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264 • Part II. The Sacraments: The Faith Celebrated
HOLY ORDERS: BISHOP, PRIEST, DEACON
The Church adopted the term
order
from its use in the Roman Empire,
where it referred to a governing group. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders,
there are three degrees or “orders”: bishop, priest, and deacon. The rite
of ordination is the sacramental act that makes this possible. Ordination
“confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a ‘sacred
power’ . . . which can come only fromChrist himself through the Church”
(CCC, no. 1538).
The first priest figure to appear in the Old Testament is Melchizedek,
who offered a sacrifice of bread and wine on behalf of the patriarch
Abraham (Gn 14:18-20). He symbolized the permanence of priesthood:
“Like Melchizedek you are a priest forever” (Ps 110:4). God also chose
Aaron and his sons to be priests (Ex 28:1ff.) and designated the tribe of
Levi for liturgical service. They acted on behalf of the people and offered
gifts and sacrifices for sins. They proclaimed God’s Word and led people
to communion with him through sacrifices and prayers.
But these priests were unable to provide the fullness of salvation or
definitive sanctification for the people. Only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
could bring this about. The priesthood of Melchizedek, Aaron, and the
Levites prefigured the priesthood of Christ, as is seen in consecration
prayers for the ordination of bishops, priests, and deacons.
The priesthood of the Old Testament found its perfect fulfillment in
the priesthood of Jesus Christ, who is the one mediator between God and
us. Jesus’ sacrifice of himself on the Cross was a priestly act of perfect
self-offering accepted by the Father and culminating in his Resurrection
from the dead so that, as Risen Lord and High Priest, he continues to
offer salvation to all.
By Baptism, all the members of the Church share in Christ’s holy
priesthood. It is called “the common priesthood of the faithful” because
the entire Church shares in it. To build up this priesthood, Christ gives
to his Church the ordained ministries of bishops, priests, and deacons
through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Only the ordained bishop and
priest may be ministers of Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist,
the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, and the Sacrament of the
Anointing of the Sick. Only bishops may ordain deacons, priests, and