www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology What is a "Father Deacon"

I have only experience this terminology on this board.

Is it a Priest?

Or, Is it a term of respect for a Deacon?

Or have I completely struck out with my assumptions,

Jim

It is how you address a deacon. In the Latin Church a deacon should be addressed as "Rev. Mister"

In conversation a deacon should be addressed as "Fr. Deacon N." in Byzantine Church and "Deacon N." in the Latin Church. In correspondence "Deacon N." is appropriate for both, "Rev. Mr. N." can be used for Latin deacons.

Fr. Deacon Lance

This has good information on all of this stuff:

http://www.saintelias.com/DivServices_elia/ClercAttire/ClercAttire3.html

Scroll down about 2/3 of the way down the page. It has how to address deacons, acording to rank and all of that good stuff.

Man, that St. Elias website has everything. They should start their own University of something. A Ph.D. in Proper Eastern Liturgics. Imagine that.

Enough rambling.

-uc

Just as a point of interest, the title "Rev. Mr." is no longer used in the United States for deacons. This was causing a number of problems since it mixes a clerical title with a lay title continuing the perception that deacons were laity.

For Latin deacons the correct title, both in writing and in speaking, is "Deacon N."

Fr. Deacon Edward

A dissenting voice - "Deacon N" is seldom if ever appropriate and has a most undesirable resonance. There is nothing wrong with addressing an envelope to "Father Deacon John Smith" and beginning one's letter "Dear Father Deacon".

Under "useless information" one might note that it is possible for a subdeacon to be a "Monsignor", or at least it would be had the Latins not stopped ordaining subdeacons.

Incognitus

In some Orthodox Churches, I heard people calling their monks "Father N." Same with Deacons. "Father N."

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Dear SPDundas


For a man who announces his deafness, your hearing is remarkably acute! And your report is accurate.

Incognitus

Jim,

in some more informal and familial quarters (like my house), Father Deacon is in fact "my Daddy the Deacon."

Here are two good reads on the Orthodox perspective on Formal and informal addressing in written letter and in person:

How to Greet a Monk or Nun [euphrosynoscafe.com]

How to address Clergy [euphrosynoscafe.com]

I also agree that Saint Elias is a good site for this info from the Byzantine Catholic POV too!

In Christ,
Deacon Nikolai

I researched this some time ago. The title "Father" was once reserved for monastics, East and West. In some European countries, religious Order priests are addressed as Father and diocesan priests as "Priest."
For the most part in the US & in England up until the end of the 19th century, Catholic priests were usually addressed as "the Reverend Mister..."
In some religious Orders of the West (the Passionists are one), their members were addressed as "Father" once they were ordained to the diaconate.
I believe that the present practice in the Melkite Church is to address deacons simply as "Deacon So-and-so."