Ordination

The Church is an organized society. It is composed of all the baptized persons who are united in the same Faith, the same Holy Communion, the same Sacraments, and under the same Ecclesiastical authority. Those who exercise this ecclesiastical authority form the clergy of officers of the Church who serve God, teach and sanctify the faithful, and govern the Church. This authority to serve, to teach, to sanctify and to govern is not given by election or appointment, but by a sacred sacrament called ordination. Ordination of the Holy Orders is one of the important sacraments of the Church. Through ordination, men receive the power and grace to perform the sacred duties of a clergyman of the Church. Ordination is a sacrament by which the All-Holy Spirit offers the elected person the right to perform the sacraments and to feed Christ’s flock.

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It is true that by Baptism all Christians are endowed with the "priesthood" of laymen, who have thus the obligation to offer up to God the spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving, prayers and acts of faith, hope, and charity. But only those men who receive the sacrament of the Holy Orders are clergyman of God in the full sense of the word. The Sacrament of Ordination is always administered by an Apostle or Bishop. There are various ranks of clergy within the Church, and consequently, there are various services by which each one of these ranks is granted. However, the one act that is common to all the ranks is the "Laying of the hands" by the ordainer. By placing his anointed right hand on the ordinate, this continues the unbroken Apostolic succession of authority, granted by the first generation of Apostles to the first Bishops of the Church, and carried on today through Ordination.

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For the ordination of any cleric, except apostles and bishop, one apostle or bishop is sufficient to administer the Sacrament. The consecration of an Apostle or Bishop, according to the rules of the United Holy Caribbean Apostolic Church, is performed by a proper and chosen Metropolitan, having at least two other Apostles or Bishops assisting him at the Ordination. The consent of the laity is expressed formally at the service of Ordination by the choir when they sing: "He is worthy". Before entering the major ranks of ecclesiastical order of the Trinidadian Church, a person must have been ordained to the minor ranks.

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Minor Orders

The requirements for ordination to the sub-Diaconate are extensive. The candidate should already have received the proper training in the theology of this Church before receiving the rank of sub-Deacon. There are some responsibilities that a sub-Deacon may share with a full deacon; however there are limitations to his responsibilities and authority because this office does not reflect the fullness of one who has become a deacon. The sub-Diaconate is a transitional rank towards becoming a full Deacon in which a youth is prepared for fuller service to the church.

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Major Orders

In the beginning the Apostles were the sole ministers in the Church. They were teachers, sanctifiers and rulers in the Church. They even saw to the material needs of the faithful. However, as the membership of the Church increased, the Apostles created other officers to assist them. The first order thus established was that of Deacon. The first deacons were elected by the faithful and were appointed and ordained by the Apostles to distribute aid, as well as to serve the public dinner tables at which Holy Communion was administered (Acts 6:1-7). Our Deacons assist the Bishop and priests in the Church during celebration of the Divine Liturgy, by singing, censing and bringing the gifts to the Holy Altar.

The Apostles also chose, appointed and ordained other assistants to help them in baptizing the converts, in administering the Holy Communion and for other functions in the Church. These men were called "Elders" (the Greek word for Elders is Presbyter from which the English word "Priest" is derived). The Priests of our Church administer all the sacraments except the Holy Orders and are the shepherds and the leaders of the local congregations under the bishop. The priest receives his authority from a Bishop through ordination and anointment with the Holy Chrism. During the sacrament of ordination to the priesthood the bishop places his hand on the head of the candidate. The sacrament of ordination always takes place during the Divine Liturgy. The bishop, while clothing the candidate with priestly vestments, anoints with chrism his forehead and palms in the form of the cross. The sacrament of ordination to the priesthood is not repeated. When a priest who has been deprived of the dignity or office, is forgiven and is empowered to serve again, he is not ordained for a second time. But the sacraments which he has officiated during the period when he was deprived of dignity, are not considered valid.

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The Apostles did not stay permanently in a town or country. They were ordered by our Lord to go to all parts of the world to preach the Gospel. Therefore, before leaving a town or country, where they had already established a church, they appointed an able and dependable person to supervise the Christian communities of the area to act with full authority in the name of the Apostles. These men were the successors to the Apostles in their own locality, such as a large town, a province, or even a state. They were called Bishops (Episcopos, the Greek word meaning "overseer"). Bishops, with the full power of the Apostles, are the governors of the various Diocese of the Church. The Apostles and Bishops alone administer the sacrament of Holy Orders. According to the Tradition of the Church, the Apostles and Bishops consecrate churches, altars and baptismal fonts. The Apostles and Bishop are ordained and anointed by the Patriarch of Trinidad and Tobago and All the Caribbean, or another Bishop designated by the Patriarch. During the ordination, the bishop receives an Episcopal ring and Panagia as signs of his authority.

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The higher ranks are those of Archbishop, Metropolitan Archbishop, and Patriarch. They have higher authority and jurisdiction in administrative matters.

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In its proper and ancient meaning, the Metropolitan Archbishop is a prelate who had other suffragan bishops to assist him in governing his provincial archdiocese.

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At present the Archbishop is an honorary title given by His Beatitude the Patriarch to those bishops who are distinguished by their position or good works. Archbishops are consecrated by the Patriarch, and their rank is awarded through Pontifical Encyclical.

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The office of Patriarch is the highest officer of the Church. The Patriarch is the Bishop who has been selected by the Holy Synod. The current Patriarch is the Metropolitan Archbishop of Port of Spain. The Patriarch is independent in all administrative matters within the areas of the Church. The Patriarch is the spiritual leader of the Caribbean Church. The Patriarch is typically chosen from among the College of Prelates, and once elected is regarded as the "First Among Equals." All of the apostles and bishops consecrate the Patriarch.

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Upon their Ecclesiastical Ordination, all Elders clergy are bestowed the title of Presbyter. Depending upon the personal decision of the Priest, he may continue on in rank.

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The Primate of a Diocese is a high ranking clergyman who holds the highest position of authority in a given diocese. Even if there are retired apostles, retired bishops, or even retired archbishops in his diocese, they come under his jurisdiction in matters of administration.

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The Archpriest is an honorary title given to those priests who have fruitfully served their church, distinguishing themselves in outstanding service to the Church. He serves as the leader of a diocese in the absence of a Bishop by the decree of the Metropolitan Archbishop of the province, the Patriarch, or the Holy Synod.

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People may devote themselves to the service of the Church not only by entering Holy Order, but also in the lay states. The latter service is sometimes as valuable and meritorious before God as the service rendered by the Holy Orders.