Holy Orders

What is the Sacrament of Holy Orders? Who may receive this sacrament?

Holy Orders is one of seven sacraments in the Catholic Church.

The Church teaches that only baptized men may receive Holy Orders. (For an explanation about why the Church does not confer this sacrament on women, see Women's Ordination.)

When a man receives Holy Orders, he is said to be "ordained."

There are three orders to which a man can be ordained:

1) Episcopate. A person ordained to the episcopate is called a bishop.

2) Presbyterate. A person ordained to the presbyterate is called a priest.

3) Diaconate. A person ordained to the diaconate is called a deacon.

Only bishops may confer Holy Orders.

In the Latin/Western church, priests and bishops must be celibate. In the Eastern Churches, married men may be ordained priests, but priests may not marry after they have been ordained.

Style notes:

The Associated Press stylebook recommends referring to a priest as "the Rev. John Smith," rather than as "Father John Smith."

Similarly, it recommends referring to a bishop, archbishop, or cardinal either by capitalizing their title before their name (preferred) or by preceding their name with "the Most Rev."