PRESBYTER, PRESBYTERATE. — A Greek term (πρεσβύτερος: elder) used to designate the second degree (priest) of the hierarchy of Order (v.).
I. ORIGIN
In the New Testament, the presbyters of the various Churches are mentioned several times: in Jerusalem they take an active part in the administration of the Church alongside St. James, the brother of the Lord (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 16:4; 21:18). In the Churches founded by St. Paul, the Apostle himself regularly establishes a college of presbyters for the spiritual governance of the Christian community (Acts 14:22; 20:17; 1 Tim 5:17; Tit 1:5). Since St. Paul also gives them the name ἐπισκοπή (Acts 20:28; Tit 1:7), from the earliest centuries there has been lively debate over the distinction, for the apostolic age, of the two degrees (cf. L. Marchal, Evêque, in DBs, II, cols. 1298-1318). Whatever judgment one may form on this difficult question, it is beyond doubt that at the beginning of the 2nd century, in the Churches of Asia Minor, under the influence of the Apostle St. John, the presbyters, united almost as a single body (presbyterium), appear as priests of the second order, subordinate to the bishop, who alone holds the supreme direction of the Church to which he is appointed (monarchical episcopate). Numerous and precise are the testimonies of St. Ignatius of Antioch for the Churches of Ephesus (2:2; 4:1; 20:2), of Magnesia (3:1-2; 6:1; 13:2), of Tralles (2:1-3), of Philippi (4; 7:1-2), of Smyrna (8:1-2; 9:1; cf. A. Casamassa, I Padri Apostolici, Rome 1938, pp. 185-89). The same Ignatius makes explicit affirmations (Smyrn. 8:1; Eph. 6:1; Magn. 6:1; Trall. 3:1; Phil. 7:12) on the divine origin of the presbyterium as well as of the diaconate and the monarchical episcopate (the three degrees of the hierarchy of Order). Such conviction, in a direct disciple of the Apostles, supposes an oral communication of what Jesus Christ had established concerning the constitution of the Church during the forty days in which He spoke with the Apostles “of the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Rightly therefore the Council of Trent defined: “If anyone shall say that in the Catholic Church there is not a hierarchy instituted by divine ordination, consisting of bishops, priests, and ministers, let him be anathema” (sess. XXIII, can. 6; cf. cap. 4; Denz-U, 966 and 960).II. FUNCTIONS
The presbyters, from the beginning, assist and cooperate with the bishop: “they are the sanhedrin of God and the assembly of the Apostles” (St. Ignatius, Trall., 3:1), who surround Jesus Christ, represented by the bishop (ibid.); they “should be honored as the Apostles; the counselors of the bishop and the crown of the Church” (Didascalia, 2:28, 4). Liturgically, they celebrate together with the bishop and consecrate the Eucharist (Canones Hippolyti, 20; Constitutiones Apostolicae, VIII, 12, 4); together with him they impose hands in the ordination of other presbyters (St. Hippolytus, Traditio apostolica, 8) and in the reconciliation of penitents (St. Cyprian, Epist. 16, 2; Epist., 17, 2). Authorized by the bishop, they also administer Baptism alone (Tertullian, De Baptismo, 17); they also administer the Sacrament of Extreme Unction (Jas 5:12-15). They also exercise the function of catechists and teachers: St. Paul alludes (1 Tim 5:17) to presbyters, probably priests of the second degree, who “labor in word and doctrine”; in the Passio sanctae Perpetuae, 13, a presbyter doctor is mentioned; moreover it is well known that Tertullian, Hippolytus, and Origen taught as true διδάσκαλοι while being simple presbyters.
PARESITERO, PRESBYTERATE — Sepulchral inscription of the presbyter Gaudentius (389) — Rome, Monastery of St. Paul.
With the organization of the titles (or parishes) at the beginning of the 2nd century, the presbyters acquired particular importance and their juridical figure became clearer. By the 4th century, in the great metropolises of Rome, Carthage, and Milan, the presbyters already exercised all the functions (cf. V. MONACO, La cura pastorale a Milano, Cartagine, Roma nel sec. IV, Rome 1947, pp. 20, 158, 199, 328, 329, 330) that are attributed to them in the Roman Pontifical. For their sacramental nature: V. ORDINE; for the rite of Ordination: V. SACERDOZIO.
III. RITE OF ORDINATION
At Rome the ordination of presbyters took place in public on the Saturdays of the Ember Days, especially in Advent.The rite was simple: an oath (Monday), presentation to the people (Wednesday or Friday). The ordination took place before the singing of the Alleluia. After laying aside the dalmatic, the candidate received the chasuble from the archdeacon; this was followed by the rites of invitation, the litanies, the imposition of hands by all the priests, and the consecratory formula. The kiss of peace concluded the rite. At the Offertory, the newly ordained priests offered before the others.
At Rome these simple rites were maintained until the 10th century. In Gaul, on the other hand, the rites and prayers were much more developed (Statuta Ecclesiae antiqua [6th century], Missale Francorum, Old Gelasian). The principal additions are: a) the specific instruction on the powers and corresponding duties; b) the handing over of sacred objects with the immediate words: Accipe (for the deacon the book of the Gospels, for the priest the chalice with wine and the paten with the host, for the bishop the insignia); perhaps in imitation and as a consequence of the administration of the minor Orders in the Gallican Church. In this region there came into particular use: 1) the unction (from the 8th century in Gaul, England, and Germany); 2) the handing over of sacred instruments and the solemn investiture, proper to each Order, which was done under the influence of Germanic feudalism, permeated with ceremonies indicating feudal investitures. With these successive additions the rites became more elaborate. In the 10th and 11th centuries, under the influence of the Ottonians and the German popes, these rites were also introduced at Rome and eventually became the rites in use today.
Now in the presbyterate the rite, more complex than that of the diaconate, unfolds in the preparatory part as does that of the diaconate. In the main part, both hands of the consecrator and of all the priests present are imposed; as a proper rite, after the handing over of the vestments, there is the unction of the hands with the oil of catechumens, preceded by the singing of Veni Creator. In the handing over of the sacred vestments the stole is adjusted in the priestly manner; the chasuble is held with the back part folded over the shoulders; this is followed by the unction of the hands, and then into the anointed hands are placed the chalice with the wine and the paten with the host. From
1963 PRESBYTER PRESBYTERATE — PRESCRIPTION 1964
Outside Rome, inscriptions of priests are known from Ficulca, Velletri, Veroli, Amiterno, Capua, Nola, Mirabella Eclano, Tropea, Ravenna, Voghera, Como, Biella, Vercelli, Milan, Tortona, the Gauls, Salona, Spain, Roman Africa, Philippi, etc. Characteristic are the expressions used to indicate the duration of the presbyterate: “sedit presbyterio” (G. B. De Rossi, Inscrip. chr., I, Rome 1857–61, no. 879); “cuius anni fuerunt in presbyterio” (loc. cit., no. 1351); “ministravit in presbyterio,” in inscriptions from Spain (E. Dichl, Inscrip. lat. christ. veteres, Berlin 1924–31, nos. 1175, 3265, 3274); “vixit in presbyterio,” in African epitaphs (CIL, VIII, 23563–64); out of humility a priest calls himself “indignus” (CIL, XI, 326), while others are given the title “vir venerabilis” (Notizie degli Scavi, 1918, p. 169; CIL, V, 5204, 5219, 5405, 5426; XIII, 11211). The expression “famulus Dei” is also occasionally found (E. Dichl, op. cit., nos. 1175 a and b, in Spain; 1175 d, in Portugal); a priest of Como is called “Sanctae Comensis Ecclesiae” (CIL, V, 5219), as is one from Rome who died in Spain (E. Dichl, op. cit., no. 1176).