The Imposition of Hands in the Sacrament of Order from the 10th Century to the Vaticanum II Cover Image

Nałożenie rąk w sakramencie święceń od X wieku do Vaticanum II
The Imposition of Hands in the Sacrament of Order from the 10th Century to the Vaticanum II

Author(s): Karol Litawa
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion, Pastoral Theology
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: imposition (laying on) of hands (impositio manuum); consecration prayer; sacrament of Holy Orders; Pontifical

Summary/Abstract: From a ritual and theological point of view, the imposition (laying on) of hands, the fundamental and essential gesture in the Sacrament of Order, has a rich and interesting history. The Second Vatican Council returned to the theological thought of Christian antiquity, treating the impositio manuum as the substantial gesture of the aforementioned sacrament. Together with the consecratory prayer this gesture constitutes the “form” and the “matter” of the sacrament. In the feudal-medieval era, especially from the 10th century, the ritual is neglected and placed in the shadow of the ordination rite. The first place took traditio instrumentorum, which lasted until the 20th century. Beyond these historical changes, the gesture of the imposition (laying on) of hands was always present within the rite of the priestly order, and for this reason, in the ordinate it is always stable sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

  • Issue Year: 66/2019
  • Issue No: 8
  • Page Range: 49-64
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish