www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West tonsure in the east

Does the East have the custom of tonsuring its clergy and monastics?

in Christ,
Marshall

Marshall,

Yes, at ordination to the lectorate a man is tonsured and also when received into the microschema, i.e a solemnly professed monk. There is also a tonsuring at baptism but this is not practiced everywhere.

In Christ,
Subdeacon Lance

Do you need a haircut, Marshall? The only problem with tonsuring is that they cut your hair in the shape of a cross and don't take enough off the top.

It's not?

I am told by the eminent liturgist, archpriest, and professor, Peter Galadza, that the Byzantine monastic tonsure entails the hegumen/superior receiving the scissors from the candidate (tonsurand??) and, three times, throwing them aside, forcing the candidate to go and retrieve them, thereby demonstrating that the candidate has the necessary humility and tenacity. I rather like this story, and return to it often in my own vocational discernment.

Less elaborately, as my spiritual father says to me: "You want to be a priest? Go and think about it five times. Then think about it five times more. Then after that, start over and think again! THEN we talk!"

I've also read that the bride and groom had at one time received tonsure during the rite of crowning.

JM

Adam, what you are referring to takes place at the Taking of the Lesser Schema. The Hegumen points with his right hand to the scissors which are on a tray and commands three times "Take up the scissors and give them to me".

The monk then gives the scissors over to the hegumen, kissing his right hand and sets them on top of the Holy Gospel, at which point the Hegumen says, "Behold you receive them from the hand of Christ. See to Whom you promise and to Whom you approach, and whom you renounce."

At the end of this the Hegumen says "Blessed is God Who wills that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, Who is blessed unto ages of ages." after which the physical tonsuring is done, also at which the monk is given his new monastic name and renounces "the world and all fleshly desires" followed by the vesting in the paramand, riassa, klobuk, etc.

A very profound service indeed, again with the same theme as the tonsure of baptism of renounciation.

My wife often asks me to do the same thing several times, but I unfortunately don't respond as quickly as the schemamonk...

Excellent question from Fort Worth, Texas.

Yes, tonsure is the "word" in Eastern Christianity for the official consecretion of a monastic. The Holy Father has asked the Eastern Catholic Churches to restore our Eastern traditions and that includes resurrecting traditional monastic life and THAT includes offically/canonically tonsuring monastics. At present there are a number of monastics who are not tonsured yet, but the time is coming.......

The monastic garden has begun in the Eastern Catholic Churches!!!! Let us all pray that these little seedings grow strong and blossom and bear much fruit -- and give strong courgeous witness to Jesus Christ in our contemporary times!!

Dear Adam,

When my confessor told me to go and think about my wish to become a priest, I later came back and told him I really DIDN'T feel I had a vocation, that priesthood would be boring, unfulfilling and one big bother that would probably break my good humour in the end etc.

He should have kept his big mouth shut!

Alex

Dear Alex,

My spiritual father's counsel has had the same effect on me. That and seeing how his parishoners treat him--especially that. I could *just* see putting myself through such grief, but never a family. I also have too big of a mouth, too little patience, and no ability to suffer fools gladly--or at all. I loathe the game of not saying bluntly what needs to be said out of fear for offending certain delicate constitutions, and therefore am not 'diplomatic' or 'pastoral' enough. God clearly has much work to do if He wants me beyond minor orders!

Is it God that has much work to do? It is always a two-way street with us here on earth needing to show some of the effort as well. I also feel much the same way at times as you have described, Adam, wanting to always "tell it like it is" which often isn't "diplomatic" nor "politically correct".