Sacrament of Holy Orders
By divine institution, the sacrament of orders establishes some among the Christian faithful as sacred ministers through an indelible character which marks them. They are consecrated and designated, each according to his grade, to nourish the people of God, fulfilling in the person of Christ the Head the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing.
By divine institution, the sacrament of orders establishes some among the Christian faithful as sacred ministers through an indelible character which marks them. They are consecrated and designated, each according to his grade, to nourish the people of God, fulfilling in the person of Christ the Head the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing.
PreparationThe diocesan bishop or the competent superior is to take care that before candidates are promoted to any order, they are instructed properly about those things which belong to the order and its obligations.
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Signs and SymbolsThe orders are the episcopate, the presbyterate, and the diaconate. They are conferred by the imposition of hand and the consecratory prayer which the liturgical books prescribe for the individual grades.
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CelebrationOrdination is to be celebrated within the solemnities of the Mass on a Sunday or holy day of obligation. For pastoral reasons, it can take place also on other days, even weekdays.
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