HOLY ORDERS

UNDERSTANDING THE SACRAMENT

• THREE DEGREES
• Episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate
• Lead to ministries of bishop, priest, and deacon
• WITHOUT BISHOP, PRIEST, DEACON
• Cannot speak of the Church

PRIESTHOOD IN OLD TESTAMENT

• No ordained priesthood in early Israel
• AROUND THE TIME OF THE EXODUS
• Clan of Aaron and tribe of Levi were set aside as priests
• DURING EXODUS IN EGYPT
• Moses selected 70 elders to aid him

PRIESTHOOD IN OLD TESTAMENT CONTINUED

• AFTER CONSTRUCTION OF 1ST JERUSALEM TEMPLE
• Main role of priests was Temple duty
• AFTER 3RD TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED (70 AD)
• Jewish priesthood effectively ended

PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST

• JESUS WAS NOT A TEMPLE PRIEST
• High Priest of the New Covenant
• MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD
• Shares in the unique priesthood of Christ
• St. Thomas Aquinas: "Only Christ is the true priest..."

DIFFERENCE IN PRIESTHOODS

• Ministerial: confers sacred power for service of faithful
• Common: functions by the unfolding of baptismal grace
• TWELVE APOSTLES
• Realized the necessity of the rapidly expanding ministry: deacons
• Chose presbyters (elders) and episcopos (overseers)

HISTORY OF HOLY ORDERS

• EARLY 2ND CENTURY
• Ignatius of Antioch: only bishop or appointee could preside at Eucharist
• EARLY CHURCH: Community as a whole chose bishops & other Church leaders
• 4TH CENTURY: clergy (ordained men) gained a more privileged status
• To become bishop, needed state approval now

HISTORY OF HOLY ORDERS

• MIDDLE AGES-COUNCIL OF TRENT
• Bishops increasingly needed priests, so the diaconate as an active ministry declined
• 16TH CENTURY: Protestant reformers pointed to some abuses including education
• SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL: called for restoring permanent diaconate in West
• New Rite of Ordination: recalled original meaning of ordained ministry