St. Bonaventure, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

The diaconate is a vital rank in the Church’s hierarchy. Deacons receive the laying on of hands from the bishop, showing their special attachment to him in the ministry of service. Through Holy Orders, they are configured to Christ, who made himself the servant of all, and they assist bishops and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, especially the Eucharist, as well as in proclaiming the Gospel, preaching, assisting at marriages, presiding at funerals, and works of charity. The permanent diaconate, restored in the Latin Church and long maintained in the Eastern Churches, can be conferred on married men and enriches the Church’s mission. Because ordination is important for the life of the particular Church, the faithful are encouraged to take part in its solemn celebration within the Eucharistic liturgy.

The Catechism teaches that only a baptized man can validly receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Church recognizes herself as bound by Jesus’ choice of men for the Twelve Apostles and by the apostles’ choice of collaborators in their ministry; through the bishops, united with priests in the priesthood, this apostolic college remains present and active until Christ’s return. Holy Orders is not a right or something a person claims for himself, but an unmerited gift and a call from God, to be humbly submitted to the Church’s authority. In the Latin Church, ordained ministers other than permanent deacons are normally chosen from faithful men who live and intend to remain celibate for the sake of the Kingdom, giving themselves with an undivided heart to the Lord and to others. In the Eastern Churches, married men may be ordained as deacons and priests, while bishops are chosen from celibates; celibacy is also held in great honor, and some priests freely choose it for the Kingdom of God. In both East and West, a man who has received Holy Orders cannot marry.

The sacrament of Holy Orders configures the ordained minister to Christ through a special grace of the Holy Spirit, enabling him to serve as Christ’s instrument for the Church and to act in the person of Christ the Head as priest, prophet, and king. Like Baptism and Confirmation, Holy Orders confers an indelible spiritual character: it cannot be repeated or given temporarily. Even when someone is discharged from the obligations or functions of ordination, the character of ordination remains forever, and the vocation and mission received at ordination mark him permanently. Christ himself acts and brings about salvation through ordained ministers. Bishops receive grace to guide and defend the Church with strength, prudence, and love, especially for the poor, sick, and needy; deacons serve the People of God in the liturgy, the Gospel, and works of charity. As families, we can prayerfully reflect on the great grace and lasting mission given through Holy Orders.