Priest's Pedigree?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve got a vague memory–perhaps from a movie?–that when a priest is consecrated, there is a recitation of names that starts with the name of the bishop who is officiating at the present ceremony, and then continues with the name of the bishop who officiated at his consecration, and so on back as far as there are records.

That’s a little unclear; maybe a more literal description of what I mean will illuminate:

[Several young men lie face-down before the bishop at an elaborate altar, as guests and other officials look on]

BISHOP: “We give these men to you, O Lord, and we ask that you accept them into your flock.”

[Some music as the bishop makes motions over them. Attention turns to a minion, standing at a podium with a large book open in front of him.]

MINION: "We now recite the pedigree. These priests today have been consecrated by Bishop Emilio Peuresieuppe. Father Peuresieuppe was consecrated by Bishop RonCarlo Santonas. Father Santonas was consecrated by Bishop Aldono Rasas. Father Rasas was consecrated by Bishop Guise Tannastas. Father Tannastas was consecrated by Archbishop Restes Mordan. Father Mordan was consecrated by… [this continues for a while]…Our Brother James, the Apostle, was consecrated by Our Brother Paul, the Apostle. And Our Brother Paul was consecrated by Our Lord.

[Minion closes book].

Is there such a thing as the above procedures?

Thanks…A Man A Plan A Canal

2

No, not as far as I’m aware.

What may have caused this misprision is the concept of Apostolic Succession, which sort of means they could do that if they wanted to.

In simplest terms, it’s the transmission of authority to teach, preach, and celebrate the sacraments in the Name of Christ. He’s shown in Scripture as having commissioned the Apostles to do precisely those things, and in later passages, they’re shown as calling deacons, bishops, and presbyterioi (elders, priests, ministers, pastors, pick your preferred translation) and laying hands on them to equip them with that authority.

As the Apostles died off, the power to continue handing on that authority subsisted in the bishops (one minority report says “and the presbyters”), including the power to ordain more bishops, priests, and deacons. That transmission of authority carries with it a mandate to preserve and proclaim the historic orthodox faith.

Now, note that this is a GQ answer, not because I’m presuming to proclaim the above as the unquestioned truth, but because it’s the answer that major churches (Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Copts, Mar Thoma Christians, Anglicans Old Catholics, some Lutherans) do hold to that belief. As most members here kno, my board name is my patron saint, the 2nd century martyred bishop of Smyrna. And I can trace my own line, at least in potentia, thriough the bishop who confirmed me, Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church, Archbishops of Canterbury, and a series of early mediterranean bishops going back to St. Irenaeus, St. Polycarp, and St. John the Beloved Disciple, who received his authority by the laying on of hands by Jesus Christ.

That helpful?

3

Here’s the current Catholic Rite of Ordination of Priests, as far as I know:

http://www.carr.org/~meripper/faith/o-priest.htm

4

Thanks for the info.

Anyone know where I’m getting the idea of a Priest’s Pedigree from? I saw and really liked that Christopher Reeve Movie Monsignor a long time ago (and can’t really quite remember the details of the movie)–was something like what I’m remembering in Monsignor?

Thanks…A Man A Plan A Canal

5

I don’t know about any other Christian denomination, but Mormons have a version of this. When a guy is ordained to the priesthood (nearly every male is), he gets a paper documenting the line of authority. It’s not recited or anything, but it’s an official document and the LDS Church keeps very careful records on it.

Probably not helpful, but there you go.

6

There are several Non-Roman (i.e., they don’t recognize the authority of the Pope or the traditional Roman Catholic hierarchy) Catholic churches that make a big deal out of their legitimacy by emphasizing their Apostolic Sucession.

Here’s a link to one of them that traces its line back to 1442 – and theoretically back to the time of Peter. Whether they actually use this in their ordination ceremony, I have no idea.

Here’s a little more information on Apostolic Succession.

As for where you may have herd it, one of the Roman Catholic liturgies for Mass includes this prayer. Everyone from Linus to Cornelius was an early Pope.

7

Misprision is one of my favorite unusual words, so I was surprised to see it used in this context.

I searched and while it’s not given in any of my college dictionaries, I did find a definition of it that read “mistake.” I have to admit that I’ve never seen it used that way before.

When you can stump *me * on a word, either you’ve gone too far or you’ve given an unusual exhibition of erudition. Or perhaps erudiciosity.

Choose one. :slight_smile:

8

I’ve been to two ordinations in the Roman Catholic Church, and nothing like this was done. These were both post-Vatican Masses, so I suppose pre-Vatican it may have been different. If there were such a recitation pre-Vatican, however, it would have been in Latin, not English.

9

[nitpick] Paul never met ‘Our Lord’. James the Apostle, on the other hand, did. [/np]

10

I’ve attended several Catholic ordinations in the traditional Latin rite and I’ve never experienced this.

11

What did he meet on the road of Damascus, then? An UFO?

12

More likely he met a severe concussion or epileptic seizure or something.