This is what the Church means by saying that the priest, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, acts in persona Christi Capitis [in the person of Christ, the Head]” (“Catechism of the ...

Vatican City, Mar 26, 2014 / 04:13 am. In his weekly general audience Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Sacraments, devoting today's discourse to those who receive Holy Orders ...

About the possibility of women deacons, Francis pointed out that the diaconate “is the first degree of holy orders in the Catholic Church, followed by the priesthood and finally the episcopate.” ...

The Catholic Church in the United States is finding a bit more room to breathe in its liturgical life now that state and national health officials are loosening the restrictions designed to hamper ...

Through the sacrament of holy orders, or ordination close ordination The process by which a person becomes a minister of a church., a man vows to lead other Catholics close Catholic A group of ...

While Vatican spokesperson Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi said Francis' commission idea was a "spontaneous" response to a question at an international meeting of Catholic sisters, I'm not buying it.

The Franciscan order, the largest and oldest Catholic presence in the Holy Land, dating back to 1230, has seen its numbers cut in half in 60 years to 340 men with an average age of over 50, said ...

Leo appealed for unity in a triptych of messages to priests who are celebrating a special Holy Year week in Rome dedicated to clergy. He hosted a special meeting on Thursday afternoon, celebrated an ...

Q. I am currently incarcerated in federal prison. My question may seem strange, but I am wondering whether it would ever be possible for an ex-convict, a felon, to be accepted into holy orders.

The shrinking numbers of apostolic orders, where nuns and monks undertake a charity or service, mirror a similar trend in the Christian population in the Holy Land and the broader Middle East.