The Ordinal

Because the majority of the ordination service is static, this Customary will only note the elements of the liturgy that are open for interpretation or present options to choose among.

The Ordination of a Deacon

The classical Prayer Books stipulated that the service of Ordination was to take place after Morning Prayer and a Sermon.  By 1928, only a sermon was expected before the Ordination began.  In the modern liturgy, the sermon is given within the service, but its description should be the same: “declaring the duty and office of such as come to be admitted Deacons; how necessary that Order is in the Church of Christ; and also how the people ought to esteem them in their office.”  The Communion was also included, following the ordination and vesting of the Deacon.  Thus, this Prayer Book streamlines and reorders the traditional elements into the familiar modern order.

The Acclamation

The acclamation provided should be the default, only to be substituted if there is a special season-specific cause, at the bishop’s discretion.

The Presentation

The ordinand may have any number of Presenters, but the sponsoring priest is the only one who is necessary for this role.

The Lessons

Both 1 Timothy 3:8-13 and Acts 6:1-7 have been associated with the ordination of Deacons; the bishop and the ordinands should choose which text to use in their course of planning.

The rubrics permit the lessons for a Sunday or Holy Day to take precedence at the bishop’s discretion.  This is to be encouraged, should the ordination be held on a Holy Day or Sunday morning.

The Vesting of the Deacon

The maniple, stole, and dalmatic are traditional vestments worn by Deacons.  The maniple should be presented only in churches or ministry contexts where they are regularly worn, along with the stole and the dalmatic.  The stole and dalmatic may also be presented without a maniple, but not the dalmatic apart from the stole.  If the stole is presented alone, the Deacon should be vested in a cassock and surplice; the alb or cassock-alb is only to be worn with a vestment (dalmatic, chasuble, or cope) over it. The combination of cassock-alb and stole has been popularized, but is neither traditional nor pleasing to the eye, as vestments are meant to be.

The Confession

Like other special liturgies in this Prayer Book, the Confession and Absolution of Sin is not included, be default, and the discerning worship planner will have to choose whether to gently break the rubrics and insert them before the Peace, or follow the 1662 Order and place it after the Offertory.  In any case, the Bishop will always be involved the preparation of this liturgy, so he will have the final call in this matter.

The Ordination of a Priest

The classical Prayer Books stipulated that the service of Ordination was to take place after Morning Prayer and a Sermon.  By 1928, only a sermon was expected before the Ordination began.  In the modern liturgy, the sermon is given within the service, but its description should be the same: “declaring the duty and office of such as come to be admitted Priests; how necessary that Order is in the Church of Christ; and also how the people ought to esteem them in their office.”  The Communion was also included, following the ordination and vesting of the Priest.  Thus, this Prayer Book streamlines and reorders the traditional elements into the familiar modern order.

The Acclamation

The acclamation provided should be the default, only to be substituted if there is a special season-specific cause, at the bishop’s discretion.

The Presentation

The ordinand may have any number of Presenters, but the sponsoring priest is the only one who is necessary for this role.

The Lessons

Historically, Ephesians 4:7-16 has been the Epistle at the ordination of a Priest.  If the bishop and ordinand see good cause to use Philippians 4:4-9 instead, they are free to do so.

The choices for the Gospel used to be Matthew 9:36-38 and John 10:1-16.  The Prayer Book’s replacement of Matthew with Luke 10:1-9 contains similar sayings of our Lord; the bishop and ordinand may choose either at their discretion.

The rubrics permit the lessons for a Sunday or Holy Day to take precedence at the bishop’s discretion.  This is to be encouraged, should the ordination be held on a Holy Day or Sunday morning.

The Vesting of the Priest

If the stole is presented alone, the Priest should be vested in a cassock and surplice; the alb or cassock-alb is only to be worn with a vestment (dalmatic, chasuble, or cope) over it. The combination of cassock-alb and stole has been popularized, but is neither traditional nor pleasing to the eye, as vestments are meant to be.

The option of the anointing of the hands is encouraged, to be used with Oil of Chrism, which is distinct from Oil of Catechumens (exorcism) and Oil of Unction (healing).

The Confession

Like other special liturgies in this Prayer Book, the Confession and Absolution of Sin is not included, be default, and the discerning worship planner will have to choose whether to gently break the rubrics and insert them before the Peace, or follow the 1662 Order and place it after the Offertory.  In any case, the Bishop will always be involved the preparation of this liturgy, so he will have the final call in this matter.

The Ordination of a Bishop

The Consecration of the Bishop in the classical Prayer Books, uniquely, is explicitly a Communion service: “after morning Prayer is ended, the Archbishop (or some other Bishop appointed) shall begin the Communion Service: in which this shall be” – providing a Collect, Epistle, and Gospel proper for the occasion.

The Acclamation

The acclamation provided should be the default, only to be substituted if there is a special season-specific cause, at the Archbishop’s discretion.

The Presentation

The bishop-elect may have any number of presenters, but traditional number of presenting bishops is two.

The Lessons

The classical Prayer Books ordered that different consecrating bishops should read the lessons.

The two Epistle Lessons and the three Gospels are all appointed in the classical Prayer Book tradition, and should be selected by the bishop-elect and Archbishop.

The Vesting of the Bishop

If the bishop-elect is to be a new diocesan bishop, it is appropriate for the retiring diocesan bishop to hand his pastoral staff (or crozier) to the Archbishop for its presentation to the new bishop.

The bishop-elect should receive a miter only if that will be a regular part of his episcopal attire.  Many Anglican bishops have opted to bring back the ancient headwear proper to their office, but others (and their dioceses) prefer to retain the Anglican vestiture of the late 16^th through 19^th centuries.  The vesting of the bishop at his consecration should reflect the churchmanship of his expected ministry.

The Confession

Like other special liturgies in this Prayer Book, the Confession and Absolution of Sin is not included, be default, and the discerning worship planner will have to choose whether to gently break the rubrics and insert them before the Peace, or follow the 1662 Order and place it after the Offertory.  In any case, the bishops will always be involved the preparation of this liturgy, so they will have the final call in this matter.

The Litany for Ordinations

The order-specific entreaties (for Deacon and for Priest) should only be used at the appropriate ordination service.  When this Litany is used in any other context, both of those specific entreaties should be omitted.