Ordained ministries

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Ordained ministries

Thomas Kee 7/10

To join your ordained ministry is another way to serve as a Christian disciple. A lot of thought must be given before someone decides to join the ordained ministry because it involves a lifetime of devotion to God,

“ Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” Matthew 4v19 Like the disciples many sacrifices have to be made to become a member of the ordained ministry, you must not have any sexual relationships or get married. This is because being in the ordained ministry requires total love for God and members can put all their energy into doing God’s work.

The first stage is when a man becomes a deacon. Deacons appear in close association with bishops. As the deaconate developed in the early Church, the deacon became the bishop's assistant, responsible only to him and ordained by him alone. He embodies or represents the servant ministry of Christ. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the liturgical functions of the deacon involve helping or serving the celebrant.

The next step is to become a priest. The priest is especially consecrated to the service of a God and through who worship and prayer is offered to God. In the Roman Catholic Church the priest is a member of the sacerdotal ministry. The priest has the power to celebrate Mass and to administer the sacraments, except holy orders (reserved for the bishop), matrimony (administered to one another by the couple and witnessed by the priest), and confirmation (usually performed by a bishop).

The next step for some is to become a bishop In the Roman, a bishop ...

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The next step for some is to become a bishop In the Roman, a bishop is an ecclesiastic who, through sacramental consecration, holds special powers of the ministry as well as special administrative prerogatives. Consecration to the order of bishop is usually performed by three bishops (one of them a metropolitan), this number having been customary from post apostolic times. The bishop is supreme ecclesiastical ruler of the diocese over which he presides. He is responsible for the spiritual welfare of all the faithful, both clergy and laity, and for the government of all ecclesiastical institutions within his diocese. He has the power to ordain bishops, priests, and deacons. He is the ordinary minister of the sacrament of confirmation.

The next step is to become an archbishop. Archbishop have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province. He superintends certain activities of the other bishops in his province and also exercises Episcopal authority in his own diocese. In the Roman Catholic Church, archbishops occupy certain important sees and enjoy limited provincial authority

Thomas Kee 8/10

The next step is to become a cardinal. The cardinals are appointed by the pope and constitute the Sacred College. The pope is not obliged to consult them, but does so as a matter of course. Their number has varied at different times; in 1586 Pope Sixtus V fixed it at 70. The cardinals are chief members of the Sacred Congregations of the papal government. They meet in consistory, or assembly, over which the pope presides. Cardinals are limited in their duties according to age; like other high prelates, they are expected to retire at the age of 75 from administrative duties. At 80 they are no longer permitted to serve as papal electors.

The next step is to become a pope, Pope, in Latin, papa, from the Greek pappas, meaning “father”, a Christian Besides the designation pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also holds these titles: vicar of Christ; successor of St Peter; supreme pontiff of the universal Church; patriarch of the West; primate of Italy; archbishop and metropolitan of the Roman province; sovereign of the State of Vatican City; and servant of the servants of God.

“ Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5v10 People in the ordained ministry help others in the church and out of the church by standing up and defending the church and listening and acting out everything God wanted us to do.