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Inner Life of a Catholic

The Profession of Faith 

The sacrament produces in the soul of the recipient an increase of sanctifying grace, sacramental graces to help him in his ministry, a sacramental character, and supernatural powers (especially, the power to change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrifice of the Mass, and the power te forgive sins in the Sacrament of Penance). Holy Orders is a sacrament of the living and can be received only once. Only a bishop can confer this Sacrament. 'l'he cere- a mony for this Sacrament is long and a beautiful, but the imposition of hands and the accompanying prayer (mat- ii ter and form) are the essential part of the rite. 

Ordination.

The conferring of the Sacrament of Holy Orders (diaconate and priesthood) and the conferring of tonsure, the minor orders (porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte) and the subdiaconate. The conferring of the episcopacy is also an ordination, although it is usually called a consecration. 

To receive Holy Orders validly, it is necessary that the recipient be a baptized male, and, in the case of adults, that he be acting voluntarily. Licit reception requires that the candidate be qualified according to canon law and that he be free from all impediments. All orders are normally conferred by bishops; but abbots have the power of conferring tonsure and minor orders on their own subjects. 

Required ages for major orders are 21 for the subdiaconate, 22 for the diaconate, and 24 for the priesthood. The tonsure, which may be given when the candidate has begun his course in theology, is a preparatory step to minor orders, which are normally conferred while the candidate is a theological student. It used to be the case that major orders (subdiaconate, diaconate, and priesthood) were conferred at Mass on the Saturdays in Ember weeks, the Saturday before Passion Sunday, on Holy Saturday. or, if the bishop has a grave reason, on any Sunday or holy day of obligation. An indult from the Holy See was required to hold ordinations to major orders on any other day. Ordinations should normally be held in the cathedral or in one of the principal churches of the diocese, although the local bishop may hold them in any church or chapel if he has a reason for so doing. 

HOLY ORDERS

By divine institution some among Christ's faithful are, through the sacrament of order, marked with an indelible character and are thus constituted sacred ministers; thereby they are consecrated and deputed so that, each according to his own grade, they fulfill, in the person of Christ the Head, the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling, and so they nourish the people of God. 

The orders are the episcopate, the priesthood and the diaconate. 

They are conferred by the imposition of hands and the prayer of consecration which the liturgical books prescribe for each grade. 

THE CELEBRATION OF ORDINATION AND THE MINISTER

An ordination is to be celebrated during Mass, on a Sunday or holyday of obligation. For pastoral reasons, however, it may take place on other days also, even on ferial days. 

An ordination is normally to be celebrated in the cathedral church. For pastoral reasons, however, it may be celebrated in another church or oratory. 

Clerics and other members of Christ's faithful are to be invited to attend an ordination, so that the greatest possible number may be present at the celebration. 

The minister of sacred ordination is a consecrated Bishop.

No Bishop is permitted to consecrate anyone as Bishop, unless it is first established that a pontifical mandate has been issued. 

Unless a dispensation has been granted by the Apostolic See, the principal consecrating Bishop at an episcopal consecration is to have at least two other consecrating Bishops with him. It is, however, entirely appropriate that all the Bishops present should join with these in consecrating the Bishop­elect. 

Each candidate is to be ordained to the priesthood or to the diaconate by his proper Bishop, or with lawful dimissorial letters granted by that Bishop. 

If not impeded from doing so by a just reason, a Bishop is himself to ordain his own subjects. He may not, however, without an apostolic indult lawfully ordain a subject of an oriental rite. 

Anyone who is entitled to give dimissorial letters for the reception of orders may also himself confer these orders, if he is a Bishop. 

In what concerns the ordination to the diaconate of those who intend to enroll themselves in the secular clergy, the proper Bishop is the Bishop of the diocese in which the aspirant has a domicile, or the Bishop of the diocese to which he intends to devote himself. In what concerns the priestly ordination of the secular clergy, it is the Bishop of the diocese in which the aspirant was incardinated by the diaconate. 

A Bishop may not confer orders outside his own jurisdiction except with the permission of the diocesan Bishop. 

The following can give dimissorial letters for the secular clergy: 

• the proper Bishop mentioned in can. 1016;
• the apostolic Administrator; with the consent of the college of consultors, the diocesan Administrator; with the consent of the council mentioned in can. 495 §2, the Pro­vicar and Pro­prefect apostolic. 

It belongs to the major Superior of a clerical religious institute of pontifical right or of a clerical society of apostolic life of pontifical right to grant dimissorial letters for the diaconate and for the priesthood to his subjects who are, in accordance with the constitutions, perpetually or definitively enrolled in the institute or society. 

The ordination of all other candidates of whatever institute or society, is governed by the law applying to the secular clergy, any indult whatsoever granted to Superiors being revoked. 

Dimissorial letters are not to be granted unless all the testimonials and documents required by the law in accordance with canon 1050 and 1051 have first been obtained. 

Dimissorial letters may be sent to any Bishop in communion with the Apostolic See, but not to a Bishop of a rite other than that of the ordinand, unless there is an apostolic indult. 

When the ordaining Bishop has received the prescribed dimissorial letters, he may proceed to the ordination only when the authenticity of these letters is established beyond any doubt whatever. 

Dimissorial letters can be limited or can be revoked by the person granting them or by his successor; once granted, they do not lapse on the expiry of the grantor's authority. 

THOSE TO BE ORDAINED

Only a baptized man can validly receive sacred ordination. 

In order lawfully to confer the orders of priesthood or diaconate, it must have been established, in accordance with the proofs laid down by law, that in the judgment of the proper Bishop or competent major Superior, the candidate possesses the requisite qualities, that he is free of any irregularity or impediment, and that he has fulfilled the requirements set out in can. 1033­­1039. Moreover, the documents mentioned in can. 1050 must be to hand, and the investigation mentioned in can. 1051 must have been carried out. 

It is further required that, in the judgment of the same lawful Superior, the candidate is considered beneficial to the ministry of the Church. 

A Bishop ordaining his own subject who is destined for the service of another diocese, must be certain that the ordinand will in fact be attached to that other diocese. 

THE REQUIREMENTS IN THOSE TO BE ORDAINED

For a person to be ordained, he must enjoy the requisite freedom. It is absolutely wrong to compel anyone, in any way or for any reason whatsoever, to receive orders, or to turn away from orders anyone who is canonically suitable. 

Aspirants to the diaconate and the priesthood are to be formed by careful preparation in accordance with the law. 

The diocesan Bishop or the competent Superior must ensure that before they are promoted to any order, candidates are properly instructed concerning the order itself and its obligations. 

Only those are to be promoted to orders who, in the prudent judgment of the proper Bishop or the competent major Superior, all things considered, have sound faith, are motivated by the right intention, are endowed with the requisite knowledge, enjoy a good reputation, and have moral probity, proven virtue and the other physical and psychological qualities appropriate to the order to be received. 

The proper Bishop or the competent major Superior may, but only for a canonical reason, even one which is occult, forbid admission to the priesthood to deacons subject to them who were destined for the priesthood, without prejudice to recourse in accordance with the law. 

The priesthood may be conferred only upon those who have completed their twenty­fifth year of age, and possess a sufficient maturity; moreover, an interval of at least six months between the diaconate and the priesthood must have been observed. Those who are destined for the priesthood are to be admitted to the order of diaconate only when they have completed their twenty­third year. 

A candidate for the permanent diaconate who is not married may be admitted to the diaconate only when he has completed at least his twenty­fifth year; if he is married, not until he has completed at least his thirty­fifth year, and then with the consent of his wife. 

Episcopal Conferences may issue a regulation which requires a later age for the priesthood and for the permanent diaconate. 

A dispensation of more than a year from the age required by §1 and 2 is reserved to the Apostolic See. 

Aspirants to the priesthood may be promoted to the diaconate only when they have completed the fifth year of the curriculum of philosophical and theological studies. 

After completing the curriculum of studies and before being promoted to the priesthood, deacons are to spend an appropriate time, to be determined by the Bishop or by the competent major Superior, exercising the diaconal order and taking part in the pastoral ministry. 

An aspirant to the permanent diaconate is not to be promoted to this order until he has completed the period of formation. 

PREREQUISITES FOR ORDINATION

Only one who has received the sacrament of sacred confirmation may lawfully be promoted to orders. 

An aspirant to the diaconate or to the priesthood is not to be ordained unless he has first, through the liturgical rite of admission, secured enrolment as a candidate from the authority mentioned in canon 1016 and 1019. He must previously have submitted a petition in his own hand and signed by him, which has been accepted in writing by the same authority. 

One who has by vows become a member of a clerical institute is not obliged to obtain this admission. 

Before anyone may be promoted to the diaconate, whether permanent or transitory, he must have received the ministries of lector and acolyte, and have exercised them for an appropriate time. 

Between the conferring of the ministry of acolyte and the diaconate there is to be an interval of at least six months. 

For a candidate to be promoted to the order of diaconate or priesthood, he must submit to the proper Bishop or to the competent major Superior a declaration written in his own hand and signed by him, in which he attests that he will spontaneously and freely receive the sacred order and will devote himself permanently to the ecclesiastical ministry, asking at the same time that he be admitted to receive the order. 

A candidate for the permanent diaconate who is not married and likewise a candidate for the priesthood, is not to be admitted to the order of diaconate unless he has, in the prescribed rite, publicly before God and the Church undertaken the obligation of celibacy, or unless he has taken perpetual vows in a religious institute. 

A deacon who refuses to be promoted to the priesthood may not be forbidden the exercise of the order he has received, unless he is constrained by a canonical impediment, or unless there is some other grave reason, to be estimated by the diocesan Bishop or the competent major Superior 

All who are to be promoted to any order must make a retreat for at least five days, in a place and in the manner determined by the Ordinary. Before he proceeds to the ordination, the Bishop must have assured himself that the candidates have duly made the retreat. 

IRREGULARITIES AND OTHER IMPEDIMENTS

Those bound by an impediment are to be barred from the reception of orders. An impediment may be simple; or it may be perpetual, in which case it is called an irregularity. No impediment is contracted which is not contained in the following canons. 

The following persons are irregular for the reception of orders: 

• one who suffers from any form of insanity, or from any other psychological infirmity, because of which he is, after experts have been consulted, judged incapable of being able to fulfill the ministry;
• one who has committed the offence of apostasy, heresy or schism;
• one who has attempted marriage, even a civil marriage, either while himself prevented from entering marriage whether by an existing marriage bond or by a sacred order or by a public and perpetual vow of chastity, or with a woman who is validly married or is obliged by the same vow;
• one who has committed willful homicide, or one who has actually procured an abortion, and all who have positively cooperated;
• one who has gravely and maliciously mutilated himself or another, or who has attempted suicide;
• one who has carried out an act of order which is reserved to those in the order of the episcopate or priesthood, while himself either not possessing that order or being barred from its exercise by some canonical penalty, declared or imposed. 

• a man who has a wife, unless he is lawfully destined for the permanent diaconate;
• one who exercises an office or administration forbidden to clerics, in accordance with canon 285 and 286, of which he must render an account; the impediment binds until such time as, having relinquished the office and administration and rendered the account, he has been freed;
• a neophyte, unless, in the judgment of the Ordinary, he has been sufficiently tested. 

The following are irregular for the exercise of orders already received: 

• one who, while bound by an irregularity for the reception of orders, unlawfully received orders;
• one who committed the offence mentioned in can. 1041, n. 2, if the offence is public
• one who committed any of the offences mentioned in can. 1041, nn. 3, 4,5,6. 

• one who, while bound by an impediment to the reception of orders, unlawfully received orders;
• one who suffers from insanity or from some other psychological infirmity mentioned in can. 1041, n. 1, until such time as the Ordinary, having consulted an expert, has allowed the exercise of the order in question. 

Irregularities and impediments are multiplied if they arise from different causes, not however from the repetition of the same cause, unless it is a question of the irregularity arising from the commission of willful homicide or from having actually procured an abortion. 

If the fact on which they are based has been brought to the judicial forum, dispensation from all irregularities is reserved to the Apostolic See alone. 

Dispensation from the following irregularities and impediments to the reception of orders is also reserved to the Apostolic See: 

• irregularities arising from the offences mentioned in can. 1041, nn. 2 and 3, if they are public;
• an irregularity arising from the offence, whether public or occult, mentioned in can. 1041, n. 4;
• the impediment mentioned in can. 1042, n. 1. 

The Ordinary can dispense from irregularities and impediments not reserved to the Holy See. 

In the more urgent occult cases, if the Ordinary or, in the case of the irregularities mentioned in can. 1041, nn. 3 and 4, the Penitentiary cannot be approached, and if there is imminent danger of serious harm or loss of reputation, the person who is irregular for the exercise of an order may exercise it. There remains, however, the obligation of his having recourse as soon as possible to the Ordinary or the Penitentiary, without revealing his name, and through a confessor. 

In a petition to obtain a dispensation from irregularities or impediments, all irregularities and impediments are to be mentioned. However, a general dispensation is valid also for those omitted in good faith, with the exception of the irregularities mentioned in can. 1041, n. 4, or of others which have been brought to the judicial forum; it is not, however, valid for those concealed in bad faith. 

If it is question of an irregularity arising from willful homicide or from a procured abortion, for the validity of the dispensation even the number of offences must be stated. 

A general dispensation from irregularities and impediments to the reception of orders is valid for all orders. 

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED AND THE INVESTIGATION

For a person to be promoted to sacred orders, the following documents are required: 

• a certificate of studies duly completed in accordance with can. 1032;
• for those to be ordained to the priesthood, a certificate of the reception of the diaconate
• for those to be promoted to the diaconate, certificates of the reception of baptism, of confirmation and of the ministries mentioned in can. 1035, and a certificate that the declaration mentioned in can. 1036 has been made, if an ordinand to be promoted to the permanent diaconate is married, a certificate of his marriage and testimony of his wife's consent. 

• there is to be a certificate from the rector of the seminary or of the house of formation, concerning the qualities required in the candidate for the reception of the order, namely sound doctrine, genuine piety, good moral behavior, fitness for the exercise of the ministry, likewise, after proper investigation, a certificate of the candidate's state of physical and psychological health;
• the diocesan Bishop or the major Superior may, in order properly to complete the investigation, use other means which, taking into account the circumstances of time and place, may seem useful, such as testimonial letters, public notices or other sources of information. 

For a Bishop to proceed to the ordination of someone not his own subject, it is sufficient that the dimissorial letters state that those documents are at hand, that the investigation has been conducted in accordance with the law, and that the candidate's suitability has been established. If the ordinand is a member of a religious institute or a society of apostolic life, these letters must also testify that he has been definitively enrolled in the institute or society and that he is a subject of the Superior who gives the letters. 

If, not withstanding all this, the Bishop has definite reasons for doubting that the candidate is suitable to receive orders, he is not to promote him. 

THE REGISTRATION AND EVIDENCE OF ORDINATION

After an ordination, the names of the individuals ordained, the name of the ordaining minister, and the place and date of ordination are to be entered in a special register which is to be carefully kept in the curia of the place of ordination. All the documents of each ordination are to be accurately preserved. 

The ordaining Bishop is to give to each person ordained an authentic certificate of the ordination received. Those who, with dimissorial letters, have been promoted by a Bishop other than their own, are to submit the certificate to their proper Ordinary for the registration of the ordination in a special register, to be kept in the archive. 

The local Ordinary, if it concerns the secular clergy, or the competent major Superior, if it concerns his subjects, is to send a notification of each ordination to the parish priest of the place of baptism. The parish priest is to record the ordination in the baptismal register in accordance with can. 535 §2.

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