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Vocation Sacraments
Holy Orders-The Episcopate (Bishop)
The
Holy Orders are at the service of the common
priesthood and is directed at unfolding the baptismal grace of all
Christians (CCC 1547). Holy Orders is the Sacrament Christ instituted
at the Last
Supper: “And
He took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to
them,
saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance
of Me.”
(Luke 22:19).
<>Those
who receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders are
consecrated in Christ’s name (CCC 1539) to
feed the Church
by the Word (Bible and Eucharist) and grace of God.
<>Holy Orders
is the
sacrament
through which the mission Christ entrusted to His apostles continues
to be
exercised in the Church
until the end of time (CCC 1536).
There
are three degrees of Holy Orders in the
apostolic ministry:
episcopate
(bishops),
<>presbytrate
(priests) and
diaconate (deacon) (CCC 1554). Ordination to Holy Orders is a
religious and
liturgical act
of consecration (CCC 1538) which integrates a man into the order of episcopate,
presbytrate or
diaconate. (CCC 1538). Holy Orders confers the gift of the Holy Spirit and
permits exercise
of a sacred power which can some only from Christ Himself through His
Church through
the laying on of hands by the bishop (CCC 1538).
This
pre-eminence of the
bishops refers both to their exercise of authority and to their power
of
consecration. But their authority depends on their own consecration.
Thus only
bishops have the power of ordaining bishops, priests, or deacons. The
common
teaching is that the difference between bishops and priests
(presbyters)
existed from the beginning of the Church through a direct institution
by
Christ.
The
ordination to the
episcopate began with the apostles ordained by Christ at the Last
Supper, so
that the episcopal succession of bishops can be literally called the
apostolic
succession. Every validly ordained bishop in the world today can trace
his
ordination historically to that first ordination on Holy Thursday night.
The
Bishops
and their
priests, sanctify the Church through their prayers and work, by
ministry of
word, sacraments
and example. This is symbolized by the Book
of the Gospels (the
word of
God), the ring (authority), mitre and
crosier (pastor or shepherd)
he receives at his ordination.
In
virtue of
their
ordination, bishops receive the fullness of the sacrament of Order.
Only they
can confer this sacrament on others. Their power to teach and rule the
People
of God depends on their approval by the Bishop of Rome.
Every
man in
Holy Orders is
either a deacon, priest or bishop. The
pope is the Bishop of Rome. Pope, Cardinal, Monsignor, Archbishop, are
not
sacramental orders. These are simply offices and titles and thus,
though they
are usually imparted with a blessing of some sort, their reception is
not an
instance of the sacrament of holy orders. An archbishop is a bishop in
charge
of a large or important diocese called an archdiocese. A cardinal is a
special
member of the papal household. Nearly all cardinals are bishops, but
there are
one or two cardinals who are priests.
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