252. The selection of a bishop

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 252

Ave Maria series

252  What happens in episcopal ordination?

In episcopal ordination the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred upon a priest. He is ordained a successor of the apostles and enters the college of bishops.  Together with the other bishops and the Pope, he is from now on responsible for the entire Church.  In particular the Church appoints him to the offices of teaching, sanctifying, and governing.  [1555-1559]

A bishop administering the sacrament of Confirmation.…..252

The episcopal ministry is the real pastoral ministry in the Church, for it goes back to the original witnesses to Jesus, the apostles, and continues the pastoral ministry of the apostles that was instituted by Christ.  The Pope, too, is a bishop, but the first among them and the head of the college.  92, 137

“If someone wants to destroy religion, he begins by attacking priests, for wherever there are no more priests, there is no sacrifice, either, and where there is no longer a sacrifice, there is no religion, either.”  St. John Vianney (1786-1859

Episcopal ordination - fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders

1555 "Amongst those various offices which have been exercised in the Church from the earliest times the chief place, according to the witness of tradition, is held by the function of those who, through their appointment to the dignity and responsibility of bishop, and in virtue consequently of the unbroken succession going back to the beginning, are regarded as transmitters of the apostolic line."(Lumen Gentium 20.)³⁴–Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

1556 To fulfill their exalted mission, "the apostles were endowed by Christ with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit coming upon them, and by the imposition of hands they passed on to their auxiliaries the gift of the Spirit, which is transmitted down to our day through episcopal consecration."(Lumen Gentium 21; compare Acts of the Apostles 1:8; Acts 1:24; John 20:22-23; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6-7.)³⁵ --CCC

1557 The Second Vatican Council "teaches . . . that the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that fullness namely which, both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and the language of the Fathers of the Church, is called the high priesthood, the acme (summa) of the sacred ministry."(Lumen Gentium  21§ 2.)³⁶ --CCC

1558 "Episcopal consecration confers, together with the office of sanctifying, also the offices of teaching and ruling. . . . In fact . . . by the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such wise that bishops, in an eminent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself, teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative (in Eius persona agant)."(Lumen Gentium 21.)³⁷ "By virtue, therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been constituted true and authentic teachers of the faith and have been made pontiffs and pastors."(Chistus Dominus 2 § 2.)³⁸–CCC

1559"One is constituted a member of the episcopal body in virtue of the sacramental consecration and by the hierarchical communion with the head and members of the college."(Lumen Gentium 22.)³⁹ The character and collegial nature of the episcopal order are evidenced among other ways by the Church's ancient practice which calls for several bishops to participate in the consecration of a new bishop.(Compare Lumen Gentium 22.)⁴⁰  In our day, the lawful ordination of a bishop requires a special intervention of the Bishop of Rome, because he is the supreme visible bond of the communion of the particular Churches in the one Church and the guarantor of their freedom. –CCC

Sacrament Confirmation  Bishop

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23, 2018

Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 

Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23, 2018
Lectionary: 12

Reading 1  MICAH 5:1-4A

Thus says the LORD: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathahtoo small to be among the clans of Judah,from you shall come forth for meone who is to be ruler in Israel;whose origin is from of old,from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the timewhen she who is to give birth has borne,and the rest of his kindred shall returnto the children of Israel.  He shall stand firm and shepherd his flockby the strength of the LORD,in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;and they shall remain, for now his greatnessshall reach to the ends of the earth;he shall be peace.

Responsorial Psalm PSALM 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19.

R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.

R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Reading 2  HEBREWS 10:5-10

Brothers and sisters: When Christ came into the world, he said:"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,but a body you prepared for me;in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"
First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.  Then he says, :Behold, I come to do your will."  He takes away the first to establish the second.  By this "will," we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Alleluia  LUKE 1:38

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel  LUKE 1:39-45

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,the infant leaped in her womb, 
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?   For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believedthat what was spoken to you by the Lordwould be fulfilled."

JC Visitation Blessed

251. Holy Orders confired upon the bishop, priest, and deacon.

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 251

Ave Maria series

251  What are the degrees of the sacrament of Holy Orders?

The sacrament of Holy Orders has three degrees:  Bishop (episcopate), priest (presbyterate),  and deacon (diaconate).  [1554, 1593]140

The bishop ordains each man by laying his hands on the candidate's head and praying silently as he invokes the Holy Spirit upon the new priest.…..251

THE THREE DEGREES OF THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

1554  "The divinely instituted ecclesiastical ministry is exercised in different degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called bishops, priests, and deacons." (Lumen Gentium 28.)³²  Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate. The diaconate is intended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdos in current usage denotes bishops and priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three conferred by a sacramental act called "ordination," that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders:–Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the senate of God and the assembly of the apostles. For without them one cannot speak of the Church.(St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall. 3,1:Sources Chrẻtiennes 10,96.)³³  --CCC

IN BRIEF

1593  Since the beginning, the ordained ministry has been conferred and exercised in three degrees: that of bishops, that of presbyters, and that of deacons. The ministries conferred by ordination are irreplaceable for the organic structure of the Church: without the bishop, presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of the Church (compare St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall. 3,1). –CCC

Holy Orders  The bishop

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

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

YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic ChurchLesson 250

Ave Maria series

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]

Christ the Redeemer  statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot.…..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.

[1539-1553, 1592]

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 Exodus 29:1-30; Leviticus 8.)⁸ –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

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 Numbers 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:--CCC

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 Heb 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,"(Heb 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 Rev 5:9-10; 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--CCC

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--CCC

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, Summa Theologiae 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 Chretiennes 10,96; compare Ad Magn. 6,1:SCh 10,82-84.)²⁷--CCC

1550 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

IN BRIEF

1592 The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful. The ordained ministers exercise their service for the People of God by teaching (munus docendi), divine worship (munus liturgicum) and pastoral governance (munus regendi).–CCC

JT  Statue  Redeemer Christ