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Objection 1: It would seem that the acts of the Orders are not
rightly assigned in the text (Sent. iv, D, 24). Because a
person is prepared by absolution to receive Christ's body. Now the
preparation of the recipients of a sacrament belongs to the lower
Orders. Therefore absolution from sins is unfittingly reckoned among
the acts of a priest.
Objection 2: Further, man is made like to God immediately in
Baptism, by receiving the character which causes this likeness. But
prayer and the offering of oblations are acts directed immediately to
God. Therefore every baptized person can perform these acts, and not
priests alone.
Objection 3: Further, different Orders have different acts. But
it belongs to the subdeacon to place the oblations on the altar, and to
read the epistle; and subdeacons carry the cross before the Pope.
Therefore these acts should not be assigned to the deacon.
Objection 4: Further, the same truth is contained in the Old and
in the New Testament. But it belongs to the readers to read the Old
Testament. Therefore it should belong to them likewise, and not to
deacons, to read the New Testament.
Objection 5: Further, the apostles preached naught else but the
gospel of Christ (Rm. 1:15). But the teaching of the apostles
is entrusted to subdeacons to be read by them. Therefore the Gospel
teaching should be also.
Objection 6: Further, according to Dionysius (Eccl. Hier. v)
that which belongs to a higher Order should not be applicable to a
lower Order. But it is an act of subdeacons to minister with the
cruets. Therefore it should not be assigned to acolytes.
Objection 7: Further, spiritual actions should rank above bodily
actions. But the acolyte's act is merely corporeal. Therefore the
exorcist has not the spiritual act of casting out devils, since he is
of inferior rank.
Objection 8: Further, things that have most in common should be
placed beside one another. Now the reading of the Old Testament must
needs have most in common with the reading of the New Testament,
which latter belongs to the higher ministers. Therefore the reading of
the Old Testament should be reckoned the act, not of the reader, but
rather of the acolyte; especially since the bodily light which the
acolytes carry signifies the light of spiritual doctrine.
Objection 9: Further, in every act of a special Order, there
should be some special power, which the person ordained has to the
exclusion of other persons. But in opening and shutting doors the
doorkeeper has no special power that other men have not. Therefore
this should not be reckoned their act.
I answer that, Since the consecration conferred in the sacrament of
orders is directed to the sacrament of the Eucharist, as stated above
(Article 2), the principal act of each order is that whereby it is
most nearly directed to the sacrament of the Eucharist. In this
respect, too, one order ranks above another, in so far as one act is
more nearly directed to that same sacrament. But because many things
are directed to the Eucharist, as being the most exalted of the
sacraments, it follows not unfittingly that one Order has many acts
besides its principal act, and all the more, as it ranks higher,
since a power extends to the more things, the higher it is.
Reply to Objection 1: The preparation of the recipients of a
sacrament is twofold. One is remote and is effected by the ministers:
another is proximate, whereby they are rendered apt at once for
receiving the sacraments. This latter belongs to priests, since even
in natural things matter receives from one and the same agent both the
ultimate disposition to the form, and the form itself. And since a
person acquires the proximate disposition to the Eucharist by being
cleansed from sin, it follows that the priest is the proper minister of
all those sacraments which are chiefly instituted for the cleansing of
sins, namely Baptism, Penance, and Extreme Unction.
Reply to Objection 2: Acts are directed immediately to God in two
ways; in one way on the part of one person only, for instance the
prayers of individuals, vows, and so forth: such acts befit any
baptized person. In another way on the part of the whole Church, and
thus the priest alone exercises acts immediately directed to God;
because to impersonate the whole Church belongs to him alone who
consecrates the Eucharist, which is the sacrament of the universal
Church.
Reply to Objection 3: The offerings made by the people are offered
through the priest. Hence a twofold ministry is necessary with regard
to offerings. One on the part of the people: and this belongs to the
subdeacon who receives the offerings from the people and places them on
the altar or offers them to the deacon. the other is on the part of the
priest, and belongs to the deacon, who hands the offerings to the
priest. This is the principal act of both Orders, and for this
reason the deacon's Order is the higher. But to read the epistle
does not belong to a deacon, except as the acts of lower Orders are
ascribed to the higher; and in like manner to carry the cross.
Moreover, this depends on the customs of Churches, because in
secondary acts it is not unfitting for customs to vary.
Reply to Objection 4: Doctrine is a remote preparation for the
reception of a sacrament; wherefore the announcement of doctrine is
entrusted to the ministers. But the doctrine of the Old Testament is
more remote than that of the New Testament, since it contains no
instruction about this sacrament except in figures. Hence announcing
of the New Testament is entrusted to the higher ministers, and that
of the Old Testament to the lower ministers. Moreover the doctrine
of the New Testament is more perfect as delivered by our Lord
Himself, than as made known by His apostles. Wherefore the Gospel
is committed to deacons and the Epistle to subdeacons.
This suffices for the Reply to the Fifth Objection.
Reply to Objection 6: Acolytes exercise an act over the cruet
alone, and not over the contents of the cruet; whereas the subdeacon
exercises an act over the contents of the cruet, because he handles the
water and wine to the end that they be put into the chalice, and again
he pours the water over the hands of the priest; and the deacon, like
the subdeacon, exercises an act over the chalice only, not over its
contents, whereas the priest exercises an act over the contents.
Wherefore as the subdeacon at his ordination receives an empty
chalice, while the priest receives a full chalice, so the acolyte
receives an empty cruet, but the subdeacon a full one. Thus there is
a certain connection among the Orders.
Reply to Objection 7: The bodily acts of the acolyte are more
intimately connected with the act of Holy orders than the act of the
exorcist, although the latter is, in a fashion, spiritual. For the
acolytes exercise a ministry over the vessels in which the sacramental
matter is contained, as regards the wine, which needs a vessel to hold
it on account of its humidity. Hence of all the minor orders the
Order of acolytes is the highest.
Reply to Objection 8: The act of the acolyte is more closely
connected with the principal acts of the higher ministers, than the
acts of the other minor Orders, as is self-evident; and again as
regards the secondary acts whereby they prepare the people by doctrine.
For the acolyte by bearing a light represents the doctrine of the New
Testament in a visible manner, while the reader by his recital
represents it differently, wherefore the acolyte is of higher rank.
It is the same with the exorcist, for as the act of the reader is
compared with the secondary act of the deacon and subdeacon, so is the
act of the exorcist compared with the secondary act of the priest,
namely to bind and to loose, by which man is wholly freed from the
slavery of the devil. This, too, shows the degrees of Order to be
most orderly. since only the three higher Orders co-operate with the
priest in his principal act which is to consecrate the body of Christ,
while both the higher and lower Orders co-operate with him in his
secondary act, which is to loose and bind.
Reply to Objection 9: Some say that in receiving the Order the
doorkeeper is given a Divine power to debar others from entering the
Church, even as Christ had, when He cast out the sellers from the
Temple. But this belongs to a gratuitous grace rather than to a
sacramental grace. Wherefore we should reply that he receives the
power to do this by virtue of his office, although others may do so,
but not officially. It is the case in all the acts of the minor
Orders, that they can be lawfully exercised by others, even though
these have no office to that effect: just as Mass may be said in an
unconsecrated building, although the consecration of a church is
directed to the purpose that Mass be said there.
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