APPROVAL OF A NEW RITE

FOR THE ORDINATION OF

DEACONS, PRIESTS AND

BISHOPS

APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION

POPE PAUL VI

June 18, 1968

Pontificalis Romani

UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

Washington, D.C. 20005





APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION

APPROVAL OF A NEW RITE FOR THE

ORDINATION OF

DEACONS, PRIESTS, AND BISHOPS

PAUL, BISHOP

Servant of the Servants of God

For Everlasting Memory

The revision of the Roman Pontifical is prescribed in a gen-

eral way by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council 1 and is also

governed by special norms in which the holy Synod ordered that

the rites of ordinations be changed "in ceremonies and in texts.”
2

Among the rites of ordinations the first to be considered are

those which constitute the hierarchy through the sacrament of

Order, conferred in several grades: "Thus the divinely instituted

ministry of the Church is exercised in various orders by those who

already in antiquity are called bishops, presbyters, and deacons.”
3

In the revision of the rites of sacred ordination, besides the

general principles which must direct the entire restoration of the

liturgy according to the decrees of the Second Vatican Council,

the greatest attention must be paid to the important teaching on

the nature and effects of the sacrament of Order which was pro-

claimed by the Council in its Constitution on the Church. Evi-

3



I

dently the Liturgy itself should express this doctrine in its own

way, for "the texts and rites should be drawn up so that they

express more clearly the holy things which they signify; the

Christian people, so far as possible, should be enabled to under-

stand them with ease and to take part in them fully, actively, and

as befits a community.” 4

The holy Synod teaches that "by episcopal consecration the

fullness of the sacrament of Order is conferred, that fullness which

is truly called—in the Church’s liturgical usage and in the lan-
guage of the Fathers—the high priesthood, the apex of the sacred
ministry. But together with the office of sanctifying, episcopal

consecration also confers the offices of teaching and governing.

These, however, of their very nature can be exercised only in

hierarchial communion with the head and members of the college

[of bishops] . For from tradition, especially the tradition expressed

through liturgical rites and through the practice of the Church

in both East and West, it is clear that by the imposition of hands

and the words of consecration the grace of the Holy Spirit is so

conferred and the sacred character so impressed that bishops

undertake Christ’s own role as Teacher, Shepherd, and Bishop in

an eminent and visible way and that they act in his person.” 5

To these words should be added the several clear doctrinal

statements [of the Council] concerning the apostolic succession of

bishops and their duties and functions. Even if these matters are

also contained in the rite of episcopal consecration, still it seems

that they should be better and more accurately expressed. To

achieve this, it appeared appropriate to take from ancient sources

the consecratory prayer which is found in the document called

the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome

,

written at the

beginning of the third century, and which is still used in large

part in the ordination rites of the Coptic and West Syrian liturgies.

Thus the very act of ordination may witness to the harmony of

the tradition in both East and West concerning the apostolic

office of bishops.

With regard to priests, the following should first be recalled

from the acts of the Second Vatican Council: "Although priests



do not possess the highest degree of the pontificate and although

they are dependent upon the bishops in the exercise of their power,

they are nevertheless united with the bishops in priestly dignity;

in virtue of the sacrament of Order and in the image of Christ

the eternal high priest (Heb. 5:1-10, 7-24; 9:11-28), they are

consecrated to preach the gospel, shepherd the faithful, and cele-

brate the worship of God as true priests of the New Testament.” 6

In another place the Council says: "By sacred ordination and by

the mission they receive from their bishops, priests are promoted

to the service of Christ the Teacher, the Priest, and the King.

They share in his ministry of unceasingly building up the Church

on earth into the People of God, the Body of Christ, and the

Temple of the Holy Spirit.” 7 In the ordination of priests, as

found in the Roman Pontifical, the mission and grace of the priest

as a helper of the episcopal Order has been very clearly described.

Yet it seemed necessary to restore the entire rite, which has been

divided into several parts, to greater unity and to express in

sharper light the centeral part of the ordination, that is, the

imposition of hands and the consecratory prayer.

Finally, with regard to deacons, in addition to the content

of our apostolic letter Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem issued motu

proprio on June 18, 1967, the following should be especially re-

called: "In the lower grade of the hierarchy are deacons on whom

hands are imposed 'not for the priesthood, but for the ministry’

(Constitutions of the Church of Egypt, III, 2). Strengthened by

sacramental grace, they serve the People of God in the diaconia

of liturgy, word, and charity, in communion with the bishop and

his presbytery.”
8

In the ordination of deacons only a few changes

were to be made, taking into account both the recent prescrip-

tions concerning the diaconate as a proper and permanent grade of

the hierarchy in the Latin Church and also a greater simplicity and

clarity of the rites.

Among the other documents of the Supreme Magisterium

pertaining to sacred Orders, we consider one worthy of particu-

lar mention, namely, the apostolic constitution Sacramentum

Ordinis published by our predecessor, Pius XII, on November 30,

5



1947. In this constitution he declared that "the sole matter of the

sacred Orders of diaconate, presbyterate, and episcopate is the

imposition of hands; likewise the sole form is the words which

determine the application of this matter, which univocally signify

the sacramental effects—namely, the power of Order and the grace
of the Holy Spirit—and which are accepted and employed by the
Church as such.” 9 Having said this, the document determines

what imposition of hands and which words constitute the matter

and form in the conferral of each Order.

It was necessary in the revision of the rite to add, delete, or

change certain things, either to restore texts to their earlier in-

tegrity, to make the expressions clearer, or to describe the sacra-

mental effects better. We therefore think it necessary, in order to
remove all controversy and to avoid anxiety of conscience, to

declare what in the revised rite should be said to pertain to the

nature of the Order. By our supreme apostolic authority we decree

and establish the following with regard to the matter and form

in the conferral of each Order.

In the ordination of deacons, the matter is the imposition of

the bishop’s hands upon the individual candidates, which is done

in silence before the consecratory prayer; the form consists of the

words of the consecratory prayer, of which the following pertain

to the nature of the Order and therefore are required for the

validity of the Act: "Send forth the Holy Spirit upon them, we ask

you, O Lord, that they may be strengthened by him, through the

gift of your sevenfold grace, for the faithful discharge of your

service.”

In the ordination of priests, the matter is likewise the imposi-

tion of the bishop’s hands upon the individual candidates, which

is done in silence before the consecratory prayer; the form con-

sists of the words of the consecratory prayer, of which the follow-

ing pertain to the nature of the Order and therefore are required

for the validity of the act: "We pray you, almighty Father, confer

the dignity of the priesthood on these your servants; renew in their

hearts the Spirit of holiness; may they obtain the office of second

6



order received from you, O God and, by the example of their

lives, inculcate the pattern of holy living.”

Finally, in the ordination of a bishop, the matter is the

imposition of hands on the head of the bishop-elect by the

consecrating bishops, or at least by the principal consecrator,

which is done in silence before the consecratory prayer; the form

consists of the words of the consecratory prayer, of which the

following pertain to the nature of the Order and therefore are

required for the validity of the act: "And now pour out upon this

elect that power which comes from you, the perfect Spirit whom

you gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Spirit whom he

gave to the holy Apostles, who established the Church in every

place as your sanctuary, for the unceasing glory and praise of your

name.”

This rite for the conferral of the sacred Orders of Diaconate,

Presbyterate, and Episcopate, has been revised by the Consilium

for the implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,

"with the assistance of experts, and with the consultation of

bishops, from various parts of the world.” 10 By our apostolic

authority we approve this rite so that it may be used after this for

the conferral of these Orders in place of the rite now found in the

Roman Pontifical.

We wish that these our decrees and prescriptions may be
firm and effective now and in the future, notwithstanding, to the

extent necessary, the apostolic constitutions and ordinances issued

by our predecessors, and other prescriptions, even those deserving

particular mention and derogation.

Given at Rome, at Saint Peter’s, June 18, 1968, the fifth year

of our pontificate.

* * * *

1

II Vatican Council, const, on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum

Concilium, art. 25: AAS 56 (1964) 107.
2
Ibid., art. 76: AAS 56 (1964) 119.

3
II Vatican Council, dogm. const, on the Church, Lumen gentium,

n. 28: AAS 57 (1965) 33-34.
4

II Vatican Council, const, on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum

Concilium, art. 21: AAS 56 (1964) 106.

7



5
II Vatican Council, dogm. const, on the Church, Lumen gentium,

n. 21: AAS 57 (1965) 25.
6
Ibid., n. 28: AAS 57 (1965) 34.

7
II Vatican Council, decree on the Life and Ministry of Priests,

Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 1: AAS 58 (1966) 991.
8
II Vatican Council, dogm. const, on the Church, Lumen gentium,

n. 29: AAS .57 (1965) 36.
9 AAS 40 (1948) 6.
10

Cf. II Vatican Council, const, on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum

Concilium, art. 25: AAS 56 (1964) 107.

8