Every Orthodox person must necessarily begin several church sacraments. Among them are obligatory baptism, chrismation, repentance, communion and unction. Those who wish to start a family enter into a church marriage, which is called the sacrament of wedding. And only one of the seven church sacraments is not obligatory for a person. It is about ordination to the priesthood.
The sacrament of the priesthood is intended to endow a person who wishes to receive the priesthood with special divine grace. Unlike the other six sacraments, ordination can only be performed by the bishop of the Christian Church.
The ruling bishop of the diocese (metropolitan, archbishop or bishop) is free to choose from among Christians who are worthy to be ordained.
There are three options for ordination to the priesthood: deacon, priestly (priestly), and episcopal. The first two versions of ordination (as they call it otherwise, ordination to the priesthood) can be performed by one diocesan bishop. Ordination to a bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church must be performed by a council of bishops (several bishops). In modern times in Russia the bishops are most often ordained by a council of bishops headed by the patriarch. However, there are cases when the patriarch does not take personal part in the ordination, but appoints some honored metropolitan to "lead" the ordination. At the same time, several other bishops must take part in the ordination.
The very term "ordination" indicates how the holy sacrament takes place. Divine grace, which gives a Christian the opportunity to take direct part in sacraments (deacons) or to be the performer of the sacrament (priests, bishops) himself, is transmitted to a person through the laying on of hands on the head of the ruling bishop. This tradition of ordination dates back to apostolic times.
The sacrament of ordination to the priesthood occurs during the divine liturgy. It takes place at the altar of the temple. Anyone who wants to take holy orders accompanied by the singing of the choir of certain church troparia walks the holy throne three times. Then he kneels before the throne, and the bishop reads a special prayer for ordination, laying his hands on the head of the person receiving the ordination. After this, the newly made clergyman is dressed in sacred clothes, in accordance with the dignity in which the person was ordained.
