“Is the making of a bishop a sacrament?”
My answer was ‘no’. He has already received the sacrament of Holy Orders, he now receives the consecration to fuller authority in that ‘Order’. Now I don’t have the degree in Theology, or any futher studies of doctrine officially, but base this on my understanding of Catholicism. A few years ago I took a pop test, and yes, I was listed as a supporter of Thomas.
I agree this was quite interesting.
That, in fact, would be a primative way of expressing the Bound Powers Theory; but, understand that, since Vatican II, the general consensus (with which I am disagreeing) has been that the sacrament is imparted in three distinct degrees: Deacon, Priest and Bishop. During the middle ages, up to and including the Council of Trent, the sacrament was viewed as being divided into the three degrees of Sub-deacon, Deacon and Priest.
Whether the sacrament needs to be divided into three degrees at all is an open question, as far as I'm concerned. The point I'm trying to make is this: just because Vatican II uses the word "ordination" to refer to the making of a bishop, doesn't mean that anyone has to accept that as a matter of faith. Vatican II certainly "teaches" that making a bishop participates in Holy Orders, just as Trent "taught" that it does not. But neither council bothered to actually define the matter. Thus, it seems to me, that the question is still open for debate.
**“Is the making of a bishop a sacrament?”**
There are three steps to the Sacrament of Holy Orders:
Diaconate — Deacon
Priesthood — Presbyter/Priest
Episcopate — Bishop