"Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time .. .lt includes three degrees of order: episcopate, presbyterate, and diaconate" (CCC 1536). Deacons, priest and bishops are essential to the Catholic Church because we believe that they continue the work begun by the apostles.

S in ce the beg i nn i ng, the or d ain e d minis t ry ha s been confer r ed a n d ex e rci s ed in th ree degrees: that of b ishops , that of presbyter s , and that o f d e ac o ns. Th e m i ni strie s conferred b y or di nat i on are irrepl a c e a b l e f or t he o r ga n i c struc t u r e o f th e Ch u rc h: w i t h ou t the bis h op , presbyters, a n d deacons, o n e c a n n ot s peak o f the C hu r c h . ( CC C 1593)

Ordination is the rite at which the Sacrament of Holy Orders is bestowed. The bishop confers the Sacrament of Holy Orders by the laying on of hands which confers on a man the grace and spiritual power to celebrate the Church's sacraments.

Th e s a cra ment o f Hol y Orders i s confe r red by the la yin g on of hands followed by a s ol e m n pray e r o f c o n s ec ration as k ing God to grant t he ordained t h e graces of the Hol y Spi r it requi red f o r his ministry . O r di n ation im p rint s a n indelible sacram e nt a l character . ( CCC 1 59 7)

Who Receives Holy Orders?

The Church confers t he s acrament of Holy Orders only on bap ti ze d men (viti), whose s u i tability for the exer c ise of the ministr y ha s b e e n du ly r ecogni z ed. Chu r c h authority alone has the r espon s ibili t y and right to call someone to rece iv e the sacrame n t of Hol y Orders. ( C CC  1598)

I n th e L a t in Church the sacramen t of Hol y Orde r s for t h e presbyte r a t e is n or m a ll y c o nf e rr e d only on candid at es who a re ready t o embrace celibac y freely and who publicly manifest their i n te nt io n o f sta y i n g celibate for the l o ve o f God ' s kingdo m and t h e servic e o f me n. ( CCC 1599 )

The Second Vatican Council reminds us that the mission of ordained clergy, while unique, is interrelated to the mission of the lay faithful:

Thou g h th e y d iff e r fr om one another in essenc e and not only in deg r ee, t h e common pri e s t hood o f th e f aith ful a n d t he ministe r i a l or tu ererc hi c et pr i esth o o d ar e n one t h eless i n t err elat e d: each o f t h em in i ts own sp e cial way is a pa r ticipation in t he one priesthood of C h r ist . The mini ste rial pr i est , b y the s acred po w e r he enjoys , t eache s an d r u l es th e p riestly pe o pl e; act i ng in the p e rs o n of C h rist he m a kes p r esent th e eu c h a rist i c sacrifi c e , a nd offers i t to Go d in t h e n ame of a l l the peop l e. But the faith f u l, in virtue of their royal priesthood , j o in i n the offering of the Eu c harist. They likewise exe r ci s e that pr ie st h ood in recei v ing the sacramen t s , in p r ayer and t h anksgiv i ng, in the w i tness of a h o ly li f e , a n d b y self - den i a l a n d active c harity . (L um e n Gen t ium 1 0 )