CHAPTER VII

TOUCHING THE SACRAMENT OF ORDER

QUESTION I

Why the Sacrament of Order should be explained to the People by the Priests

If any one give an attentive consideration to the nature and properties of the other sacraments, he will readily perceive, that so dependent are they all on the sacrament of Order, that without it some could not at all he consecrated nor administered, whilst others would be stripped of their solemn ceremonies, and of their proper respect and veneration. Pastors, therefore, following up their exposition of the sacraments, must esteem it a duty to bestow also the greater attention on the sacrament of Order. And this exposition will prove most profitable, first to the pastors themselves, next to others, who have entered into the ecclesiastical state of life, and finally to the faithful people at large; to [the pastors] themselves, because, whilst engaged on this subject, they themselves will be more excited to stir up within them the grace which they received in this sacrament; to others, whom the Lord has called to his sanctuary, partly, by inspiring them with the same love of piety, partly, by imparting to them a knowledge of those things, which will qualify them the more easily to advance to higher degrees; to the faithful at large, first by enabling them to understand the respect clue to the ministers of the Church, and next, as it often happens that amongst the hearers there are many who intend their children for the ministry whilst yet young, or some who are of their own accord and will candidates for that state of life, it is by no means fitting that such persons should be unacquainted with the principal things regarding its nature.

QUESTION II

No Dignity on Earth is more excellent than that of the Priesthood

The faithful then are first to be made acquainted with the exalted dignity and excellence of this sacrament, if we regard its highest degree, which is the priesthood. For whereas priests and bishops are the interpreters and heralds of God, who are commissioned in his name to teach mankind the divine law and the precepts of life, and are the representatives on earth of God himself, it is plainly impossible, therefore, to conceive a function more exalted; and justly, therefore, are they called not only angels, but also gods, holding as they do amongst us the power and might of the immortal God. But although, at all times, priests possessed a most exalted dignity; yet those of the New Testament far exceed all the others in honour, for the power of consecrating and offering the body and blood of our Lord, and of remitting sins, with which the priesthood of the new law is invested, transcends human reason and intelligence, still less is it equalled by, or like unto, anything else on earth.

QUESTION III

Who are to be thought called unto the Priesthood and the Offices of the Church

Again, as our Saviour was sent by the Father, the apostles and disciples by Christ our Lord, even so priests, invested with the same power, are sent daily, for the perfection of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. The burden of this great office, therefore, is not rashly to be imposed on any one, but on those only who, by their sanctity of life, their knowledge, their faith, their prudence, can sustain it. Neither let any one take this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. And they are said to be called by God who are called by the lawful ministers of the Church; for those who arrogantly intermeddle with, and intrude themselves into, this ministry, the Lord had in view when he said, I have not sent prophets, yet they ran. Than this class of men none can be more unhappy and miserable, nothing can be more calamitous to the Church of God.

QUESTION IV

Who may be judged to approach Holy Orders rashly, and to enter into the Church from a Wrong Direction

But as, in every undertaking, the end proposed is of the utmost importance (for when the end is best, everything proceeds well), candidates for the ministry should, first of all, be admonished to propose to themselves nothing unworthy of so exalted an office; and this is a subject to be treated the more diligently, inasmuch as the faithful are wont to sin more grievously in this respect in these our days. For there are some who aspire to the priesthood with a view to secure to themselves the things appertaining to food and clothing, who, like worldlings in matters of the most sordid occupation, look to nothing in the priesthood but gain. For although the natural and divine law command that, according to the judgment of the apostle, he that serves the altar should live by the altar, yet to approach the altar for gain and lucre is sacrilege of the worst kind. Others there be whom a lust after honours and ambition conducts to the altar; others, whom the longing for affluence in riches attracts; and of this we require no other proof than that they have no idea of embracing the ecclesiastical state, unless they be preferred to some rich ecclesiastical benefice. These are they whom our Lord denounces as hirelings, who, to use the words of Ezekiel, feed themselves, and not the sheep. Their baseness and profligacy have not only tarnished the lustre of the priestly character, so as to render it an object of utter contempt in the eyes of the faithful; but they obtain from priesthood in their turn no other reward but that which the apostleship brought to Judas; that is, everlasting perdition! But they who, in obedience to the legitimate call of God, undertake the priestly office, solely with a view to promote his glory, are truly said to enter by the door.

QUESTION V

In what manner they who by Orders dedicate themselves to the Church ought to excel and surpass the rest of the People

We must not, however, suppose that the same obligation is not imposed equally on all; for unto this were all men created; unto this the faithful in particular, consecrated as they have been by baptism, that they should promote with their whole heart, their whole soul, and their whole strength, the worship of God; but candidates for the sacrament of Order must not only propose to themselves to seek in all things the glory of God (a duty, it is evident, common alike to all men, and particularly to the faithful), but must also be resolved to serve God in holiness and righteousness, in the particular sphere to which their ministry is appropriated. For as in an army all indeed obey the commands of the general, whilst amongst them some hold the place of centurion, some of prefect, and others stations of subordinate rank; so in the Church, whilst all the faithful should be most earnest in the pursuit of piety and innocence, the principal means by which God is honoured, those, however, who are initiated in the sacrament of Order, have certain special duties to discharge, special functions to perform. For they offer sacrifices for themselves, and for all the people; instruct others in the obligation of the divine law; exhort and instruct them unto a prompt and cheerful compliance with its injunctions; and administer the sacraments of Christ our Lord, by which all grace is imparted and augmented. In a word, set apart from the rest of the people, they are engaged in a ministry of all others by far the greatest and most exalted.

Having therefore explained these matters, pastors will next proceed to expound the things that are peculiar to this sacrament, that those amongst the faithful who wish to be admitted into the ecclesiastical state may rightly understand the nature of the office to which they aspire, and may know what an extent of power has been conferred by God on his Church and her ministers.

QUESTION VI

The Ecclesiastical Power twofold

This [power] is twofold: of order and of jurisdiction. The power of order has reference to the real body of Christ our Lord in the holy Eucharist; that of jurisdiction, altogether to his mystical body. For to the latter it belongs to govern and rule the Christian people, and direct them to eternal and heavenly bliss.

QUESTION VII

To what does the Power of Order extend itself

But the power of order includes not only the ability and prerogative of consecrating the Eucharist, but also of preparing and fitting the souls of men for its reception, and embraces whatever else has reference in any way to the Eucharist. Of this the holy Scriptures afford numerous attestations; amongst which the most striking and weighty are contained in the words recorded by St. John and St. Matthew on this subject: As the Father hath sent me, says the Redeemer, even so send I you: Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose sins you shall remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose ye shall retain, they are retained; and: Amen, I say to you, whatsoever ye shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. These passages, if expounded by pastors from the doctrine and on the authority of the holy Fathers, will throw very great light on this truth.

QUESTION VIII

The Priesthood of Christ is more sublime than that of the Law of Nature or of Moses

This power very far surpasses that which was given to certain men, who, under the law of nature, exercised special superintendence over sacred things; for the age also which was anterior to the written law must have had its own proper priesthood, a priesthood possessing spiritual power, since that it had a law is sufficiently evident. And so intimately interwoven with one another are these two things, as the apostle beareth witness, that when one is transferred, with it also must be necessarily transferred the other. As, then, prompted by natural instinct, men acknowledge that God is to be worshipped, it followed that, under every form of government, some persons must be constituted to the official guardianship of sacred things and the divine worship; and of such persons the power might in some sort be called spiritual. With this same power the [priesthood of] the Israelite people was also invested; but although superior in dignity to that which was exercised by priests under the law of nature, it was, however, far inferior to the spiritual power enjoyed under the Gospel dispensation. This latter [power] is a heavenly power, raised even above the virtue of angels; and it has its origin, not from the Mosaical priesthood, but from Christ the Lord, who was a priest not according to Aaron, but according to the order of Melchisedech. He it is who, endowed with supreme authority to grant grace and pardons, has left to his Church this power, limited however in its extent, and confined to the sacraments. To exercise this power, therefore, certain ministers have been appointed, and solemnly consecrated; and this consecration is called The Sacrament of Order, or Sacred Ordination.

QUESTION IX

What is Order, and why the Ecclesiastical Function is so called

This appellation, which has a most extensive signification, the holy Fathers have thought proper to employ, in order to indicate the dignity and excellence of the ministers of God. Understood in its strict and proper acceptation, order is the disposition of superior and inferior things, which are so well adapted to each other as to stand in reciprocal and mutual relation. Comprising, then, as the ministry does, many gradations and various functions, and disposed, as all these gradations and functions are, with regularity, it is appropriately and suitably called the sacrament of Order.

QUESTION X

Order is truly and properly a Sacrament

That sacred ordination is to be numbered amongst the other sacraments of the Church, the holy Council of Trent establishes on the principle to which we have so often referred. For whereas a sacrament is a sign of a sacred thing; and as the external forms used in this consecration are significant of the grace and power conferred on him who is consecrated, it clearly follows that Order is really and truly a sacrament. Hence the bishop, handing to him who is being ordained priest a cup containing wine and water, and a paten with bread, says: Receive the power of offering sacrifice, &c. &c.; by which words the Church hath always taught that, whilst the matter is presented, the power of consecrating the Eucharist is conferred, a character being impressed upon the soul, to which is attached grace for the due and legitimate discharge of this ministry, as the apostle declares in these words: I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands; for God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sobriety.

QUESTION XI

Wherefore there are severed Orders of Ministers instituted in the Church

But to use the words of the holy Council [of Trent]: Whereas the ministry of so holy a priesthood is a divine thing, to the end that it might be exercised more worthily and with greater veneration, it was meet that, in the most well-ordered arrangement of the Church, there should be several and diverse orders of ministers to minister unto the priesthood, by virtue of their office, and these indeed so distributed as that those who were already marked by the clerical tonsure should ascend through the lesser to the greater orders.

QUESTION XII

The Number of the Orders

It must then be taught that, according to the uniform tradition of the Catholic Church, the number of these orders is seven; and they are called porter, reader, exorcist, acolyte, sub-deacon, deacon, priest. That this number of ministers was wisely thus instituted, may be proved from the functions that seem necessary to the solemn celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and to the consecration or administration of the Eucharist, for which they were principally established. Of these some are greater, which are also called holy, some lesser, called minor orders. The greater, or holy, are sub-deaconship, deaconship, and priesthood; the lesser, or minor orders, are porter, reader, exorcist, and acolyte. To supply pastors with matter, especially when conveying instruction to those about to be initiated in any of the orders, it is necessary to say a few words concerning each.

QUESTION XIII

What is meant by Clerical Tonsure, and the name “Clerk”

We must begin with the tonsure; and [the pastor] will teach that it is a sort of preparation for receiving orders. For as persons are prepared for baptism by exorcisms, for marriage by espousals, so also those who are dedicated unto God by tonsure of the hair, are prepared, as it were, for admission into the sacrament of Order. For by tonsure is declared what manner of person he should be who desires to be imbued with holy orders. The name of clerk, which is then for the first time given him, implies that thenceforward he has taken, the Lord for his inheritance, like those who among the Hebrew people were bound to the service of God, to whom the Lord forbade that any portion of the ground should be distributed in the land of promise, saying: I am thy part and thine inheritance. This, although common to all Christians, must apply in an especial manner to those who have consecrated themselves to the ministry of God.

QUESTION XIV

Wherefore Clerks are marked by a Circular Crown on the Head

In tonsure the hair of the head is cut in form of a crown, and should always be worn in that form, so as to enlarge the crown according as any one advances in orders. This form of the tonsure the Church teaches to be derived from apostolic tradition, as it is mentioned by St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Augustine, Jerome, fathers of the greatest antiquity and authority. Tonsure is said to have been first introduced by the prince of the apostles, in honour of the crown of thorns which was pressed upon the head of our Saviour; to the end that what the impious devised for the ignominy and torture of Christ, might be worn by his apostles as their ornament and glory, and also to signify that the ministers of the Church should take care in all things so to comport themselves, as to exhibit throughout their conduct the figure and the likeness of Christ our Lord. Some, however, assert that by this note of tonsure is signified the royal dignity, which seems peculiarly to suit those who are called to the inheritance of the Lord; for, as is easily understood, to the ministers of the Church belongs, in a peculiar and more particular manner, what the apostle Peter says of all Christians: Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Nor are there wanting those who are of opinion that by tonsure, which is cut in form of a circle, the most perfect of all figures, the superior perfection of the ecclesiastical state is exemplified; or that, as it is conferred by cutting off hair, which is to the body a sort of superfluity, it implies a contempt of external things, and a disengagement of the mind from all human cares.

QUESTION XV

What is the Function of Porters

After the first tonsure, the first step is to the order of porter. Its duty consists in keeping the keys and gate of the church, and in excluding those from entering to whom entrance had been forbidden. [The porter] also assisted at the holy sacrifice of the mass, to see that no one should approach too near the sacred altar, and interrupt the priest whilst celebrating divine service. To the porter also were assigned other functions, as may be clearly seen from the rites used at his consecration; for taking the keys from the altar and handing them to him, the bishop says: So conduct thyself, as having to render an account to God, for those things that are kept under these keys. That in the ancient Church this office was one of considerable dignity may be inferred from ecclesiastical observances still existing; for the office of treasurer, to which was also attached that of guardian of the sacristy, and which belonged to the porter, is still numbered amongst the more honourable functions of the Church.

QUESTION XVI

Of the Office of Reader in the Church

The second degree of order is the office of reader. To him it belongs to recite in the Church, in a clear and distinct voice, the books of the Old and New Testament, particularly those read during the nocturnal psalmody; and on him also devolved the task of instructing the faithful in the first rudiments of the Christian religion. Hence, at his ordination the bishop, in presence of the people, handing him a book wherein is written what belongs to the exercise of this function, says: Receive [this book], and be thou an announcer of the word of God, destined, if thou faithfully and usefully dischargest thine office, to have a part with those who, from the beginning, have well ministered the word of God.

QUESTION XVII

What is the Exorcist’s Duty

The third is the order of exorcists, to whom has been given power, to invoke the name of the Lord over persons possessed by unclean spirits. Hence the bishop, when initiating them, hands them a book containing the exorcisms, and says: Take and commit to memory, and have power to lay hands on possessed persons, whether baptized or catechumens.

QUESTION XVIII

What are the Duties of Acolytes

The fourth and last amongst the minor and non-holy orders is that of the acolytes, whose duty it is to attend and serve those in holy orders, deacons and sub-deacons, in the ministry of the altar. They also carry and attend to the lights used during the celebration of the sacrifice of the mass, especially whilst the Gospel is being read, and were hence called by a different name, that of wax-candle-bearers. At their ordination, therefore, the bishop, having carefully admonished each of them of the nature of the office which he is about to undertake, places in his hand a light, with these words: Receive the candlestick with the wax-light, and know that henceforth thou art to light the lights of the Church, in the name of the Lord. He then hands him also empty cruets, used to supply wine and water at the sacrifice, saying: Receive these cruets, to supply wine and water for the Eucharist of the blood of Christ, in the name of the Lord.

QUESTION XIX

What is the Office of Sub-deacon, and what Manner of Rites are used in his Consecration

From the minor orders, which do not come under the denomination of holy, and of which it has hitherto been spoken, are, as it were, the legitimate entrance and ascent to holy orders. Amongst the latter the first is that of sub-deacon; whose office, as the name itself declares, is to serve the deacon at the altar, for it is his business to prepare the altar-linen, the vessels, the bread and wine necessary for the sacrifice. He now ministers water to the priest or bishop, when they wash their hands in the sacrifice of the mass. The sub-deacon also reads the epistle, which was formerly recited at mass by the deacon; assists as a witness at the sacred mysteries; and prevents the priest officiating from being disturbed by any one. These duties, which concern, the ministry of the sub-deacon, may be known from the solemn ceremonies used at his consecration. In the first place, the bishop admonishes him, that upon him is imposed the obligation of perpetual continence, and proclaims aloud that no one is eligible to the order of sub-deacons, who is not prepared freely to receive this law. In the next place, after the solemn prayer of the litanies, [the bishop] enumerates and explains what are the duties and functions of the sub-deacon. This done, each of the candidates for ordination receives from the bishop a chalice and sacred paten, and from the archdeacon, to remind him that a sub-deacon is to serve the deacon, cruets filled with wine and water, together with a basin and towel for washing and drying the hands. The bishop at the same time gives this admonition: See what sort of ministry is given to you: I admonish you, therefore, that so ye comport yourselves as that ye may please God. Additional prayers are then recited; and when, finally, the bishop has decked the sub-deacon in the sacred vestments, on putting on each of which are used appropriate words and ceremonies, he hands him the book of the epistles, saying: Receive the book of the epistles, and have power to read them in the holy Church of God, as well for the living as for the dead.

QUESTION XX

Of the Office of Deacon

The second degree amongst holy orders is taken by the deacon, whose ministry is more comprehensive, and has been always esteemed more holy; for to him it belongs constantly to accompany the bishop, to take care of him when preaching, to assist him and the priest during the celebration of divine service, and at the administration of the other sacraments, and to read the gospel at the sacrifice of the mass. In times of old he not unfrequently aroused the minds of the faithful that they should attend divine worship, and administered our Lord’s blood in those Churches, in which it was the custom for the faithful to receive the Eucharist under both kinds. To the deacon also was committed the distribution of the goods of the Church, in order to administer to each one the necessaries of life. To the deacon also, as the eye of the bishop, it belongs to investigate who within his diocese lead lives of piety and religion, and who do not; who attend the sacrifice [of the mass] and the preaching [of their pastors] at the appointed times, and who do not; that thus the bishop, being made acquainted by him with all these matters, may be enabled to advise and admonish each offender privately, or to rebuke and correct publicly, as he may deem either more likely to prove effectual. He should also call over the names of catechumens, and present to the bishop those who are to be initiated in the sacrament of Order. In the absence of the bishop and priest, he is also permitted to expound the gospel to the people, not, however, from an elevated place, to make it understood that this is not his proper office.

QUESTION XXI

What Manner of Deacons are to be chosen

What great diligence should be observed, that no unworthy person be advanced to this degree of order, is shown by the apostle, who, when writing to Timothy, dwells on the morals, the virtue, the integrity, that should mark the life of the deacon. The rites and solemn ceremonies with which he is consecrated by the bishop, also sufficiently declare the same, for the prayers used at the ordination of a deacon are more numerous and more holy than those used at that of a sub-deacon, and the bishop adds another style of sacred vestments. He also lays hands on him, as we read was done by the apostles at the institution of the first deacons; and finally, he delivers to him the book of the gospels, with these words: Receive power to read the gospel in the Church of God, as well for the living as for the dead, in the name of the Lord.

QUESTION XXII

Of the Dignity and Importance of the Priesthood

The third and highest degree of all the holy orders is the priesthood. The ancient Fathers distinguish persons endued with the priesthood by two names, sometimes calling them, presbyters, which in Greek signifies elders, and which was given them, not only on account of the maturity of years chiefly required by the priesthood, but still more, to express their gravity of manners, learning, and prudence, as it is written: Honourable old age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is reckoned by number of years; but the understanding of a man is grey hairs. They also call them priests (sacerdotes), because they are consecrated to God, and because to them it belongs to administer the sacraments, and to handle sacred and divine things.

QUESTION XXIII

The Priesthood both of the New and Old Law is Twofold

But, whereas, in the sacred scriptures a two-fold priesthood, internal and external, is described, a line of distinction must be drawn between them, that pastors may be enabled to explain to the faithful what priesthood is here meant. With regard, then, to the internal priesthood, all the faithful, who have been baptized, but particularly to the righteous, who have the spirit of God, and, by the divine grace, have been made living members of Jesus Christ the high-priest, are called priests; for they, through faith inflamed by charity, immolate on the altar of their heart spiritual sacrifices unto God; and in the number of these sacrifices are to be reckoned all good and virtuous actions, which they refer to the glory of God. Hence we read in the Apocalypse: Christ hath washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us a kingdom, and priests unto God and his father. To the same effect the prince of the apostles has said: Be you also as lively stones, built up, a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. The apostle also exhorts us, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, our reasonable service; and David had said long before: the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God! thou wilt not despise; all which, it is easy to perceive, regard the internal priesthood. But the external priesthood does not extend indiscriminately to the great body of all the faithful, but is suited to certain men who, instituted, and consecrated to God, by the lawful imposition of hands and the solemn ceremonies of the Church, are devoted to some particular and sacred office of the ministry. This distinction of the priesthood is observable also in the old law, for we showed a little before, that David spoke of the internal priesthood; and with regard to the external, what numerous commands God delivered unto Moses and Aaron in reference to it, no one can be ignorant. Moreover, the Almighty appointed the entire tribe of Levi to the ministry of the temple, and forbad by a law that any member of a different tribe should dare to intrude himself into that function. Wherefore king Uzziah, stricken by God with leprosy for having usurped the sacerdotal office, paid the heaviest penalty for his arrogance and sacrilege. As, then, we find the same distinction of internal and external priesthood in the evangelical law, the faithful are to be informed that we here speak of the external only, which is conferred on particular individuals, for that alone belongs to the sacrament of Order.

QUESTION XXIV

Of the Proper Functions of Priests

The office, then, of the priest is to offer sacrifice unto God, and to administer the sacraments of the Church, as is declared by the rites used at his consecration; for the bishop, with all the priests present, first lays hands on the candidate for the priesthood; and next fitting the stole on his shoulders, adjusts it on his breast in form of a cross, thus declaring that the priest is endued with strength from on high, to enable him to carry the cross of Christ our Lord, to bear the sweet yoke of the divine law, and to inculcate this law, not by word only, but also by the example of a life most correctly and holily spent. [The bishop] next anoints his hands with the sacred oil, presents to him a cup containing wine, and a paten with a host, saying: Receive power to offer sacrifice unto God, and to celebrate masses as well for the living as for the dead. By these ceremonies and words he is constituted an interpreter and mediator between God and man, which must be deemed the principal function of the priesthood. Finally, again placing his hands on his head, [the bishop] says: Receive thou the Holy Ghost: whose sins thou shalt remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose thou shalt retain, they are retained; thus bestowing on him that celestial power of remitting and retaining sins, which was conferred by our Lord on his disciples.

QUESTION XXV

The Priesthood, although one, has different Degrees

These then are the principal and peculiar functions of the order of priesthood, which, although one, has yet different degrees of dignity and power. The first is that of those who are simply called priests, whose functions we have hitherto explained. The second is that of bishops, who are placed over their respective sees, to govern not only the other ministers of the Church, but the faithful people, and, with supreme vigilance and care to watch over their salvation. Hence in the sacred scriptures they are frequently called the pastors of the sheep; and their office and duties are developed by Paul in his sermon to the Ephesians, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles. Peter also, the prince of the apostles, has left for the guidance of bishops a divine rule; with which, if their lives accord, they will doubtless be esteemed, and will really be, good pastors. But bishops are also called pontiffs, a name borrowed from the ancient Romans, and used by them to designate their chief-priests. The third degree is that of archbishops, who preside over several bishops: and who are also called metropolitans, because placed over the metropolis of the province. Archbishops, therefore, although their ordination is the same, enjoy a more exalted station, and a more ample power than bishops. Patriarchs occupy the fourth place, and are, as the name implies, the first and supreme fathers in the episcopal order. Formerly, besides the Supreme Roman Pontiff, there were but four patriarchs in the Church, whose dignity however was not the same; for the patriarch of Constantinople, although last in the order of time, was first hi rank, an honour conceded to him as bishop of Constantinople, the then capital of the imperial world. Next to the patriarchate of Constantinople, is that of Alexandria, a see founded by the evangelist Mark, by command of the prince of the apostles. The third is the patriarchate of Antioch, where Peter first fixed his see. The fourth and last is the patriarchate of Jerusalem, which Church was governed by James, the brother of our Lord. Beyond all these, the Catholic Church has ever revered the sovereign pontiff of Rome, whom Cyril of Alexandria denominated in the Council of Ephesus, the chief bishop, father, and patriarch of the whole world. And whereas he sitteth in that chair, in which it is certain that Peter, the prince of the apostles, sat to the close of life, [the Catholic Church] recognizes in his person the highest degree of dignity, and the amplitude of jurisdiction; a dignity and a jurisdiction not based on any synodal, or other human constitutions, but given from on high. Wherefore, as successor to Peter, and the true and legitimate vicar on earth of Christ the Lord, he presides over the Universal Church, the father and governor of all the faithful, of bishops and of all other prelates, be their office and power what it may. From what has been said, pastors then will teach what are the principal offices and functions of ecclesiastical orders and decrees, and who is the minister of this sacrament.

QUESTION XXVI

Who is the proper Minister of the Sacrament of Order

That to the bishop belongs the administration of this sacrament is well known, and is also easily proved by the authority of the sacred writings, by tradition the most certain, by the testimony of all the fathers, by the decrees of councils, and by the usage and practice of the holy Church. Some abbots, it is true, were occasionally permitted to confer minor, but not holy, orders: no one, however, will doubt that this is the proper office of the bishop, for whom, and for whom alone, it is lawful to confer the other orders called holy; for sub-deacons, deacons, and priests are ordained by one bishop only, but, according to an apostolic tradition, which has always been preserved in the Church, a bishop is consecrated by three bishops.

QUESTION XXVII

Necessity of requiring extreme Probity in promoting to Orders

We must now proceed to explain what persons are fit for his sacrament, especially for the order of priesthood, and what should be their principal qualifications; for thence it will not be difficult to determine what ought to be the qualifications of those to whom the other orders are to be given, according to their respective offices and dignities. That, in promoting to orders, too much precaution cannot be used, is obvious from the consideration, that the other [sacraments] impart grace for the use and sanctification of those who receive them; but those who are initiated in holy orders become partakers of grace for the good of the Church, and thus for the salvation of all men. Hence it is that orders are conferred on certain appointed days only, on which, according to the most ancient custom of the Church, solemn fasts are observed, that the faithful people may obtain from God, by holy and devout prayers, ministers not unworthy their high calling, well qualified to exercise with propriety, and to the advantage of his Church, the transcendant power with which they are to be invested.

QUESTION XXVIII

How great Integrity of Life and Morals is required in the Person to be ordained

In the candidate for the priesthood, therefore, integrity of life and morals is the first and most essential qualification, not only because for any one to procure, or even to permit his ordination, while his conscience is burdened with the weight of mortal sin, is to place himself under the bond of a new and most serious crime; but also, because it is his duty to enlighten others by the lustre of his virtue and innocence. On this subject the pastor will make known the lessons addressed by the apostle to Titus and Timothy; and he will also teach that those bodily defects, which, under the Old Law, by divine injunction, disqualified for the ministry of the altar, should, under the Christian dispensation, be transferred chiefly to the deformities of the mind. Hence we see observed in the Church the holy practice, of the candidate for holy orders first studying diligently to cleanse his conscience in the sacrament of penance.

QUESTION XXIX

What and how great Learning is required in the Priest

In the priest, moreover, we require not merely that knowledge which is necessary to the use and administration of the sacraments; but an acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures should also enable him to instruct the people in the mysteries of the Christian faith, and the precepts of the Divine Law, to incite to piety and virtue, and to reclaim from sin. For the duties of the priest are twofold; the one, duly to consecrate and administer the sacraments, the other, to instruct those committed to his faithful care in whatever things be necessary unto salvation: The lips of the priest, say Malachi, shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth; because he is the angel of the Lord of Hosts. As therefore to discharge one’s duty in the former of these duties, a moderate share of knowledge is sufficient; so the latter demands not ordinary, but rather extraordinary knowledge. In all priests, however, recondite learning on difficult subjects is not equally requisite: it is enough that each possess competent knowledge to discharge the duties of his own particular office in the ministry.

QUESTION XXX

Who are not to be admitted to the Dignity of the Priesthood

This sacrament is not to be conferred on boys, or on mad or insane persons, because they lack the use of reason; if administered to them, however, it doubtless impresses on their souls the sacramental character. As to the age required for the [reception of the] different orders, it may be easily known by consulting the decrees of the Sacred Council of Trent. Slaves, also, are excepted, for he that is not at his own disposal, but under the power of another, should not be dedicated to the divine service. Persons accustomed to shed blood, and homicides, are also excepted, because they are excluded by the ecclesiastical law, and are irregular. Spurious persons, also, and all who are not born in lawful wedlock [are excluded]; for it is proper that those devoted to the sacred offices have nothing about them that would expose them to be with reason contemned and despised by others. Finally, persons who are maimed, or who labour under any remarkable personal deformity, ought not to be admitted, for such uncomeliness and debility must necessarily offend the eye, and prove an obstacle to the administration of the sacraments.

QUESTION XXXI

Chief Effects of the Sacrament of Order

Having explained these matters, it remains that pastors unfold the effects of this sacrament. It is clear, that the sacrament of Order, although, as has been already said, I primarily instituted with reference to the advantage and beauty of the Church, imparts to the soul of him who receives it sanctifying grace, by which he is qualified and enabled to discharge with propriety the duties of his office, and to administer the sacraments; as also the grace of baptism qualifies for the reception of the other sacraments. By this sacrament, also, it is clear, is conferred another grace, that is, a special power in reference to the most holy Eucharist, a power full and perfect in the priest, who alone can consecrate the body and blood of our Lord; but in the other subordinate ministers, greater or less in proportion to their nearer approximation to the sacred duties of the altar. This power is also denominated a spiritual character, because, by a certain interior mark impressed on the soul, those who have received holy orders are distinguished from the rest of the faithful, and devoted to the divine service. To this the apostle seems to have referred, when he said to Timothy: Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery; and in another place: I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands.

Let thus much suffice, touching the sacrament of Order; for our purpose has been to lay before pastors the more important heads of the subject only, in order to supply them with matter for the information of the people, and their instruction in Christian piety.