WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? 6

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Session 6: Conversations about Leadership

1. Ordination of Ministers

► Catholics and Orthodox: Holy Orders

 The term “Holy Orders” refers to people who have been ordained or appointed to offices of pastoral leadership in the Church.

 Ordination of bishops, priests and deacons leaves an indelible mark (called a “sacramental character”) on the recipient’s soul.

► Protestants: Functional Ministers

 No “Holy Orders” because ordination does not have a sacramental character.

 The degree of ministerial authority varies. Some have no ordained office.

 Ordinations are primarily functional in character.

2. Deacons

► Catholics: Transitional and Permanent Deacons

 Icons of Christ the Servant. There are transitional deacons (who have to be celibate) and permanent deacons (who may be married).

 Deacons baptise, witness at a Holy Matrimonies, preside at funerals, at various services, and may give blessings. They cannot give absolution, anoint the sick, or say Mass. In the liturgy, it is proper for them to proclaim the Gospel, deliver the homily, and distribute Holy Communion.

 Permanent deacons are called “Deacon”; transitional deacons “Reverend Mr”.

 Deacons wear the dalmatic and a stole over their left shoulder.

► Orthodox: Lifelong Deacons

 Ikon of Christ. The position is occupied for life. May be married provided the marriage takes place before ordination. Widowed deacons may not remarry.

 There are two administrative positions in the office of the deacon that carry additional titles. Deacons can be archdeacons or protodeacons.

 Depending on local tradition, deacons are styled as either "Father Deacon”, "Deacon Father", or often simply "Deacon" or "Father”.

 In addition to reading the Gospel and assisting in Holy Communion, the deacon censes the icons and people, calls the people to prayer, leads the litanies, and has a role in the dialogue of the Anaphora. He cannot perform Sacred Mysteries except for Baptism in extremis (in danger of death).

 Diaconal liturgical vestments are the sticharion (dalmatic), the orarion (deacon's stole), and the epimanikia (cuffs).

► Protestants: Transitional and Lay Deacons

 A deacon is either a transitional deacon or a lay person.

 Transitional deacons are styled as “Revd” and lay deacons “Deacon”.

 There is no requirement for celibacy.

3. Priests

► Catholics: Celibate Priests

 Priests are icons of Christ the Priest. They may confect all of the sacraments except Holy Orders (the sacrament of governance itself). They are celibate.

 A priest is styled as “Reverend” and usually called “Father”.

 A priest wears a stole around his neck and a chasuble. He may wear a cope for a formal liturgical celebration outside of the Mass.

► Orthodox: Married and Celibate Priests

 A priest is an ikon of Christ. He may be married if the marriage takes place before ordination. Widowed priests may not remarry.

 Priests can be archpriests, archimandrites, or protopresbyters.

 A married priest is "the Reverend Father", a monastic priest is "the Reverend Hieromonk"; a protopresbyter is "the Very Reverend Father"; and an archimandrite is either "the Very Reverend Father" (Greek) or "the Right Reverend Father" (Russian). All are simply addressed as "Father".

► Protestants: Pastors

 The counterparts of priests in the Protestant traditions are “ordained elders”.

 They are usually called “pastors” and are officially styled as “Reverend”.

 Pastors conduct the sacraments, weddings and funerals. They also preach.

 The pastor usually functions administratively and pastorally.

 There is no requirement for celibacy.

4. Bishops

► Catholics: Apostolic Successors

 Bishops are the successors of the Apostles (“apostolic succession”).

 Catholic bishops are celibate. Each bishop is “Christ’s Vicar” to his diocese.

 Bishops, having the "fullness of orders," may confer all seven sacraments.

 Every bishop is directly answerable to the Pope, not to other bishops.

 A bishop wears a stole and a chasuble. At certain occasions, he wears a cope. The bishop may also wear a mitre, the pectoral cross (under the chasuble), the ring and carry the crosier.

► Orthodox: Apostolic Successors

 Bishops are the successors of the Apostles (“apostolic succession”).

 Bishops are usually monks since they have to be unmarried. When this is not the case, those married must agree to abstain from contact with their wives.

 In the Greek tradition, bishops who occupy an ancient See are called Metropolitan, while the lead bishop in Greece is the Archbishop. In the Russian tradition, however, the usage of the terms "Metropolitan" and "Archbishop" is reversed.

 Patriarchs are bishops who head certain ancient autocephalous or sui juris churches, which are a collection of metropolitan sees or provinces (although outside their own dioceses they are without enforceable jurisdiction).

 The Sakkos is normally only worn when the bishop is celebrating the Divine Liturgy, or during the Great Doxology at the All-Night Vigil. At other services, he will wear the Mantya, a cape with a long train and red and white ribbons (“rivers") running along the sides. There are two types of omophoria, the "Great Omophorion" which is worn at certain moments during the Liturgy and at the Great Doxology at Vigil, and the "Little Omophorion" which is worn at other times (note that the sticharion is worn only at Liturgy, while the epimanikia and epitrachelion are always worn when vesting).

 Whenever he blesses, the bishop stands on an orletz ("eagle rug"), and sometimes uses dikirion and trikirion (candlesticks with two candles and three candles, respectively).

► Protestants: Functional and Ceremonial Office

 Protestants do not believe in apostolic succession. Some examples of exceptions are the Anglican Communion and a minor segment of the Lutheran Church (however it is not universally recognised).

 The function of bishops in Protestant churches with episcopal structures is merely functional and administrative without the sacramental character.

 There is no requirement for celibacy.

5. Supreme Governing Authority

► Catholics: Papal Office

 Catholics believe that the Apostle Peter had a role of leadership in the college of apostles, which the Pope retains today as the spiritual head of the Church.

 The Pope is seen as the Vicar of Christ (Latin: Vicarius Christi).

 He is sacramentally a bishop; but Pope by virtue of his being Bishop of Rome.

 Papal infallibility means the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error when he solemnly declares to the Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals (ex cathedra, Latin “from the chair”).

 Papal infallibility is a part of the Magisterium. The Pope together with all the bishops in communion with him embody the Magisterium, which is the teaching authority of the Church.

► Orthodox: Ecumenical Patriarch

 In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is the Archbishop of Constantinople, ranking as first among equals.

 He has no direct jurisdiction outside his Patriarchate. His primary function regarding the whole Orthodox Church is one of dealing with Church unity.

 The Orthodox reject the doctrine of papal infallibility. They believe that the Holy Spirit preserves the entire body of Orthodox Christians from error. But they do not specify or seek to explain how this is so.

► Protestants: Communion / Autonomy

 At the regional and international levels, Protestant denominations relate as “fellowships” rather than federations of juridical enforcements.

 Senior Pastors in “independent churches” hold almost absolute power.





























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