Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

37On the Holy Orders 73 74Quintessence of Religious Doctrinesauthorities are required for a person to preach or performEcclesial functions. As for the Universal Syrian OrthodoxChurch, in whose diptych the name of His Holiness Ignatius,the Patriarch of Antioch is mentioned as the Supreme Headand for whom prayers are said, the pontifical authority isvested with the incumbent of the See of St. Peter in Antioch.This provision is as per the Canon Law. No individual orChurch or group of Churches or sect has the right to amendthis provision unilaterally. If any one contravenes thisprovision, that is uncanonical and will not have any legalvalidity as far as the Universal Church is concerned.7. No one is justified in abstaining himself or herself from thesacraments celebrated by a priest of unsavoury reputation or tocast doubts regarding the efficacy of such actions. Unlessexcommunicated or anathematised by his superiors or the synod,no clergyman can be prevented from discharging his priestlyduties.Ref. (a) Mt. 23: 2, 3. “The Teachers of the Law and Phariseesare the authorised interpreters of Moses’ Law. So,you must obey and follow everything they tell youto do; do not, however, imitate their actions,because, they don’t practise what they preach.(G.N.B.)CommentThe lay faithful are instructed here, not to keep away fromattending the celebration of the Eucharist by a priest of illrepute. Similarly it is pointed out that there is no ground orbasis for suspecting the efficacy of the Eucharistic celebrationby such a priest. The reason is that unless a priest isdisqualified by Ecclesial authority, there is nothing, thatprevents him from discharging his priestly duties.8. As the priests are duly anointed and the sacraments areadministered in the name of Jesus Christ and as the fruits of thesacraments are independent of the character of the priest, thosewho participate with a pure heart and faith in the celebration ofthe sacraments by any priest, shall reap the proper results ofthe sacraments. But divine judgement shall be incurred by thepriests who minister the sacraments without proper preparationand faith.Ref: (a) Lev. 21:12. Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary,nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crownof the anointing oil of his God is upon him. (K.J.V.)(b) Mt. 17: 22, 23. When judgement day comes manywill say to me, “Lord, Lord! In your name, we spokeGod’s message, by your name we drew out manydemons and performed many miracles.” Then I willsay to them, “I never knew you. Get away from meyou wicked people!” (G.N.B.)CommentAgain, it is stated, that the spiritual results of the Eucharisticcelebration by a duly ordained priest are independent of hismoral character. In other words, his personal character orlifestyle has no bearing on his Eucharistic celebration or ofany other sacraments or the performance of priestlyfunctions. The remark of St. Chrysostom or Ivanios, thegolden tongued, can be recalled here to provide an answerto the question why so. He wrote ‘The priests’ function issimply to open his mouth and it is God who accomplisheswhat is done.’ St. Augustine in a classic statement opinedthat a sacrament will be valid whether Peter celebrated orJudas offered it, provided each of them had the sanctionfrom Jesus. The underlying theory of the belief and practiceof the S.O.C. regarding the efficacy of a sacramentcelebrated by a priest can be understood by the doctrineknown ‘Ex opere operato’. It means that no sacrament isrendered invalid on the ground that the priest whoadministers it is unfit.9. But those clerics found offenders shall be excommunicated, andforbidden from administering any rite. The faithful are precludedfrom participating in the sacraments performed by such priestswho do so without any qualm, after they are excommunicated.