Orders, Holy

I

Introduction

Orders, Holy, the several different degrees of ordained ministries recognized by the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Churches. For Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, holy orders rank among the seven sacraments. Anglicans regard ordination as a “sacramental rite”, or as “commonly called a sacrament”. The outward and visible sign of the sacrament is the laying on of hands by a bishop, sometimes accompanied by the transmission of an object or objects associated with the order, such as a chalice and paten for a priest. The sacramental inward grace conferred by ordination is the spiritual power and authority proper to the respective orders.

II

Origin

Like Jewish synagogues, early Christian congregations were organized under the leadership of elders (Greek presbyteroi; see Acts 14:23). In the New Testament, the terms elder and bishop are interchangeable (see Titus 1:5-9). Although mentioned rarely, deacons are always referred to in association with bishops, whose assistants they were (see Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13). The early Church may have recognized only these two orders, as most Protestants argue. The emergence of a third order can perhaps be identified, however, in the figures of Timothy and Titus, recipients of the letters that bear their names, who had authority over bishops and deacons. The process of establishing a threefold ministry probably varied in different localities, but three distinct orders—bishops, presbyters, and deacons—were recognized by the 2nd century.

III

Priesthood

Individual Christian ministers were not called priests until the 3rd century, when the term was first applied to bishops because of their role as celebrants of the Eucharist. The term priest (Latin sacerdos) implies a sacrificial ministry, and the Eucharist was regarded as sacrificial because of its mystical relation to the sacrifice of Christ. When presbyters were authorized to celebrate the Eucharist in the 4th century, they too were called priests. Today, the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Churches regard bishops, priests, and deacons as constituting holy orders. Because both bishops and presbyters function as priests, the Roman Catholic Church, until the Second Vatican Council, considered priests (including bishops and presbyters), deacons, and subdeacons as the three orders.

IV

Minor Orders

In addition to the three major orders, Orthodox Churches also acknowledge minor orders, such as subdeacon and lector (reader), having subordinate roles in the liturgy. The Roman Catholic Church abolished minor orders at the Second Vatican Council.