The Sacrament of Holy Orders
Jesus had the nicest way of putting things. While preparing his first followers for his departure from this world, he told them, "I will not leave you orphans".

These words of Christ were particularly well chosen because when we think of orphans we see, in our mind's eye, forlorn and faltering children. And when we think of the apostles we see that, at times they behaved not like little children but like big children. They argued amongst themselves as to who was the greatest — as to who was the "king of the castle". They made rash promises which they couldn't keep. They got frightened and ran away. Towards the end of his public life they caused an exasperated Jesus to exclaim, "Have I been with you all this time and you still don't understand?"

Of course, while he was with them, the apostles didn't understand. Indeed, they couldn't understand. For while Jesus was with them they could only remain helpless onlookers. Only when Jesus was gone could they begin, literally, to take his place. Jesus had not only the nicest way of putting things, but also the nicest way of doing things. He promised that through his Spirit he would remain with the apostles and with us. But he would remain in a way that we could easily understand. He would remain through signs or sacraments.
Jesus Christ remains with us through the sign of what came to be known as the, "laying on of hands". To the present day bishops, priests and deacons, in their differing degrees, are ordained or character of Christ, by the imposition of Hands.

What is a priest?
The sacrament of Holy Orders confers the character of Jesus Christ in a special way. The ministerial priesthood is essentially different from the priesthood enjoyed by all those who are baptised, for the priest is empowered to "consecrate, offer and administer the Body of Christ" for the good of the Church and of the world. The office of the priesthood is a sacrament for, irrespective of human failing, Christ is made present. The stole (a long "scarf" worn over both shoulders) is a distinctive symbol of the priest's sharing in Christ's priesthood.
The priesthood is for the service of the Church. The priest is to gather and mould his community so that everyone may live and work in the communion of love which is the Church. In this the priest follows Jesus Christ who, "came among us as one who serves". The celibacy of priests is a sign which enables them to more freely devote themselves to the service of God and men and women.

The priest is ordained, then, to act in the person of Jesus Christ. The fullness of the ministerial priesthood belongs to the bishop, who is assisted by priests and deacons. The ring worn by a bishop is a sign that he is wedded to his diocese.

The priest acts in the person of Jesus Christ in three principle ways:

He teaches: The priests' first duty is the proclamation of the gospel of God to all. In this way they fulfil the Lord's command, "Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation". Thus they establish and build up the People of God.

He makes holy: Having sown the seed of faith through preaching, priests unite their people to God by the administration of the sacraments, especially the celebration of the Eucharist. Through the reception of the Eucharist the community of believers are joined to the Body of Christ.

He governs: Having gathered together God's family into the one Body of Christ through the celebration of the sacraments, priests share in the office of Christ, the Leader and the Shepherd. Imitating him, priests lead those in their care to a deeper understanding of their own vocation and so build up a genuine Christian community.

Priesthood
Within the Church there are a great many different sorts of ministries to perform. Some may discover their talents in visiting the sick, some in reading at Mass or serving at the altar. Some may be good at welcoming strangers, leading youth groups or organising the music for the liturgy. Some may be called simply to pray. The Church bears witness to a whole host of ministries, so that each person has a unique contribution to make, however small. The Church is not a passive organisation, but an active cauldron, bubbling away and bringing life to the whole world. Among all these ministries of service one stands out as a particular sacrament: the sacrament of Holy Orders, which ordains to the office of bishop, priest or deacon.

Bishop
The word 'bishop' comes from the Greek word episkopos which means 'supervisor. The bishop's primary role is to act as a sign of Christ in the local church, blessing and teaching the people. He is also a sign of unity, healing divisions and protecting the weak and vulnerable.

Priest
The word priest comes from the Greek word presbyteros which means 'elder. The very early Church appointed elders to be community leaders, to preach and administer the sacraments. These elders were chosen for their wisdom and maturity, called to lead their communities with patience and kindness.

Deacon
The word 'deacon' comes from the Greek word diakonos which means 'minister or 'servant'. Deacons can be seen helping bishops and priests at Mass. They share in the pastoral work of the Church, in preaching proclaiming the gospel and ministering at baptisms and weddings. From the earliest times they have had a special role in caring for the poor and hungry on behalf of the whole Church. Since Vatican II, the office of permanent deacon has been revived, and now married men are often ordained to the diaconate.

Celibacy
At the present time the Church demands that the majority of priests remain celibate, which means that they cannot marry. Celibacy has a long tradition in the Church. Choosing not to marry can be a valuable witness to Christian values which may differ from the fashions and conventions of contemporary society. A celibate lifestyle can be a radical departure from imprisoning expectations, giving freedom and choice where otherwise there might be lithe of either. Celibacy does play a prominent role in the Church, especially as priests are required to lead a celibate lifestyle. However, celibacy is not an intrinsic part of priesthood. There is nothing incompatible between priesthood and marriage, and the Church's insistence that priests remain celibate is not based on theological concerns but is a matter of Church discipline. There have always been married priests in the Oriental Catholic rites, and married Anglican clergy who have recently been received into full communion with the Catholic church have been allowed to exercise their priesthood.

The priest's calling or vocation (the word vocation means simply 'calling— it is from the Latin vocare, 'to call') is, along with all believers, first and foremost to preach the Good News of God's love and care for humanity. The priest also says Mass and administers the Sacraments, taking an active role in offering Christ's gift of himself. During the Mass, the priest represents Christ and also acts on behalf of all the people of God. His sacramental priesthood represents the priesthood of the whole Church.

The priesthood of all believers
At our baptism all of us became part of the 'laity'. The word 'laity' comes from a Greek word laos which just means 'people'. The laity are the people of God. As people of God, all of us share in the priesthood of Christ. This is why the Church speaks of the 'priesthood of all believers', because when we were baptised, we were incorporated into Christ's priesthood. Every one of us is called to exercise our priesthood within the Church, strengthening and serving each other. The exercise of priesthood means, above all, to serve. The Church speaks of Jesus as our High Priest, the one who offers sacrifices to God on our behalf. But instead of sacrificing an innocent victim, Jesus chose instead to offer himself as the sacrificial animal. Jesus is the priest and victim, offering himself as a sacrifice to God. The priesthood that Jesus exercises is one of self-giving. All those who are called to the priesthood of Christ are called to serve as he did, offering themselves in a spirit of service and love.

What happens at Ordination?

Those to be ordained gather together with their families. friends and the Christian community to celebrate this sign of God's life in the world. Words of welcome are exchanged and an opening prayer said.

Everyone present listens to the word of God read from the Scriptures.

The candidates are called forward and are presented to the bishop.

The bishop then elects or chooses the candidates for the priesthood and this choice is consented to by the Christian community who are present.

Following a homily, the bishop asks the candidates four key questions to which they give an affirmative response:

Will they care for the Lord's flock?
Will they celebrate the mysteries of Christ, faithfully?
Will they preach the gospel? Will they consecrate their lives to God for the salvation of his people?
Each of the candidates now makes a promise of obedience to the bishop. Prayers are offered for the candidates.
In silence the bishop lays his hands on the head of each candidate. This is followed by the solemn prayer of consecration.
The bishop gives the kiss of peace to each of the new priests.
The newly ordained priests are each invested with a stole and chasuble and their palms are anointed with Oil of Chrism.
The liturgy of the Eucharist now follows.

Ministries
The word "ministries" comes from the Latin word meaning "to render service". It is used in the Church not simply to describe the ordained ministry of the priesthood, but also to describe the different ways in which Catholics exercise functions within the Church. These reflect a deepening vision in the Church of the service given by all in the name of the Church.

A ministry has the ultimate aim of preaching and building up of the kingdom of God as revealed by Jesus Christ. Each baptised person is called to do this. Different tasks, some officially recognised and others unheralded, are undertaken by individuals to build up the community of believers. They are gifts, St Paul tells us, "to build up the body of Christ until we become one in faith and in the knowledge of God's Son."

How Many Ministries Are There?

In a very real sense there is only one ministry - the ministry of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who reaches out to serve men and women through the members of his Body, the Church. To help our understanding of this, however, we speak of three different types of ministry:

Ministries undertaken by those who are baptised.
This refers to any activity which is undertaken without a formal commission from the Church. These ministries would include the work of nurses, teachers, and social workers. It is important to recognise that this type of ministry is not limited to the caring professions. It includes the service of all who work in their local parish and do everyday work in a spirit of Christian dedication.

The instituted ministries. These are the ministries officially recognised as forms of service within the Church such a lectors, acolytes, catechists, ministers of the Eucharist.

The ordained ministries are those of the diaconate, priesthood and episcopate and are only exercised by those who have received the sacrament of Holy Orders.

The Organisation Of The Church
The key to a true understanding of the organisation of the Catholic Church is the command of Christ to serve. St Paul mentions in his letters various offices such as elders, presbyters, bishops, priests and deacons. These men and women were given positions of authority in the new people of God, but their authority was to be Christ-like. They were there to serve the people and not to lord it over them. In fact, the usual word used in the New testament to refer to their authority is "diakonia", a word which means "service".

The organisation of the Catholic Church is still based on the command of Christ to serve. It is an ideal which has been obscured many times by human greed and failure. Nevertheless, if we look at the Church today and in history, we can see a sincere effort on the part of many to put this command into practice.

Every member of the new people of God is called to a life of service. We must serve God by serving each other. But if our service is to be truly Christlike we need leaders to guide and organise our efforts. They, like the apostles before them, are our servants.

The Pope.
The Pope, the bishop of Rome, is often referred to as the "servant of the servants of God". He is the successor of St Peter and the visible leader of the Church on earth. He is the leader of many millions of Catholics but he leads only to serve them in imitation of Christ himself.

The College of Bishops.
Peter was the acknowledged leader of the group of apostles chosen by Christ. Just as the Pope is the successor of Peter so are the bishops the direct successors of the apostles. They, like the apostles, have been chosen by Christ and their authority comes from him. But their authority binds them to a life of service. As a group they must work for the whole Church and the conversion of the world. This they try to do in imitation of the apostles who worked closely together to take the message of Christ to the four corners of the earth.

"Each of them ... is to be solicitous for the whole Church ... to instruct the faithful in love for the whole mystical body of Christ, especially for its poor and sorrowing members and for those who are suffering persecution ... and to supply to the missions both workers and also spiritual and material aid, and ... to gladly extend their fraternal aid to other churches, especially to neighbouring and more needy dioceses."
(Vatican II)

The Bishops.
A bishop is the leader of a certain section of the people of God called a diocese. A diocese is the local Church and the members of this Church are served by the bishop in a special way.

"Bishops should dedicate themselves to their apostolic office as witnesses of Christ before all men. Their ultimate goal as bishops is that all may walk 'in goodness and justice and truth' .. in exercising his office as father and pastor a bishop should stand in the midst of his people as one who serves. Let him be a good shepherd who knows his sheep and whose sheep know him. Let him be a true father who excels in the spirit of love and solicitude for all and to whose divinely conferred authority all gratefully submit themselves." (Vatican II)

Priests and deacons.
The bishop cannot possibly serve all the people of his diocese single-handed. The apostles, by laying on of hands, shared some of their powers and duties with priests and deacons. The bishops continue to ordain men and so share the burdens of their office.

The priest is the leader of a group of people within the diocese. He represents Christ in a special way and imitates him by giving the sacraments, preaching and teaching.

A deacon serves the people by a life dedicated to charity and administration. He is ordained by the bishop and has power to baptise, anoint the sick, to preach and to conduct marriages and funerals.

The Laity.
Every member of the new people of God is called to serve. We have seen how the Holy Spirit lives in each one of us, inspiring some to be leaders and teachers, while others have gifts for taking care of the sick and the poor. There are those who have the patience to do the smallest tasks well and still others with the perseverance and courage to grapple with immense problems.

In short, there are many gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. The important thing is that we use them in the service of God and our neighbour. This is the command Christ left to every member of his Church. For as members of his Church we have the responsibility of making Christ visibly present to those among whom we live and work For the visible Church is not just the Pope and the Bishops and a world-wide organisation. It is us. And if we don't make Christ present to the people we come into contact with who else will?

The truth is that the followers of Jesus in every age are united to him in such away that they form one body with him. With Jesus they are the Church. With them and through them Jesus continues the redeeming work he came to do on earth. Just as Jesus made God visibly present to the men and women of his time so now the Church which he founded, and of which he is the head, makes Jesus present to the men and women of today