Ordination to the Presbyterate in the Syrian Churches: History and Structure of the Rite

The Sacrament of Holy Orders belongs to one of the most essential mysteries given to us by Jesus Christ. Apostolic succession handed down to the Church is a guarantee of the continuity of tradition and proof of the authenticity of Christian worship focused on the continuously present Lord. Even if liturgical functions are common to the Church as a whole, different liturgical traditions elaborated their own understanding of the sacrament and related ministry. This paper is a reflection on the essence of the ministry of a presbyter in the liturgical space of the Syrian Churches. The author starts by presenting their understanding of the sacrament and its validity and next discusses the structure of the rites in both West and East Syrian traditions. The last part of the presentation contains a theological reflection concerning the main consecratory prayer of Ordination to the Presbyterate.