Holy orders
Ordained ministries of bishop, priest, and deacon in Christian churches.
Holy orders, within certain Christian traditions, are the ordained roles of bishop, priest (also called presbyter), and deacon, along with the sacrament or rite used to ordain people into these roles. These orders are recognized by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox (known as ιερωσύνη, ιεράτευμα, or Священство), Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, Independent Catholic, and some Lutheran churches. Apart from some Lutherans and Anglicans, these groups view ordination as a sacrament, specifically the sacramentum ordinis. Different denominations have varying ideas about holy orders. In some Lutheran and Anglican churches, the traditional three orders are conferred through ordination rites found in ordinals, though whether this ordination is truly sacramental has been debated internally. Baptists, for instance, do not see ministry as sacramental and do not use the term "holy orders" in this way. Historically, the word "order" (Latin ordo) referred to an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordinatio meant legal incorporation into such a body. "Holy" points to the church, so a holy order is set apart for church ministry. Other positions—like pope, patriarch, cardinal, monsignor, archbishop, archimandrite, archpriest, protopresbyter, hieromonk, protodeacon, and archdeacon—are not sacramental orders but specialized ministries.
In Anglicanism, bishops are considered to be in apostolic succession, though there is disagreement on whether ordination counts as a sacrament. The Anglican Articles of Religion state that only baptism and the Lord’s Supper are sacraments of the gospel, and other rites called sacraments by other denominations (like Catholicism) were not instituted by Christ in the Gospel and lack the physical matter (such as water, bread, and wine) found in the gospel sacraments. Various editions of the Book of Common Prayer and other Anglican liturgical texts include rites for ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons. Only bishops can ordain. Normally, three bishops are required to ordain a bishop, while one bishop suffices for ordaining priests and deacons.
In Catholicism, the ministerial orders are bishops, deacons, and presbyters (in Latin, sacerdos). The fullness of the sacrament of orders belongs only to bishops; presbyters and deacons, though ordained, depend on bishops for their authority. The ordained pr
- field
- Christian theology and ecclesiology
- known_for
- Ordained ministries of bishop, priest, and deacon; regarded as a sacrament by most traditions
- denominations
- Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, Independent Catholic, some Lutheran
Lore & Background
In the Catholic Church, the ministerial orders include bishops, deacons, and presbyters (sacerdos). The fullness of the sacrament of orders belongs only to bishops; presbyters and deacons are dependent upon bishops in their authority. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood of all the baptized differ in function and essence. A distinction is made between priest and presbyter: in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, 'sacerdos' refers to the ministerial priesthood shared by bishops and presbyters, while 'presbyter' refers to priests in the English sense. The consecrated life is neither clerical nor lay by definition, but clerics can be incardinated in an institute of consecrated life.
Reader's Guide
Holy orders are significant because they structure the leadership and sacramental life of many Christian denominations. In the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and other traditions, ordination is considered a sacrament that confers a sacred character and authority to perform rites such as the Eucharist. The concept of apostolic succession—the belief that bishops are successors of the apostles through an unbroken line of laying on of hands—is central to these churches, though some Anglicans and Lutherans dispute whether ordination is a sacrament. The distinction between major orders (bishop, priest, deacon) and other positions (pope, patriarch, cardinal, etc.) clarifies that the latter are specialized ministries, not sacramental orders. This hierarchy has shaped church governance, liturgy, and ecumenical relations for centuries.
Did You Know?
- In the Eastern Orthodox Church, ordination (cheirotonia) is considered a sacred mystery and may only be conferred by a bishop; the ordination of a bishop requires several bishops together.
- The Anglican Articles of Religion hold that only baptism and the Lord's Supper are sacraments of the gospel, and other rites 'commonly called sacraments' were not ordained by Christ.
- In the Catholic Church, the fullness of the sacrament of orders belongs only to bishops; presbyters and deacons are dependent upon bishops in their authority.
- The word 'order' (Latin ordo) originally designated an established civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordinatio meant legal incorporation into an ordo.
More in Theology And Religious Concepts 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record