Q. 1. What is the meaning of the word “Ontology?”

A. 1. Ontology is the examination of what is meant by “being.”

When reference is made to an “ontological change”, it refers to a change within the nature of the “being”, a change within his “existence.”

Q. 2. What is the origin of the term “ontological change?”

A. 2. The term itself is borrowed from Saint Thomas Aquinas. It is coming from the same place that Aquinas' idea of transubstantiation originated, which itself is a term saying that an “ontological change” takes place in the substance (the essence, or ontology) of the Bread and Wine at the Consecration, while leaving the accident (appearance, or any other non-essential property) intact.

Therefore, transubstantiation means that the Bread and Wine actually becomes the Body and Blood of Christ while still looking very much like regular bread and wine.

The doctrine of “ontological change” developed over a long period of time. It was previously known under various terms such as the “spiritual seal,” an “indelible mark,” a “character” and finally an “ontological change.” The original terms implied that something was added to the being (person). An “ontological change” implies that it is the same being to which there is a total change that takes place.

When you experienced an “ontological change”, while it is still you, you are no longer the same.

Symbolically, this can be compared to water, ice and steam. The three states mentioned are liquid, solid and gas. While they are three different states of a substance, they are not different substances. While they do not look the same, they are made of the same compound ie H2O which is water. They all can be reconverted into water.

Visible proof of the existence of an “ontological changes” exists in the manifestation of the dozen of Eucharistic miracles that have been witnessed by Catholics throughout the world during the past two thousand years. The Consecrated Bread, while having the appearance of regular Bread at one moment in time was instantly transformed into the Body/Flesh and Blood of Christ.

Now that you understand the meaning of the “ontological change,” we proceed with the teaching of the Catholic Church that states there is an ontological change that takes place in three of the Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Orders. When these Sacraments are validly administered, they produce a permanent change in what a person is and the nature of his/her existence.

For this reason, these three Sacraments can only be validly administered once in the lifetime of the person. You most likely heard that you cannot be baptized twice. The “ontological change” that took place during the first administration of the Sacrament of Baptism cannot be repeated.

While there is a permanent effect that cannot be lost in the administration of the three aforementioned Sacraments, the effect of sanctifying graces that are received in those three instances can be lost through mortal sin.

• The Sacrament of Baptism:

The Sacrament of Baptism is the first Sacrament through which an “ontological change” takes place upon the soul of an individual.

Through this Sacrament, by the grace of God the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus, a person is truly born again through Christ. Through Baptism, the first spiritual nature literally died and was buried. [Rom. 6:4-6; Col. 2:12] (C.C.C. # 537, 628)

You rose with a newly created spiritual nature of the seed of God, free of all traces of the original sin, being assured eternal life through the new spiritual nature. [1 Jn. 3:9, 5:18] (C.C.C. # 2852) As Saint Paul said in the Letter to the Galatians, "The new creation is everything!" [Gal. 6:15] (C.C.C. # 1214) Through the Sacrament of Baptism you became a new creation, having been spiritually born again. "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" [2 Cor. 5:17] (C.C.C. # 1265, 1999)

“This Sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out: to baptize (Greek baptizein) means to "plunge" or "immerse"; the "plunge" into the water symbolizes the catechumen's burial into Christ's death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as "a new creature."” (C.C.C. # 1214)

The ontological change that took place during the Sacrament of Baptism is the death of the old spiritual nature that was inherited by the sin of Adam, a new spiritual nature having risen with Christ to manifest a totally new creation within the person. While the person remains the same, his spiritual nature has changed. He has inherited a spiritual nature that longs to do good. This spiritual nature must be nourished on an ongoing basis. Otherwise it will become dull.

As the parents are required to nourish an infant so he/she may grow to become a child, a teenager and finally an adult, those same parents are required to nourish the spiritual nature of the baptized infant so he/she may grow in the faith to become Christlike.

• The Sacrament of Confirmation:

(1) The Sacrament of Confirmation completes the Sacrament of Baptism.

"Baptism, the Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the ‘Sacraments of Christian initiation,’ whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace." [Cf. Roman Ritual, Rite of Confirmation (OC), Introduction 1.] (C.C.C. # 1285)

(2) The gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the confirmed is empowered with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in accordance with his present needs and commitment to promote the faith. These gifts are intended to assist him in his spiritual calling.

“The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying Divine inspirations.” [CCC # 1831]

(3) The common priesthood.

Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the confirmed becomes a member of the common priesthood.

In 1 Peter 2:4-5, we read, “Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

In 1 Peter 2:9, we further read, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

The 1968 edition of "The Jerome Biblical Commentary" views this priesthood in the following manner:

“Catholics are exhorted to live in holiness as befits the Chosen Race and the Royal Priesthood. They are ‘living stones,’ not just as persons contrasted with the inanimate blocks used in pagan temples but as persons vivified by the life of Christ Himself in baptism. So united to Christ, the Cornerstone, they form a new unit, which the author proceeds to describe in several mixed images. They form first a spiritual house, a new temple in which the bonding material is not race, but the Spirit. Through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation Christians are called and destined to the service of the priesthood. As a kingdom of priest (royal priesthood), Catholics are called to a priestly destination. By their baptism, they are deputed to the cultic service of God in Christ. It is at once a royal and a priestly destination. They are to offer themselves as a "living sacrifice" that would be holy and acceptable to God; this is to be their spiritual worship. The baptized and confirmed Christian is therefore empowered and expected to live his whole life as if he were a cultic act, continuing in a sense the sacrifice of Christ, but also manifesting to the world that he is marked for the service of Christ.”

All the baptized and confirmed Catholics, males or females, automatically belong to the common priesthood.

(4) Sent forth by the local Bishop to spread and defend the faith.

“'By the Sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to ‘spread’ and ‘defend’ the faith by word and deed.'” [LG 11; Cf. OC, Introduction 2] (C.C.C. # 1285)

Many Catholics are baptized as infants. Therefore they are unable to appreciate the ontological change that takes place during their first Sacrament. This ontological change is explained to them when they are being prepared for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Sacrament of Baptism is completed. The Christian receives gifts of the Holy Spirit, is adopted by Christ as a member of the common priesthood and is sent forth by his/her Bishop to spread and defend the Catholic faith by word and deed.

Through this chain of events, an ontological changes takes place. The Christian receives one or more gifts of the Holy Spirit that can never be taken away from him. Spiritual gifts embellish the spiritual nature of the baptized so he may serve God to the fullness of his/her capabilities. The person now belongs to the common priesthood that forms the Body of Christ. Nobody, not even Satan, can takes away from him/her this adoption of Christ. The Christian belongs to Christ. He is now equipped with a burning desire to spread and defend the Catholic faith by his/her word and deed.

In summary, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, while the believer is in this world, he is not of this world. He belongs to Christ, a living stone that is called to shine forth in the darkness of the world. “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” [Mt. 5:15-17]

While the Christian is still the same person, his spiritual nature has changed. To prevent this ontological change from becoming dull, he must nourish his soul on an ongoing basis through the Sacraments of Confession, the Holy Eucharist and Church attendance. He is called to live a life of prayer and humility at the service of the Lord Jesus.

• The Holy Orders:

While priests still looks very much like any other layperson, there is something fundamentally, or ontologically, different about them after their ordination.

During the International Reunion of Priests in Fatima on June 18, 1996, John Cardinal O'Connor spoke on "The Necessity of Continuing Formation for the Priest." He stated:

"In my judgment, this concept of the ontological nature of the priesthood, is critical. We don't just put on vestments; we don't just receive an assignment. Neither makes us priests. We become priests at ordination. There is an "ontological change" in our spiritual nature. Such is a profound mystery. Is it too bold an analogy to compare the change to Christ the Son of God's retaining His Divinity while becoming a man? Or to observe that after bread becomes the Sacred Body of Christ, it still tastes like bread and feels like bread, but is now the Body of Christ? There has been an ontological change. A cup of wine still smells like wine and tastes like it, but it is now the Blood of Christ. At ordination an ontological change takes place."

Proof that an "Ontological change" took place at the ordination of a priest is observed during the preaching of his homilies. While one hundred members of the Church may be present, three different messages might have been heard, each message in accordance with the need of the individuals. While this is logically impossible, it becomes spiritually possible because of the "ontological change" that took place in the priest during his ordination.

This is not a power that the priest can control. The "Ontological change" permits Christ to manifest Himself through the priest, often without the priest's awareness of the profound mystery that is taking place.

How often do you hear someone say, "I went to Confession to that priest and I could not believe his ability to read my soul." In many of those cases, if you were to ask the priest what the person confessed, he would not remember. Because of the "Ontological change" that took place at ordination, the person was confessing his sins directly to Christ Who was present.

As Christ is present in the priest during Holy Mass at the Consecration of the bread and wine that change into His Body and Blood, He is also present in all of the Sacraments. That is the fulfillment of the profound mystery of the "Ontological change."

The Code of Canon Law # 290 states:

"Sacred ordination once validly received never becomes invalid. A cleric, however, loses the clerical state:

1° by a judgement of a court or an administrative decree, declaring the ordination invalid;

2° by the penalty of dismissal lawfully imposed;

3° by a rescript of the Apostolic See; this rescript, however, is granted to deacons only for grave reasons and to priests only for the gravest of reasons."

In simple words, the Holy Orders of a priest never become invalid. But he may no longer be able to practice as a priest for a number of reasons.

The Code of Canon Law # 1582 states, "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."

The Sacrament of the Holy Orders is similar to the Sacrament of Baptism. While a baptized person can stop practicing his faith, he can never undo his baptism. Equally, while a priest can stop being a minister of God, he can never undo his ordination.

As Canon Law # 1583 states, "It is true that someone validly ordained can, for a just reason, 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, because the character imprinted by ordination is for ever. the vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him permanently."

A priest who is discharged from the obligations and functions linked to his ordination can no longer:

- act as a priest;
- minister within his diocese or religious institute;
- celebrate Holy Mass;
- administer the Sacraments;
- be called "Father" or "Reverend";
- wear clerical clothing;
- be supported financially by the Church.

To the public, he would appear to be a regular layperson who holds a job and lives a non-clerical normal life. Regarding a priest who loses his clerical state:

Canon Law # 291, "Apart from the case mentioned above in can. 290, n. 1, loss of the clerical state does not entail a dispensation from the obligation of celibacy, which only the Roman Pontiff grants." Canon Law # 292 "A cleric who loses the clerical state according to the norm of law loses with it the rights proper to the clerical state and is no longer bound by any obligations of the clerical state, without prejudice to the prescript of can. 291. He is prohibited from exercising the power of orders, without prejudice to the prescript of can. 976. By the loss of the clerical state, he is deprived of all offices, functions, and any delegated power."

Canon Law # 293 "A cleric who loses the clerical state cannot be enrolled among clerics again except through a rescript of the Apostolic See."

Although a priest can be discharged from all obligations and functions linked to his ordination, the fact remains that if someone is dying, he can still administer the Last Rites (includes Confession) to that person because he is a priest forever.

Canon Law # 976 "Even though a priest lacks the faculty to hear confessions, he absolves validly and licitly any penitents whatsoever in danger of death from any censures and sins, even if an approved priest is present."

A final note, a priest who leaves the priesthood, he is not automatically entitled to get married. Canon Law # 291 states, "Apart from the case mentioned in can. 290, n. 1, loss of the clerical state does not entail a dispensation from the obligation of celibacy, which only the Roman Pontiff grants."

To be dispensed from the vow of celibacy, the priest must obtain that permission from the Pope. Such applications are rare since Pope John Paul II established his practice of refusing such requests.

To the ordained, the ministerial priesthood is added to the common priesthood that is enjoyed by all the faithful. Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the seminarian is elevated to the ministerial priesthood of Jesus Christ. The man's soul is permanently changed, marked with the indelible seal of the Sacrament. It’s a beautiful life, but certainly not one without challenge and sacrifice.

All of us Christians strive to become Christlike. In the Catholic priest, this transformation happens in a direct way, by virtue of the Sacrament. Through the eternal priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek the priest is not Christlike, he becomes Christ Himself. [Psalm 110:4]

Through the ontological change that takes place in the Sacrament of the Holy Orders, the priest who becomes Christ Himself inherits two supernatural powers. As Christ, he has the power to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ during the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass. Also, he has the power to forgive sins during the Sacrament of Confession (Penance / Reconciliation). No one else outside the Catholic priesthood has these two supernatural powers.

“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” [Lk. 12:48] On judgment Day, the baptized will be judged as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ. The confirmed will be judged as members who has received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The ordained as a priest will be judged according to their clerical elevation. To those that much has been given, a great accountability will be required of them.

Conclusion:

In plain English, I have explained to you the ontological changes that take place during the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Orders. While these changes may not be visible to the naked eye, they are visible by the supernatural signs that are manifested.

If you do not believe that ontological changes take place during the Sacraments because you cannot see those changes, believe in the supernatural signs, so that you may know and understand that Jesus is manifesting Himself through the priest and His administration of the Sacraments. [Jn. 10:38]