Clerical Orders
Clerics Regular, are those who have adopted the new type of religious life inaugurated in the sixteenth century, as Theatines, Barnabites, Jesuits, Oratorians, Passionists, Redemptorists, Paulists, etc.
The sacrament of orders is one only. But it is divided into seven grades, which constitute one entirety, completed by the presbyterate or priesthood. Some writers have maintained that the tonsure, the office of precentor, and episcopal consecration constitute three several orders, and that there are thus ten in the Latin Church. Nor does the language of the Tridentine decree seem to assert that there are only seven.
The consensus of the great majority of writers, however, may be considered to have fixed the number at seven, so far as the Latin Church is concerned. But in the Greek Church the number of orders has been by different writers variously reckoned from four to eleven : the former number consisting of priests, deacons, sub-deacon, and readers ; and the latter number made up by adding to these bishops, acolytes, exorcists, ostiarii or doorkeepers, singers, confessors, and sextons. But the Greek rituals recognize only the first four named and the episcopate.
The seven generally recognized grades in the Latin Church are ostiarius, exorcist, reader, acolyte, sub-deacon, deacon, priest. The latter three are called the greater, and the other four the lesser orders, the sub-deacon having belonged to the former class only since the time of Innocent III. Bishops, priests, and deacons are of divine institution. The five other orders are of human institution, but are all claimed by the Church to have existed from Apostolic times.
Ostiarius
The office of ostiarius is shown to have existed in the Apostolic Church by the letter of the Bishop St. Ignatius to the faithful of Antioch. The duties of the office consist in opening the book for the officiating priest ; in keeping the keys of the church, and taking care of its cleanliness and good order as well as of the furniture of it ; in opening and closing the doors of the church at the established hours ; in the maintenance of good order among the congregation ; and in preventing the entrance of Jews and heathens. It was their duty also to keep those attending the services in their proper places, to separate the laity from the clergy, and males from females, and to keep silence. For the office of ostiarius elderly persons were chosen ; so that it would not seem that it was intended or supposed to be a step towards promotion in the hierarchy.
Exorcist
The exorcist is usually placed next above the ostiarius in the scale, though some authorities place the lector (reader) next above the ostiarius in the scale. But it would seem that this collocation has reference only to the person who ultimately and in practice comes, as it may be said, into contact with the demon. For the bishop, or priest delegated specially by the bishop, can alone authorize the exorcism to be exercised on a possessed person, or energumen, or place infested by demons. Many Greek writers hold that the exorciser was the mere executant of a ministry, and not in any degree "in orders." But the Latin Church claims that the reverse may be proved by the authority of the martyrs St. Dionisius and St. Ignatius. The principal thing needed in an exorcist is the capacity for distinguishing a possessed person from one pretending to be such. It is observed that the Church uses the ministry of an inferior official for this duty, to express the greater contempt for the power of the evil one. The fourth Council of Carthage prescribes the ceremony to be observed in appointing an exorcist. The bishop places a book in the hand of the aspirant, and says to him, "Take this book, study it, and receive power to lay hands on the possessed, whether they be baptized or only catechumens."
Lector
The lectores (readers) in ancient times were young men who were being brought up for the priesthood. They served as secretaries to bishops, and thus acquired instruction. The most studious youths were selected for this office, and generally proceeded in due course to the priesthood. But many lectores remained such all their lives. Most authorities hold that the establishment of this office as one of the orders dates from the third century, and that Tertullian is the first who speaks of it. Besides the duties indicated by the name, the lectores discharged that of keeping the sacred book, which was no light one in times of persecution. They acted also as couriers for the carrying of bishops' despatches.
Acolyte
The acolyte, as the word imports, was a follower or attendant. The office has existed in the Latin Church from the third century. His duty is to wait on deacon and sub-deacon in the ministry of the altar. He lights and carries the candles, especially during the reading of the gospel by the deacon, and prepares the vessels with wine and water for the mass. Anciently, before the institution of sub-deacons, he discharged the duties now incumbent on the latter. And in many respects his part in the service is less prominent in these days than it was formerly.
Subdiaconate
In Medieval times, for a candidate to become a cleric there was not much difficulty, if he showed sufficient diligence and good-will, and the various minor Orders -- "doorkeeper," "lector," "exorcist," and "acolyte" -- were also bestowed without any serious question as to the likelihood of failure, etc., in the ecclesiastical career. At eighteen the candidate to the priesthood might be ordained Subdeacon ; at twenty he could take the diaconate, and at twenty-five be ordained Priest. With the subdiaconate, however, this was in no sense the case, and no one was allowed to be ordained without what was called a " title," that is, he was required to show that he had been nominated to a benefice sufficient for his proper maintenance, or had been given a responsible guarantee of adequate support for one in sacred Orders. In the case of sons of well-to-do parents the bishop might accept the possession of sufficient property as guarantee under the title of "patrimony."
There is much difference of opinion among the best authorities as to the date of the institution of sub-deacons. The more general opinion is that it dates from the close of the second century. The sub-deacon does not receive imposition of the bishop's hands, but receives from him the patera and cup empty ; and from the archdeacon the cruises with the water and the wine and the towel. The sub-deacon must (barring dispensation) have completed twenty-two years. The duties of the sub-deacon consist of the six following. He has the custody of the sacred vessels used in the mass, he pours the wine and the water into the cup, he intones the epistle, he holds the book of the Gospels while the prieat reads, he carries the cross in solemn processions, he pours the water for the priest's washing of his hands, and assists the deacon in receiving the offerings of the faithful composing the congregation.
Deacon
Deacon (from the Greek for a minister) was the word for the lower class of servants or slaves of a great household ; Staxovoc, for the upper class, the confidential servants and administrators of the household), a member of the third and lowest of the three orders of the sacred ministry. In the fourth century, the deacon of the cathedral church is found to be a very important person ; he is the confidential assistant of the bishop, the treasurer of the diocese, and not infrequently succeeded to the See. [See Archdeacon.] It was considered an essential part of the deacon's office to assist the priest in the celebration of the Eucharist, his special functions being to read the gospel and to administer the cup ; and the Nicene canon, forbidding deacons to celebrate, seems to indicate that there was a tendency among them to usurp the functions of the higher order. The Church of England has always retained the order ; but for some centuries it has been only a stepping-stone to priest's orders ; deacons have been, in fact, apprentice priests learning the duties of tho priesthood, and the scarcity of priests) performing priestly functions except those expressly reserved to the higher order.
Of the institution of the diaconate it is not necessary to say anything. At the present time a person cannot receive deacon's orders till he is twenty-two years of age, save, of course, by Papal dispensation. The duties of deacons in che primitive Church were to administer the alms of the faithful to the poor, and administer the Eucharist to the inhabitants of the districts of Jerusalem assigned to them-to administer, but not to consecrate, which a priest alone was competent to do.
Archdeacon
There is evidence that at an early period one deacon of the chief church of a diocese had some kind of precedence over his brother deacons, arising probably out of his having chief charge and administration of the property and finances of the Church. The name first appears in the sixth century, though there is no doubt that the office had existed much earlier, and it would seem that he then superintended and exercised discipline over the deacons and other inferior orders in the diocese. But the close relations which existed between the bishop and his archdeacon gradually led to an extension of the archdeacon's functions into the spiritual sphere. The archdeacon ceased to have any connection with the custody or administration of the property of the Church. He is a priest whom the bishop employs as his assistant in the general supervision of his diocese.
Priest
Of the priest also little need be said. Of course, the great specialty of that first of the orders was the power of consecrating the elements and administering the Sacrament of the Lord's Body. The priest is empowered also to administer all the other sacraments except confirmation and the conferring of holy orders. Readers of the older ecclesiastical writers should remember that when they speak of "primi ordinis sacerdotes" and "secnndi ordinis sacerdotes," they usually mean bishops and priests, though sometimes the second phrase is meant to include all ecclesiastics inferior to the bishop.
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