Presbyterium
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Presbyterium is a modern term used in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Rite after the Second Vatican Council in reference to a college of priests, in active ministry, of an individual ecclesiastical territory such as a diocese or eparchy. The body, in union with their prelate bishop as a collective, is a symbol of the collaborative and collegial nature of their sacerdotal ministry as inspired by the reforms made during the Second Vatican Council.
The presbyterium is most visible during the ordination of new priests and bishops, the Red Mass and the annual Mass of the Chrism: the blessing of the oils used in the sacraments of confirmation, extreme unction and ordination. They are also visible during other special liturgical functions such as the wake and burial of their bishop.
In early Christianity, the presbyterium expressed the shared ministry of the bishops and priests before the establishment of the monarchial episcopate: the royal priesthood of bishops, cardinals and popes.
See also
Resources
- Juridical Manifestations of the Presbyterium (http://www.geocities.com/frcoulter/presbyterium/chapter1.html)