What is the difference between 'consecration' and 'ordination' of a bishop?

[Just_Lurking]

The Episcopate IS a higher level of Sacrament of Orders.

This was defined by the Catholic Church at Vatican II. Prior to 1964, it was an undetermined matter of Catholic sacramental theology. During the middle ages, the mainstream Catholic theological opinion was that the episcopate was not a higher level of the sacrament of orders. For example, St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor of the Church, held this position (see here).

The idea that Presbyter and Bishop are the same order is a PROTESTANT idea, not a Catholic one.

From the CATHOLIC Encyclopedia (see here):

With regard to the episcopate the Council of Trent defines that bishops belong to the divinely instituted hierarchy, that they are superior to priests, and that they have the power of confirming and ordaining which is proper to them (Sess. XXIII, c. iv, can. 6, 7). The superiority of bishops is abundantly attested in Tradition, and we have seen above that the distinction between priests and bishops is of Apostolic origin. Most of the older scholastics were of opinion that the episcopate is not a sacrament; this opinion finds able defenders even now (e.g., Billot, “De sacramentis”, II), though the majority of theologians hold it is certain that a bishop’s ordination is a sacrament. With regard to the sacramental character of the other orders see DEACONS; MINOR ORDERS; SUBDEACONS.

 

[Just_Lurking]

From the 1918 canon law:

Canon 949. In the canons that follow, by the name of major orders or sacred orders are understood presbyterate, diaconate, and subdiaconate; while minor orders are acolyte, exorcist, lector, and doorkeeper.

The above canon lists the SEVEN orders from the Council of Trent (see here). Notice that the episcopate is not among them.

 

[Filioque]

The idea that Presbyter and Bishop are the same order is a PROTESTANT idea, not a Catholic one.

The idea that there is no differnece between a bishop and a priest is a Protestant invention. The Idea however that the priest, and deacon share in a limited way with the fullness of the priesthood of the bishop is found in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Jerome, St. Albert the Great, St. John Chrisostom, St. Basil and others.

It is condemned (by no less than the Council of Trent) among others the proposition that the Bishop’s office is not superior to that of a priest, when it declared,

“Wherefore the Holy Council declares that, besides the other ecclesiastical grades, the bishops, who have succeeded the Apostles, principly belong to this heirachical order and have, as the same Apostle says, been placed by the Holy Ghost to rule the Church of God (Acts: 20:28); that they are superior to priests, administer the sacrament of confirmation, ordain ministers of the Church, and can preform many other functions over which tose of an inferior order have no power.”

The other Protestant error that reared it’s head and was addressed at the same time was, that the priest and bishops derived their authority from the consent of the monarch or the people they served. The next canon condemned that.

Now we do see here that Trent was speaking in part to the Latin Church as Chrisimation, (Confirmation for Latin Rite Catholics) is done at baptism in many Eastern Rite Churches, (along with first holy communion). Bp. Basil, is chrisimation (or was it) ordinarily administered by the bishop alone in the past, or has it always been the priest who administers the mystery?

It was granted by indult to priests in Spanish speaking missions and colonies from the 1500’s and even into the 1950’s where there was a high infant mortality, that a priest would give the infants he baptized confirmation and first holy communion in distant missions, as there may only be one priest every three to six months, or less frequently. So we see that while in the Latin Rite, the ordinary minister of confirmation was the bishop, however by longstanding indult, and tradition the priest also could (in the Latin Rite) be an extraordinary minister of the sacrament.

 

[malphono]

This was defined by the Catholic Church at Vatican II. Prior to 1964, it was an undetermined matter of Catholic sacramental theology. During the middle ages, the mainstream Catholic theological opinion was that the episcopate was not a higher level of the sacrament of orders. For example, St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor of the Church, held this position (see here).

From the CATHOLIC Encyclopedia (see here):

With regard to the episcopate the Council of Trent defines that bishops belong to the divinely instituted hierarchy, that they are superior to priests, and that they have the power of confirming and ordaining which is proper to them (Sess. XXIII, c. iv, can. 6, 7). The superiority of bishops is abundantly attested in Tradition, and we have seen above that the distinction between priests and bishops is of Apostolic origin. Most of the older scholastics were of opinion that the episcopate is not a sacrament; this opinion finds able defenders even now (e.g., Billot, “De sacramentis”, II), though the majority of theologians hold it is certain that a bishop’s ordination is a sacrament. With regard to the sacramental character of the other orders see DEACONS; MINOR ORDERS; SUBDEACONS.

The above canon lists the SEVEN orders from the Council of Trent (see here). Notice that the episcopate is not among them.

Please do not presume that Trent defined the hierarchy of Orders for all Churches. The Orient and East have traditions at least as old (if not older) than the Latin Church, and the hierarchy of Orders is NOT, and NEVER HAS BEEN, as quoted. Anything that Tent had to say concerned the Latin Church and only the Latin Church.

In the Syriac Churches, e.g., there are 3 minor Orders (cantor, lector, subdeacon), and 3 major Orders (deacon, priest, bishop). This is from time immemorial: it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Trent or Vatican II.

The episcopacy is attained through and only through an ordination (which must occur during Holy Qourbono (aka “Mass”)): it is the final Major Order, which encompasses the Apostolic Succession. The episcopacy is not an honorific. It is the fullness of the priesthood.

And no, there are not “3 sacraments” involved in Major Orders. There is one sacrament which has three degrees.