National Directory for the Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent ...

Doctrinal Understanding of the Diaconate15point that communion represents both the source and the fruitof mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission isaccomplished in communion. It is always the one and the sameSpirit who calls together and unifies the Church and sends herto preach the Gospel “to the ends of the earth.” 10The Sacrament of Holy Orders23. The Church, itself the great sacrament of Christ’s presence,rejoices in another “outpouring of the Spirit” 11 —the Sacrament ofHoly Orders. Out of the body of initiated believers—anointed in theHoly Spirit through the Sacrament of Baptism, strengthened in theSacrament of Confirmation, and nurtured with the Bread of Life—Christ calls some to ordained service. The Church, discerning theirvocational charism, asks the bishop to ordain them to diakonia.24. “Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the missionentrusted by Christ to his apostles [and their successors] continuesto be exercised in the Church until the end of time.” 12 Thus, it is thesacrament of apostolic ministry: “The mission of the Apostles,which the Lord Jesus continues to entrust to the Pastors of his people,is a true service, significantly referred to in Sacred Scripture as‘diakonia,’ namely, service or ministry.” 13 This diakonia “is exercisedon different levels by those who from antiquity have been calledbishops, priests and deacons.” 14 “The ordained ministries, apart fromthe persons who receive them, are a grace for the entire Church.” 1525. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of the Sacramentof Holy Orders in this way:Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium,and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that thereare two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood ofChrist: the episcopacy and the presbyterate. The diaconate isintended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdosin current usage denotes bishops and priests but not deacons.Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestlyparticipation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree ofservice (diaconate) are all three conferred by a sacramental actcalled “ordination,” that is, by the Sacrament of Holy Orders. 16Some are called toordained serviceHoly Orders:The sacrament ofapostolic ministryCatechism of theCatholic Church:Sacrament ofHoly Orders