit, et
regnat in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus.
|
Let us pray, dearly
beloved brethren, to God, the Father almighty, that he may
multiply heavenly gifts upon these his servants whom he has chosen
for the office of the priesthood. May they by his help accomplish
what they undertake at his gracious call. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let
us pray.
Let
us kneel. Rise.
Hear
us, we beseech thee, Lord our God, and pour out upon these thy
servants the + blessing of the Holy Spirit and the power of
priestly grace. Sustain them forever with the bounty of thy gifts,
whom we present to thy mercy to be consecrated. Through our Lord
Jesus Christ, thy son, who lives and reigns with thee in the unity
of the same Holy Spirit, God.
|
Because the prayer and the
blessing of the candidates is so solemn, it imitates the form of the
most solemn blessing of all, the Holy Mass. The above prayers are
analogous to the secret at Mass. The bishop continues with the
Preface. This Preface contains the essential form of the sacrament.
Per omnia saecula
saeculorum. Amen. Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo. Sursum corda. Habemus ad Dominum. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. Dignum et justum est.
Vere
dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et
ubique gratias agere, Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne
Deus, honorum auctor et distributor omnium dignitatum; per quem
proficiunt universa, per quem cuncta firmantur, amplificatis
semper in melius naturae rationalis incrementis, per ordinem
congrua ratione dispositum. Unde et Sacerdotales gradus, atque
officia Levitarum, Sacramentis mysticis instituta crevenunt: ut
cum Pontifices summos regendis populis praefecisses, ad eorum
societatis et operis adjumentum, sequentis ordinis viros et
secundae dignitatis eligeres. Sic in eremo per septuaginta virorum
prudentium mentes, Moysi spiritum propagasti; quibus ille
adjutoribus usus, in populo innumeras multitudines facile
gubernavit. Sic et in Eleazarum et Ithamarum filios Aaron paternae
plenitudinis abundantiam transfudisti, ut ad hostias salutares, et
frequentioris officii Sacramenta, ministerium sufficeret
Sacerdotum. Hac providentia, Domine, Apostolis Filii tui Doctores
fidei comites addidisti, quibus illi orbem totum secundis
praedicationibus impleverunt. Quapropter infirmitati quoque
nostrae, Domine, quaesumus, haec adjumenta largire; qui quanto
fragiliores sumus, tanto his pluribus in digemus. Da, quaesumus,
omnipotens Pater, in hos famulos tuos Presbyterii digniitatem;
innova in visceribus eorum Spiritum sanctitatis; ut acceptum a te,
Deus, secundi meriti munus obtineant, censuramque morum ex exemplo
suae conversationis insinuent. Sint providi cooperatores ordinis
nostri; eluceat in eis totius forma justitiae, ut bonam rationem
dispensationis sibi creditae reddituri, aeternae beatitudinis
praemia consequantur.
|
World without end. Amen. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Lift up your hearts. We have lifted them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and just.
It
is truly meet and just, right and profitable unto salvation to
give thanks at all times and in all places to thee, holy Lord,
Father almighty, eternal God, giver of honors and dispenser of all
dignities. Through thee all things progress; by thee they are
sustained; through thee the endowments of our rational nature are
continually raised to a higher perfection according to a wisely
appointed plan. Thus have come into existence priestly orders and
the office of Levites, instituted amid sacred mysteries. When thou
didst appoint high priests to govern the people, thou didst also
choose men of lower rank and inferior dignity to be at their side
and to assist them in their work. Thus didst thou multiply in the
desert the spirit of Moses through the minds of seventy judicious
men, so that with their help he easily governed the countless
multitudes of the people. In like manner thou hast bestowed upon
Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron, the fullness of their
father's priestly power, so that there might be a sufficient
number of priests for the offering of salutary sacrifices and the
performance of the numerous sacred rites. By the same providence
thou, O Lord, has joined to the apostles of thy Son teachers of
the faith; and with their help they have filled the whole world
with the glad tidings of the gospel. Therefore, we beseech thee, O
Lord, give also to us such help in our infirmity; we need it so
much more than they, as our weakness is so much greater. We
beseech thee, almighty Father, invest these thy servants with the
dignity of the priesthood. Do thou renew in their hearts the
spirit of holiness, that they may hold the office, next to ours in
importance, which they have received from thee, O Lord, and by the
example of their lives point out a norm of conduct. May they be
prudent fellow laborers of our order; may the pattern of all
justice shine forth in them so that, when they will give a good
account of the stewardship entrusted to them, they may receive the
reward of eternal bliss.
|
The bishop concludes in a low
voice.
Per eumdem Dominum
nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit, et regnat in
unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula
saeculorum. Amen. |
Through the same Jesus
Christ, thy Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. |
Each candidate then receives
the vestments of the priestly order. First, the bishop rearranges
each candidate's stole so that it is worn around the neck forming an
X across the chest, in the manner of a priest.
Accipe jugum Domini; jugum enim ejus suave est, et onus ejus leve. | Receive the yoke of the Lord; for his yoke is sweet and his burden light. |
The bishop then clothes the
candidate with the chasuble, the symbol of charity and of the office
of a priest. The back of the chasuble is still folded up and secured
with pins until the end of the ceremony. The candidate responds,
“Thanks be to God.”
Accipe vestem
Sacerdotalem, per quam charitas intelligitur: potens est enim
Deus, ut augeat tibi charitatem, et opus perfectum. Deo gratias. |
Receive the priestly
vestment, by which charity is signified; for God is powerful to
increase unto thee charity and perfection of work. Thanks be to God. |
The bishop removes his mitre
and says this prayer.
Deus sanctificationum
omnium auctor, cujus vera consecratio, plenaque benedictio est,
tu, Domine, super hos famulos tuos, quos ad Presbyterii honorem
dedicamus, munus tuae bene + dictionis infunde: ut gravitate
actuum, et censura vivendi probent se seniores, his instituti
disciplinis, quas Tito et Timotheo Paulus exposuit; ut in lege tua
die ac nocte meditantes, quod legerint, credant; quod crederint,
doceant; quod docuerint, imitentur; justitiam, constantiam,
misericordiam, fortitudinem, ceterasque virtutes in se ostendant;
exemplo praebeant; admonitione confirment; ac purum et immaculatum
ministerii sui donum custodiant; et in obsequium plebis tuae,
panem et vinum in corpus et sanguinem Filii tui immaculata
benedictione transforment; et inviolabili charitate in virum
perfectum, in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi, in die justi
et aeterni judicii Dei, conscientia pura, fide vera, Spiritu
Sancto pleni resurgant. Per eundem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum
Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit, et regnat in unitate ejusdem
Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
|
O God, author of all
holiness, from whom comes true consecration and the fullness of
benediction, do thou, O Lord, pour out thy gracious blessing upon
these thy servants, upon whom we confer the honor of the
priesthood. May they, by gravity of demeanor and strictness of
life, prove themselves to be elders, trained according to the
principles which Paul set forth to Titus and Timothy. May they
keep thy law before their minds day and night, believe what they
read, teach what they believe, and practice what they teach. May
they show forth in their persons justice, constancy, mercy,
fortitude, and all other virtues, be leaders by their example,
inspire strength by exhortation, and preserve the gift of their
ministry pure and undefiled; may they change by a holy benediction
bread and wine into the body and blood of thy Son for the worship
of thy people. And having kept their conscience pure and true
their faith in never failing charity, may they rise on the day of
God's just and final judgment, full of the Holy Spirit, to perfect
manhood, in the full measure of the age of Christ. Through the
same Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with
thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen. |
Up until now, the ceremony
has paralleled the ordination of a deacon. However, whereas the
deacon's ordination ends after he is clothed with the vestments of a
deacon, the new priests are invested with the authority to bless,
consecrate, and offer the Mass, which are proper to a priest. The
bishop kneels and sings the first line of the hymn Veni Creator
Spiritus, which the choir continues. In this hymn, we invoke the
Holy Spirit, that he may come upon the candidates like at Pentecost
and give them the life-giving power of the priesthood.
After the hymn, the bishop
sits and removes his gloves. Each candidate kneels before him to be
anointed. The bishop anoints each candidate's hands, which are given
the power to bless and consecrate, particularly to consecrate the
Host and Chalice in the Mass. They are anointed in the form of the
Greek letter X, which stands for Christ.
Consecrare, et
sanctificare digneris, Domine, manus istas per istam unctionem, et
nostram bene+dictionem. Amen. Ut quaecumque benedixerint, benedicantur, et quaecumque consecraverint, consecrentur, et sanctificentur, in nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi. Amen. |
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to
consecrate and sanctify these hands by this unction and our +
blessing.
Amen. That whatsoever they shall bless may be blessed, and whatsoever they shall consecrate be consecrated and sanctified, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. |
Through this ceremony of
anointing the hands, the new priests are given the power to bless and
consecrate. They are then given the power to offer the Mass. Each
candidate approaches the bishop again and is presented with a chalice
containing wine and water and a paten with a host on it, which the
candidate touches.
Accipe potestatem
offerre sacrificium Deo, Missasque celebrare, tam pro vivis, quam
pro defunctis. In nomine Domini. Amen. |
Receive the power to
offer sacrifice to God and to celebrate Mass for the living as
well as for the dead. In the name of the Lord.
Amen. |
Mass continues with the final
“alleluia” or the last line of the Tract, followed by the Gospel.
At the beginning of the Offertory, each candidate presents the bishop
with a candle. Since they have just been ordained to offer the Mass,
the newly ordained priests concelebrate the Mass, meaning they
offer the Mass alongside the bishop as part of the ordained,
sacrificial priesthood. An ordination is the only time the
traditional Latin Mass is ever concelebrated. The bishop says all of
the prayers that are usually said silently aloud, including the
Offertory prayers and the Canon. During the ablutions after
Communion, the choir sings a responsory taken from Jesus's
institution of the priesthood in John 15:15.
Jam non dicam vos
servos, sed amicos meos, quia omnia cognovistis quae operatus sum
medio vestri, alleluia. Accipite Spiritum Sanctum in vobis
paraclitum. Ille est, quem Pater mittet vobis, alleluia.
Vos amici mei estis, si feceritis, quae ego praecipio vobis. Accipite Spiritum Sanctum in vobis paraclitum. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Ille est, quem Pater mittet vobis, alleluia. |
I will not now call you
servants but my friends; for you have known all things whatsoever
I have wrought in the midst of you. Alleluia. Receive in you the
Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; he it is whom the Father will send
you. Alleluia.
You are my friends if you do the things that I command you. Receive in you the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. He it is whom the Father will send you. Alleluia. |
The new priests then stand
and recite the Apostles' Creed, a public profession of the faith
which they have been ordained to preach. Each candidate then kneels
before the bishop one last time. The bishop gives the candidate the
power to forgive sins through the sacrament of Penance, quoting the
words in John 20:23 that Jesus said when he gave his apostles this
power.
Accipe Spiritum Sanctum, quorum remiseris peccata, remittuntur eis; et quorum retinueris, retenta sunt. | Receive the Holy Ghost; whose sins thou shalt forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins thou shalt retain, they are retained. |
Now that the new priest is
fully invested with the sacred priesthood, the bishop lets down the
back of the new priest's chasuble, which had been folded up until
now.
Stola innocentiae induat te Dominus. | May the Lord clothe thee with the robe of innocence. |
The new priest then makes a
vow to obey his bishop, and the bishop gives him the kiss of peace.
Promittis mihi, et
Successoribus meis reverentiam, et obedientiam? Promitto.
Pax
Domini sit semper tecum.
Amen. |
Dost thou promise me and
my successors reverence and obedience?
I
promise.
The
peace of the Lord be always with thee.
Amen.
|
The bishop warns the new
priests of the danger of their office. He echoes Jesus's warning from
Matthew 10:16: “Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.”
Dearly beloved sons, since the office which you will perform is beset with considerable danger, I admonish you to learn carefully from other experienced priests the order of the whole Mass, the consecration and the breaking of the host, and the communion, before you begin to celebrate Mass. |
The bishop gives the newly
ordained priests a solemn blessing to conclude the ceremony.
Benedictio Dei
omnipotentis Pa+tris, et Fi+lii, et Spiritus + Sancti descendat
super vos; ut sitis benedicti in ordine sacerdotali; et offeratis
placabiles Hostias pro peccatis, atque offensionibus populi
omnipotenti Deo, cui est honor, et gloria per omnia saecula
saeculorum. Amen. |
May the blessing of the
almighty God, the + Father, the + Son, and the Holy + Ghost,
descend upon you, that you may be blessed in the priestly order,
and offer up the sacrifice of propitiation for the sins and
offenses of the people to almighty God, to whom be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen. |
Mass continues with the
postcommunions. After the blessing at the end of Mass, the bishop
addresses the newly ordained priests.
Dearly beloved sons, carefully consider the order which you have received today and the burden which has been laid upon your shoulders. Endeavor to live holy lives devoted to religion and to be pleasing to the almighty God, that you may obtain his grace. May he in his mercy deign to bestow it upon you. Those who have been ordained priests, say, after your first Mass, three other Masses: one of the Holy Spirit, another of the Blessed Mary, ever virgin, and the third one for the faithful departed, and pray to almighty God also for me. |
Mass concludes as usual with
the Last Gospel. Like a newly married couple at a nuptial Mass, the
newly ordained priests can take comfort in the words of St. John in
the Last Gospel, “The light
shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John
1:5). The new priests are
ordained to bring the light of Christ into the world. The darkness of
the devil and earthly vice cannot comprehend the light of Christ.
Just as the newly married
couple is called by God to give life to their children, the new
priests are called by God to bring divine life and grace to the
faithful entrusted to their care. A priest is rightly called
“Father,” because just as a father gives light and life to his
children, a priest gives light and life to his parish. He
is, in a way, an alter
Christus—another
Christ—because he continues Christ's ministry on earth. As long as
we have priests, we can be united to God.
New
terms
-
apostolic succession – The unbroken chain of laying on of hands extending from every deacon, priest, and bishop all the way back to the apostles.
-
seminarian – A man preparing to become a priest.
-
minor orders – The four orders of porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte, to which seminarians are ordained as part of their preparation for the priesthood.
-
first tonsure – The ceremony of cutting a man's hair and receiving him into the clerical state,
-
porter – The first minor order. Porters are like doormen, charged with care of the church buildings.
-
lector – The second minor order. Lectors read the readings at Mass and the Divine Office, particularly the readings at Matins.
-
exorcist – The third minor order. Exorcists give simple blessings and expel demons.
-
acolyte – The fourth and final minor order. Acolytes assist the sacred ministers in the Mass by lighting and extinguishing candles and presenting the cruets of wine and water.
-
major orders – The orders of subdeacon, deacon, priest, and bishop. All of these except subdeacon are part of the sacrament of Holy Orders.
-
pontifical gloves – Gloves of silk in the color of the day with a cross embroidered on the back, worn by a bishop offering the Mass.
-
archdeacon – Originally a senior diocesan official, now usually the rector of the seminary, who presents the candidates to the bishop for ordination.
-
Litany of the Saints – A long litany in which we invoke many saints by name and ask them to pray for us.
-
concelebrate – To celebrate the Mass alongside the principal celebrant as part of the ordained, sacrificial priesthood. In the traditional Latin Mass, concelebration is only allowed at ordinations.
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