Through Baptism we all have a share in the priesthood of
Christ. For this reason we are called a “priestly people.”
However, this common priesthood of the Faithful should not
be confused with the ministerial priesthood which is
conferred only through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. As
with Baptism and Confirmation, Holy Orders makes an
indelible mark on the soul of the recipient: it is the third and
final character sacrament.
There are three grades or degrees of the sacrament.
They are, in descending order, that of bishop, that of
presbyters and that of deacons. The Bishop receives the
fullness of the Sacrament. A successor to the Apostles
and member of the Episcopal College, he exercises his
office under the authority of the Pope and is the visible
head of the particular Church entrusted to him by the Holy
Father.
The presbyters, or priests are united to their bishop in
priestly dignity and receive their authority from him. Priests
receive their faculties from their bishop to perform such
priestly duties as they may exercise, the main ones being
to celebrate Mass, preach, hear confessions and anoint the
sick. An individual priest may not licitly perform any of
these functions without faculties from his bishop.
Deacons are ordained to assist bishops and priests; while
they do not receive the ministerial priesthood ordination
does confer on them the ability to read the Gospel and
preach at Mass, as well as baptize and officiate at
marriages or funerals without Mass. They too need
faculties from their bishop in order to perform their
functions.
The Sacrament is conferred only by a bishop, by the
laying on of hands and a solemn prayer of consecration.
Bishops may only ordain other bishops when authorized to
do so by the Holy Father. They may discern for
themselves whom to ordain to the presbyterate and the
deconate. Only baptized men – viri – may receive the
sacrament.
Nobody has a right to this sacrament. Indeed, no one
technically even has a vocation to Holy Order until he has
received the letter of call from his bishop to the deaconate
or priesthood. The Church decides who, in fact, has a
priestly vocation.