text: One of the stumbling blocks in the path of unity is the ontological understanding of ordination, which was not part of the New Testament theology of ordination, but quickly became so as the church was institutionalized. In the New Testament, people are chosen for ministries in order to have someone who can perform the functions necessary for the good of the community, including church order, but that ordination does not confer on them a special, indelible character that effectively elevates them above the heads of the people. If anything, Jesus seems to have emphasized servant leadership and criticized those who wanted something that conferred status and prestige. Ironically, the designation of a cardinal is tangibly ordered to the function performed by cardinals, i.e., advising the pope, and does not confer ontological status. I wish they would give the whole business up.