[CCC 1581-1584] 聖秩聖事 THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS (不可磨滅的神印 The indelible character)

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm

天主教教理
http://catholic.org.tw/goodshepherd/CCC/index.htm

[CCC 1581-1584]

七、聖秩聖事的效果
VII. THE EFFECTS OF THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

不可磨滅的神印
The indelible character

這聖事因著聖神的特殊恩寵，使領受者肖似基督，使他成為基督的工具，服務祂的教會。通過授秩禮，一個人得以作為教會元首基督的代表，執行祂司祭、先知、君王的三重職務。

1581 This sacrament configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church. By ordination one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple office of priest, prophet, and king.

就如聖洗和堅振聖事一樣，聖秩聖事這種對基督職務的分享，也是一次而永久授予的。聖秩聖事正如聖洗和堅振聖事，也給予一個永不磨滅的神印。為此，聖秩聖事不可重複授予，亦不可暫時授予。

1582 As in the case of Baptism and Confirmation this share in Christ's office is granted once for all. The sacrament of Holy Orders, like the other two, confers an indelible spiritual character and cannot be repeated or conferred temporarily.74

一位有效領過聖秩的人，因正當理由，可被解除他與聖秩有關連的義務和職分，或被禁止執行職務，但嚴格地說，他並不是重回平信徒的身分，因為聖秩的神印是永久的。自授秩當日起，他所領受的聖召和使命就永遠銘刻在他身上了。

1583 It is true that someone validly ordained can, for grave reasons, be discharged from the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can be forbidden to exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the strict sense,75 because the character imprinted by ordination is for ever. The vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him permanently.

由於終究是基督透過聖職人員去行動和實行救世工作，故此縱使聖職人員有不堪當之處，並不會阻礙基督的行動。聖奧思定對此曾鏗鏘有力地說：

1584 Since it is ultimately Christ who acts and effects salvation through the ordained minister, the unworthiness of the latter does not prevent Christ from acting.76 St. Augustine states this forcefully:

至於驕傲的聖職人員，他該與魔鬼併列，但基督的恩寵並不因此受玷污，凡通過他而流出的一切，仍保持其純潔和清澈，且流到肥沃之地……聖事的神能實在如同光一般：那些受光照的人，是接受純潔的光，縱使光穿過污穢之物，也不受污染。

As for the proud minister, he is to be ranked with the devil. Christ's gift is not thereby profaned: what flows through him keeps its purity, and what passes through him remains dear and reaches the fertile earth. . . . The spiritual power of the sacrament is indeed comparable to light: those to be enlightened receive it in its purity, and if it should pass through defiled beings, it is not itself defiled.77