www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Deaconesses - Active Ministry?

I know deaconesses have been discussed time to time, but a thought I hadn't seen here before occurred to me. I don't remember where, but I read something which left me with the impression that deaconesses were not married but were consecrated/ordained to service in the church.

I was discussing the role of nuns in the east being monasticism and there being a lack of model to allow for an active ministry, which has led to the importation of the western model of orders. I am curious if the role of deaconess could be compared to active ministry among nuns?

It seems to me that monastics are purposefully secluded to great degrees while a deaconess would be situated in the parish community. Her roles were preaching and teaching women, visiting the poor, assisting in the Mysteries, and other active, service- and people-oriented tasks. This is in great contrast to a monastic vocation.

Does anyone have information (in support or against) of this particular view of deaconesses? I'd be interested to discuss it more.

The view in the western church that there are "contemplative" and "active" religious has taken a long time to die, but it is at least not very healthy. Of course active apostolate that doesn't spring from a contemplative core is social work, so even active congregations have a contemplative element; it is true to say however that Eastern monasticism saw little need for the activ elife in many cases, at lest as most congregations of nuns practise it in the Western church.

ON the topic of deaocnesses particularly I think it is incorrect to compare them to sisters; Anglicanism and Lutheranism provide the two most modern uses of this ancient ministry for women. whilst some most certainly were members of religious congregations, deaconesses in these prtestant churches were mostly single women who recieved laying on of hands to this Order of ministry and practised it in the manner of todays male diocesan deacons.

SO yes, I agree with your analysis of the deaconesses role in contrast to monastic life; but comparing it to active orders of nuns perhaps confuses the issue. I think the way that the confusion between deaconesses and monastics first started was because many early deaconesses were widows who observed an ascetic lifestyle whilst practising as deaconesses, although there is some confusion as to the extent that the two existed as separate things.

WHilst I certainly don't agree with the women as priests slant of this piece, it's treatment of ascetics/deaconesses in the early eastrn church seems pretty sound and support both your conception of deaconesses tasks whilst illustrating how deaconesses came to be seen as monastic:

http://www.deaconsplace.info/articles/role_women_early.htm

Hope this response was slightly intelligible!

Ned

The most "modern" use of deaconesses is that found in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Fr. Serge

Here is an interesting article on the different diaconal practices of the Oriental Orthodox Churches:

http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/2003/03-133.shtml

Also, here's a link to one of the best studies out there on the role of deaconesses:

http://www.amazon.com/Deaconesses-Historical-Study-G-Martimort/dp/0898701147

Of course, one "weakness" of the text (which is actually more of a weakness of readers like myself ) is its use of original languages in both the text and footnotes, which is great for the specialist, but difficult for the average Joe "Armchair Theologian" Sixpacker like myself.

Women Deacons in the Orthodox Church: Called to Holiness and Ministry
by Kyriaki K. FitzGerald is a fascinating study, although the title "women deacons" indicates her theological position vis-a-vis the ministry of "deaconess" as the female equivalent of the male diaconate. Martimort seems to think the evidence for this is far less conclusive.

http://store.holycrossbookstore.com/1885652224.html

The International Theological Commission also did a cursory treatment of the ministry of deaconess in its From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles.

In a review of the text by HPR (Homiletic and Pastoral Review), two of its conclusions are mentioned:


http://www.ignatius.com/magazines/hprweb/bk_ITC.htm

Apart from the issue of the nature of the ordination of deaconess, the unity of the sacrament of Holy Orders mentioned above presents the greatest challenge to the universal acceptance of the ministry of deaconess as the hierarchical "equal" to the ministry of the male diaconate. As was seen within Anglicanism and certain forms of Lutheranism, the ordination of women "to the diaconate" begs the question - why not then to the presbyterate or to the episcopate?

Clearly one can say that a distinction exists between the kenotic and sacerdotal forms of service within the sacrament of Holy Orders, and the deacon is not merely a "priest, second-class" (although the recent development of a "presiding diaconate" within the Latin Church seems to regard this ministry that way). The ministry of deacon, which, like the presbyter, flows from the fatherhood of the bishop, is nevertheless distinct from the ministry of presbyter. The "ladder" model which positions the ministry of deacon as a rung on the path to "higher" orders in its own way diminishes the distinct and permanent charism of the deacon within the ecclesia. (I personally prefer the Trinitarian image from Irenaeus of the "two hands" of Fatherhood representing the two forms of ordained ministry - deacon and presbyter.) The source of the unity of Holy Orders is not then the deacon's relationship to the presbyter as a "rung" on the ecclesial ladder, but rather the fatherhood of the bishop, as expressed by the ancient practice of the laying on of hands as a sign of "blessing" and the transfer of patriarchal authority to govern the household and all its goods. (The interesting practice of the "laying on of hands" of the newly ordained presbyter by his brother presbyter would also be an fascinating study. No such practice is done with ordination to the deacon, indicating an "exclusive" connection of the deacon to the bishop as his "origin".)

Of course, if one follows the traditional hierarchical "ranking" of subdeacon, deaconess, deacon, presbyter, bishop, one wonders whether an argument could be made for regarding the deaconess as a form of minor orders as opposed to major orders. The difficulty here is that, as Father Serge has observed, the Byzantine Ordination rite for the Order of Deaconess follows the same pattern as the Order of Deacon, although the words used in the prayers are different.

For instance: in the prayers for ordination of a deacon, the ordinand is appointed to serve as a minister at the Lord's "immaculate mysteries", with Stephen as the model. In the prayers for the ordination of a deaconess, the ordinand is appointed to serve in the Lord's "holy houses in accordance with what is fitting", with Phoebe as the model. (Specific mention is made of the Lord not rejecting women who "offer themselves" to minister in the holy houses.) The bishop asks God to grant her the grace to "persevere blamelessly in your holy temples, to cultivate appropriate conduct, and especially moderation." Also, the Lord speaking to the apostles concerning the nature of the diaconate is specifically mentioned in the ordination of the deacon, while the "sanctification of the female" through the birth of the Savior from the BVM and the granting of the Holy Spirit in His "advent" to both men and women is specifically mentioned in the ordination of the deaconess, indicating the "pentecostal" nature of the ordination event.

Both the deacon and the deaconess are called to the "work of diaconate" in the ordination rites.

Interesting stuff...difficult to fully discern, but a very interesting pastoral and ecumenical challenge.

God bless,

Gordo