Holy Orders and Matrimony: Sacraments at the service of communion and mission, and why the Church must speak clearly and courageously today

Father Caleb Vogel, vicar general for the Diocese of Boise, blesses Cathleen Wonacott and Tyler Tackett during their marriage vows. (Courtesy photo/Starr Photo & Video)

By Marco Roman, PhD

Director of Communications

“The two sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God.” (CCC 1534)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church describe Holy Orders and Matrimony as the two sacraments “at the service of communion and mission.” This description is profoundly important for understanding both the life of the Church and many of the spiritual and cultural battles we face today. These sacraments are not merely private realities or personal lifestyle choices. They are sacramental vocations given by God for the building up of the Body of Christ, the sanctification of souls and the mission of evangelization.

Dr. Marco Roman

For this reason, it should not surprise us that these two sacraments have become particular targets of confusion, dissent and ideological pressure in our own age. Whenever God establishes something beautiful, life-giving and ordered toward truth, the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44) seeks to distort it. From the beginning, the evil one has attempted to undermine God’s design for human life, marriage, sexuality, family and the sacramental life of the Church. What we are witnessing today is not simply a disagreement over policy or practice, but a deeper spiritual struggle over the meaning of the human person, the nature of Divine Revelation and the authority of Christ and His Church.

The Church teaches clearly and definitively that Holy Orders is reserved to baptized men. This teaching is not based on cultural prejudice, discrimination or historical limitation, but on the example and will of Christ Himself. Jesus freely chose twelve men as His Apostles, even while elevating the dignity of women in ways radically countercultural for His time. The Church has always understood herself as bound by the example and intention of Christ. As St. John Paul II taught in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women.” This teaching belongs to the constant and universal tradition of the Church and cannot be changed.

Likewise, the Church teaches that Matrimony is the lifelong covenant between one man and one woman ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children. This is not merely a religious custom or ecclesiastical rule. Marriage is rooted in creation itself. “Male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27). The complementarity of man and woman reflects God’s design and reveals something sacred about love, communion, fruitfulness and the covenant between Christ and His Church.

In recent years, many voices both outside and within the Church have argued that true inclusion, compassion or welcome requires changing the Church’s teachings regarding same-sex unions, human sexuality or the nature of ordained ministry. Yet authentic charity can never be separated from truth. To alter the perennial teachings of the Church in order to conform to prevailing cultural ideologies would not be an act of mercy, but a departure from the Gospel entrusted to the Church by Christ Himself.

Too often today, fidelity to Church teaching is portrayed as harsh, rigid or lacking compassion. Yet the opposite is true. Clarity is charity. Love demands truth. Jesus Himself proclaimed difficult teachings not to condemn, but to save. The Church cannot abandon Divine Revelation in order to gain cultural approval. She is called instead to proclaim the truth with courage, humility, patience and genuine pastoral love.

The attack upon these two sacraments ultimately strikes at the heart of communion and mission within the Church. If Holy Orders is redefined according to modern ideological categories, the Church’s sacramental understanding of the priest acting in persona Christi Capitis becomes obscured. If Matrimony is redefined apart from God’s design, the family — the domestic church and foundational cell of society — is weakened. In both cases, the unity of the Church suffers, confusion spreads among the faithful and the Church’s mission to evangelize is hindered.

Holy Orders and Matrimony are not isolated teachings disconnected from the Gospel. They are part of the Church’s sacramental vision of salvation history and reveal God’s plan for humanity. Priests are called to embody sacramentally Christ the Priest, Prophet and King in service to His people through preaching, sanctifying, shepherding, sacrifice and pastoral charity. Husbands and wives are called to reflect the faithful, fruitful and sacrificial love of Christ and His Church. Both vocations are ordered toward communion, holiness and mission.

Our world desperately needs the witness of faithful priests, holy marriages, strong families and courageous disciples who are willing to stand firmly within the truth handed down by Christ and safeguarded by His Church. This is not a time for silence, ambiguity or surrender to cultural pressure. It is a time for clarity, conviction and renewed confidence in the wisdom of God’s plan.

This confidence in God’s design has been echoed recently by Pope Leo XIV during his apostolic journey to Spain. Speaking to young people, the Holy Father encouraged them not to succumb to the fears and uncertainties of contemporary culture, reminding them: “Marriage is also a vocation. Do not be afraid of marriage or of forming a family.” In a world increasingly tempted to view marriage and family life as burdens or merely social constructs, Pope Leo pointed instead to their beauty and missionary significance.

His words serve as a timely reminder that strong families built upon the foundation of marriage between one man and one woman remain the cradle of faith, the first school of love and virtue, and an indispensable foundation for the life, communion and mission of the Church and society. Indeed, the future of both the Church and civilization depends in no small measure upon strong families rooted in the covenant of Matrimony and open to the gift of life and the faithful transmission of the Gospel to future generations.

All Catholics are called to bear witness courageously to the truth of the Gospel, but this responsibility rests in a particular way upon those entrusted with teaching, catechesis, pastoral ministry, theological formation and leadership within the life of the Church. Now is not the time for fear, silence, ambiguity or reluctance regarding the Church’s perennial teachings on Holy Orders, Matrimony and human sexuality. Rather, the Church needs joyful, faithful and confident voices willing to proclaim clearly the wisdom and beauty of God’s plan with both conviction and authentic compassion.

Those entrusted with the sacred responsibility of teaching in the name of the Church must do so in communion with the Church. Charity and pastoral sensitivity can never be separated from fidelity to the truth. At times, genuine fraternal correction may also be necessary within the life of the Church when half-truths and outright dissent cause confusion, mislead the faithful or foster division within the Body of Christ and the unity of the Church. Those who have accepted the vocation to teach on behalf of the Church should prayerfully and honestly seek to conform both mind and heart to the teachings entrusted to the Church by Christ Himself. If one finds oneself unable to teach these truths faithfully and clearly, integrity and ecclesial communion may require stepping away from such a sacred responsibility rather than contributing to confusion regarding teachings that belong to the Deposit of Faith and the unity of the Church. Christ Himself reminds us, “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much” (Lk 12:48), a sobering reminder that those entrusted with teaching the faith carry a sacred responsibility before God and will one day be called to give an account for whether they fulfilled that vocation with fidelity, courage, clarity and love.

At the same time, the Church always extends her invitation with love and hope. Every person is loved by God and called to conversion, holiness and communion with Christ. The Church welcomes all people not by abandoning truth, but by leading souls toward the freedom that comes from living in the truth revealed by Jesus Christ.

As Catholics, all of us are called to examine our hearts and minds carefully. Before dismissing or undermining the perennial teachings of the Church regarding Holy Orders, Matrimony and human sexuality, we should ask ourselves an honest question: Do we trust the wisdom of God more than the changing ideologies of the age? Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would guide His Church into all truth (Jn 16:13). That promise remains true today.

Now more than ever, the Church must proclaim clearly, courageously and joyfully the beauty of God’s unchanging plan. For when communion is protected, mission flourishes. And when truth is proclaimed in love, the world encounters not oppression, but the saving freedom of Jesus Christ.