This page was created on 5 February 2025 and remains a work in progress. In time we plan to add hyperlinks to other material on this website (done 10/2/2025), a brief introduction to clergy ranks in the Orthodox Church, some photographs, and a list of references (done 12/2/2025).
The office of reader is the first of the minor clerical orders of the Orthodox Church. Readers are not ordained by the laying on of hands but receive a lesser blessing for their service. Readers assist the higher clergy during the divine services. Their particular role is the reading of the appointed portions of the Apostol (the liturgical book that includes the Acts of the Apostles and the New Testament Letters) at Divine Liturgy. The blessing of a reader for service generally occurs during the reading of the Hours before Divine Liturgy. It involves tonsure – a symbolic cutting of the hair as a sign of spiritual commitment – and a prayer for wisdom and understanding in the study of the Holy Scriptures. The new reader is briefly vested in a special phelonion, a priestly vestment, to show that the office of reader is “the first degree of the priesthood”. A reader in the Russian Orthodox Church customarily wears a cassock. When vested for the divine services, a reader wears the sticharion.
The office of subdeacon is the second of the minor clerical orders of the Orthodox Church. Like readers, they assist the higher clergy during the divine services. Their particular role is to assist when a bishop is serving. The ordination of a subdeacon by the laying-on of hands generally occurs during the reading of the Hours before Divine Liturgy. It involves vesting with the orarion and a prayer for the worthy service of the new subdeacon. A subdeacon in the Russian Orthodox Church customarily wears a cassock. When vested for the divine services, a subdeacon wears the sticharion and the orarion. Parish subdeacons are generally married men.
The office of deacon is the first of the major clerical orders of the Orthodox Church. It has existed since the time of the Holy Apostles and is mentioned in the New Testament. The term deacon comes from a Greek word meaning “helper”. In the Orthodox Church the ministry of the deacon is now primarily liturgical. Deacons intone the litanies at the divine services, cense the people and the icons, and read the appointed portions of the Gospel at Divine Liturgy. They assist bishops and priests but do not themselves preside at any of the divine services. The ordination of a deacon by a bishop always occurs during the Divine Liturgy. Some men are deacons for a short time before progressing to a higher rank; others serve permanently as deacons. A deacon is customarily referred to as ‘Father’ and wears a cassock and riassa. When vested for the divine services, a deacon wears the sticharion, orarion, and cuffs. Parish deacons are almost always married men and in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) they customarily have secular employment in addition to their liturgical responsibilities.
The rank of protodeacon is given to a deacon as an award or mark of honour, generally to distinguish length or diligence of service. In the tradition of the ROCOR, the rank of protodeacon is the second liturgical award for a deacon, generally granted only after ten years of service. Elevation to this rank occurs at the Great Entrance during a Divine Liturgy at which a bishop is presiding. The deacon to be elevated is brought before the bishop who lays his hand upon the deacon's head and reads this prayer:
O Master, Lord our God, Who, by Thine ineffable providence hast given to our race the Protodiaconate, that they who are endued therewith may command and serve with the subordinate ministers at The Divine Mysteries: Do Thou Thyself endue with this grace of the Protodiaconate Thy servant, name, here present, and adorn him with Thy virtue to stand at the head of the Deacons of Thy people, and to be a good example to them that are under him. And cause him to attain unto a ripe old age, that he may glorify Thy magnificent name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The bishop then says:
Blessed is the Lord. Behold, the servant of God, name, is made a Protodeacon: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The office of presbyter or priest is the second of the major clerical orders of the Orthodox Church. Like the office of deacon, it has existed since the time of the Holy Apostles and is referred to in the New Testament. The term “presbyter” comes from a Greek word meaning “elder”; the English word “priest” comes from the Latinised form of this Greek word. In the Orthodox Church the ministry of the priest is sacramental, pastoral, educational and administrative. Priests baptise, preside at the divine services at parish level, hear confessions, give sermons and undertake other educational work, provide guidance to the faithful, and administer parishes. The ordination of a priest by a bishop always occurs during the Divine Liturgy. A priest is customarily referred to as ‘Father’ and wears a cassock, riassa and pectoral cross. When vested for the divine services, a priest wears the sticharion, epitrachelion, belt, cuffs, and phelonion. Parish priests are almost always married men and in the ROCOR they now commonly have secular employment in addition to their various church responsibilities.
The rank of archpriest is given to a priest as an award or mark of honour, generally to distinguish length or diligence of service. In the tradition of the ROCOR, the rank of archpriest is the fifth liturgical award for a priest, generally granted only after fifteen years of service. Elevation to this rank occurs at the Great Entrance during a Divine Liturgy at which a bishop is presiding. The priest to be elevated is brought before the bishop who lays his hand upon the priest's head and reads this prayer:
O Master, Lord our God, Who, by Thine ineffable providence hast given to our race the Priesthood, and hast endued us with the grace of this gift and honour, and hast appointed us who are sufficiently pious to rule the Priestly order, and the other subordinate ministers of The Divine Mysteries: Do Thou Thyself endue our brother, name, with Thy grace, and adorn him with Thy virtue to stand at the head of the Presbyters of Thy people, and make him worthy to be a good example to them that are with him; and be Thou well-pleased that he may finish his life in piety and reverence unto a good old age; and, as the Good God, have mercy upon us all. For Thou art the bestower of wisdom, and all creation hymns Thee unto the ages of ages.
The bishop then says:
Blessed is the Lord. Behold, the servant of God, name, is made an Archpriest of the Most-holy church of God (name of the church): in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The office of bishop is the third and highest of the major clerical orders of the Orthodox Church. Like the offices of deacon and priest, it has existed since the time of the Holy Apostles and is referred to in the New Testament. The term “bishop” is dervied from a Greek word meaning “overseer”. In the Orthodox Church the ministry of the bishop is sacramental, pastoral, educational and administrative. Bishops baptise, preside at divine services, hear confessions, ordain clergy, give sermons and undertake other educational work, provide guidance to the clergy and faithful, and administer dioceses. The ordination of a bishop is by at least three other bishops and always occurs during the Divine Liturgy. A bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church is customarily referred to as ‘Vladyka’ (‘Master’) and wears a cassock, riassa and panagia (a pectoral icon of the Mother of God). When vested for the divine services, a bishop wears the sticharion, epitrachelion, belt, cuffs, sakkos, pectoral cross and panagia, omophorion, and mitre. Orthodox bishops are always monastics, although some may have previously been married deacons or priests e.g. widowers. The rank of archbishop, and occasionally that of metropolitan, may be given to a bishop as an award or mark of honour, generally to distinguish length or diligence of service. The rank of metropolitan is otherwise given to a bishop with responsibility for an entire region. In the Orthodox Church the nine most senior metropolitan bishops are referred to as Patriarchs; these are the patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Bulgaria, Georgia, Serbia, Moscow and All Russia, and Romania.
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