NOTRE DAME SEMINARY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY SL 506 The theology of the Priesthood and Holy Orders Spring 2014 Professor: Rev. Deogratias O. Ekisa S.T.D Phone: 504-866-7426 (ext 113) Time: 8.00 9.50 a.m. Classroom: 3 Office (Hours): SJ 100 (by appointment) Email: dekisa@nds.edu I. Course Description This course is an examination of the priesthood from a scriptural, historical and dogmatic perspective. The development and theology of the three degrees of the Sacrament of Orders is examined, with emphasis on the priest as in persona Christi, and the threefold office of priest, teacher and pastor in the life of all who are ordained. II. Course Rationale A course on the priesthood and Holy Orders is a conditio sine qua non for seminarians who are preparing for the priesthood. Even more importantly, the priesthood is vital for building up of the People of God. A theology of the priesthood and the sacrament through which one enters the priesthood is an essential part of the formation of seminarians. III. Course goals/envisioned Outcomes 1. Students will be able to articulate a theology of the priesthood that reflects the Church's conciliar and magisterial teaching. 2. Students will be able to integrate the theology of the priesthood into their own vocational journey.
2 3. Students will be able to articulate the rite and significance of the sacrament of Holy Orders. IV. Instructional Methods 1. Lectures to provide foundational material of the course 2. Class presentations and discussion 3. Written assignments to integrate the course material 4. Reading of texts by students V. Required Texts 1. Reference Texts: a. The Bible: Only the following approved translations can be used for this course: Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) and New American Bible (NAB). 1 b. Catechism of the Catholic Church c. The Christian Faith: In the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church, edited by Jacques Dupuis. New York: Alba House, 2001. 2. Textbooks a. Dulles, Avery. The Priestly Office: A Theological Reflection. New York: Paulist Press, 1997. b. Galot, Jean. Theology of the Priesthood. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1985. c. Kasper, Walter. A Celebration of Priestly Ministry: Challenge, Renewal, and Joy in the Catholic Priesthood. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2007. d. Nichols, Aidan. Holy Order: Apostolic Priesthood from the New Testament to the Second Vatican Council. Dublin: Veritas Publications, 1990. e. Toups, David. Reclaiming Our Priestly Character. Omaha: The Institute for Priestly Formation, 2008. VI. Bibliography 1. Brown, Raymond. Priest and Bishop: Biblical Reflections. New York: Paulist Press, 1970. 1 The rationale for this selection is to have versions that are fit for scholarly use, rather than those geared towards spiritual reading and other useful purposes, such as the Jerusalem Bible and the Douay- Rheims.
3 2. Dolan, Timothy M. Priests for the Third Millennium. Huntingon: Our Sunday Visitor, 2000. 3. Haffner, Paul. The Sacramental Mystery. Herefordshire: Gracewing, 2008. 4. Levering, Matthew, ed. On the Priesthood: Classic and Contemporary Texts. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2003. 5. Levering, Matthew. Christ and the Catholic Priesthood: Ecclesial Hierarchy and the Pattern of the Trinity. Chicago: Liturgical Training Publications, 2010. 6. Martos, Joseph. Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to the Sacraments in the Catholic Church. Liguori: Triumph, 2001. 7. Osborne, Kenan B. Priesthood: A History of the Ordained Ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. New York: Paulist Press, 1988. 8. Puglisi, James. The Process of Admission to Ordained Ministry: Epistemological Principles and Roman Catholic Rites, Vol. 1. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1996. 9. Ratzinger, Joseph Cardinal. Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996. 10. Sullivan, Francis. From Apostles to Bishops: The Development of the Episcopacy in the Early Church. New York: The Newman Press, 2001. 11. Vorgrimler, Herbert. Sacramental Theology. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1992. VII. Glossary of Philosophical and Theological Terms 1. Dimensions of a Sacrament a. Sacramentum tantum = (sign only) = the external rite of the sacrament b. Res et Sacramentum = (reality and sign) = the intermediate reality signified by the first sign which in turn is a sign of the ultimate reality c. Res tantum (Res Sacramenti) = (reality only) = the ultimate reality signified by the intermediate reality 2. Parts of a sacramental rite a. Form = the words of the sacramental rite that define the particular grace of the sacrament b. Matter = the material elements and actions used in the sacramental rite 3. Efficacy of a sacrament a. Opus operantis (ex opere operantis) = (from the work of the minister) = the efficacy of the ritual results from the devotion and faith of the minister or recipient.
4 b. Opus operatum (ex opere operato) = ( by the very fact of the action's being performed ) = the efficacy of the sacramental ritual results from the saving work of Christ himself and not by the worthiness of either the celebrant or the recipient (CCC 1148). 4. Genus and species of the sacrament a. Sign = a reality (signifier) that points to another reality (signified) b. Symbol = a reality (signifier) that points to another reality (signified) while making it present. c. Sacrament =... efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions (CCC 1131). VIII. Lecture, Presentation and Reading Schedule Date Lecture topic Magisterium Galot Nichols Dulles Kasper Jan- 17 Jan- 24 Jan- 31 Feb- 07 Feb- 14 Feb- 21 Feb- 28 Mar- 07 Mar- 14 Mar- 21 Introduction to the Course CCC 1536 17-30 Biblical Foundation: The Old and New Priesthoods Biblical Foundation: The Priesthood of Jesus Christ Biblical Foundation: Institution of the Apostolic Ministry and Organization of Apostolic Community in NT Historical development: Early Church Historical development: Middle Ages Historical development: Modern period Historical development: Vatican II Theology of the Priesthood: Nature of the Priesthood Theology of the Priesthood: Three Degrees of Holy CCC 1539-1543 CCC 1544-1545 Handout TCF 1701-1702 TCF 1703-1705 TCF 1706-1728 TCF 1730-1763 CCC 1546-1553, 1575-1584 CCC 1554-1571 31-54 55-69 33-52 71-92, 93-104, 155-176 5-34 53-76 35-66 67-86 178-180 87-107 180-194 105-128, 195-215 Christus Dominu s 126-141 144-155 PO 1-15 1-15 Sacrum Diaconatus Ordinem Inter Insignores Ad Pascendum
5 Orders Mar- 28 Apr- 04 Theology of the Priesthood: Ministry of the Priesthood Theology of the Priesthood: Spirituality of the Priesthood CCC 1585-1589 129-154 16-58 95-175 217-250 155-165 Sacerdotalis Coelibatus 88-94 Apr- 11 Student Presentations See Presentations handout Apr- 18 Holy Week - No Class Apr- 25 Student Presentations See Presentations handout May- 02 Rite of Ordination and Conclusion to the Course CCC 1541-45, 1572-74, 1585-89 Rite of Ordinati on Note: Bolded readings are required reading. IX. Course Requirements 1. Read all reading assignments and be prepared to discuss them in class. NB: The professor reserves the right to assign supplemental readings as he deems necessary. 2. Quizzes (announced and unannounced) on reading assignments and on material already covered in class. 3. Class presentation on topic to be assigned (both content and delivery) 4. Final Exam X. Important Dates 1. TBD = Class presentations 2. May 8, 2014, @5pm = Due date for Final Exam XI. Evaluation Criteria The student's performance will be assessed on the basis of critical attentiveness to and integration of assigned readings and material presented in class, and on the quality of the student's class presentation and written work. The student s final grade will be calculated thus: 1. Class participation = 5% 2. Quizzes = 20%
6 3. Class presentation = 15% 4. Final Exam = 60% XII. Attendance and Late Paper Policy 1. Absence: a. Excused absence: Students may make up the grade for excused absences, by submitting to the instructor a 2-3 page summary of the material covered in the missed class. b. Unexcused absences are a formation matter to be handled by the relevant authorities. In addition, the student will have to submit the aforesaid write-up of the material covered in the missed class without earning credit for it. c. The total number of absences in a semester may not exceed that envisaged by the academic policies of NDS (see Policies and Catalog). 2. Tardiness: A late assignment will lose one percentage point off the total course grade (i.e. 1 point out of 100) for every day it is late after the assigned due date. XIII. Academic Integrity 1. Students are expected to take full responsibility for their academic formation. They are expected to respect academic scholarship by giving proper credit to other people s work, while at the same time preparing well for assigned materials and examinations in such a way that their academic integrity will never be questioned. 2. Lack of academic integrity, such as the presentation of plagiarized work, will be penalized with a Failing grade and the matter taken up to the formation authorities of the Seminary. 3. To facilitate the verification of the integrity of academic work, in addition to submitting a hardcopy in class or mailbox, students will be required to submit the same work by softcopy (emailed to the Professor in MS Word format). 2 For purposes of computing the time of submission of work, the work will be considered effectively submitted only when both the hardcopy and softcopy have been submitted. APPENDIX I: INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLASS PRESENTATIONS Your diocese is celebrating a Year of the Ministerial Priesthood. The bishop has asked that throughout the year priests speak to the theme of the ministerial priesthood in their homilies, particularly when the readings at Mass make reference to the priesthood. Besides, when allowed by the liturgical calendar, parishes may also celebrate a Mass for Various Needs and Occasions, particularly Nos. 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and preach on the ministerial priesthood. 2 Please name the emailed file thus Lastname, Firstname - Course Number - Assignment type
7 Prepare an 8-10 minute homily on an assigned topic. The homily should explain the doctrine assigned, in a manner which the intended congregation can understand, since the purpose of the assignment is to assess the student s ability to preach sound doctrine, clearly, appropriately and effectively. Indicate the readings used. The student should submit both a hardcopy and softcopy of their homily to the professor before they deliver their homily in class. This assignment is worth 15% of the total grade (10% for content and 5% for delivery). day April 11, 2014 day April 25, 2014 Homily Topic 1 The ministerial priesthood and the common priesthood 2 Sacramental character of Holy Orders 3 The sacerdos acts in persona Christi 4 Reservation of Ordination to men only 5 Apostolic Succession 6 The place of the Episcopal Order in the Church 7 The place of the Presbyteral Order in the Church 8 The place of the Diaconal Order in the Church 9 The restoration of the Permanent Diaconate 10 The Rite of Ordination of a Bishop 11 Munus regendi (Shepherd) 12 Munus docendi (Teacher) 13 Munus Sanctificandi (Priest) 14 The Rite of Ordination of a Presbyter 15 The Rite of Ordination of a Deacon 16 Clerical Celibacy 17 Simplicity of Life 18 Clerical Obedience 19 Clerical Life of Prayer 20 Any suggestions? Homilist APPENDIX II: INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL EXAM (TAKE HOME) 1) Rationale a) The take-home exam is given with the intention of helping students integrate and synthesise the doctrine of the priesthood and Holy Orders. It is hoped that a student who takes this exam successfully will not only have a good grasp of this doctrine, but will also integrate it with the spiritual, human and pastoral dimensions of his priestly and Christian formation.
b) The questions will cover all the important areas of the priesthood and Holy Orders. 2) Content 8 a) Academic rigor must be demonstrated. Following the NDS Grading Guidelines (see Catalog), a student whose work shows that he Grasps the basic concepts and articulates them in a coherent manner only earns a C+. Higher grades require a demonstration of more than a basic grasp of concepts as well as their synthesis, integration and application. b) Academic integrity does not involve only avoidance of plagiarism; it also involves diligence in doing one s work. Although no extra in-depth research is required for the successful completion of this exam, the exam presumes as a minimum, that students did their assigned readings and took notes during the class. c) A profound knowledge of Scripture, Tradition and the contemporary Magisterial documents on the various issues concerning the subject is expected in answering the questions, as well as any insights from theology. 3) Style: a) In writing this exam, please follow the usual guidelines for writing a research paper, mutatis mutandis. b) Start each question on a new page. 4) References: a) No bibliography is required, but literary sources that are used verbatim or that are paraphrased must be acknowledged with footnotes. b) Scriptural and common magisterial documents should be referenced in parentheses within the text. c) Although you may use the content of the class presentations of the instructor or of classmates, please do not cite them as literary sources, which they are not. d) It is the opinion of this professor that internet resources that have not been published in print have not yet achieved the status of creditable scholarly work; their use is therefore not acceptable. This exam should be submitted both in hard copy and soft copy by the due date of May 8, 2014 at 5.00 p.m. APPENDIX III: ALTERNATIVE FINAL EXAM (CLASSROOM) Students who so choose can take a written classroom exam in lieu of the above take home exam. Duration: Two hours Date: TBD
9 Script: Preferably typed or but can be handwritten. If handwritten, the work must be legible. What is illegible will not be comprehended and will therefore not be graded. If typed, the hard copy should be submitted no later than 15 minutes after the exam. References: This exam will be closed book. Only the Bible, the Catechism, The Christian Faith and Vatican II documents will be allowed in the exam room. Format: Four essay questions. The questions will be both practical and academic. Students who wish to take this alternative Final Exam must inform the professor in writing no later than April 1, 2014. APPENDIX IV: HOUSEKEEPING RULES 1. Use of electronic devices a. Phones and similar devices shall not be used for any purpose in class. b. Tablet and notebook computers may be used only for note-taking and for referencing resource materials such as the Catechism and the Bible. The internet may not be used for other purposes such as social networks. The abuse of these devices will lead to a blanket ban of their use in class. c. Recording devices may be used for recording lectures, with the permission of the instructor or his substitute. In case of student presentations, their permission must also be sought. In any case, such recorded materials may only be used by the students currently taking the course. They must be purged at the end of the term. 2. Class attendance and Time management a. The instructor will take roll at the beginning of every class, often silently. b. Arrival after roll is taken will be considered late arrival, unless such tardiness was previously excused or satisfactorily explained post facto. The same rule applies to early departure from class. c. There will be a ten-minute break at about 8.50 a.m. Punctuality after the break is similarly expected. d. The official time of the class will be the official US time, which can be found online. e. Students shall not leave the class, except during official breaks and at the end of class. 3. Interventions by students a. Interventions from students such as questions, additions, elaborations etc. are encouraged in class. To facilitate the integration of such interventions into the lesson plan of the day, they will be entertained as follows: a. Interventions that concern the matter at hand, like clarifications of a word or expression etc., can be made at any time during the class. The student should ask
10 himself before making this intervention: will my intervention enable me and the other students understand better the matter being treated at this time? If the answer to that question is positive, then he should make the intervention; otherwise, he should wait for the appropriate time. b. Interventions that go beyond the matter at hand, such as applications, ramifications, contrary opinions, additions etc., should be made at a time that the instructor periodically designates. 4. Resource materials a. Following the best practice in pedagogy, the instructor does not give out the PowerPoint handouts. Students should take notes from the slides, if used. b. Students should bring to class hardcopy or electronic copies of the reference materials: the Bible, the Catechism, the Christian Faith and the Vatican II documents as needed, as well as handouts of primary sources. The outline will often indicate which resources are needed. Students should bring to class hardcopy or electronic copies of the reference materials: the Bible, the Catechism, the Christian Faith and the Vatican II documents as needed, as well as handouts of primary sources. The outline will often indicate which book is needed.