Chapter I. On the Nature and Division of the Sacrament of Order

I. Order can be defined: A sacrament of the New Law by which spiritual power is handed on, and grace is conferred for duly carrying out ecclesiastical duties; or, with St. Alphonsus after St. Thomas: "A certain seal of the Church, by which spiritual power is bestowed upon the ordained." - Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 735. - Lehmkuhl, n. 584.

II. Order is truly and properly so called a sacrament of the New Law. It is established from the Council of Trent, sess. 23, can. 3, where it is thus read: "If anyone shall have said that Order ... is not truly and properly a sacrament instituted by Christ the Lord ... let him be anathema." - Cf. De Augustinis, Thesis 1, p. 7.

III. Seven Orders are numbered, namely the Presbyterate, Diaconate, Subdiaconate, Acolythate, Exorcistate, Lectorate, and Ostiariate. This is deduced from many Councils, especially from Trent, sess. 23, ch. 2, where after it had openly been said that speech is made in Sacred Letters about priests and deacons, it is added: "From the very beginning of the Church, the names of the following Orders and the proper ministries of each of them, namely of Subdeacon, Acolyte, Exorcist, Lector, and Ostiary, are known to have been in use." - Likewise, in can. 2, it is said: "If anyone shall have said that, besides the priesthood, there are not in the Catholic Church other Orders, both major and minor, through which, as through certain grades, one tends toward the priesthood, let him be anathema."

In the canons which follow, by the name of major or sacred orders are understood the presbyterate, diaconate, and subdiaconate; but by the name of minor orders are understood the acolythate, exorcistate, lectorate, and ostiariate (Can. 949).

In law the words: to ordain, order, ordination, sacred ordination, comprehend, besides episcopal consecration, the orders enumerated in can. 949 and the first tonsure itself, unless something else is drawn from the nature of the thing or from the context of the words (Can. 950). - Cf. De Augustinis, Thesis 2, p. 22.

IV. What spiritual power is annexed to each Order is indicated in the following:

1°. The Ostiariate is an Order by which there is conferred a special power of opening or closing the door of the church, of admitting the worthy, and excluding the unworthy.

2°. The Lectorate is an Order by which there is handed on a special power of reading psalms and lessons from the pulpit in church, and of catechizing or instructing the people in the things of faith.

3°. The Exorcistate is an Order by which there is conferred a special power of casting out demons through exorcisms instituted by the Church. - Nevertheless, today, for forestalling abuses, the faculty of exorcizing is reserved to presbyters alone, who can use it only by permission of the Ordinary.

4°. The Acolythate is an Order by which there is conferred a special power of serving the subdeacon during the solemnities of Mass, of lighting candles, and of preparing and presenting the cruets of wine and water.

5°. The Subdiaconate is an Order by which there is conferred a special power of serving the deacon in solemn Mass and of chanting the Epistle by solemn rite.

6°. The Diaconate is an Order by which there is conferred a special power of assisting the presbyter immediately in solemn Mass, of chanting the Gospel during the solemnities, of preaching and solemnly baptizing, if nevertheless a just cause intervenes. But that a deacon, so that he may preach at some time, needs the special permission of the Bishop, or the permission of the Superior in a clerical religion, is established from canons 1337, 1338, 1342.

7°. The Presbyterate is an Order by which there is conferred a special power of consecrating the Body and Blood of Christ in the celebration of Mass, of absolving from sins, and of feeding subjects by work and doctrine.

To these add the Episcopate and first tonsure, of which the former is the complement of the priesthood itself, but the latter is not an Order, but a disposition toward Orders, by which someone is named a cleric.