Holy Orders is a three-fold sacrament wherein men are ordained as deacon, priest, or bishop. All baptized Catholics share the responsibility of identifying and encouraging potential candidates for the priesthood, permanent deaconate, or religious life.

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: thus the sacrament of the apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyterate, and deaconate.

Who can receive this sacrament

    Only baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination.

Who can confer the sacrament

    Since the sacrament of Holy Orders is the sacrament of the apostolic ministry, it is for the bishops, the successors of the apostles to hand on the "gift of the Spirit" the apostolic line. Validly ordained bishops, i.e., those who are in the line of apostolic succession, validly confer the  three degrees of the sacrament  of Holy Orders.

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