In the
Christian churches,
holy orders are
ordained ministries such as
bishop,
priest or
deacon. In the
Roman Catholic (Latin:
sacri ordines),
Eastern Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox (ιερωσύνη [
hierōsynē], ιεράτευμα [
hierateuma], Священство [
Svyashchenstvo]),
Oriental Orthodox,
Anglican,
Assyrian,
Old Catholic,
Independent Catholic and some
Lutheran churches, holy orders comprise the three ministerial orders of bishop, priest and deacon, or the
sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders. Except for Lutherans and some Anglicans, these churches regard ordination as a
sacrament (the
sacramentum ordinis). The
Anglo-Catholic tradition within Anglicanism identifies more with the Roman Catholic position about the sacramental nature of ordination.