Presbyterium is a modern term used in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and

Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

after the Second Vatican Council in reference to a college of priests, in active ministry, of an individual particular church such as a

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

or eparchy. The body, in union with their bishop as a collective, is a symbol of the collaborative and collegial nature of their sacerdotal ministry as inspired by the reforms made during the Second Vatican Council. The presbyterium is most visible during the ordination of new priests and bishops and the

Mass of the Chrism The Chrism Mass is a religious service held in Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism. The Chrism Mass is one of the most solemn and important liturgies of the liturgical year, Christian liturgical calendar. The ancient Christian Apostol ...

: the Holy Thursday Mass where the blessing of the oils used in the sacraments of

Baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders takes place. They are also visible during other special liturgical functions such as the wake and burial of their bishop. Liturgically, within Catholicism, the presbyterium is the area of the church in which the clergy functions. It is more commonly called the sanctuary.

Etymology

The word ''presbyterium'' is the Latinised form of the Greek (), 'council of elders, presbytery', from Greek (), the comparative form of (), 'elder'.

Presbyterate

The presbyterate is another term used to refer to the sacerdotal collegiality of priests with their bishop, commonly used in the Anglican Communion. Within churches which hold apostolic succession, it is reflected in the

concelebration In Christianity, concelebration (from Lat., ''con'' + ''celebrare'', to celebrate together) is the presiding of a number of presbyters (priests or ministers) at the celebration of the Eucharist with either a presbyter or bishop as the ''principal c ...

of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...

, in joining the bishop in the laying on of hands on an ordinand to the priesthood, in collegial processions, at inductions, funerals, and other liturgical activities. In the

it is used to refer to the second order of priesthood - one is said to be "ordained to the presbyterate". Paragraph 1536 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that there are three distinct orders of apostolic ministry in the sacrament of Holy Orders:

episcopate A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, presbyterate and

diaconate A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chu ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Juridical Manifestations of the Presbyterium
Catholic priesthood Episcopacy in the Catholic Church Anglican ecclesiastical offices ca:Presbiteri gl:Presbiterio hu:Presbyterium pt:Presbitério sv:Presbyterium

Etymology

Presbyterate

See also

References

External links