Chapter
14

Sacraments of Commitment

In This Chapter

Holy orders and the all-male priesthood

Understanding marriage as a sacrament

Sacred signs of grace in sacramentals and popular devotions

Christian funerals in the Catholic faith

Finally we come to the last two of the seven sacraments: holy orders and matrimony, known as sacraments of commitment or sacraments of service. Unlike the other five sacraments, which focus on building up the person receiving them, these two sacraments focus on building up other people. Specifically, they are aimed at building up the People of God.

The Catechism explains that holy orders and matrimony are “directed toward the salvation of others.” They may contribute to personal salvation as well, but only as a byproduct of service. (1534)

In this chapter, we will explore holy orders, which include the ordination of bishops, priests, and deacons, and we will look at marriage in the Catholic Church and how it rises to the level of a sacrament.

That’s an Order

You may be asking what the sacrament of holy orders is. Is it the Catholic version of getting drafted to serve the Church? Nope. The sacrament of holy orders is about answering a call from God, and about continuing with uninterrupted succession the ministry of the original Twelve Apostles until the end of all time.

The term “holy orders” has its roots in ancient Rome, where an “order” referred to an “established civil body, especially a governing body.” (1537) In the Catholic Church, holy orders “confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a ‘sacred power,’ which can come only from Christ himself through his Church.” So the gift of the Spirit received during ordination doesn’t come from the community or even the Church but from Christ through the Church. (1538)

The Priesthood

Before we get into the specifics of holy orders, let’s check the history of this sacrament. Like so many aspects of the Catholic faith, the Catholic priesthood is foreshadowed in the priesthood of the Old Covenant. Among God’s chosen people, the Levites were selected by God to be priests. The Catechism explains how the Church recognizes the priesthood of Aaron, the service of the Levites, and the “institution of the 70 elders” (Numbers 11:24) as prefiguring the ordained ministry of the New Covenant. (1541)

Jesus, then, is seen as fulfilling the Old Covenant. He is the high priest, the “one mediator between God and the human race” (1 Tim 2:5). In the New Covenant, there is only one priesthood, that of Jesus Christ. There is also only one Priest, namely Jesus Christ. So what about all those who are ordained as priests? The Catechism says these priests make present the one Priest. St. Thomas Aquinas, the Catechism tells us, says that “only Christ is the true priest; the others (are) only his ministers.” Because of this, ordained priests today are said to be members of the “ministerial priesthood.” (1545)

Ordination Explanation

The Church teaches there are three “degrees” of ordination: episcopate (bishop), presbyterate (what we call priest), and diaconate (deacon). The first two, bishops and priests, are considered “ministerial priests,” meaning they participate in and manifest the one priesthood of Christ. Deacons, on the other hand, are there to help and serve priests and bishops. Let’s talk about what each of these “degrees” really means.

A bishop starts out by being ordained a deacon (more on deacons in a moment), and then is ordained a presbyter or priest. He becomes a bishop after his Episcopal ordination, after being appointed by the pope, and he typically will serve in a specific geographic location (diocese) or in a particular office of the Church, or both. A bishop can do all the things a priest does and then some. In addition to saying Mass, hearing confessions, baptizing babies, anointing the sick, and blessing marriages, a bishop can also confirm and ordain. So a bishop has the capacity to celebrate all of the seven sacraments. A bishop is also in a leadership role on a broader scale than a priest. A priest may be the shepherd of his parish, but a bishop is the shepherd of many, many parishes and is considered a successor to the apostles. In that role, the bishop becomes a member of the college of bishops and, with the pope, shares in the teaching authority of the Church.

A priest starts out as a seminarian, which is someone studying to be a priest. After years of theology and time spent working in parishes and other ministries, a seminarian becomes a deacon. This kind of deacon is known as “transitional,” meaning that he is a deacon only for a short time (usually a year or so) before being ordained a priest.

A priest can do all of the things mentioned previously: baptize, bless marriages, celebrate Mass, hear confessions, anoint the sick, and, in some instances when the bishop requests it, confirm. A priest can work in a parish or in other types of ministries—as a hospital or prison chaplain, counselor, teacher, and many other positions.

So how does ordination actually occur? Well, the essential rite of this sacrament is the “imposition of hands” by the bishop on the head of the person being ordained. At that point, the bishop says a special prayer of consecration, asking the Holy Spirit to come upon the person and guide him in his particular ministry—bishop, priest, or deacon. (1573)

An ordination would normally take place within the context of a Mass, preferably on a Sunday in a cathedral, with as many of the faithful in attendance as possible. Ordination is seen as incredibly important for the life of the Church, and so it is equally important that the Church community be there to witness it and celebrate it. (1572) As with baptism and confirmation, this sacrament leaves an indelible mark called a “character” and can be received only once.

Because the Church teaches bishops are the successors of the apostles and Jesus Christ continues to act through them, and because the sacrament of holy orders is considered “the sacrament of the apostolic ministry,” only bishops are allowed to ordain other bishops, priests, and deacons. (1576) So who is allowed to be ordained? The answer is baptized men only. Why not women? Well, the Church sees the college of bishops as the successors to the original Twelve Apostles, who were chosen by Jesus and who were all men. In order to make the original Twelve Apostles “ever present,” the Church teaches that it is “bound” to the choices that Jesus Christ himself, so that the “ordination of women is not possible.” (1577)

The Latin Church also does not allow its priests and bishops to be married. This is based on the conviction that they are called to give themselves with “undivided heart to the Lord,” and so they must remain celibate their entire lives. The Catechism explains that celibacy is a sign of their “new life” in the Lord. (1579)

Celibacy is a “discipline,” not a matter of Church doctrine. The Eastern Church follows a different discipline. Its priests and deacons are allowed to be married, although its bishops must be unmarried, celibate men. (1580) There are some instances in the Roman Catholic Church where married Anglican priests have been welcomed in the Catholic priesthood along with their wives and children. (1580) In both the Latin and Eastern Churches, the one common rule on celibacy is this: married men may be ordained, but ordained men cannot marry.

What Are Deacons?

As mentioned briefly in the beginning of the previous section, a deacon is a whole other breed of ordained clergy. A deacon does not have the same capacities as a priest and bishop.

Deacons are considered to be at a lower level of hierarchy. Although they receive the imposition of hands during ordination and it is an “indelible” mark that can never be removed, it is not the same as that received by priests and bishops. (1569)

Through ordination, deacons take a share in the mission of Jesus Christ the Servant and commit themselves to serving their bishop and priests. A deacon can baptize, bless marriages, distribute Communion, proclaim the Gospel, preach, preside at funerals, and serve through charitable ministries. Deacons cannot celebrate Mass, hear confession, or anoint the sick.

Unlike priests and bishops, a “permanent” deacon—not a seminarian on the road to priesthood but a man who will remain a deacon for the rest of his life—may be married, as long as he is married before he is ordained a deacon. If his wife dies after he is ordained, he must remain celibate thereafter.

I Now Pronounce You …

Now we come to marriage, which you probably never thought of as a vocation the way a calling to the priesthood is a vocation. Most of us grow up and get married; it’s just what we do. But the Church looks at marriage in a different light. It’s not just a general stage of life, but is a specific vocation. Husbands and wives are called to married life the way other men and women are called to the priesthood, religious life, or single life.

The Church sees marriage as a “covenant” between a man and woman that establishes a lifelong partnership designed to benefit the partners as well as their offspring. This covenant, then, is not just some sort of civil agreement. When it is between baptized people, marriage is a sacrament. (1601)

Here’s how it works: God created man and woman out of love and calls them to love others. The mutual love of a husband and wife becomes a mirror of God, who is love, and of God’s love for humanity. In husband and wife, we see the love of God reflected. The Catechism explains that this belief in the specifically religious nature of marriage goes back to both the Old and New Testaments. (1604)

First, we have the Book of Genesis, where we hear about how God created the first man but didn’t want man to be alone. So God created a woman, “flesh of his flesh,” to be the man’s equal, the man’s helpmate, the man’s partner. “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.” (Gen 2:24)

Flip to the New Testament, and we have Jesus reiterating the teaching of Genesis on the creator’s plan from the beginning: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (Matthew 19:6)

Now, the Church may teach that marriage is a sacrament and marriage is forever, but that doesn’t mean the Church doesn’t recognize that marriage isn’t always easy. Because of humanity’s original fall, man and woman have this tension between them, this penchant for sinning, hurting each other, fighting, cheating, and more. Like Adam and Eve, modern men and women struggle with issues of jealousy, lust, hatred, and domination, but the Church teaches that God is always there, healing their wounds, giving them the grace they need to carry on and restore their love for one another. (1606–1608)

What Makes Marriage Holy?

When it comes right down to it, no matter how close a believing man and woman are, no matter how many years they’ve known each other or loved each other, their relationship is not a sacred reality until they declare their love before God.

In the Latin Church, it is considered optimal for Catholics to have the celebration of marriage within a Mass, connecting matrimony to the sacrament of the Eucharist where Jesus Christ is recognized as the bridegroom with the Church as his bride. The Catechism explains that when they “seal their consent” at Mass, the husband and wife unite themselves with Christ’s sacrifice, and by receiving the Eucharist they form “one body” in Jesus Christ. (1621)

The Latin Church teaches that the baptized spouses are “ministers of Christ’s grace” and, as such, confer the sacrament of marriage on each other in a public ceremony before a bishop, priest, or deacon. In the Eastern Church, the minister of the sacrament of marriage is the priest or bishop who, after receiving the mutual consent of the spouses, crowns them bridegroom and bride. (1623)

Unbreakable Vows

The Church expects a baptized man and woman who want to commit to marriage to be “free” to marry, meaning there must not be any constraints or impediments of natural or ecclesiastical law. For example, there can’t be any legal reasons—such as being younger than legal age or being blood relations—that would prevent the marriage from being valid. (1625)

The spouses also need to consent fully and unconditionally to the marriage (no shotgun weddings allowed). There also must be no effort to coerce one of the partners through intimidation or force. (1626–1628)

Normally, you must have a bishop, priest, or deacon present; he asks you to express your vows and then accepts these vows in the name of the Church. As a rule, there must also be at least two witnesses, and, because the sacrament of marriage is a “liturgical act,” the Catechism explains it is appropriate to celebrate it in the “public liturgy of the Church.” (1631) In other words, because marriage is a sacred action, the Church doesn’t want you getting married in a secular setting, but within a religious ceremony.

Now, what happens if you’re a baptized Catholic, but your future spouse is not? Well, if you’re marrying a baptized non-Catholic Christian, the Church calls it a mixed marriage, or a marriage of mixed religion, and special permission of Church authority is required. If you’re marrying a nonbaptized person, the Church calls it a marriage with disparity of cult (worship). Sounds somewhat ominous, but it just means there are significant differences in what you believe—more so than the differences between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic Christian—and so the Church needs to be extra certain you are aware of the potential issues that could arise down the road. For a disparity of worship wedding, a dispensation by Church authority from an impediment or ecclesiastical law is needed. (1633)

“Differences about faith and the very notion of marriage, but also different religious mentalities, can become sources of tension in marriage, especially as regards the education of children,” the Catechism explains, adding that in such cases “religious indifference” can be the end result. (1634) The Church requires the Catholic partner to take responsibility for educating their children in the faith. (1635)

Most people know at least one family raising one child in the Jewish faith and one child in the Catholic faith. What the Church is saying is that no matter how pleasant everything may look on the surface, this sort of watering down of both partners’ faiths only leads to problems or to a complete removal of faith from the center of the family’s life in order to keep anyone from being upset or hurt.

The bottom line is this: the Church, in advance of the marriage celebration, is looking to catch any potential problems that could lead to an invalid marriage or to a marriage headed for disaster almost right off the bat. That’s why the Catholic Church requires engaged couples to attend something called Pre-Cana. Named after the wedding feast at Cana—the one where Jesus turned water into wine—the classes attempt to help couples face their issues before they face their I do’s.

Conjugal Love

The Church teaches that conjugal love is about the total commitment of one spouse to the other. It leads to a “deeply personal unity,” the Catechism explains, one that goes beyond the union of flesh to the union of heart and soul. In that sense, it “demands indissolubility and faithfulness” and must be open to “fertility.” (1643)

As we will discuss in further detail in Chapter 20, marriage requires complete fidelity between spouses. Adultery, polygamy, and a host of other sins are contrary to the sacrament of marriage because they divide the conjugal love that is inherent there. (1645)

Of course, not every marriage is the fairytale variety, and the Church recognizes there may be some circumstances that would require spouses to live separately, such as adultery or the threat of danger (abuse) to a spouse or children. This doesn’t mean the Church allows such a couple to be ethically divorced, but only physically separated. (1649)

That being said, plenty of Catholics get legal separations and divorces. What does this mean for them as Catholics? Again, we will discuss this in more detail in Chapter 20, but for now you need to know that being separated or divorced does not prevent you from receiving the sacraments. However, if you remarry, the Church sees the new marriage as invalid because the Church continues to recognize the first marriage. In the case of remarriage, you cannot receive Communion or go to confession unless your new marriage is recognized by Church ceremony or Church law after your former spouse has died, or you have received a dissolution or annulment of your former marriage. (1650)

Domestic Church

Every Catholic family is known as its own little self-contained “domestic church.” The Catechism explains that from the beginning of the Christian faith, the “core of the Church” often consisted of people coming together in their households. When they became Christian, entire households or families often converted at the same time. “These families who became believers were islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world,” the Catechism says. (1655)

The Church today sees a parallel in Catholic families who keep faith at the center of their lives despite living in a world that is “often alien and even hostile” to the Catholic faith. The Second Vatican Council declared the family Ecclesia domestica, domestic church, because that is where the faith is encouraged and fostered through word and example. This is where children and parents learn about generosity, forgiveness, prayer, endurance, and more. This is where the “priesthood” of the baptized is exercised by family members in a privileged way. (1656–1657)

Sacramentals and Devotions

Let’s switch gears a little and discuss something called sacramentals, which are “sacred signs” of grace, not to be confused with “sacred instruments” of grace, as are the sacraments. Sacramentals are designed to help Catholics in various circumstances of life to get closer to true holiness. (1667) Sacramentals won’t get you the kinds of grace you get from actual sacraments, but they will make you more open to that grace when the time comes.

What are some sacramentals you might know about or even use on a regular basis? Well, a sacramental always includes a prayer and often includes a specific sign, like the Sign of the Cross, or sprinkling with holy water, or a blessing, or exorcism. (1668)

Blessings, which are “first” among sacramentals, can include the con-secration of people: an abbot of a monastery, a consecrated virgin, a religious-education teacher—or the consecration of things: an altar, holy oils, or vessels used at Mass. (1672)

In addition to sacramentals, there are “popular” devotions. These are forms of piety that include veneration of relics, pilgrimages, Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, and the wearing of religious medals, among other expressions of faith. These devotions are not in place of the sacramental life of the Church but in addition to it, extending it beyond the boundaries of the liturgy. (1674–1675)

Christian Funerals

We’re going to wrap up this section on the sacraments with a brief discussion of Christian funerals. It may sound a little strange at first, but the Christian funeral is the “fulfillment” of all the other sacraments. In our never-say-die world, Christians believe the goal is death because only then do you get to the fullness of life in the kingdom. (1680)

The Christian funeral is known as the “last Passover.” In death, the Christian is ushered into a new birth that began at baptism. For the faithful Christian, death, while not always welcome at the time, is not something to fear. (1682)

Although local churches may celebrate the funeral rites in different ways, there is always one common denominator: they express the “paschal character” of Christian death, meaning they reflect the connection to Jesus’ Passion, death, and Resurrection. (1685)

Regardless of the style of the rite, every Catholic funeral includes four basic parts: greeting the community with a word of consolation, Liturgy of the Word, the sacrifice of the Eucharist, and the “farewell” to the deceased person, at which point the deceased is entrusted to God and the body is buried in anticipation of the final resurrection. (1686–1690)

The Least You Need to Know

Holy orders and matrimony are considered the two sacraments of commitment or service.

The consecration of bishops, priests, and deacons in service to the Church is called holy orders.

Only unmarried men may be ordained priests and bishops, although married men may become permanent deacons (however, they may not marry after becoming deacons).

A sacramental marriage is a covenant between a husband and wife, establishing a lifelong partnership that benefits the couple, their children, and society.

Sacramentals are prayers, blessings, and other sacred signs that open the faithful up to the graces received during the sacraments.

Christian funerals are the fulfillment of the seven sacraments, and usher the deceased into a new life that began at baptism.