In Orthodoxy there are secular clergy(priests who did not take monastic vows) and black clergy(monasticism)

Ranks of the white clergy:

altar boy- the name of a layman helping the clergy at the altar. The term is not used in canonical and liturgical texts, but became generally accepted in this sense by the end of the 20th century. in many European dioceses in the Russian Orthodox Church, the name "altar boy" is not generally accepted. It is not used in the Siberian dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church; instead of him in given value the more traditional term sexton is commonly used, as well as novitiate. The sacrament of priesthood is not performed over the altar boy, he only receives a blessing from the rector of the temple to serve at the altar.
the duties of the altar boy include monitoring the timely and correct lighting of candles, lamps and other lamps in the altar and in front of the iconostasis; preparing the vestments of priests and deacons; bringing prosphora, wine, water, incense to the altar; kindling coal and preparing a censer; giving a fee for wiping the mouth during Communion; assistance to the priest in the performance of the sacraments and rites; cleaning the altar; if necessary, reading during the service and performing the duties of a bell ringer. The altar boy is forbidden to touch the throne and its accessories, as well as to move from one side of the altar to the other between the throne and the Royal Doors. The altar boy wears a surplice over worldly clothes.

Reader (acolyte; earlier, until the end of XIX - sexton, lat. lecturer) - in Christianity - the lowest rank of clergy, not elevated to the degree of priesthood, reading texts during public worship Holy Scripture and prayers. In addition, by ancient tradition, readers not only read in Christian churches, but also interpreted the meaning of difficult-to-understand texts, translated them into the languages ​​of their locality, delivered sermons, taught converts and children, sang various hymns (chants), were engaged in charity work, and had other church obediences. AT Orthodox Church readers are consecrated by bishops through a special rite - ordination, otherwise called "ordaining." This is the first consecration of a layman, only after which can his consecration to the subdeacon, and then the ordination to the deacon, then to the priest and the highest - to the bishop (hierarch) follow. The reader has the right to wear a cassock, a belt and a skuf. During the tonsure, he is first put on a small felon, which is then removed, and a surplice is put on.

subdeacon(Greek; colloquially (obsolete) subdeacon from the Greek ??? - “under”, “below” + Greek. - minister) - a clergyman in the Orthodox Church, serving mainly under the bishop during his sacred rites, wearing in front of him in the indicated cases trikiriya, dikiriya and ripids, laying an eagle, washes his hands, dresses and performs some other actions. AT modern church the subdeacon does not have a sacred degree, although he dresses in a surplice and has one of the accessories of the deacon's dignity - an orarion, which he puts on crosswise over both shoulders and symbolizes angelic wings. Being the most senior clergyman, the subdeacon is an intermediate link between clergymen and clergymen. Therefore, the subdeacon, with the blessing of the serving bishop, may touch the throne and the altar during the service and at certain moments enter the altar through the Royal Doors.

Deacon(lit. form; colloquial. deacon; other Greek - minister) - a person passing church service at the first, lowest degree of priesthood.
In the Orthodox East and in Russia, deacons now occupy the same hierarchical position as in ancient times. Their work and significance is to be helpers in worship. They themselves cannot perform public worship and be representatives of the Christian community. In view of the fact that a priest can perform all the services and services without a deacon, deacons cannot be recognized as absolutely necessary. On this basis, it is possible to reduce the number of deacons in churches and parishes. We resorted to such a reduction in order to increase the maintenance of priests.

Protodeacon or protodeacon- title white clergy, chief deacon in the diocese at the cathedral. Title protodeacon complained in the form of an award for special merits, as well as to the deacons of the court department. The insignia of a protodeacon is a protodeacon's orarion with the words " Holy, holy, holy“At present, the title of protodeacon is usually given to deacons after 20 years of service in the holy order. Protodeacons are often famous for their voice, being one of the main decorations of worship.

Priest- a term adopted from Greek, where it originally meant "priest", into Christian church usage; in a literal translation into Russian - a priest. In the Russian Church, it is used as a junior title of a white priest. He receives from the bishop the power to teach people the faith of Christ, to perform all the Sacraments, except for the Sacrament of the Ordination of the Priesthood, and all church services, except for the consecration of antimensions.

Archpriest(Greek - “high priest”, from “first” + “priest”) - a title given to a person white clergy as a reward in the Orthodox Church. The archpriest is usually the rector of the temple. Initiation into an archpriest occurs through chirothesia. During divine services (with the exception of the liturgy), priests (priests, archpriests, hieromonks) put on a phelonion (chasuble) and epitrachelion over the cassock and cassock.

Protopresbyter- the highest title for a person of the white clergy in the Russian church and in some other local churches. After 1917, it is assigned in isolated cases to priests of the priesthood as a reward; is not a separate degree B modern ROC the awarding of the rank of archpriest is made "in exceptional cases, for special church merits, on the initiative and decision His Holiness Patriarch Moscow and All Russia.

Black clergy:

Hierodeacon(hierodeacon) (from the Greek - sacred and - minister; Old Russian "black deacon") - a monk in the rank of deacon. The senior hierodeacon is called the archdeacon.

Hieromonk- in the Orthodox Church, a monk who has the dignity of a priest (that is, the right to perform the sacraments). Hieromonks become monks through ordination or white priests through monastic vows.

hegumen(Greek - "leading", female. abbess) - abbot of an Orthodox monastery.

Archimandrite(from Greek - chief, senior+ Greek - paddock, sheepfold, fence in meaning monastery) - one of the highest monastic ranks in the Orthodox Church (below the bishop), corresponds to the mitered (awarded with a miter) archpriest and protopresbyter in the white clergy.

Bishop(Greek - “supervising”, “supervising”) in the modern Church - a person who has a third, highest degree of priesthood, otherwise bishop.

Metropolitan- the first episcopal title in the Church in antiquity.

Patriarch(from Greek - "father" and - "domination, beginning, power") - the title of the representative of the autocephalous Orthodox Church in a number of Local Churches; also title of senior bishop; historically, before the Great Schism, it was assigned to five bishops of the Universal Church (of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem), who had the rights of the highest church-government jurisdiction. The Patriarch is elected by the Local Council.

The hierarchical principle and structure must be observed in any organization, including the ROC, which has its own church hierarchy. Surely every person attending divine services or otherwise involved in the activities of the church, paid attention to the fact that each clergyman has a certain rank and status. This is expressed in different color robes, the form of a headdress, the presence or absence of jewelry, the right to conduct certain sacred rites.

Hierarchy of clergy in the Russian Orthodox Church

The clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church can be divided into two large groups:

• white clergy (those who can marry and have children);
• black clergy (those who renounced worldly life and took monastic orders).

Ranks in the white clergy

Even in the Old Testament scripture it is said that before Christmas, the prophet Moses appointed people whose task was to become an intermediate link in God's communication with people. In the modern church system, this function is performed by white priests. The lower representatives of the white clergy do not have a holy order, they include: an altar boy, a psalmist, a subdeacon.

altar boy- a person who helps the clergyman in conducting services. Also, such people are called sexton. Staying in this rank is a mandatory step before receiving the holy dignity. The person who performs the duties of an altar boy is worldly, that is, he has the right to leave the church if he changes his mind about connecting his life with the service of the Lord.

His responsibilities include:

• Timely lighting of candles and lamps, control over their safe burning;
• Preparation of robes of priests;
• Offer prosphora, Cahors and other attributes of religious rites in time;
• Light a fire in a censer;
• Bring a towel to your lips during communion;
• Maintaining internal order in church premises.

If necessary, the altar boy can ring the bells, read prayers, but he is forbidden to touch the throne and be between the altar and the Royal Doors. The altar boy wears ordinary clothes, a surplice is put on top.

Acolyte(otherwise - a reader) - another representative of the white lower clergy. His main duty: reading prayers and words from Holy Scripture (as a rule, they know 5-6 main chapters from the Gospel), explaining to people the basic postulates of life true christian. For special merits, he may be ordained a subdeacon. This procedure is carried out by a clergyman of a higher rank. The clerk is allowed to wear a cassock and a skuf.

subdeacon- Father's assistant in conducting services. His attire: surplice and orarion. With the blessing of the bishop (he can also elevate the psalm-reader or altar boy to the rank of subdeacon), the subdeacon receives the right to touch the throne, as well as enter the altar through the Royal Doors. His task is to wash the hands of the priest during divine services and give him the items necessary for the rites, for example, ripida and trikiriya.

Church orders of the Orthodox Church

The above ministers of the church do not have a holy order, and, therefore, are not clergymen. These are ordinary people living in the world, but wanting to get closer to God and church culture. They are accepted to their positions with the blessing of the clergy who are higher in rank.

Diaconal Degree of Churchmen

Deacon- the lowest rank among all churchmen with a holy dignity. His main task is to be an assistant to the priest during worship, they are mainly engaged in reading the gospel. Deacons do not have the right to conduct worship on their own. As a rule, they carry out their service in parish churches. Gradually, this ecclesiastical rank loses its significance, and their representativeness in the church is steadily declining. Deacon ordination (the procedure for ordination to church rank) is carried out by a bishop.

Protodeacon- chief deacon at the temple or church. In the last century, this rank was obtained by a deacon for special merits; at present, 20 years of service in the lower church rank are required. The protodeacon has a characteristic attire - an orarion with the words “Holy! Holy! Holy." As a rule, these are people with a beautiful voice (they sing psalms and sing at divine services).

Pastoral Degree of Ministers

Priest in Greek means "priest". Junior title of the white clergy. The ordination is also carried out by the bishop (bishop). The duties of a priest include:

• Conducting sacraments, divine services and other religious rites;
• Conducting communion;
• Carry the covenants of Orthodoxy to the masses.

A priest does not have the right to consecrate antimensions (clothes of matter made of silk or linen with a particle of the relics of an Orthodox martyr sewn into it, located in the altar on the throne; a necessary attribute for holding a full liturgy) and to conduct the sacraments of ordination of the priesthood. Instead of a klobuk, he wears a kamilavka.

Archpriest- a title awarded to representatives of the white clergy for special merits. The archpriest, as a rule, is the rector of the temple. His attire during worship and church sacraments- epitrachelion and riza. An archpriest who has been awarded the right to wear a miter is called a mitre.

Several archpriests can serve in one cathedral. The consecration to the archpriest is carried out by the bishop with the help of chirotesia - the laying on of hands with prayer. Unlike ordination, it is held in the center of the temple, outside the altar.

Protopresbyter- the highest rank for white clergy. Assigned in exceptional cases as an award for special services to the church and society.

The highest church ranks belong to the black clergy, that is, such dignitaries are forbidden to have a family. A representative of the white clergy can also take this path if he renounces worldly life, and his wife supports her husband and becomes a nun.

Also on this path are dignitaries who have become widowers, since they do not have the right to remarry.

The ranks of the black clergy

These are people who have taken monastic vows. They are forbidden to marry and have children. They completely renounce worldly life, giving vows of chastity, obedience and non-possession (voluntary renunciation of wealth).

The lower ranks of the black clergy have many similarities with the corresponding ranks of the white. Hierarchy and responsibilities can be compared using the following table:

Corresponding rank of white clergy	The rank of the black clergy	Comment
Altar-reader/Church-reader	Novice	A worldly person who has made the decision to become a monk. By decision of the abbot, he is enrolled in the brethren of the monastery, given a cassock and appointed probation. At the end of it, the novice can decide whether to become a monk or return to lay life.
subdeacon	monk (monk)	A member of a religious community who has made three monastic vows, leading an ascetic lifestyle in a monastery or on his own in solitude and hermitage. He does not have a holy order, therefore, he cannot perform divine services. Monastic tonsure is performed by the abbot.
Deacon	Hierodeacon	Monk in the rank of deacon.
Protodeacon	Archdeacon	Senior deacon in the black clergy. In the Russian Orthodox Church, an archdeacon serving under a patriarch is called a patriarchal archdeacon and belongs to the white clergy. In large monasteries, the chief deacon also holds the rank of archdeacon.
Priest	Hieromonk	A monk who has the rank of a priest. You can become a hieromonk after the ordination procedure, and white priests - through monastic vows.
Archpriest		Initially - the abbot of an Orthodox monastery. In the modern Russian Orthodox Church, the rank of abbot is given as a reward for a hieromonk. Often the rank is not connected with the management of the monastery. The consecration to the abbot is made by the bishop.
Protopresbyter	Archimandrite	One of the highest monastic ranks in the Orthodox Church. The conferral of dignity occurs through chirothesia. The rank of archimandrite is associated with administrative management and monastic superiors.

Episcopal degree of clergy

Bishop belongs to the category of bishops. In the process of ordination, they received the highest Lord's grace and therefore have the right to conduct any sacred actions, including the ordination of deacons. All bishops have the same rights, the eldest of them is the archbishop (has the same functions as the bishop; raising to the rank is carried out by the patriarch). Only the bishop has the right to bless the service with the antimis.

He wears a red robe and a black hood. The following appeal is accepted to the bishop: "Vladyka" or "Your Eminence."

He is the head of the local church - the diocese. Chief pastor of the district. Elected by the Holy Synod by order of the Patriarch. If necessary, to assist the diocesan bishop is appointed vicarial bishop. Bishops bear a title that includes the name of the cathedral city. A candidate for bishopric must be a member of the black clergy and over 30 years of age.

Metropolitan is the highest title of a bishop. Reports directly to the patriarch. Has a characteristic attire: a blue mantle and a hood white color with a cross made of precious stones.

San is given for high services to society and the church, is the oldest, if you start counting from the formation of Orthodox culture.

Performs the same functions as the bishop, differing from him in the advantage of honor. Before the restoration of the patriarchate in 1917, there were only three episcopal sees in Russia, with which the rank of metropolitan was usually connected: St. Petersburg, Kyiv and Moscow. There are currently over 30 metropolitans in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch- the highest rank of the Orthodox Church, the chief priest of the country. Official representative ROC. From the Greek patriarch is translated as "the power of the father." He is elected to Bishops' Cathedral to whom the patriarch reports. This is a life-long dignity, the deposition and excommunication of the person who received it, is possible only in the most exceptional cases. When the place of the patriarch is not occupied (the period between the death of the previous patriarch and the election of a new one), his duties are temporarily performed by the appointed locum tenens.

He has the primacy of honor among all the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. Carries out the management of the church together with the Holy Synod. Contacts with representatives of the Catholic Church and the highest dignitaries of other faiths, as well as with state authorities. Issues decrees on the election and appointment of bishops, directs the institutions of the Synod. Accepts complaints against bishops, giving them a move, rewards clerics and laity with church awards.

A candidate for the patriarchal throne must be a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, have a higher theological education, be at least 40 years of age, and enjoy a good reputation and the trust of the church and people.

In order to navigate in more detail who leads the service in the church or who speaks on television from the Russian Orthodox Church, it is necessary to know exactly what ranks are in the Church and the Monastery, as well as their hierarchy. We recommend that you read

In the Orthodox world, Church ranks are divided into ranks of the white clergy (Church ranks) and black clergy ranks (Monastic ranks).

CHURCH OFFICERS OR WHITE clergy

CHURCH OFFICES - ALTAR

In the worldly sense lately Church rank The altar boy began to disappear, and instead of him the rank of Sexton or Novice is increasingly mentioned. The tasks of the altar boy include the duties to follow the instructions of the rector of the temple, as a rule, such duties include maintaining a candle fire in the temple, lighting lamps and other lighting devices in the altar and iconostasis, they also help the priests put on clothes, bring prosphora, incense to the temple and perform another draft work. The altar server can be recognized by the sign that he wears a surplice over worldly clothes. We recommend getting to know

CHURCH OFFICES - READER

This is the lowest rank of the church and the reader is not included in the degree of priesthood. The duties of the reader include reading sacred texts and prayers during worship. In case of advancement in the rank, the reader is ordained a subdeacon.

CHURCH OFFICES - SUBDEACON

It is something of an intermediate rank between the laity and the clergy. Unlike readers and altar servers, a subdeacon is allowed to touch the throne and the altar, and also to enter the altar through the royal gates, although the subdeacon is not a clergyman. It is the duty of this Church rank to assist the Bishop in Divine Services. We recommend that you read

CHURCH OFFICES - DEACON

The lowest level of clergy, as a rule, the duties of deacons include helping priests in worship, although they themselves do not have the right to perform public worship and be representatives of the church. Since the priest has the opportunity to perform rites without a deacon, the number of deacons is currently being reduced, since they are no longer needed.

CHURCH OFFICES - PROTODEACON OR PROTODEACON

This rank indicates the chief deacon in cathedrals, as a rule, such a rank is assigned to a deacon after at least 15 years of service and is a special award for service.

CHURCH OFFICES - PRIEST

Currently, this rank is worn by priests, and is marked as a junior title of a priest. Priests, receiving power from bishops, have the right to conduct church rites, teach people the Orthodox faith and perform other sacraments, but at the same time, priests are forbidden to conduct ordination to the priesthood.

CHURCH OFFICERS - ARCHPRIEST

CHURCH OFFICES - PROTOPRESBYTER

The highest Church rank in the white clergy is not, as it were, a separate rank and is assigned only as a reward for the most meritorious deeds before Orthodox faith and is appointed only by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

MONastic ranks or black clergy

CHURCH OFFICES - HIERODEACON: He is a monk in the rank of deacon.
CHURCH OFFICES - ARCHIDEACON: He is a senior hierodeacon.
CHURCH OFFICERS - HIEROMONKH: Is a monastic priest with the right to perform Orthodox sacraments.
CHURCH OFFICES - ABOUT: He is the head of an Orthodox monastery.
CHURCH OFFICES - ARCHIMADRID: The highest degree in the monastic ranks, but occupying a step lower than that of a bishop.
CHURCH OFFICES - BISHOP: This rank is supervising and has a third degree of priesthood and is possible to be called a bishop.
CHURCH OFFICES - METROPOLIT: The highest title of bishop in the church.
CHURCH OFFICES - PATRIARCH: The most senior rank of the Orthodox Church.

SHARE:

mamlas in black and white spirit

What is the difference between white clergy and black clergy?

In the Russian Orthodox Church, there is a certain church hierarchy and structure. First of all, the clergy are divided into two categories - white and black. How do they differ from each other? © The white clergy include married clergy who did not take monastic vows. They are allowed to have a family and children.

When they talk about the black clergy, they mean monks ordained to the priesthood. They devote their whole lives to the service of the Lord and take three monastic vows - chastity, obedience and non-acquisition (voluntary poverty).

Before being ordained, a person who is going to take holy orders must make a choice - to marry or become a monk. After ordination, it is no longer possible for a priest to marry. Priests who did not marry before taking ordination sometimes choose celibacy instead of being tonsured monks - they take a vow of celibacy.

church hierarchy

In Orthodoxy, there are three degrees of priesthood. Deacons are at the first level. They help to conduct divine services and rituals in churches, but they themselves cannot conduct services and perform the sacraments. Church ministers belonging to the white clergy are simply called deacons, and monks ordained to this rank are called hierodeacons.

Among the deacons, the most worthy can receive the rank of protodeacon, and among the hierodeacons, the archdeacons are the eldest. A special place in this hierarchy is occupied by the patriarchal archdeacon, who serves under the patriarch. He belongs to the white clergy, and not to the black, like other archdeacons.

The second degree of priesthood is the priests. They can independently conduct services, as well as perform most of the sacraments, except for the sacrament of ordination to the holy order. If a priest belongs to the white clergy, he is called a priest or presbyter, and if he belongs to the black clergy, a hieromonk.

A priest can be elevated to the rank of archpriest, that is, a senior priest, and a hieromonk to the rank of abbot. Often archpriests are abbots of churches, and abbots are abbots of monasteries.

The highest priestly title for the white clergy, the title of protopresbyter, is awarded to priests for special merits. This rank corresponds to the rank of archimandrite in the black clergy.

Priests belonging to the third and highest degree of priesthood are called bishops. They have the right to perform all the sacraments, including the sacrament of ordination to the rank of other priests. Bishops govern church life and govern the dioceses. They are divided into bishops, archbishops, metropolitans.

Only a clergyman belonging to the black clergy can become a bishop. A priest who has been married can only be elevated to the rank of bishop if he becomes a monk. He can do this if his wife has died or has also taken the veil as a nun in another diocese.

The patriarch heads the local church. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church is Patriarch Kirill. In addition to the Moscow Patriarchate, there are other Orthodox patriarchates in the world - Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian and Bulgarian.

Priests and clergymen.

The performers of Divine services are divided into clergymen and clergymen.

1. clergymen - persons over whom the sacrament of the Priesthood (ordination, consecration) was completely over, in which they received the grace of the Holy Spirit to perform the Sacraments (bishops and priests) or directly participate in their performance (deacons).

2. clergymen - persons who have received a blessing to serve in the temple during Divine Services (subdeacons, altar servers, readers, singers).

Priests.

Priests are divided into three degrees: 1) bishops (bishops); 2) presbyters (priests); 3) deacons .

1. Bishop is the highest priesthood in the Church. The bishop is the successor of the apostles, in the sense that he has the same authority in the Church as the apostles of Christ. He:

- Primate (leader) of the society of believers;

- the main boss over the priests, deacons and the entire church clergy of his diocese.

The bishop has the fullness of the priesthood. He has the right to perform all the sacraments. For example, unlike a priest, he has the right to:

— ordain priests and deacons, and several bishops (one cannot) erect a new bishop. According to the teaching of the Church, apostolic grace (i.e., the gift of the priesthood), received from Jesus Christ, is transmitted through the ordination of bishops from the very apostolic times, and thus a grace-filled succession is realized in the Church;

— sanctify myrrh for the sacrament of Chrismation;

— consecrate antimensions;

— consecrate temples(a priest can also consecrate a temple, but only with the blessing of the bishop).

Although all bishops are equal in grace, in order to maintain unity and for mutual assistance in difficult circumstances, the 34th apostolic rule some of the bishops are given the right of supreme supervision over others. From here, among the bishops, they distinguish: patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop, and just a bishop.

A bishop who governs the Church of an entire country is usually called patriarch , that is, the first of the bishops (from the Greek patria - family, tribe, clan, generation; and arcwn - beginner, boss). However, in a number of countries - Greece, Cyprus, Poland and others - the Primate of the Orthodox Church bears the title archbishop . In the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Assyrian Church, the Cilician and Albanian primate bears the title - catholicos (Greek [katholikos] - universal, universal, catholic). And in Roman and Alexandria (since antiquity) - dad .

Metropolitan (from Greek metropolitan) is the head of a large church area. The church area is called - diocese . A diocese (Greek region; the same as Latin province) is a church-administrative unit. In the Roman Catholic Church, dioceses are called dioceses. The diocese is divided into deaneries, consisting of a number of parishes. If the diocese is headed by a metropolitan, then it is usually called - metropolis. The title of metropolitan is an honorary title (as a reward for special merits or for many years of zealous service to the Church), following the title of archbishop, and a distinctive part of the vestments of the metropolitan is a white hood and a green mantle.

Archbishop (Greek senior bishop). In the Ancient Church, the rank of archbishop was higher than that of the metropolitan. The archbishop ruled over several metropolises, i.e. was the head of a large ecclesiastical region and the metropolitans governing the metropolises were subordinate to him. Currently, in the Russian Orthodox Church, archbishop is an honorary title that precedes the even more honorary rank of metropolitan.

A bishop who governs a small area is called simply bishop (Greek [episcopos] - supervising, supervising, controlling; from [epi] - on, at; + [skopeo] - I look).

Some bishops do not have an independent area of ​​government, but are assistants to other, senior bishops; such bishops are called vicarious . Vicar (lat. vicarius - deputy, governor) - a bishop who does not have his own diocese and helps the diocesan bishop in managing.

2. The second degree of priesthood is priests (presbyters, from Greek [presvis] - senior; [presbyteros] - elder, head of the community).

Among the priests there are secular clergy - priests who did not take monastic vows; and black clergy monks who have been ordained to holy orders.

The presbyters of the white clergy are called: priests, archpriests and protopresbyters. The presbyters of the black clergy are called: hieromonks, abbots and archimandrites.

Archpriest (from Greek [protos iereis] - the first priest) - a title that is given to a priest as an honorary distinction over other priests for merit or long-term service. This title does not confer any power; the archpriest has only the primacy of honor.

The senior priest of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Moscow is called protopresbyter .

Priests of monks are called hieromonks . The eldest of the hieromonks, who are usually entrusted with the management of the monastery, are called abbots and archimandrites .

hegumen (Greek [igumenos] - leader) - chief, leader of the monks. In ancient times, and at present in many Local Churches, the abbot is the head of the monastery. Initially, the abbot was not necessarily a priest, later he was elected only from among the hieromonks or consecrated the monk chosen by the abbot as a presbyter. In a number of Local Churches, the title of hegumen is used as hierarchical award. This was the case in the Russian Orthodox Church until 2011.

Archimandrite (Greek [archi] - lit. chief, chief, senior; + [mandra] - sheepfold, paddock (a place on a pasture or pasture, fenced with a fence, where livestock is driven, intended for rest and additional feeding), i.e. in a figurative sense, the head of spiritual sheep) is the head of a large or important male monastery. In ancient times, this was the name of the persons who headed several monasteries, for example, all the monasteries of the diocese. In special cases, this title is given as a hierarchical award. In the white clergy, the rank of archimandrite corresponds to the rank of archpriest and protopresbyter.

3. The third degree of clergy is deacons , in monasticism - hierodeacons . Deacons do not perform the Sacraments, but only assist bishops and priests in their performance. The senior deacons in cathedrals are called protodeacons , and the elders of the hierodeacons in the monasteries - archdeacons . These titles mean the primacy of honor, not power.

Clergymen.

The clergy in the Orthodox Church constitute the lowest circle. The clergy include:

subdeacons (that is, assistants to the deacon);

readers (psalm readers);

singers (deacons);

altar servers (priest-bearers or sextons).

Types of Local Churches.

Autocephalous Church(from Greek [avtos] - himself + [mullet] - head) - an independent Local Orthodox Church, i.e. administratively (canonically) completely independent of other Orthodox Local Churches.

Currently, there are 15 Autocephalous Churches, which, according to the diptych accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church, are located in the following hierarchy of honor:

Constantinople Orthodox Church(more than 2 million people)

Alexandria(more than 6.5 million people)

Antioch(1 million 370 thousand people)

Jerusalem(130 thousand people)

Russian(50-100 million people)

Georgian(4 million people)

Serbian(10 million people)

Romanian(16 million people)

Bulgarian(about 8 million people)

Cypriot(420 thousand people)

Helladic(Greek) (about 8 million people)

Albanian(about 700 thousand people)

Polish(500 thousand people)

Czechoslovakian(more than 150 thousand people)

American(about 1 million people)

Each Local Orthodox Church is a part of the Universal Church.

Autonomous Church(from Greek [autonomy] - self-law) The Local Orthodox Church, which is part of the Autocephalous Church, has gained independence in matters internal management from one or another Autocephalous (otherwise Kariarchal) Church, in which this autonomous church was previously a member of the exarchate or diocese.

The dependence of the Autonomous Church on the Kyriarchal is expressed in the following:

— the primate of the Autonomous Church is appointed the primate of the Kiriarchal Church;

— the charter of the Autonomous Church is approved by the Kiriarchal Church;

— The Autonomous Church receives chrism from the Kiriarchal Church;

— the name of the primate of the Kiriarchal Church is proclaimed in all churches of the Autonomous Church before the name of its primate;

- the primate of the Autonomous Church is under the jurisdiction of the highest judicial authority of the Kiriarchal Church.

There are currently 5 Autonomous Churches:

Sinai(dependent on Jerusalem)

Finnish

Estonian(dependent on Constantinople)

Japanese(depending on Russian)

Self-governing Church- it's like the Autonomous Church, only larger and with a wider right of autonomy.

Self-governing within the Russian Orthodox Church:

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

Latvian

Moldavian

Ukrainian(Moscow Patriarchate) (with the rights of wide autonomy)

Estonian(Moscow Patriarchate)

Belarusian(de facto).

Self-governing within the Orthodox Church of Constantinople:

Western European Exarchate of Russian Parishes

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the USA.

Exarchate(from Greek [exarchos] - external authority) in modern Orthodoxy and Catholicism of the Eastern rites - a special administrative-territorial unit, foreign in relation to the main Church, or specially created to feed the believers of this rite in special conditions.