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Objection 1: It would seem that the Orders ought not to be divided
into those that are sacred and those that are not. For all the Orders
are sacraments, and all the sacraments are sacred. Therefore all the
Orders are sacred.
Objection 2: Further, by the Orders of the Church a man is not
appointed to any other than Divine offices. Now all these are
sacred. Therefore all the Orders also are sacred.
On the contrary, The sacred Orders are an impediment to the
contracting of marriage and annul the marriage that is already
contracted. But the four lower orders neither impede the contracting
nor annul the contract. Therefore these are not sacred Orders.
I answer that, An Order is said to be sacred in two ways. First,
in itself, and thus every order is sacred, since it is a sacrament.
Secondly, by reason of the matter about which it exercises an act,
and thus an Order is called sacred, if it exercises an act about some
consecrated thing. In this sense there are only three sacred Orders,
namely the priesthood and diaconate, which exercise an act about the
consecrated body and blood of Christ, and the subdiaconate, which
exercises an act about the consecrated vessels. Wherefore continency
is enjoined them, that they who handle holy things may themselves be
holy and clean.
This suffices for the Replies to the Objections.
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