Title: The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church
Headings: The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church
The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church
The Priesthood of Christ
Eligibility for the Sacrament of Holy Orders
The Form of the Sacrament of Holy Orders
The Minister of the Sacrament of Holy Orders
The Ordination of Bishops
The Ordination of Priests
The Ordination of Deacons
The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

Content: The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church
Abrahamic / Middle Eastern Christianity
The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church
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By
Scott P. Richert
Catholicism Expert
M.A., Political Theory, Catholic University of America
B.A., Political Theory, Michigan State University
Scott P. Richert is senior content network manager of Our Sunday Visitor. He has written about Catholicism for outlets including Humanitas and Catholic Answers Magazine. our editorial process
Scott P. Richert
Updated January 19, 2019
The Sacrament of Holy Orders is the continuation of Jesus Christ's priesthood, which He bestowed upon His Apostles. This is why the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Sacrament of Holy Orders as "the sacrament of apostolic ministry." "Ordination" comes from the Latin word ordinatio, which means to incorporate someone into an order. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ at one of three levels: the episcopate, the priesthood, or the diaconate. The Priesthood of Christ
The priesthood was established by God among the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. God chose the tribe of Levi as priests for the Hebrew nation. The primary duties of the Levite priests were the offering of sacrifice and prayer for the people.