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Chapter 20. Holy Orders • 271
ried clergy of other Christian churches who convert to Catholicism have
been admitted to Holy Orders. In the Eastern Churches, only the bishops
must be celibate. Priests and deacons may be married; however, in the
United States, priests in Eastern Churches are normally celibate.
EFFECTS OF THE SACRAMENT
This Sacrament configures the bishop and priest to Christ as the Head of
the Church in Christ’s threefold office of priest, prophet, and king. This
Sacrament configures the deacon to Christ as servant.
The Sacrament ofHolyOrders, like that of BaptismandConfirmation,
confers an indelible or permanent character on the recipient. This means
that this Sacrament cannot be received again. The indelible character is
a reminder to the bishop, priest, or deacon that the vocation and mission
he received on the day of his ordination marks him permanently. Like
Baptism and Confirmation, which also confer a permanent character,
Holy Orders is never repeated.
A bishop is given the grace to teach in the name of Christ; to sanctify
the Church through the celebration of the Sacraments; to guide, govern,
and defend the Church; and to be a sign of the unity of the Church.
A priest is given the grace to proclaim the Gospel and preach, to
celebrate the Sacraments (except Holy Orders), and to shepherd the
people entrusted to him.
A deacon in the Latin Church is ordained to proclaim the Gospel
and preach, to baptize, to assist the bishop or priest in the celebration of
the Eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages, to preside at funerals, and
to serve the community through works of charity.
THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE PRIEST
[Priests] should be taught to seek Christ. This along with the
quaerere Deum
[the search for God] is a classical theme of
Christian spirituality. It has a specific application in the context
of the calling of the Apostles. When John tells the story of the
way the first two disciples followed Christ, he highlights this
“search.” It is Jesus himself who asks the question: “What do