Higher clergy in the Orthodox Church. Pop, priest and priest in Orthodoxy are the same or not

.
All Orthodox clergy are divided into "white" - consisting of married persons, and "black" - monks (from the Greek "monos" - one)
A widowed clergyman most often takes the monastic rank, since he does not have the right to marry a second time.
Deacons and priests can be either married (but only by first marriage) or monastics, while bishops can only be monastics.

How can lay people serve in the temple? Who is the altar boy, the reader according to the hierarchy in the church

Who is an altar boy

altar boy- the name of a layman helping the clergy at the altar. The sacrament of the 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 prayers during worship 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 lay clothes.

Who is a dude

Reader(psalm-reader; earlier, until the end of the 19th century - deacon, lat. lector) - in Christianity - the lowest rank of clergy, not raised to the rank of priesthood, reading texts during public worship Holy Scripture and sing prayers during worship. In addition, according to ancient tradition, the readers not only read in Christian churches, but also explained the meaning of difficult-to-understand texts, translated them into the languages of their locality, delivered sermons, taught new converts and children, sang various hymns (chants), took care of the clerical affairs of the church and parish, charity, had other church obediences. The reader has the right to wear a cassock, a belt and a skuf.

Ponomari they also perform the duties of ringers, serve the censer, help in the manufacture of prosphora, clean the temple, unlock and lock it.

Batyushka is a generalized traditional name for a priest in Orthodox Russia. Usually they call the one who conducts.

What is a deacon? Difference between subdeacon, deacon, protodeacon and archdeacon.

Deacon- the first degree of the priesthood. Deacons are assistants to priests in the performance of divine services. He does not have the right to perform divine services on his own. Protodeacon - the title of the white clergy, the main deacon in the diocese at the cathedral. At present, the title of protodeacon is usually given to deacons after 20 years of service in the holy order. A deacon who is in the monastic rank is called a hierodeacon, and one who has accepted the schema is called a hierodeacon. The senior deacon in the white clergy is called the protodeacon - the first deacon, and in the black - the archdeacon (senior deacon).
A subdeacon is an assistant to a deacon. In the modern Church, a subdeacon does not have a sacred degree, although he wears a surplice. The subdeacon is an intermediate link between the clergy and the clergy.

Who is a priest (prosbyter, priest) in the hierarchy in the church?

Priest this is a minister in the temple of the Church, who has the right to perform divine services and six of the seven Christian sacraments: baptism, chrismation, the Eucharist, penance, marriage and unction.
Presbyter (Greek - senior) is the oldest name for a priest, a clergyman, ordained to the second degree of priesthood.

Subsequently, the presbyters began to be called priests or priests (from the Greek "jerevs" - "priest"). A priest who is in the monastic rank is called a hieromonk, and one who has accepted the schema is called a hieromonk.

Who are monks?

M onakh - priests who additionally gave 3 more vows: non-acquisitiveness, obedience and celibacy. In the case when a monk takes the rank, he can become a hierodeacon (monk-deacon), hieromonk (monk-priest), then - hegumen and archimandrite.

Who is an archpriest? An archpriest is a senior priest (priest), usually the rector of a temple.

Who is the abbot of the temple, monastery? Priest, this is a position. Senior clergyman in a monastery, temple.

Who is a bishop? Bishop - a general title for a clergyman standing at this level of the church hierarchy: patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop and bishop. According to ancient tradition, only priests who have taken the monastic rank are consecrated to the rank of bishop.

Who is a bishop and archbishop? Bishop (from the Greek word "episkopos" - "caretaker, overseer"). The apostles gave them the power not only to teach and serve as priests, but also to ordain presbyters and deacons, and also to observe their behavior. The bishop governs the parishes of an entire region, called a diocese. All bishops are equal in order of priesthood, but the oldest and most meritorious of bishops are called archbishops, usually governing a larger diocese.

Metropolitan- Bishop (head priest) of a very large church area. For example: Metropolitan of Tver and Kashinsky Victor. A metropolitan is a bishop of a large metropolitan city and the surrounding area, since the capital is called the metropolis in Greek.

Who is a patriarch? Patriarch (Greek - ancestor) is the highest clergyman (bishop) of the country. The highest rank of the church hierarchy. For example, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill.

How to address the fathers?

"Father (name)" - an appeal to the priest and deacon when you know his name. If you do not know the name, you can refer to the word "father". If you see that you have an important church rank in front of you, then you should refer to it with the word “master”. When addressing a priest and a deacon, they are called “father (name)”, as an exception, elderly and highly experienced monks are called fathers. The appeal Batyushka applies only to a priest.

It is not worth addressing the clergy as "holy father", as is customary in Catholic countries. After all, the holiness of a person is known by his death.

The wives of the altar servers, as well as older women, we call the affectionate word "mother."

Hierarchs—bishops, metropolitans, and patriarchs—should be addressed as “Vladyka,” as if they were invested with ecclesiastical authority.

Sometimes there is a need to address the clergyman in writing. Priests should be called "Your Reverend", Archpriests - "Your Reverence", Bishops - "Your Grace", Archbishops and Metropolitans - "Your Eminence", Patriarch - "Your Holiness".

Brief table of Orthodox ranks. Hierarchy in the Church.

White clergy (married)	Black clergy (monastics)	Degrees
	Patriarch, Primate of the Church	Bishops (high priests)
	Metropolitan, Archbishop
	Bishop
Protopresbyter	Archimandrite, abbot, abbess	Priests
Archpriest	Hieromonk
Priest
Protodeacon	Archdeacon	deacons (assistant priest)
Deacon	Hierodeacon
subdeacon
Reader, psalm reader, sexton, altar boy	Novice, monk, monk

The priesthood of the Russian Orthodox Church is divided into three degrees, established by the holy apostles: deacons, priests and bishops. The first two include both white (married) clergy and black (monastic) clergy. Only persons who have taken monastic vows are raised to the last, third degree. According to this order, all church titles and positions have been established for Orthodox Christians.

Church hierarchy that came from Old Testament times

The order in which the church titles of Orthodox Christians are divided into three different degrees dates back to Old Testament times. This happens due to religious continuity. It is known from the Holy Scriptures that approximately one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ, the founder of Judaism, the prophet Moses, chose special people for worship - high priests, priests and Levites. It is with them that our modern church titles and positions are connected.

The first of the high priests was the brother of Moses - Aaron, and his sons became priests, who led all the services. But, in order to make numerous sacrifices, which were an integral part of religious rituals, helpers were needed. They were the Levites - the descendants of Levi, the son of the forefather Jacob. These three categories of clergymen of the Old Testament era have become the basis on which all church titles of the Orthodox Church are built today.

Lower order of the priesthood

Considering church titles in ascending order, we should begin with deacons. This is the lowest priestly rank, upon ordination to which God's Grace is acquired, which is necessary to fulfill the role that is assigned to them during worship. The deacon does not have the right to independently conduct church services and perform the sacraments, but is only obliged to help the priest. A monk who is ordained a deacon is called a hierodeacon.

Deacons who have served for a sufficiently long period of time and have proven themselves well receive the title of protodeacons (senior deacons) in the white clergy, and archdeacons in the black clergy. The privilege of the latter is the right to serve under the bishop.

It should be noted that all church services today are structured in such a way that, in the absence of deacons, they can be performed by priests or bishops without much difficulty. Therefore, the participation of a deacon in worship, although not obligatory, is rather an adornment than an integral part of it. As a result, in some parishes, where there are serious financial difficulties, this staff unit is reduced.

The second level of the priestly hierarchy

Considering further church ranks in ascending order, one should dwell on the priests. The holders of this rank are also called presbyters (in Greek "elder"), or priests, and in monasticism hieromonks. Compared to deacons, this is a higher level of priesthood. Accordingly, when one is ordained into it, a greater degree of Grace of the Holy Spirit is acquired.

Since the time of the Gospels, priests have led divine services and have been empowered to perform most of the holy sacraments, including everything except ordination, that is, ordination, as well as the consecration of antimensions and the world. In accordance with the official duties assigned to them, the priests lead the religious life of urban and rural parishes, where they can hold the post of rector. The priest is directly subordinate to the bishop.

For long and impeccable service, the priest of the white clergy is encouraged by the rank of archpriest (chief priest) or protopresbyter, and the black clergy by the rank of abbot. Among the monastic clergy, the abbot, as a rule, is appointed to the position of rector of an ordinary monastery or parish. In the event that he is instructed to lead a large monastery or lavra, he is called an archimandrite, which is an even higher and honorary title. It is from the archimandrites that the episcopate is formed.

Bishops of the Orthodox Church

Further, listing church titles in ascending order, it is necessary to pay special attention to the highest group of hierarchs - bishops. They belong to the category of clergy called bishops, that is, the heads of priests. Having received the greatest degree of Grace of the Holy Spirit upon ordination, they have the right to perform all Church sacraments without exception. They are given the right not only to conduct any church services themselves, but also to ordain deacons to the priesthood.

According to the Church Charter, all bishops have an equal degree of priesthood, while the most meritorious of them are called archbishops. A special group is made up of metropolitan bishops, called metropolitans. This name comes from the Greek word "metropolis", which means "capital". In cases where another bishop is appointed to assist one bishop holding any high office, he bears the title of vicar, that is, deputy. The bishop is placed at the head of the parishes of an entire region, in this case called a diocese.

Primate of the Orthodox Church

And finally, the highest rank of the church hierarchy is the patriarch. He is elected by the Council of Bishops and, together with the Holy Synod, leads the entire local church. According to the Charter, adopted in 2000, the rank of patriarch is for life, however, in some cases, the bishops' court is given the right to judge him, depose him and decide on his retirement.

In cases where the patriarchal see is vacant, the Holy Synod elects a locum tenens from among its permanent members, who acts as patriarch until he is legally elected.

Clergymen who do not have the Grace of God

Having mentioned all the church ranks in ascending order and returning to the very base of the hierarchical ladder, it should be noted that in the church, in addition to clergy, that is, clergy who have passed the sacrament of ordination and were able to receive the Grace of the Holy Spirit, there is also a lower category - clergymen. These include subdeacons, psalmists and sextons. Despite their church service, they are not priests and are accepted for vacant positions without ordination, but only with the blessing of the bishop or archpriest - the rector of the parish.

The duties of the psalmist include reading and singing during church services and when the priest performs the treb. The sexton is entrusted with calling the parishioners by ringing the bells to the church at the beginning of the services, making sure that the candles are lit in the church, if necessary, helping the psalmist and serving the censer to the priest or deacon.

The subdeacons also take part in divine services, but only together with the bishops. Their duties are to help the Vladyka get dressed before the beginning of the service and, if necessary, to change the vestments in the process. In addition, the subdeacon gives the bishop lamps - dikirion and trikirion - to bless those praying in the temple.

Legacy of the Holy Apostles

We examined all church ranks in ascending order. In Russia and among other Orthodox peoples, these ranks bear the blessing of the holy apostles - disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. It was they who, having become the founders of the earthly Church, established the existing order of the church hierarchy, taking as a model the example of the Old Testament times.

In Orthodoxy, there are three degrees of priesthood: deacon, priest, bishop. Even before being ordained as a deacon, the protege must decide whether he will serve as a priest, being married (white clergy) or becoming a monk (black clergy). Since the last century, in the Russian Church there has also been the institution of celibacy, that is, the dignity is taken with a vow of celibacy ("celibate" - in Latin "bachelor"). Deacons and celibate priests also belong to the white clergy. At present, monk-priests serve not only in monasteries, they are not uncommon in parishes, both in the city and in the countryside. The bishop must necessarily be from the black clergy. The priestly hierarchy can be represented as follows:

SECULAR CLERGY	BLACK clergy
DEACON
Deacon	Hierodeacon
Protodeacon (senior deacon, usually in a cathedral	Archdeacon (senior deacon, in the monastery)
PRIEST
Priest (priest, presbyter)	Hieromonk
Archpriest (senior priest)	hegumen
Mitred Archpriest Protopresbyter (senior priest in the cathedral)	Archimandrite
BISHOP (ARHIER)
-	Bishop Archbishop Metropolitan Patriarch

If a monk accepts a schema (the highest monastic degree - a great angelic image), then the prefix "schema" is added to the name of his rank - schemamonk, schemamonk, schemamonk, schemamonk (or hieroshimamonk), schemamonk, schemamandrite, schemabishop (the bishop-schemer must at the same time leave the management of the diocese ).

In dealing with the clergy, one should strive for a neutral style of speech. So, the address "father" (without the use of a name) is not neutral. It is either familiar or functional (characteristic of the address of the clergy among themselves: "Fathers and brothers. Please pay attention"). The question of in what form (to "you" or "you") should be addressed in the church environment is decided unequivocally - to "you" (although we say in prayer to God Himself: "leave us", "have mercy on me" ). However, it is clear that in close relationships communication goes to "you". And yet, in the presence of outsiders, the manifestation of close relationships in the church is perceived as a violation of the norm.

It should be remembered that in the church environment it is customary to handle the use of a proper name in the form in which it sounds in Church Slavonic. Therefore, they say: "Father John" (not "Father Ivan"), "Deacon Sergius" (and not "Deacon Sergei"), "Patriarch Alexy" (and not "Aleksey").

Hierarchically, the rank of archimandrite in the black clergy corresponds in the white clergy to the mitered archpriest and protopresbyter (senior priest in the cathedral).

What is the difference between bishops, priests and other clergymen?

The difference is in the fullness of Grace. All the fullness of the Apostolic Grace, received by them from the Lord Jesus Christ, belongs to the Bishops of the Church, as full-fledged successors of the Apostles. Bishops, appointing Presbyters (priests) for priestly service, pass on to them a part of the Apostolic Grace sufficient to perform the aforementioned six Sacraments and other sacred rites. In addition to bishops and priests, there is also the rank of Deacons (diaconia - Greek ministry), who, when they are consecrated, receive Grace in the fullness that is sufficient for them to fulfill their diaconal ministry. In other words, deacons themselves do not officiate, but "serve", help bishops and priests to perform sacred rites. Priests "sacrifice", that is, they perform the six Sacraments and less significant rites, teach the people the Word of God and lead the spiritual life of the flock entrusted to them. Bishops perform all the sacraments that priests can perform, and, in addition, they perform the Sacrament of the Priesthood and head the Local Churches, or their dioceses, uniting a different number of parishes led by priests.

“Between bishops and presbyters,” says St. John Chrysostom, “there is no great difference, since presbyters are also granted the right to teach and administer church, and what is said about bishops, the same applies to presbyters. The right of consecration alone elevates bishops over presbyters ". (Desk book of a clergyman. Edition of the Moscow Patriarchate. Moscow, 1983. P. 339).

It should also be added that the consecration of a deacon and a priest is performed by one bishop, while the consecration of a bishop must be performed by at least two or more bishops.

Hieromonk Aristarkh (Lokhanov)
Trifono-Pechenga Monastery

How can lay people serve in the temple? Who is the altar boy, the reader according to the hierarchy in the church

Who is an altar boy

Who is a dude

Reader(psalm-reader; earlier, until the end of the 19th century - deacon, lat. lector) - in Christianity - the lowest rank of clergy, not raised to the rank of priesthood, reading the texts of Holy Scripture during public worship and singing prayers during worship. In addition, according to 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, preached sermons, taught new converts and children, sang various hymns (chants), took care of the clerical affairs of the church and parish, charity, had other church obediences. The reader has the right to wear a cassock, a belt and a skuf.

Ponomari they also perform the duties of ringers, serve the censer, help in the manufacture of prosphora, clean the temple, unlock and lock it.

Batyushka is a generalized traditional name for a priest in Orthodox Russia. Usually they call the one who conducts.

What is a deacon? Difference between subdeacon, deacon, protodeacon and archdeacon.

Who is a priest (prosbyter, priest) in the hierarchy in the church?

Who are monks?

Who is an archpriest? An archpriest is a senior priest (priest), usually the rector of a temple.

Who is the abbot of the temple, monastery? Priest, this is a position. Senior clergyman in a monastery, temple.

How to address the fathers?

It is not worth addressing the clergy as "holy father", as is customary in Catholic countries. After all, the holiness of a person is known by his death.

The wives of the altar servers, as well as older women, we call the affectionate word "mother."

Hierarchs—bishops, metropolitans, and patriarchs—should be addressed as “Vladyka,” as if they were invested with ecclesiastical authority.

Brief table of Orthodox ranks. Hierarchy in the Church.

White clergy (married)	Black clergy (monastics)	Degrees
	Patriarch, Primate of the Church	Bishops (high priests)
	Metropolitan, Archbishop
	Bishop
Protopresbyter	Archimandrite, abbot, abbess	Priests
Archpriest	Hieromonk
Priest
Protodeacon	Archdeacon	deacons (assistant priest)
Deacon	Hierodeacon
subdeacon
Reader, psalm reader, sexton, altar boy	Novice, monk, monk

The hierarchy in the Orthodox Church has a large number of names (rank). A person who comes to church meets with clergymen who hold certain positions and are responsible, as true servants of the Almighty, for the flock.

Church hierarchy in Orthodoxy

Orthodox ranks

God the Father divided His own people into three types, depending on the proximity to His Kingdom.

The first category includes lay people- Ordinary members of the Orthodox brotherhood who have not donned the clergy. These people make up the bulk of all believers and take part in prayer services. The church allows the laity to conduct ceremonies in their homes. In the early centuries of Christianity, the people had far more rights than they do today. The voices of the laity had power in the election of rectors and bishops.
clergymen- the lowest rank, consecrated to God and dressed in appropriate clothes. To receive initiation, these people undergo a rite of ordination (ordination) with the blessing of the bishop. This includes readers, sextons (deacons), singers.
clergymen- the stage where the highest clerics stand, forming a divinely established hierarchy. To receive this rank, one should go through the sacrament of ordination, but only after being in a lower rank for some time. White robes are worn by the clergy, who are allowed to have a family, in black - those who lead a monastic life. Only the latter are allowed to manage the parish.

About various ministers of the church:

At the first glance at the clergy, you understand that for convenience in determining the rank, the clothes of priests and holy fathers differ: few wear beautiful multi-colored robes, others adhere to a strict and ascetic appearance.

On a note! The church hierarchy is, as Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite says, a direct continuation of the "heavenly army", which includes the archangels - the closest subjects of God. The higher ranks, divided into three orders, through unquestioning service transmit grace from the Father to each of his children, which we are.

Beginning of the hierarchy

The term "church reckoning" is used both in a narrow and a broad sense. In the first case, this phrase means a set of clergymen of the lowest rank that does not fit into the three-degree system. When they speak in a broad sense, they mean clerics (clerks), whose union makes up the staff of any church complex (temple, monastery).

Parish of the Orthodox Church

In pre-revolutionary Russia, they were approved by the consistory (an institution under the episcopate) and personally by the bishop. The number of lower-ranking clergy depended on the number of parishioners seeking communion with the Lord. The reckoning of a large church consisted of a dozen deacons and clerics. In order to make changes in the composition of this staff, the bishop had to obtain permission from the Synod.

The income of the reckoning in past centuries consisted of payment for church services (clergy and prayers for the needs of the laity). Rural parishes served by the lower ranks were provided with plots of land. Some readers, sextons and singers lived in special church houses, and in the 19th century they began to receive salaries.

For information! The history of the development of the church hierarchy has not been fully disclosed. Today they speak with confidence about the three degrees of the priesthood, while the early Christian names (prophet, didascal) have been practically forgotten.

The meaning and significance of the ranks reflected the activities that the Church authoritatively announced. Previously, the brethren and the affairs of the monastery were managed by the hegumen (leader), who differed only in his experience. Today, gaining church rank is like an official award received for a certain period of service.

About the life of the Church:

Sextons (deacons) and clergy

When Christianity arose, they played the role of watchmen of temples and sacred places. The duties of the gatekeepers included lighting the lamp during worship. Gregory the Great called them "guardians of the church". Sextons controlled the choice of utensils for rituals, they brought in prosphora, consecrated water, fire, wine, lit candles, cleaned the altars, reverently washed the floors and walls.

Today, the position of the deacon has practically been reduced to zero, the ancient duties are now assigned to the shoulders of cleaners, watchmen, novices and simple monks.

In the Old Testament, the term "clear" refers to the lower rank and the common people. In ancient times, representatives of the tribe (tribe) of Levi became clerics. The people were called all those who were not distinguished by their “true” generosity.
In the book of the New Testament, the criterion of a nation is omitted: now any Christian who has confirmed compliance with certain canons of religion can receive the lowest and highest ranks. Here the status of a woman who is allowed to receive an auxiliary position is raised.
In ancient times, the people were divided into laymen and monks, who were distinguished by great asceticism in life.
In a narrow sense, clerics are clergymen who stand on the same level as clerks. In the modern Orthodox world, this name has spread to priests of the highest rank.

The first level of the hierarchy of clergy

In the early Christian communities, the bishop's assistants were called deacons. Today, they serve the word of God by reading the scriptures and speaking out on behalf of the congregation. The deacons, who always ask for a blessing for work, cense the church premises and help to celebrate the proskomidia (liturgy).

A deacon assists a bishop or priest in the celebration of divine services and sacraments

Naming without specification indicates the belonging of the minister to the white clergy. The monastic rank is called hierodeacons: their clothes do not differ, but outside the liturgies they wear a black cassock.
The eldest in the rank of diaconate is the protodeacon, who is distinguished by a double orarion (a long narrow ribbon) and a purple kamilavka (headdress).
In ancient times, it was common to give the rank of deaconess, whose task was to care for sick women, prepare for baptism and help priests. The question of the revival of such a tradition was considered in 1917, but there was no answer.

A subdeacon is an assistant to a deacon. In ancient times, they were not allowed to take wives. Among the duties was the care of church vessels, the covers of the altar, which they also guarded.

For information! In the present, this order is observed only in the divine services of the bishop, whom the subdeacons serve with all diligence. Students of theological academies are becoming candidates for the rank more often.

The second level of the hierarchy of clergy

Presbyter (head, elder) is a general canonical term that unites the ranks of the middle order. He has the right to perform the sacraments of communion and baptism, but does not have the authority to place other priests in any place in the hierarchy or bestow grace on those around him.

The priest at the head of the parish community is called the rector.

Under the apostles, presbyters were often referred to as bishops - a term denoting "guardian", "overseer". If such a priest possessed wisdom and an honorable age, he was called an elder. The book of Acts and Epistles says that the elders blessed the faithful and presided in the absence of the bishop, they gave instruction, performed many sacraments and received confessions.

Important! The ROC puts forward rules that say that today this church level is available only to monks with a theological education. Presbyters are required to have perfect morals and be over 30 years of age.

This group includes archimandrites, hieromonks, abbots and archpriests.

The third level of the hierarchy of clergy

Before the Church Schism that occurred in the middle of the 11th century, the two parts of Christianity were united. After the division into Orthodoxy and Catholicism, the foundations of the episcopate (the highest rank) practically did not differ. Theologians say that the power of these two religious organizations recognize the power of God, not man. The right to rule is transferred only after the indulgence of the Holy Spirit in the ritual of consecration (ordination).

Only a monk can become a bishop in the modern Russian tradition

A Christian theologian named Ignatius of Antioch, who was a disciple of Peter and John, was positive about the need for one bishop in every city. The priests of the lower levels must unquestioningly obey the latter. Apostolic succession, which gives the right to ecclesiastical authority over the flock, was regarded as a dogma in the doctrines of Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

Adherents of the latter support the unconditional authority of the Pope, which forms a strict hierarchy of bishops.

In Orthodoxy, power is given to the patriarchs of national church organizations. Here, in contrast to Catholicism, the doctrine of the catholicity of the hierarch is officially adopted, where each chapter is likened to the apostles, listening to the instructions of Jesus Christ and giving orders to the flock.

Bishops (archpastors), bishops, patriarchs have the perfect fullness of services and administration. This rank has the right to perform all the sacraments, the ordination of representatives of other degrees.

Clergymen who are in the same church group are equal "by grace" and act within the framework of the corresponding rules. The transition to another step takes place during the Liturgy, in the center of the temple. This suggests that the monk receives a symbolic vestment of impersonal holiness.

Important! The hierarchy in the Orthodox Church is built on certain criteria, where the lower ranks are subordinate to the higher ones. In accordance with the rank, the laity, clerks, churchmen and clergy have certain powers, which they must fulfill with true faith and implicitness before the will of the Supreme Creator.

Orthodox alphabet. Church hierarchy