Ordination to the Presbyterate in the Syriac Churches: History and Structure of the Rite

  • Mateusz Rafał Potoczny University of Opole, Faculty of Theology
Keywords: Holy Orders; presbyterate; Syriac Churches; West-Syriac tradition; East-Syriac Tradition; priesthood

Abstract

The Sacrament of Holy Orders belongs to the most essential mysteries left by Jesus Christ. The Apostolic succession handed down to the Church is a guarantee of the continuity of the tradition and a proof of the authenticity of the Christian worship focused on the continuously present Lord. Even if the liturgical functions are common to the Church as a whole, the different liturgical traditions elaborated their own understanding of the sacrament and related ministry. This paper reflects on the essence of the Presbyterial ministry in the liturgical space of the Syriac Churches. The author starts from the presentation of the understanding of the sacrament and its validity and next discusses the structure of the rites in both West and East Syriac traditions. The last part of the presentation contains a theological reflection concerning the main consecratory prayer of the Ordination to the Presbyterate.

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Published
2020-01-30
Section
Articles