What Is the Meaning of Ordination?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ordination comes from a Latin word that means "to invest officially (as by the laying on of hands) with ministerial or priestly authority." It is generally considered to be a religious word, most closely associated with Christians.
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Catholic Ordination
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Ordination is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. AmericanCatholic.org states that "in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest being ordained vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other means to holiness."
Ordination of Non-Catholics
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The rights and responsibilities of an ordained person vary among other Christians and Jews, but people who have been ordained may perform acts such as Christian baptism, Jewish bar and bat mitzvah, and marriage. For legal purposes, some of these acts require registration with the state in which the act is performed.
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Seminaries
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People who would like to be ordained study at an institution called a seminary. Most seminaries require that applicants have already earned an undergraduate degree in a related field. Seminaries offer classes in theology, biblical languages, church leadership and ethics. At the end of three or four years of study, students earn a master's in divinity.
Who May be Ordained
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Each Christian denomination determines who may be ordained within its church. In addition to the master's in divinity, most require a psychological evaluation and an internship before being considered for ordination. Some denominations also restrict ordination based on gender or sexual orientation.
Ordination on the Internet
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Some websites offer online ordination. These sites are not necessarily religious, but simply a means to be ordained for the purpose of performing specific duties. Use one of these sites if you would like to legally perform a wedding but do not want to officially lead a church or synagogue.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Scott Schram
