ORDERS
283
ORDERS
in the church with tonsure and in clerical dress, carry-
ing the vestments of the order to which they are to be
raised, and lighted candles. They are all summoned
by name, each candidate answering " Adsxim".
When a general ordination takes place the tonsure is
given after the Introit or Kyrie, the minor orders after
the Gloria, subdiaconate after the Collect, the diaconate
after the Epistle, priesthood after Alleluia and Tract.
After the Tract of the Mass the archdeacon summons
all who are to receive the priesthood. The candidates,
vested in amice, alb, girdle, stole, and maniple, with
folded chasuble on left arm and a candle in their right
hand, go forward and kneel around the bishop. The
latter inquires of the archdeacon, who is here the rep-
resentative of the Church as it were, whether the can-
didates are worthy to be admitted to the priesthood.
The archdeacon answers in the affirmative and his
testimony represents the testimony of fitness given in
ancient times by the clergy and people. The bishop,
then charging the congregation and insisting upon the
reasons why "the Fathers decreed that the people also
should be consulted", asks that, if anyone has any-
thing to say to the prejudice of the candidates, he
should come forward and state it.
The bishop then instructs and admonishes the can- didates as to the duties of their new office. He kneels down in front of the altar; the ordinandi lay them- selves prostrate on the carpet, and the Litany of the Saints is chanted or recited. On the conclusion of the Litany, all arise, the candidates come forward, and kneel in pairs before the bishop while he lays both hands on the head of each candidate in silence. The same is done by all priests who are present. Whilst bishop and priests keep their right hands ex- tended, the former alone reciites a prayer, inviting all to pray to God for a blessing on the candidates. After this follows the Collect and then the bishop says the Preface, towards the end of which occurs the prayer, "Grant, we beseech Thee etc." The bishop then with appropriate formulae crosses the stole over the breast of each one and vests him with the chasuble. This is arranged to hang down in front but is folded behind. Though there is no mention of the stole in many of the most ancient Pontificals, there can be no doubt of its antiquity. The vesting with the chasuble is also very ancient and found already in Mabillon "Ord. VIII and IX." ^^fterwards the bishop recites a prayer calling down God's blessing on the newly- ordained. He then intones the "Veni Creator", and whilst it is being sung by the choir he anoints the hands of each with the oil of catechumens.
In England the head also was anointed in ancient times. The anointing of the hands, which in ancient times was done with chrism, or oil and chrism, was not used by the Roman Church, said Nicholas I (a. d. 864), though it is generally found in all ancient or- dinals. It probably became a general practice in the ninth century and seems to have been derived from the British Church (Haddan and Stubbs, "Councils and Eccl. Documents", I, 141). The bishop then hands to each the chalice, containing wine and water, with a paten and a host upon it. This rile, with its corre- sponding formula, which as Hugo of >St. Victor says ("Sacr.", Ill, xii), signifies the power which has al- ready been received, is not found in the oldest rituals and probably dates back not earUer than the ninth or tenth century. When the bishop has finished the OfTertory of the Mass, he seats himself before the mid- dle of the altar and each of those ordained make an offering to him of a Ughted candle. The newly- ordained priests then repeat the Mass with him, all say- ing the words of consecration simultaneously. Before the Communion the bishop gives the kiss of peace to one of the newly-ordained. After the Communion the priests again approach the bishop and say the Apostles' Creed. The bishop laying his hands upon each says: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whose sins
you shall forgive they are forgiven them; and whose
sins you shall retain, they are retained." This imposi-
tion of hands was introduced in the thirteenth century.
The chasuble is then folded, the newly-ordained make
a promise of obedience and having received the kiss of
peace, return to theii place.
Time and Place. — During the first centuries ordi- nation took place whenever demanded by the needs of the Church. The Roman pontiffs generally or- dained in December (Amalarius, "De offic", 11, i). Pope Gelasius (494) decreed that the ordination of priests and deacons should be held at fixed times and days, viz., on the fasts of the fourth, seventh, and tenth months, also on the fasts of the beginning and midweek (Passion Sunday) of I^ent and on (holy) Saturday about sunset (Epist. ad ep. Luc, xi). This but confirmed what Leo the Great laid down, for he seems to speak of ordination on Ember Saturdays as an Apostolic tradition (Serm. 2, de jejun. Pentec.) The ordination may take place either after sunset on the Saturday or early on Sunday morning. The or- dination to major orders took place before the Gospel.
Minor orders might be given at any day or hour. They were generally given after holy communion. At present minor orders may be given on Sundays and days of obligation (suppressed included) in the morn- ing. For the sacred orders, a privilege to ordain on other da^'s than those appointed by the canons, pro- vided the ordination takes place on Sunday or day of obligation (suppressed days included), is very com- monly given. Though it was always the rule that ordinations should take place in public, in time of per- secution they were sometimes held in private buildings. The place of ordinations is the church. Minor orders may be conferred in any place, but it is understood that they are given in the church. The Pontifical directs that ordinations to sacred orders must be held pubUcly in the cathedral church in presence of the cathedral chapter, or if they be held in some other place, the clergy should be present and the principal church, as far as possible, must be made use of (cf. Cone. Trid., Sess. XXIII, c. vii). (See Subdeacon, Deacons, Hierarchy, Minor Orders, Aliment.'v- tign).
The subject of Order is treated in its various aspects in the general works on Dogmatic Theology (Church and Sacra- ments). Billot; Pesch. De Sacr., pars II (Freiburg, 1909); Tanquerey; Hdrter; Wilhelm and Scan.nell. .i Manual of Catholic Theology, II (London, 1908), 494-509; Einig; Tepl; Tournely; Sasse; Palmieri. De Romano Pontifice; Petavius, D,e EccUsia; Hibrarch in Dogm., Ill; De Augdstinis, Haltz- clau in Wircehurgenses. In Moral Theology and Canon Law, Lehmkdhl; Noldin, De Sacr. (Innsbruck, 1906); Aertnys; Genicot; Ballerini-Palmieri; Laure.vtius; Devoti; Crais- sox; Lombardi; Einig in Kirchenlei., a. v. Ordo; Funk in Kradb, Real-Encykloptidie, s. v. Ordo; H.\TCH in Dictionary of Christian antiquities, s. v. Orders, Holy. Special : Hallier, De Sacris Etec- tionibus et Ordinationibus (Paris, 1636), and in Migne, Theol. Cursus, XXIV; MoRiN, Comment, historico-dogmaticus de sacria ecclesice ordinationibus (Paris, 1655) ; Martene, De Aniiquis Ec- clesiai Rilibus (Venice, 1733); Benedict XIV, De Synod. Dio- ccesana (Louvain, 1763); Witasse. De Sacramento Ordinis (Paris, 1717); Denzinger, Ritus Orientalium (Wurzburg, 1863); Gab- PARRl, Tractalus Canonicus de Sacra Ordinatione (Paris, 1894); Bruders, Die Verfassung der Kirche (Mainz, 1904), 365; Words- worth. The Ministry of Grace (London, 19{)1) ; Idem, Ordination Problems (London, 1909) ; Whitham, Holy Orders in Oxford Library of Practical Theology (London, 1903); Moberley. Ministerial Priesthood (London. 1897);Sanday, Conception of Priesthood (Lon- don. 1898); Idem. Priesthood and Sacrifice, a Report (London, 1900) ; Harnack, tr. Owen. Sources of the Apostolic Canons (Lon- don, 1895) ; Semeria, Dogma, Gerarchia e Culto (Rome, 1902) ; Du- chesne, Christian Worship (London, 1903); Saltet, Les Riordi- nations (Paris, 1907); Mertens, //terarc/iie in deecrsfe.scuwen des Christendoms (Amsterdam, 1908) ; Gore, Orders and Unity (Lon- don, 1909). For St. Jerome's opinions see Sanders, Etudes sur St. Jerome (Brussels, 1903), and the bibliography on Hierarchy, ibid., pp. 335-44.
H. Ahaus. Orders, Mendicant. See Mendicant Friars. Orders, Military. _See Military Orders. Orders, Minor. See Minor Orders. Orders, Relkiious. See Religioils Orders. Orders of Merit. See Decorations, Pontifical.
