Clergy Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Eastern Orthodoxy === {{Eastern Orthodox sidebar|expanded=organization}} [[File:Orthodox clergy.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christian]] clergy: [[bishop]] (right, at [[altar]]), [[priest]] (left), and two [[deacon]]s (in gold)]] The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] has three ranks of holy orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. These are the same offices identified in the [[New Testament]] and found in the [[Early Church]], as testified by the writings of the [[Holy Fathers]]. Each of these ranks is ordained through the [[Sacred Mystery]] (sacrament) of the [[laying on of hands]] (called ''[[Christian laying on of hands|cheirotonia]]'') by bishops. Priests and deacons are ordained by their own [[diocesan bishop]], while bishops are [[consecration|consecrated]] through the laying on of hands of at least three other bishops. Within each of these three ranks there are found a number of titles. Bishops may have the title of [[archbishop]], [[metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]], and [[patriarch]], all of which are considered [[honorific]]s. Among the Orthodox, all bishops are considered equal, though an individual may have a place of higher or lower honor, and each has his place within the [[order of precedence]]. Priests (also called [[presbyter]]s) may (or may not) have the title of [[archpriest]], [[protopresbyter]] (also called "protopriest", or "protopope"), [[hieromonk]] (a [[monk]] who has been ordained to the priesthood) [[archimandrite]] (a senior hieromonk) and [[hegumen]] (abbot). Deacons may have the title of [[hierodeacon]] (a monk who has been ordained to the deaconate), [[archdeacon]] or [[protodeacon]]. The lower clergy are not ordained through ''cheirotonia'' (laying on of hands) but through a blessing known as ''cheirothesia'' (setting-aside). These clerical ranks are [[subdeacon]], [[Reader (liturgy)|reader]] and [[altar server]] (also known as [[taper-bearer]]). Some churches have a separate service for the blessing of a [[cantor (church)|cantor]]. Ordination of a bishop, priest, deacon or subdeacon must be conferred during the [[Divine Liturgy]] (Eucharist)—though in some churches it is permitted to ordain up through deacon during the [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]]—and no more than a single individual can be ordained to the same rank in any one service. Numerous members of the lower clergy may be ordained at the same service, and their blessing usually takes place during the [[Little Hours]] prior to Liturgy, or may take place as a separate service. The blessing of readers and taper-bearers is usually combined into a single service. Subdeacons are ordained during the Little Hours, but the ceremonies surrounding his blessing continue through the Divine Liturgy, specifically during the [[Great Entrance]]. Bishops are usually drawn from the ranks of the archimandrites, and are required to be celibate; however, a non-monastic priest may be ordained to the episcopate if he no longer lives with his wife (following Canon XII of the [[Quinisext Council|Quinisext Council of Trullo]])<ref>Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers [http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-14/Npnf2-14-136.htm#P6201_1388746 CCEL.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050720015521/http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF2-14/Npnf2-14-136.htm#P6201_1388746 |date=2005-07-20 }}</ref> In contemporary usage such a non-monastic priest is usually [[tonsure]]d to the monastic state, and then elevated to archimandrite, at some point prior to his consecration to the episcopacy. Although not a formal or canonical prerequisite, at present bishops are often required to have earned a university degree, typically but not necessarily in [[theology]]. Usual titles are ''Your Holiness'' for a patriarch (with ''Your All-Holiness'' reserved for the [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]]), ''Your Beatitude'' for an archbishop/metropolitan overseeing an [[autocephaly|autocephalous Church]], ''Your Eminence'' for an archbishop/metropolitan generally, ''Master'' or ''Your Grace'' for a bishop and ''Father'' for priests, deacons and monks,<ref>"[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/clergy_etiquette.aspx Clergy Etiquette] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091122025012/http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/clergy_etiquette.aspx |date=2009-11-22 }}", Orthodox Christian Information Center.</ref> although there are variations between the various Orthodox Churches. For instance, in Churches associated with the Greek tradition, while the Ecumenical Patriarch is addressed as "Your All-Holiness", all other Patriarchs (and archbishops/metropolitans who oversee autocephalous Churches) are addressed as "Your Beatitude".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goarch.org/resources/etiquette|title=Forms of Addresses and Salutations for Orthodox Clergy |website=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206164329/http://goarch.org/resources/etiquette |archive-date= Feb 6, 2017 }}</ref> Orthodox priests, deacons, and subdeacons must be either married or celibate (preferably monastic) prior to ordination, but may not marry after ordination. ''Re''marriage of clergy following divorce or widowhood is forbidden. Married clergy are considered as best-suited to staff parishes, as a priest with a family is thought better qualified to counsel his flock.<ref>Ken Parry, David Melling, Dimitri Brady, Sidney Griffith & John Healey (eds.), 1999, ''The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity'', Oxford, pp116-7</ref> It has been common practice in the Russian tradition for unmarried, non-monastic clergy to occupy academic posts. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page