Catechism of the Catholic Church
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1538 Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished by a rite called ordinatio, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a blessing or a sacrament. Today the word "ordination" is reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the community, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a "sacred power" (sacra potestas) 5 which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. The laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign of this ordination.
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PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY |
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SECTION TWO: THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH |
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CHAPTER THREE: THE SACRAMENTS AT THE SERVICE OF COMMUNION |
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ARTICLE 6: THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS |
Notes for the above paragraph:
5 Cf. LG 10.
English Translation of the Cathechism of the Catholic Church for the United States of America © 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.
