Priesthood Ordination in Rome

Article 6. The Sacrament of Holy Orders

VII. The Effects of the Sacrament of Holy Orders

The indelible character (cont’d)

(1582) As in the case of Baptism and Confirmation this share in Christ’s office is granted once for all. The sacrament of Holy Orders, like the other two, confers an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated or conferred temporarily.

(1583) It is true that someone validly ordained can, for grave reasons, be discharged from the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can be forbidden to exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the strict sense, because the character imprinted by ordination is for ever.

The vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him permanently.

Year for Priests Closing Mass | Credit: Getty Images

On June 19, 2009, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the opening Mass of the Year for Priests, a special jubilee year celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the “dies natalis”—“day of birth”—of the Curé de Ars, St. John Vianney.

In a letter announcing this year for the Holy Priesthood, Pope Benedict wrote: the purpose of this year is to “deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world.” Following the example of St. John Vianney, the Year for Priests encouraged all priests to “reflect…with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself.”

In recent years, the priesthood has taken quite a beating after news of the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests erupted in the early 2000s. The Annus Sacerdotalis was intended to further renew the priesthood in order to bring an end to these most devastating crimes against some of the most vulnerable among us.

Icon of St. John Vianney

Well folks, it is amazing how fast this year has gone. A year ago today, the Catholic Church began a yearlong celebration of the life of St. John Vianney and the celebration of priests. Known as the Year for Priests, the Holy Father called it a time in which all priests would be invited to deepen their commitment “to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world.”

Throughout this past year, the interior renewal called upon by Pope Benedict took on a new meaning for all Catholics as news erupted of more clergy sex abuse scandals throughout the world. It has been a difficult period for the Church; however, through the experiences of this year, we have come to understand Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection in a new light.  As the  apostles and first disciples of Jesus were weary after his death, so too are we. Even so, we have trust and hope that the Lord will awaken a new springtime in the Church.

A few days ago, the Holy Father concluded the ceremonies of the Year for Priests with a special Mass in St. Peter’s Square with 15,000 priests from across the world concelebrating. In his homily, Benedict stated:

Video Source: CatholicTV

During today’s Mass signifying the close for the Year for Priests, as expected, Pope Benedict XVI touched on the recent outbreak of news detailing years of sexual misconduct and abuse by Catholic priests. In the homily, the Holy Father begged for God’s forgiveness  and forgiveness by those who have been affected by clerical abuse over the years. He has vowed to protect the Church from these kinds of failings in the future, by beginning with young men discerning the priesthood of Jesus Christ. “We will do everything we can to weigh the authenticity of [seminarians' vocations] and make every effort to accompany priests along their journey, so that the Lord will protect them and watch over them in troubled situations and amid life’s dangers.” Below is the full text of the Pope’s homily.

Pope Benedict arriving at the prayer vigil for the close of the Year for Priests | Source: AP

Dear Brothers in the Priestly Ministry,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Year for Priests which we have celebrated on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the death of the holy Curè of Ars, the model of priestly ministry in our world, is now coming to an end. We have let the Curé of Ars guide us to a renewed appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of the priestly ministry. The priest is not a mere office-holder, like those which every society needs in order to carry out certain functions. Instead, he does something which no human being can do of his own power: in Christ’s name he speaks the words which absolve us of our sins and in this way he changes, starting with God, our entire life. Over the offerings of bread and wine he speaks Christ’s words of thanksgiving, which are words of transubstantiation – words which make Christ himself present, the Risen One, his Body and Blood – words which thus transform the elements of the world, which open the world to God and unite it to him. The priesthood, then, is not simply “office” but sacrament: God makes use of us poor men in order to be, through us, present to all