Book 5 Chapter 13

13The Sacrament of Holy Orders Sacraments at the Service of Communion 126

To Remember 127 Bishops, priests and deacons serve us in the name and person of Jesus. Bishops, priests and deacons take the place of Jesus in leading the worship of God our Father. Bishops, helped by priests and deacons have the task of teaching, guiding and sanctifying Christ’s Church. Holy Orders gives sacred power to a priest: to teach, to sanctify and to lead the faithful. Deacons assist the bishops and the priests in the ministry of the word and the sacraments. Only baptised men can be ordained. Sacraments at the Service of Communion: Holy Orders In the early church, the apostles appointed their successors by laying hands on them and praying. New bishops were usually elected by the community as leaders of that community. They were assisted by a group of presbyters, or “elders”. This ministry later became known as “priests’’. There were also deacons, whose role was to help the bishop in celebrating the Eucharist and in various works of charity. So, there are three orders of ordained ministry: bishop, priest and deacon. Each one has its own special roles of service and carries on the Church’s tradition of leadership. Bishops, priests and deacons: preside at our sacramental celebrations are teachers and leaders within our Catholic Church gather people together, reminding the community to remain faithful to Jesus’ teachings are witnesses to our call to work for justice and peace for the world.

Let us briefly look at each of the three orders: Bishop The bishop is a successor to the apostles. The bishop is called to lead and govern the local church as the shepherd of his people. A bishop can preside at all the seven sacraments and he is responsible for leading and teaching in the Church. After a group of bishops has ordained him by the laying on of hands and prayer, a new bishop is anointed on the head with Chrism and receives: the book of the Gospels, because he will teach his people; a staff, or crozier, representing a leadership which is to be modelled on Jesus who is the Good Shepherd; a ring, symbolising his marriage to the Church; a mitre, a hat which represents the special role he now has. All the bishops of the Catholic Church are united with the Pope who is the Bishop of Rome, the successor of St Peter. Jesus is the Head of the whole Church in heaven and earth. The Pope is the Vicar, or representative, of Christ. The Pope is the head of the Church on earth. An archbishop is usually the bishop of a major city. A diocesan bishop has the responsibility for the teaching and governance of the Church in his diocese. Auxiliary bishops are appointed to help the archbishop of a large archdiocese where many people need care and guidance. 128 Don Simone Camaldolese (fl. 1381-1426) & School, Historiated initial ‘E’ depicting St Peter as the first bishop of Rome, from an antiphon from Santa Maria del Carmine, Museo di San Marco dell’ Angelico, Florence, Italy.

13. The Sacrament of Holy Orders Priest Priests usually represent the bishop in local parish communities. They are missioned for their work by the bishop. Priests can also be members of particular religious congregations, orders or communities. After the bishop has ordained him by the laying on of hands and prayer, a new priest is presented with his priestly vestment. Then the bishop anoints his hands with Chrism and gives him the gifts of bread and wine which he will offer to God when he celebrates the eucharistic sacrifice. Priests have many different responsibilities of service as they lead the Christian community. They celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments to “sanctify” us – to make us holy. They teach and preach the Gospel message of Jesus. Through their lives and the good work they do in the community, our priests remind us of Jesus’ messages of God’s way of love to others. 129

Deacon The role of a deacon is to help bishops and priests in their work. After the bishop has ordained him by the laying on of hands and prayer, a new deacon receives his vestments and the bishop presents him with the book of the Gospels. The role of a deacon in assisting the bishop and priests includes: proclaiming the Gospel at Mass, preaching homilies, presiding at baptisms, marriages and funerals, as well as being involved in general works for the care of others. 130

13. The Sacrament of Holy Orders The Word of God In Scripture Jesus washes the feet of his disciples JOHN 13:2–9; 12–16 They were at supper … Jesus … got up from table, removed his outer garment, and taking a towel, wrapped it around his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand”. “Never!” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me”. “Then, Lord,” said Simon Peter, “not only my feet but my hands and my head as well”. When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. “Do you understand,” he said “what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example, so that you can copy what I have done to you. 131

“I tell you most solemnly, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.” St Paul writes to Timothy, one of the first bishops He tells him how he has received the gift the apostles first received from the Lord Jesus: 1 TIMOTHY 4:14–15 “You have in you a spiritual gift, which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the body of elders laid their hands on you; do not let it lie unused. Think hard about all this, and put it into practice and everyone will be able to see how you are advancing.” In Tradition Almighty Father, grant to these servants of yours the dignity of the priesthood. Renew within them the Spirit of holiness. As co-workers with the order of bishops may they be faithful to the ministry that they receive from you, Lord God, and be to others a model of right conduct. The words of ordination of priests 132

13. The Sacrament of Holy Orders Two important rituals within the Sacrament of Holy Orders are: 1 The presentation of the candidate to be ordained to the bishop for his approval on behalf of the Church. The assembled community is then asked to give its approval. This shows us how ordination is the responsibility of our whole community to continue Jesus’ ministry today. 2 Like the Sacraments of Confirmation, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, in Holy Orders the bishop lays his hands on the person to be ordained as a sign that, at this moment, he is receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Prayer Let us pray for our Bishop, Priest or Deacon. Lord God, you have chosen … to lead our Church community. Strengthen him to lead us, to teach us and care for us like Jesus your Son, who is our Good Shepherd. A mantra is a short, prayerful phrase that is repeated quietly to yourself. “You are the Good Shepherd … ” (cf. John 10:11) Find a quiet place to pray. Close your eyes and gently repeat these words of Jesus over and over. You may allow the words to follow a pattern in your own breathing. 133

Living the Gospel Australia’s First Archbishop Over two hundred years ago, when the first European settlers arrived, Australia was a vastly different place. There were many convicts and few clergy. Life was very harsh and it would have been most difficult to be a Catholic. In 1834, the Pope appointed Father John Bede Polding as the first Bishop of Sydney. Father Polding was an English monk from Somerset, a member of the Benedictine Order. After arriving in Australia as Bishop Polding, he settled in Sydney as the Bishop for all of Australia. Later on, when the Pope divided the country up into dioceses, Bishop Polding ordained other bishops. He then became the first Archbishop of Sydney. He lived in Sydney, but he travelled around Australia, preaching, confirming people and celebrating Mass, not only in churches but in the homesteads and bush shacks of the people. Archbishop Polding especially loved the Aboriginal people. He respected their customs and opposed any cruelty to them. Upon his death in 1877, Archbishop Polding was buried in the crypt under St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. 134

13. The Sacrament of Holy Orders Our Heritage St Charles Borromeo – a good shepherd Charles Borromeo was born into a rich and noble family in 1538. His uncle was also the Pope. He studied well and his uncle made him a cardinal in Rome when he was only 21 years old. In those days you did not have to be a priest to become a cardinal. Charles helped the bishops who gathered for the Council of Sigismundo Caula, 1637-after 1713, Italian, St Charles Trent to strengthen the Church Borromeo gives communion to plague victims. in difficult times. When he was 25, God called Charles to the priesthood. He was ordained a priest but soon after, he was ordained Archbishop of Milan, in Northern Italy, so he left Rome to work among the people of Milan. He gave a great example of prayer and hard work to his priests. He visited every corner of his large diocese, and was very generous and kind to the poor. In 1567, Charles helped many sick people when a terrible disease, the plague, spread through Milan. A life of much self- sacrifice and work for others led to his early death in 1584. St Charles Borromeo has never been forgotten in Milan, where his relics rest beneath the great cathedral. 135

St John Vianney John Vianney was born into a farming family at Dardilly, France, in 1786. As a boy he lived in the dangerous times of the French Revolution. John received his own first Communion in secret. When happier times came, John wanted to study for the priesthood. Although he was not a good student, he was finally ordained a priest because the bishop could see how holy he was. Heiliger, St John Vianney. He spent 41 years as parish priest in the village of Ars. After much opposition, the people discovered what a holy priest the bishop had sent them. People returned to Mass and the sacraments, and soon came from all over France to confess to Father Vianney. Nearly all day he sat in the confessional, helping many to change the way they lived for the better, reconciling thousands of men and women to God and giving guidance and wise advice. John Vianney’s own life was very simple. He prayed and fasted often. If anyone gave him something, he gave it to the poor. He died in 1859. Today there is a seminary to train priests at Ars, and many people come to pray at the tomb of the humble pastor who is the patron saint of priests. He remains an example of how a faithful priest teaches and leads his community in prayer and in celebrating sacraments. 136

13. The Sacrament of Holy Orders Did You Know? The minimum age for a bishop is 35 years. A priest is ordained as a bishop by at least three other bishops. The area where a bishop leads and governs the local church is called a diocese. The central community church of the diocese is called a cathedral. The word “cathedral” comes from the word for the bishop’s chair of leadership and teaching, “cathedra”. Some archbishops are cardinals who help the Pope in governing the Universal Church. Reflecting Together at Home and at School What can you find out about the following? – Who is our Archbishop or Bishop? Our auxiliary (assistant) bishop? – What is the name of our diocese? Our cathedral? – What does the Archbishop’s or Bishop’s coat of arms look like? The name of your parish? Your parish priest? What does he do each day? Find out about the brave martyr deacons, St Stephen and St Laurence of Rome. You might like to read from the First Letter of St Peter (5:1–3), where Peter (apostle and elder) talks about Christian leadership. Reflect and discuss why the image of the shepherd is so important when we think of our Church leaders. 137