Restoration of the Priesthood
Underneath God and His Law, the first order to revere in the ministry of the Church is the High Order and the Priesthood. “The Sacrament of Priesthood is a holy sacrament through which the Bishop lays his hands on the head of the elected candidate, so that the Holy Spirit will descend on him and grant him one of the priestly ranks.”
This sacrament was instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when He chose the twelve of His followers, and consecrated them for ministry, “He called His disciples to Him, and from them He chose twelve whom He named apostles” (Luke 6:13) These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them saying: “Preach saying, ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.” (Matthew 10:5-8) He gave them the authority of absolution and binding: “Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18). After His Resurrection He appeared to them in the upper room in Zion and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).
“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent hem two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go” (Luke 10:1) Selection: “As they (disciples) ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:2, 3). That is why our teacher Saint Paul boasted saying, “But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace to reveal His son in me, that I might preach Him among the gentiles” (Galatians 1:15,16) consecration: “And for their sake I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” (John 17:19). To sanctify means to consecrate. Christ consecrated Himself for the ministry and our redemption. All the ranks of the priesthood are consecrated for ministry, according to the example of Christ, the High Priest. Faithfulness and stewardship
“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (Luke 12:42, 43) “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the Mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that one is found faithful” (1 Corinthians4:1, 2) Priesthood is a great honor. No one takes this honor upon himself, this honors granted and given by God, just as He granted the honor to Aaron.
Ranks of Priesthood
There are three ranks in Priesthood:
- The order of Deacons
- The order of Priests
- The order of Bishops Deacons are servants, Priests are teachers, Bishops are overseers, and shepherds.
The Order of Deacons
Ranks of Deacons
There are five ranks of deacons. In ascending order, they are:
- Epsaltos (hymnist)
- Ognostis (reader)
- Epideacon (sub deacon)
- Deacon (full deacon)
- Archdeacon (leader of deacons)
The Deacon
Deacon’, pronounced as such in Greek, is a Syrian word meaning ‘servant’. The deacon’s responsibility is to help the priest or Bishop perform the religious ministry. The first church appointed seven deacons who were full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to help in service, “The twelve summoned the multitude of disciples and said: ‘Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business’” (Acts 6:2,3). “When they were chosen, they set them before the apostles and when they had prayed they laid hands on them” (Acts 6:6). The apostles stipulated the following three conditions for nominating deacons: They must be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. They should be appointed by the apostles through the laying on of hands with prayers. They should carry out certain responsibilities in the church. Our teacher Saint Paul also specified the requirements of a deacon, in his First Epistle to Timothy (3:8-13):
The Order of Priesthood: –
- Priest
- Archpriest (hegomen)
- Khoori Episcopos
The Priest
The word ‘priest’ is designated for a clergyman who spiritually serves people and their needs. The word ‘priest’ or ‘presbyter’, is derived from the Syrian word ‘Kashisho’ meaning elder, and the Greek word ‘Epresvateros’ also meaning ‘elder.’ It is so called due to the significance of his work and reverence given unto him even if he is not yet an old man. The word ‘elders’ (priest) is mentioned frequently in the New Testament: “They had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23) “For this reason I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5) “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name of the Lord …” (James 5:14)
An elder is a priest of God and a minister of the mysteries of God. He has the authority to administer the Church Sacraments except for the sacrament of ordination (which only the Bishop has the right to do). Usually, the ordination of an elder takes place from the age of thirty, for this is when Christ the Lord started His service. At this age a person will have reached intellectual maturity to help him to manage the service respectfully. He must be husband of one woman and his marriage correct and legal. If he is widowed, he should not remarry another woman, for being the father of all women, he cannot marry one of his daughters. Our teacher Saint Paul mentioned in his first epistle to his disciple, Timothy the Bishop (chapter three), many conditions for Bishops that also apply to the elders(priest) as their priestly work is one and their pastoral specifications are similar. Of these conditions are, he must be: Blameless, commended by others.
This is the first and essential priestly rank. Priest means elder and also an intercessor in the holies of God for the congregation. He is a presbyter who has the right to administer all the church sacraments except the laying on of hands and appointing priestly ranks, which is the right of a Bishop or overseer or someone above him. He is a teacher who teaches the people the word of God and leads them to the way of God, virtues, mysteries of the religion, and explains the dogmas and rites and details the word of truth, “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:7).
He is a father who pastors his children compassionately, visits them with tender care and love as he is zealous for the salvation of the souls of his people and leading them to Christ, as his salvation is related to their salvation, “For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3:8). He humbly serves them as a servant to a master as Lord Christ washed the feet of His disciples, so his service is successful and acceptable before God and people too.
The Hegomen (Archpriest)
The word ‘Hegomen’ or ‘Egomenos’ is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘provider’ or ‘presenter’, and the ‘Egomenos’ is the ‘senior’ or ‘leader’ priest in church. If there are a number of hegomens in the church, then they must consider he who is the oldest in ordination, or the most active and knowledgeable in the rank of hegomen, as the church’s provider and the first responsible person in the church.
During the raising of incense, the priest is given one spoonful of incense, the hegomen two spoonfuls, and the bishop three spoonfuls of incense.
Khoori – Episcopos
KHOORI-EPISCOPOS is a Greek word meaning ‘bishop’ or ‘villages’ or ‘fields’. He helps the bishop or metropolitan of the diocese in the service and visitation of the villages.
The rank of Khoori-episcopos (or the bishop or overseer) came to existence by the end of the third century AD in Asia Minor when the dioceses extended and their division was not preferred, so there existed an utmost need for the presence for the bishop to visit and care for them.
Members of the Nicene Council in 325 AD included 15 Khooriepiscopos from Asia Minor and Syria. The candidate of this rank bears the title ‘Anba’ which is given to bishops or higher.
The Patriarch
The Patriarch has the high leadership of priesthood. He ordains bishops to become his partners in the Apostolic Service. The ordination is usually by the laying on of hands and the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Lord Christ practiced this work of the patriarch when He “Lifted up His Hands and blessed them (the pure apostles).” Luke 24:50. And when “He breathed on them and said to them Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them: If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:22,23. And also He said to them: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18), so He gave them the authority of binding and loosening in the church
Onwards the appointment of the Saint Apostles and their ordination of servile in the Holy Order of the Priesthood, the Ministry of our Holy Church has been administered by “The Sacrament of Priesthood.” This rite is not to be dilapidated, as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the one who made and blessed the ritual. Unfortunate to our generation, the ordained servile in and outside the Holy Church, has been biased and besmirched. We have witnessed the fall and rise of Archbishops, Bishops Archpriest and other appointed servile for their infidelity, treachery and deceit.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Incarnation Church has suffered much since her minsters are manipulated by the temptation of the world’s frill, scam and deviousness. The need for the restoration on the present priesthood therefore, is of the essence. We need to differentiate those in fraud and falsity to replace them with the right ordered of ordination. First, we have to be reminded about the rite of “The Sacrament of Priesthood” and do checking and rechecking in their ministry to be certain about their faithfulness to the Holy Order and the Priesthood in serving the Church.
Source: adapted from an article entitled “The Sacrament of Priesthood” by His Grace Bishop Mettaous, Abbott of EL Syrian Monastery.