250 A PRIESTHOOD ORDAINED ONLY IN CHRIST

YOUCAT Lesson 250

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

250  How does the Church understand the sacrament of Holy Orders?

The priests of the Old Covenant saw their duty as mediating between heavenly and earthly things, between God and his people.  Since Christ is the “one mediator between God and Men” (1 Timothy 2:5), he perfected and ended that priesthood.  After Christ there can be an ordained priesthood only in Christ, in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, and through a calling and apostolic mission from Christ.  [1539-1553, 1592]

 Painting: …..Christ of the Eucharist by Juan Juanes. 16th-century; shows the Valencia Chalice.....128.....215.....250

 

A Catholic priest who administers the sacraments acts not on the basis of his own power or moral perfection (which unfortunately he often lacks), but rather “in persona Christi”.  Through his ordination, the transforming, healing, saving power of Christ is grafted onto him.  Because a priest has nothing of his own, he is above all servant.  The distinguishing characteristic of every authentic priest, therefore, is humble astonishment at his own vocation.  215

“Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his ministers.”  St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

“Christ has no body but yours, no hands, feet on earth but yours,” St. Teresa of Avila wrote centuries ago.

II. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION

The priesthood of the Old Covenant

…….1539   The chosen people was constituted by God as "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."(Exodus 19:6; compare Isaiah 61:6.)⁶    But within the people of Israel, God chose one of the twelve tribes, that of Levi, and set it apart for liturgical service; God himself is its inheritance.(Compare Numbers 1:48-53; Joshua 13:33.)⁷    A special rite consecrated the beginnings of the priesthood of the Old Covenant. The priests are "appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins."(Hebrews 5:1; compare Exodis 29:1-30; Leviticus 8.)⁸ –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edlition

…….1540   Instituted to proclaim the Word of God and to restore communion with God by sacrifices and prayer,(Compare Malachi 2:7-9.)⁹   this priesthood nevertheless remains powerless to bring about salvation, needing to repeat its sacrifices ceaselessly and being unable to achieve a definitive sanctification, which only the sacrifice of Christ would accomplish.(Compare Hebrews 5:3; Heb 7:27; Heb 10:1-4.)¹⁰ –CCC

…….1541   The liturgy of the Church, however, sees in the priesthood of Aaron and the service of the Levites, as in the institution of the seventy elders,(Compare Num 11:24-25.)¹¹   a prefiguring of the ordained ministry of the New Covenant. Thus in the Latin Rite the Church prays in the consecratory preface of the ordination of bishops:

God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . .
by your gracious word
you have established the plan of your Church.

From the beginning,
you chose the descendants of Abraham to be your holy nation.
You established rulers and priests
and did not leave your sanctuary without ministers to serve you. . . .(Roman Pontifical, Ordination of Bishops 26, Prayer of Consecration.)¹² --CCC

…….1542 At the ordination of priests, the Church prays:

Lord, holy Father, . . . 
when you had appointed high priests to rule your people, 
you chose other men next to them in rank and dignity 
to be with them and to help them in their task. . . .

you extended the spirit of Moses to seventy wise men. . . . 
You shared among the sons of Aaron 
the fullness of their father's power.(Roman Pontifical, Ordination of Priests 22, Prayer of Consecration.)¹³ –CCC

…….1543 In the consecratory prayer for ordination of deacons, the Church confesses:

Almighty God . . ., 
You make the Church, Christ's body, 
grow to its full stature as a new and greater temple. 
You enrich it with every kind of grace 
and perfect it with a diversity of members 
to serve the whole body in a wonderful pattern of unity.

You established a threefold ministry of worship and service, 
for the glory of your name. 
As ministers of your tabernacle you chose the sons of Levi 
and gave them your blessing as their everlasting inheritance.(Roman Pontifical, Ordination of Deacons 21, Prayer of Consecration.)¹⁴ –CCC

The one priesthood of Christ

…….1544   Everything that the priesthood of the Old Covenant prefigured finds its fulfillment in Christ Jesus, the "one mediator between God and men."(2 Timothy 2:5.)¹⁵    The Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, "priest of God Most High," as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique "high priest after the order of Melchizedek";(Hebrews 5:10; compare Hebrews 6:20; Genesis 14:18.)¹⁶   "holy, blameless, unstained,"(Hebrews 7:26.)¹⁷   "by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified,"( Hebrews 10:14.)¹⁸  that is, by the unique sacrifice of the cross. –CCC

…..1545   The redemptive sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for all; yet it is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church. The same is true of the one priesthood of Christ; it is made present through the ministerial priesthood without diminishing the uniqueness of Christ's priesthood: "Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his ministers."(St. Thomas Aquinas, Hebr. 8,4.)¹⁹ –CCC

Two participations in the one priesthood of Christ

…….1546   Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father."(Revelation 1:6; compare Revelation 5:9; 1 Peter 2:5,9.)²⁰    The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are "consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood."(Lumen Gentium 10 § 1.)²¹ –CCC

…….1547   The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one to another," they differ essentially.(Lumen Gentium 10 § 2.)²²    In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace --a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit--, the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders. –CCC

In the person of Christ the Head . . .

…..1548   In the ecclesial service of the ordained minister, it is Christ himself who is present to his Church as Head of his Body, Shepherd of his flock, high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, Teacher of Truth. This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis:(Compare Lumen Gentium 10; 28; Sacrosanctum Concilium 33; Christus Dominus 11; Presbyterorum Ordinis 2; 6.)²³

It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person his minister truly represents. Now the minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is truly made like to the high priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and place of the person of Christ himself (virtute ac persona ipsius Christi).(Pius XII, encyclical, Mediator Dei: Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 39 (1947) 548.)²⁴

Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of the old law was a figure of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ.(St. Thomas Aquinas, STh III,22,4c.)²⁵ –CCC

…….1549    Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers.(Compare Lumen Gentium 21.)²⁶    In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father.(St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall. 3,1:Sources Chrẻtiennes 10,96; cp,[are Ad Magn. 6,1:Sources Chrẻtiennes 10,82-84.)²⁷ –CCC

…….2550   This presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if the latter were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit of domination, error, even sin. The power of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee all acts of ministers in the same way. While this guarantee extends to the sacraments, so that even the minister's sin cannot impede the fruit of grace, in many other acts the minister leaves human traces that are not always signs of fidelity to the Gospel and consequently can harm the apostolic fruitfulness of the Church. –CCC

…….1551   This priesthood is ministerial. "That office . . . which the Lord committed to the pastors of his people, is in the strict sense of the term a service."(Lumen Gentium 24.)²⁸    It is entirely related to Christ and to men. It depends entirely on Christ and on his unique priesthood; it has been instituted for the good of men and the communion of the Church. The sacrament of Holy Orders communicates a "sacred power" which is none other than that of Christ. The exercise of this authority must therefore be measured against the model of Christ, who by love made himself the least and the servant of all.(Compare Mark 10:43-45; 1 Peter 5:3.)²⁹    "The Lord said clearly that concern for his flock was proof of love for him."(St. John Chrysostom, De sac. 2, 4:Patrologia Graeca 48, 636; compare John 21:15-17.)³⁰ –CCC

. . . "in the name of the whole Church"

…….1552   The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ - Head of the Church - before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when offering the Eucharistic sacrifice.(Compare Sacrosanctum Concilium 33N; Lumen Gentium 10.)³¹ –CCC

…….1553   "In the name of the whole Church" does not mean that priests are the delegates of the community. The prayer and offering of the Church are inseparable from the prayer and offering of Christ, her head; it is always the case that Christ worships in and through his Church. The whole Church, the Body of Christ, prays and offers herself "through him, with him, in him," in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to God the Father. The whole Body, caput et membra, prays and offers itself, and therefore those who in the Body are especially his ministers are called ministers not only of Christ, but also of the Church. It is because the ministerial priesthood represents Christ that it can represent the Church. --CCC