Part II. On the Rites and Ceremonies of Sacred Ordination

I. In conferring any Order whatever, the minister is to observe exactly the proper rites described in the Roman Pontifical or in other ritual books approved by the Church, which it is licit in no way to omit or invert (canon 1002).

II. The Mass of ordination or of episcopal consecration must always be celebrated by the minister of ordination or consecration himself (canon 1003).

III. If someone, already promoted to some Orders in the oriental rite, has obtained from the Apostolic See an indult for receiving higher Orders in the Latin rite, he must first receive in the Latin rite the Orders which he has not received in the oriental rite (canon 1004).

IV. New priests must recite the Mass together with the Bishop, beginning from the Oblation, or from the words Suscipe Sancte Pater. Those things which are sung by the Bishop are read by them.¹ Concerning the intention to be formed by them, see the treatise on the Holy Eucharist, n. 160.

V. All promoted to major Orders are bound by the obligation of receiving Holy Communion in the ordination Mass itself (canon 1005). Therefore those promoted to minor Orders are not bound by the obligation. For the rest, priests are certainly bound under grave obligation, since it is a question of completing the sacrifice by them; with respect to the others, the grave obligation is not sufficiently established (St. Alphonsus, VI, 801).

VI. The obedience which priests promise to the Bishop in ordination is understood as that which is owed according to the canons. Nevertheless, there remains for them the liberty of embracing the religious state, unless the Church would suffer grave detriment from the departure (St. Alphonsus, VI, 828),² or the ordinand, by institution of the Holy See, is bound by oath to devote his work to the good of his diocese or of the missions (canon 542, 1°).

VII. Finally, the minister of ordination at the end enjoins these things on the ordained: "Let each one promoted to first tonsure or to the four minor Orders say once the seven penitential psalms with the Litanies, versicles, and prayers. Those promoted to the Subdiaconate or Diaconate, the nocturn of that day. But those ordained to the Presbyterate, after your first Mass, say three other Masses, namely one of the Holy Spirit, another of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, and the third for the faithful departed." Now that by these words a true obligation is imposed seems to be deduced from the very tenor of the words and from the accurate assignment of the matter; but a grave obligation is not sufficiently signified (St. Alphonsus, VI, 829). For the rest, note:

1. By the Nocturn of that day is understood the single Nocturn of the feria or the first Nocturn of Sunday or of a feast, according as the ordination took place on a feria, feast, or Sunday; nevertheless the Bishop can also assign another Nocturn instead of the first.³ For the Nocturn the Psalms with antiphons suffice, without readings, invitatory, and hymn.⁴

2. The Masses to be said must be votive Masses, unless a feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurs or the Mass to be said is of the Holy Spirit. They must be said, moreover, as soon as it is licit for them to be said. But since only the quality of the Mass is prescribed, the application is free and therefore a stipend can be received for them (St. Alphonsus, VI, 829).

¹ Sacred Congregation of Rites, November 12, 1831, ad 11, n. 2682; September 20, 1749, n. 2404.

² Benedict XIV, Constitution Ex quo dilectus, January 14, 1747.

³ Sacred Congregation of Rites, June 27, 1899, n. 4042.

⁴ Sacred Congregation of Rites, July 10, 1893.