www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall definitions of clerical titles

What do the various titles of clergy in the East mean?
Example, what is a Heiromonk or an Archimandrite?
At my Byzantine parish we simply have one priest, no deacon or subdeacon.

Also explain other titles not given above as examples. (apologies if this has been covered in the past)
denise

A Hieromonk is a monastic who is also a priest

An Archimandrite is a particularly honored Monastic (not necessarily a Hegumen) , i.e. Bishop +Kallistos (Ware) was Archimandrite +Kallistos before becoming a bishop

Continuing Brians statement an archmandrite is also an honored clergy serving the parishes, used by the Melkite. It is similar to but higher than a Monsignor in the Roman Catholic Church. Also, Archpriest is very similar to the Melkite useage but is Ruthenian.

Also, for instance in the Melkite Church, Father would be Aboona, and the Archbishop would be Saedna (not certain of spelling) which means Lord/Master. But these are Arabic terminology.

Proto before the title means the first. As in ProtoDeacon, he would be the older deacon as far as service. In the Eastern Churches a deacon is Fr. Deacon. In the Roman Church a deacon is Mr. Deacon or Rev. Deacon.

Sub-deacon is a minor order. One is set aside as this usually before becoming a deacon. However, one may remain as a subdeacon throughout his service to the church.

Melkites have Readers set aside for the music. Ruthenians have cantors to help lead the choir, but Lectors are set aside as readers. Lectors and Readers are minor orders.

I know there is more to it than this, and hopefully I have got it sorted out in my head and don't confuse you. Maybe some of the experts around here will come in and really give you the low down on titles.

Dear-to-Christ Rose,

I wish you a blessed Lord's Day!

Lector and Reader are the same order and like you say they are a "minor order." Lector is the latin-based term and for some reason is preferred among the Ruthenians. The difference is like Autumn and Fall, the former is latin-based the latter Anglo-Saxon. Other examples that might help are infernal and hellish, celestial and heavenly, feral and wild, bellicose and war-like...the list could continue.

Tony

Originally an Archimandrite was the ecclesiarch of several monasteries, and the hegumen of each of these monasteries was under obedience to the archimandrite. Now the archimandrite can still be over several monasteries, but this is often an honorary title.

Archimandrite Robert Taft of the Ukrainian Catholic Church is a good example of this being given for honorary purposes. He has no monastery(ies) under him but the title was given for his immense gifts of teaching and works about liturgy and liturgical theology.

A hieromonk is a monk who has professed as a monk and is also a priest. A deacon who is a monk is a hierodeacon.

A priest can become a Mitred Archpriest after being bestowed this honor by his bishop. He can wear a miter after being bestowed this honor.

A deacon can be elevated to the honorary title of Protodeacon. He wears a different orarion and can wear a purple skufya/kamalvka. He has the first rank liturgically among deacons and has specific duties during a pontifical Divine Liturgy (when the Bishop celebrates).

An archdeacon is a hierodeacon that has been set aside as such. Like the protodeacon, an archdeacon has place of honor amongst monastic deacons. The Archdeacon also exists in the Roman tradition, and in fact the Pope of Rome was occaisionally chosen from the Archdeacon of Rome.

Many Byzantine bishops traditionally didn't travel or have services without their trusted archdeacon or protodeacon who were often the experts about the rubrics for services.

There are some other honorific titles but these are probably the most common in the Byzantine tradition.

See I knew some of you guys would come along and straighten out my attempt at a wimpy explanation.

Thanks
Rose

Thanks to all,
for explaning all these terms. I have a better idea of who's who now. Yesterday, since our priest is out of town, we had Fr Joe Schlosser (I hope I have that correct) from the Benedictine Byzantine monastery in Pennsylvania. I believe he said he was the Heguemon, so that would mean he is the head monk there. The parishoners very much enjoyed him, he gave a talk between Liturgies on Confession, Ten Commandments since that is where the children's Sunday School schedule was at. He was so down-to-earth. I think he also enjoyed us, although we are a small parish, we have quite a few kids as compared to other Byzantine parishes. I think he enjoyed seeing so many young faces.

But, now, what is a skufya? Is that the hem of the deacon's vestment sleeve? On the web-site for St Elias church, Ontario, I noticed some of the deacons had very colorful sleeves. (and by-the-way, that web-site is beautiful, very impressive)
denise

Just a small correction - that would be Father *Leo* Schlosser, a dear and holy man.

(Some day I will finish the sticharion I'm perpetually cross-stitching for him...)

If'n memory serves, the skufiya is one of the many varieties of hats worn by clergy/monastics. As another dear and holy monk who Knows Who He Is once observed, "I like a religion with hats."



Ducking under my schmatte,

Sharon

Sharon, are you invoking George Costanza here?

(When asked why he was converting to Latvian Orthodoxy / what he liked about the religion, George replied that it was the hats! )

Hi:

I am no expert in the field, but my understanding is that a Hegumen is more or less the equivalent of a Latin Abbot, and the Archimandrite would be more like a Provincial of a religious order.

Of course, the notion of various religious orders is alien to the Byzantine tradition, but I think the analogy in terms of function and rank still stands.

I believe that the title of Archpriest is more commonly used for non-monastics, while the title of Archimandrite is strictly reserved for monks.

In the Latin Church, any cleric can be granted the title of Monsignior.

Shalom,
Memo.

Dear All,

Yes, Abbot Leo is a great man of God. The reason I address him as abbot is that he was just here a couple of weeks ago at our monastery when we hosted the Conference of American Benedictine abbots & prioresses. I spotted him right away since he was the only superior in headgear!

I spent some time on retreat at Holy Trinity Monastery a few summers ago. At that time I asked Abbot Leo if he was a hegumen, archimandrite, or an abbot. He said that he could be considered all 3 IIRC, but that the significant development was that he is the first superior of his community to be recognized as an Abbot by other Benedictine communities worldwide - hence his inclusion in the Abbot's conference. Before that time Latin jurisdictional practice would only allow the superior of Holy Trinity to hold the rank of prior. This was due to its small size. However Abbot Leo related how Met. Judson (of happy memory) was instrumental in getting the Western church to acknowledge that in the East monastic communities are usually quite small (maybe 1/2 dozen monks or less) and status as an abbot does not depend on the size of the institution from an Eastern perspective.

As I mentioned before, I was pretty impressed with Abbot Leo's effort to restore authentic Byzantine praxis @ Holy Trinity. I pray that some worthy YOUNG men will answer God's call to monastic service there (as I pray that the Almighty will send us more young monks).

PAX

P.S. This subject has been foremost in my thoughts, since my abbot has asked me to deliver a talk on the encyclical Orientale Lumen to the members of our community. Tomorrow night is when I am slated to speak. I humbly request your prayers that it will go well.

Br. Elias

Dear Benedictine,

All WILL go well if you remember to face East during your talk . . .

Alex

Dear Alex,

That may be a problem since our chapter room is built on a north/south axis. If I face East I will be looking out of the window for most of my talk.

I just hope that my confreres won't be gazing in that direction already!

PAX

Dear Benedictine,

I'm sure you'll be positively exciting!

After all, the spirituality of St Benedict is steeped in Eastern monasticism - St Basil's Ascetikon, St John Cassian et al.

St Benedict was one Westerner who knew where true wisdom could be found . . .

"Crux Sacra sit mihi Lux! Nunquam draco sit mihi dux!"

Pax Vobiscum!

Alex

Perhaps he realized it whilst rolling in the snow to banish an impure thought from his mind (my favorite St. Benedict story).

Here I go digressing again...