The Three Degrees of the Holy Orders

The Holy Orders is one of the seven sacraments instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the sacrament by which some among Christ’s faithful are constituted sacred ministers in the Church for the carrying out of apostolic ministry. Through it, the three-fold office of Christ, namely the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling are exercised in the person of Christ the Head for the nourishment of the people of God (cf. Code of Canon Law [CIC], 1008). This sacrament exists in three grades or degrees, namely, the episcopate, the presbyterate and the diaconate. All these grades are conferred through the sacred rite of ordination which involves the imposition of hands and the corresponding consecratory prayer by the bishop. Each grade of Orders has its specific nature, end and effects. Let us consider each degree briefly.
The Episcopate
The episcopate designates the office of bishops. It is the highest degree of the Holy Orders, also known as the high priestly office. Those who received Episcopal ordination have the fullness of the priesthood. They are the successors of the apostles and they possess full apostolic authority and ministry. As successors of the apostles, they are also vicars of Christ. Thus, in “an eminent and visible manner”, bishops take the place of Christ who is teacher, shepherd and leader of his flock (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 1558).
Normally, each bishop is in charge of an ecclesiastical area known as diocese. A bishop is the chief pastor in his diocese, and he acts as a representative of Christ there. The full weight of the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling rests on him. As the Greek designation of the bishop “episcopos” implies, he is an overseer. He sees to the correct practice of liturgy; it is also his concern that the doctrine of faith, handed down from the apostles, is safeguarded and correctly transmitted. But beyond his diocese, he, in union with all the bishops of the world and the successor of Peter, shares the concern for all the Churches. With all the bishops in union with the pope, he is, “by divine institution and precept”, responsible for the apostolic mission of the Church (cf. CCC, 1560).
And according to Second Vatican Council, only bishops can assign office in the Church. They have the power of ordaining and can ordain deacons, priests and other bishops. But in the case of ordination of bishops, they can only carry it out with the approval of the Bishop of Rome. Bishops are also the ordinary ministers of confirmation.
The Presbyterate
The second degree of Holy Orders is called the presbyterate. It is the office of elders or presbyters. A presbyter is a priest of a lower grade. In the teaching of the Church, we have two levels of the ministerial priesthood, namely, the episcopate (high priestly office) and the presbyterate (second level of priestly office). The term presbyter is simply rendered in English today as priest. But bishops and presbyters are actually priests.
Whereas bishops, as successors of the apostles, possess and exercise full apostolic ministry, the bishops’ ministry is handed over to presbyters (priests) in a subordinate degree as helpers of their bishops. Thus, priests constitute “co-workers of the episcopal order” for the appropriate execution of the apostolic ministry entrusted to it by Christ (cf. Vat. II, Presbyterorum Ordines, 2; CCC 1562). They share in the ministry of their bishops and represent him wherever they are assigned to work in their dioceses. In fact, they extend their bishops, who cannot be everywhere, in the parishes and other places of apostolate given to them. As co-operators with the order of bishops, priests depend on their bishops for the exercise of their ministry. But it is as true priests of the New Testament that they carry out this ministry, for they duly share in the sacrament of Holy Orders.
In each diocese, the bishop and his priests constitute a unique priestly team known as the presbyterium. This team is strongly held together by the bond of sacramental brotherhood. The bishop looks on his priests as sons, brothers and friends; the priests relate to him with filial obedience and love (cf. CCC 1567). Again, all the priests working in a diocese form one priestly body with the bishop and they fulfil one priestly ministry for the people of God. In clear terms, whatever each priest does, to which he is duly assigned by the bishop, he is carrying out the one priestly ministry of the presbyterium for the building up of the Body of Christ. In general terms, priests preach the word of God and celebrate the sacraments, with the exception of the sacrament of Holy Orders; they can celebrate the sacrament of confirmation only under certain circumstances.
The Diaconate
This is the third grade of the Holy Orders. It is the office of servants or ministers. Every cleric is a servant; but deacons are specifically ordained “unto ministry”. They do not share in the ministerial priesthood; but with bishops and priests, they are clerics and members of the sacred hierarchy of the Church.
There are two forms of diaconate, transitional diaconate and permanent diaconate. The transitional diaconate refers to the diaconal ministry of those who are on the way to the priesthood. In the journey to the priesthood, it is the last stage before one is ordained a priest. According to the Code of Canon Law, there must be at least an interval of six months between diaconate and the presbyterate. And an aspirant to the presbyterate must have completed the twenty-third year of age before being ordained a deacon (cf. CIC, 1031 § 1).
Permanent diaconate is the diaconal ministry of those who wish to remain deacons for life. They are not ordained in view of the priesthood but just for service in the Church. Married men can be admitted to permanent diaconate, but this admission is left to the judgement of the bishops. The Code of Canon Law stipulates that the candidate for permanent diaconate who is not married must have completed twenty-fifth year of age before ordination. For a married man, ordination must be after the completion of thirty-fifth year of age and with the consent of his wife (CIC, 1031 § 2).
Permanent diaconate has been an uninterrupted feature of the Church in the East. In the West, permanent diaconate was discontinued in the course of history, and restored by the Second Vatican Council “as a proper and permanent rank of the hierarchy” (Vat II, Lumen Gentium 21; CCC 1571). Sacramentally, there is no difference between the two forms of diaconate. In content and function, they are the same.
It is the function of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the Eucharist. They are ministers of communion, and lead at other celebrations of the Eucharist like exposition and benediction. They proclaim the Gospel and preach at liturgy. Besides, they administer baptism, assist at marriage, preside over funerals and commit themselves to various ministries of charity. Indeed, a deacon does all the priest can do with the exception of the celebration of the Eucharist, hearing of confessions and the anointing of the sick.
Ordination in the Church
In the Catholic Church, only a baptised male is validly promoted to Orders. This is in line with the example of Christ who chose only men to be his Apostles, and the practice of the Apostles themselves who selected men as their successors and co-workers. No baptised male, however, has any right to it. It is God who calls those he wants for service in the Church. The Church only confirms this call through the laying on of hands and the prayer of consecration. Therefore, one who has a feeling of being called by God submits oneself to the Church for her discernment.
With the exception of married deacons, ordination is reserved only to unmarried persons in the Latin Church. Celibacy is an important element in our Latin Church. According to canonical prescription: “An unmarried candidate for the permanent diaconate and a candidate for the presbyterate are not to be admitted to the order of diaconate unless they have assumed the obligation of celibacy in the prescribed rite publicly before God and the Church or have made perpetual vows in a religious institute” (CIC 1037). And after ordination, no marriage is possible, even for the married deacon.
Ordination, like baptism and confirmation, is unrepeatable. Once a man is ordained, he receives an indelible mark on his soul which unites him to Christ in a unique way. In other words, with ordination one is spiritually transformed and joined to Christ the Head in an inseparable manner. For this reason, one cannot lose the clerical state even if one is dispensed from ministry. Thus, once a cleric, one remains a cleric.
Conclusive Remarks
In this brief article, we have tried to expose the fundamental features of the sacrament of Holy Orders. It is through this sacrament that one enters the clerical state. The clerical state is of divine origin. Christ entrusted the mission he received from his Father to the Apostles (cf. Jn 20:21), who continued the proclamation of his message of salvation to the world. The Apostles further entrusted this mission to their successors. This is what we refer to as the apostolic mission or ministry. Through sacred ordination men are found and chosen to continue this ministry which will last till the end of time. So the Holy Orders helps the Church to preserve and hand on the mysteries of Christ, and win people for the kingdom of God.
We have also identified and explained the three levels of the clerical state. Each level is important, and contributes immensely towards the nourishment of the people of God. The bishop cannot carry out the apostolic ministry he inherited from the Apostles, through episcopal ordination, alone. He requires the assistance of priests and deacons. All other children of God are invited to assist them, like those holy women and men who assisted Christ and the Apostles in the days of their own earthly ministry (cf. Lk 8:2-3; Rm 16:3-4, 21-23). They can assist them with their prayers, material resources and moral encouragement. In this way, they also contribute immensely to the growth of the Body of Christ.

Rev. Fr. Ambrose Chineme Agu