Readers and subdeacons: different types of ordination?

[Alex Haig]

I read somewhere that a reader is tonsured whereas a sub-deacon is ordained. Is this correct? If so, what is the significance of the difference?

Alex

[Kosmas Damianides]

Dear Mr Alex Haig,

In the Orthodox Church there are 3 levels or orders (xeirotonia- laying on of hands) of Priesthood. These members of the priesthood Bishop, Priest, Deacon, (or Subdeacon) should all be Ordained.

A reader and a chanter however undergoes a xeirothesia (placing on of the hands), a blessing which is similar to the priesthood, but has no priestly duties. In the Early Church the two phrases do not seem to differ. However St Nikodemus teaches that in the 2nd Apostolic Council, Ordination of priests should be enacted with Laying on of hands (Herotonia), whereas chanters and readers ought to only receive anointment (Sfragis). Zonaras explains this using the terms Xeirtonia (Ordination) for 3 levels of Priesthood, and Xeirothesia (Tonture) for readers and chanters.

Later on the Church made it even more clear by ruling that all tontures would be performed either before or after a Church Service and would only contain one blessing prayer. All ordinations would be performed within the Divine Liturgy within the alter (entos tou ierou bimatos) and is to contain 2 blessing prayers.

The significance of this is that (these days) the Reader or the Chanter is allowed to get married and is not as comitted to a particular parish. The other obvious thing is that the reader or chanter has no liturgical duties appart from assisting in the liturgy with reading and chanting and even in the altar if there are no alter boys.

The deacon, priest and bishop all have liturgical duties and are required to be comitted to their particular parish and or diocese.

I hope my liturgics is up to scratch, it's been almost 5 years since I studied it last. http://www.monachos.net/mb/clipart/wink.gif

In Christ

Kosmas

[Father David Moser]

I'd also like to add here the different roles that subdeacons play in Byzantine and Slav practice. In Byzantine practice a subdeacon has some duties (such as saying the small litanies) that in Slav practice is reserved for the deacon. However, in Byzantine practice (at least in the US) a subdeacon is allowed to marry and remain in his state and continue to advance, while in Slav practice that is not generally the case (there are variations and exceptions all round so this is just a general trend, not a hard and fast rule). So in the Byzantine practice a subdeacon can still marry but has some of the duties of a deacon, while in Slav practice a subdeacon may not marry, but also doesn not have quasi-diaconal duties. Just one of those interesting variations in how things work.

Archpr. David

[Bogdan]

I have just recently joined this forum so am adding this quite a while after it was addressed, however this is an issue I have been struggling with recently. I feel very strongly that I would like to become more than just laity in the church. I chant regularly and have been teaching sunday school since the age of 18. I really feel I am at a point where I would like to either officially become a reader/chanter or even step it up a notch and become a subdeacon. The problem, as much as it pains me, is a wordly one. The practice of being a chanter in our church(serbian) is reserved for seminary students who come to the parishes. As for subdeacon's, they practically don't exist, except for a few 'disgraced' priests (i.e. divorced). This leaves me with a fear I do not know how to attack. Anybody have any suggestions? Idea's?

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

The problem, as much as it pains me, is a wordly one. The practice of being a chanter in our church(serbian) is reserved for seminary students who come to the parishes. As for subdeacon's, they practically don't exist, except for a few 'disgraced' priests (i.e. divorced).

This would mean that many parishes would not have an actual reader(?). The only approach I could think of would be to speak with the parish priest or bishop and try to show how changing this practice would be to the good of the whole parish. The same goes for subdeacons which should be a parish position unto itself and not for 'disgraced' priests.

Having ordained readers and subdeacons as anyone else can also tell you adds considerably to the life of a parish. The parishioners are acutely aware that the readers & subdeacons usually come from among their own families- and is a way of showing involvement with the life of the parish. In a way it is their offering to the parish- their investment in its future. For example before becoming an ordained reader a young person may have learnt how to sing in the choir or followed their parents or friends while reading. Then they were taught how to read on the kliros. The same process often occurs with a subdeacon who as a youngster may well have been an alter server (acolyte). So all of this is part of a process of active involvement within a parish and helps tie the people of God together.

Also the position of reader and subdeacon at times becomes the training ground for something further like the priesthood if God so chooses.

I would say that if there is anyway one can help change this situation it would pay high spiritual dividends for the parish and help make it more active.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Olga]

Strange to hear that the church singers/chanters are only drawn from seminarians, Bogdan. What a pity! In any Orthodox church I've had anything to do with, the singers and readers are all drawn from the laity. In the church I have been attending for the last eight years, we have had only one ordained reader, who barely a year after he was ordained, moved to another state with his family. All the readers and singers (including my husband, who does both) are laymen and laywomen, including the choirmistress. I'm sure there is nothing in canon which states that church singers must be seminarians!

[Bogdan]

The reader (I think your refering to the Apostle readings?) is usually the seminary student. I have also done readings, but this was more due to the fact that my father is a priest and so my services were 'volunteered' for me when I was younger, and have just carried over. Ordaining a reader is something that I don't think happens at ALL in the serbian church, at least as far as I'm aware of it (which is quite a bit). Sub deacon's I also feel get the short end of the stick, as I stated above.

I agree with you more than 100% father, and in fact feel that calling in the way you describe; to help build a tie between laity and priest. This is something that is becoming more and more lost, especially in the Serbian churches here in America. Since I have been involved in my church, I have brought about a number of much needed changes, through shear determination and perseverance..I feel most of the time that it is me and the priest against much of the laity..communism and american culture does wierd things to a ethnic nation such as the Serbs. The point is that I feel not only a personal yearning to get closer to God, but see a practical consequence. Being able to back some initiatives with authority, even just this sort of seudo-authority, would make things run MUCH smoother.

In any case, I do not know which direction to go. Do you think I should talk this over more with my priest? We have spoken of it on occasion, however only in joking fashion, since we both know the current state of those positions. Should I go to the bishop? I know him personally, however he does not know my works/involvement i.e. credentials. Should I go to the bishop through the priest maybe?

[Aleksandar Zatezalo]

Dear Bogdan,
In Serbian Church it is not regular practice to ordain (hirotesija-rukoproizvodjenje) a reader (ctec {chtetz}), but I am aware of several who were ordained reader and sub deacon.
It is so obvious that an ordained sub deacon or reader enriches the feeling of unity between laity and priesthood. My personal opinion is that you should be encouraged to step forward the altar.

Shortly, directions are:
1) Prayer for positive result
2) Serious discussion with your priest about your intentions.
3) Writing an Application Letter to your Bishop
4) Your priest is writing a Letter of Recommendation (
5) Church board members are writing and signing their own Letter of Recommendation
4) You are sending complete documentation to your Bishop: Certificate of baptism + Your Biography + 3) + 4) + 5)
5) More prayer for positive result
6) I suppose that since you came from a priest family you are very familiar with a background of a situation in Church - consequently if you have a familiar priest who is in church hierarchy closer to bishop (arhijereski namesnik) you should also talk to him about this matter (and he will say a word to the Bishop)
7) And finally after a while if Bishop doesn't already invite you to the nterview, you should
8) Pray and
9) Go directly to him.

Best wishes,
Aleksandar

[Bogdan]

Pomaze Bog Aleksandar,

Hvala vam puno na vas savet.

I basically figured I would need to go on the route you described, and having it layed out in such an easy way has definately clarified the situation for me, so again, thank you. I think my biggest deterant is just the fact, as we both stated, that this is not a common practice in our church. I will definately turn my thoughts towards reflection and prayer. Hopefully the rest of your list will help me as well! I apreciate the support greatly and hopefully next time I talk on this subject I will have some good news to share!

S Bogom,
~Bogdan

[Joanna Eleftheriou]

I am interested in the topic of Readers and subdeacons because I have always loved to help read the psalms, epistle, or prophecies when there was space for me. In Cyprus, it wasn't allowed but here in America I have been allowed to serve as a reader even though as a woman I can never be tonsured/ ordained (as far as I understand).

One Sunday, our church's cantor opened the Epistle to the page where it says in old, forbidding Greek that whosoever should read the Epistle during liturgy without being ordained should be excommunicated from the church! He winked; he had pointed to the line to tease me, and the priests here in America truly welcome me as an unofficial reader. In fact, our priest here in Virginia always sought women to read the epistle just to make sure women had some role in the service

Can we call this an example of Oikonomia? Is it necessity or wise? Does anyone know if it really is against church canon to read without being tonsured? Will this change, and does it need to?

Thank you.

[Kris]

I read somewhere that a reader is tonsured whereas a sub-deacon is ordained. Is this correct? If so, what is the significance of the difference?


Although the ordination of a subdaecon differs from the tonsure of a reader, it nevertheless takes place outside the holy altar, since it - like the readership - is one of the lower orders, and not part of the priesthood proper.

[Andreas Moran]

Although the ordination of a subdaecon differs from the tonsure of a reader, it nevertheless takes place outside the holy altar, since it - like the readership - is one of the lower orders, and not part of the priesthood proper.

I was tonsured Reader immediately in front of the Royal Doors during the Divine Liturgy. It hadn't occurred to me that tonsuring and ordination were different but it seems that it is so.

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear all,

I think it might be better to say that the ordination to the diaconate and priesthood are more of something, rather than the ordination and tonsure as reader or subdeacon less or not. What is significant is not that readers and subdeacons are not tonsured in the altar, but that deacons and priests are - for they are given to the specific ministry of the altar. One is ordained where one serves: the reader in the centre of the Church, where he will read; the subdeacon in the Church, at the side of the bishop after whom he is charged to look. The deacon is ordained at the altar where he will serve, on one knee - for he is 'halfway' at the altar, 'halfway' in the nave, as the one who moves between sanctuary and nave for the litanies. The priest is also ordained at the altar, but on both knees - for his place is at the holy table.

The idea that there is some radical division between being ordained 'in' or 'out' of the altar strikes me as somewhat foreign to the roles and nature of ordination: of a 'proper' priesthood and something lesser or other than this. The tonsure as reader, for its part, includes a text specifically indicating it as the first rank of the priesthood.

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Joanna Eleftheriou]

Wow, that is a beautiful explanation, and a crucial if not self-evident shift of perspective. Thank you.

Now, I was also wondering how to think about my own role. Our priest is happy to have me read the epistle on Sunday, but I can't be a Reader as far as I know because I am female. The chanter teases me in a kindhearted way that anyone who reads the epistle without having been ordained should be excommunicated (it says so on the first page of the book of epistles). This doesn't bother me, as my first obedience is to the priest. I assume this is oikonomia. Still, I would be grateful for your insight.

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Ms Eleftheriou, in the above, you wrote:


Now, I was also wondering how to think about my own role. Our priest is happy to have me read the epistle on Sunday, but I can't be a Reader as far as I know because I am female. The chanter teases me in a kindhearted way that anyone who reads the epistle without having been ordained should be excommunicated (it says so on the first page of the book of epistles). This doesn't bother me, as my first obedience is to the priest. I assume this is oikonomia.

There are a number of interesting points in your questions. If you'll permit, I might respond first from an historical perspective, then from a practical.

Historically, the advent of the role of tonsured reader dates back to a period of time (a long period - running up until the near-modern) in which the majority of church-goers would have been largely illiterate, and books and scripts the preserve of very few. The ability to have a copy of the scriptures at home which one could read -- while something that people today may do saddeningly infrequently -- was entirely impossible in the past. Similarly, producing a 'bulletin' containing the Apostle and Gospel readings for the day, so that the faithful could read along with (or read before, or after) the proclaimed scriptures of the services, was also impossible. Even if it could have been printed, few could have read it.

The result was that a tremendous amount of trust was placed in, and responsibility laid upon, the one who read the scriptures aloud in the Church. Apart from the memory of past hearing, few would be able to challenge (and therefore few could or would question) the 'version' of the scripture they heard proclaimed during the services. Therefore it was incumbent upon the reader to read accurately, precisely, faithfully. He would need to know how to read well (i.e. be fully literate), as well as know the services well (i.e. with a knowledge of which passages to read, and when); and above all he would have to be someone in whom trust could be placed to read rightly -- not interpolating, interpreting, modifying, but faithfully proclaiming the proper word of the scriptures and services. Were a malicious, or even an ignorant, person to read inaccurately (e.g. changing the words of the readings), few would be able to challenge him; thus there had to be a great deal of trust in the reader, that what he was reading truly was the authentic word.

This is at least part of the reason why, from early on, the role of reader was assumed into the clerical ranks. First and foremost, reading the word is a ministerial role. In Orthodox practice, the reader does not read the Gospel (this is read by the deacon and priest); but an Orthodox theology of scripture makes it clear that the Old Testament, the epistles, the prayers of the services, all are intently Christological. The reader proclaims the true and living Word, and as such is a minister of the Word. The role of reader was therefore understood as an integral part of the clerical ministry of the Church. This is why the candidate is vested in the partial-phelonion as he is tonsured reader: a portion of the priestly garment.

Beyond this, making the role of reader an 'official' clerical rank, placed the reader under the proper strictures of obedience. This is the reason why the reader is clothed in the black cassock: not only to remind him of his unworthiness to proclaim the pure Word, but also as a sign of his obedience. The cassock is a visual symbol of the first confession of service: 'Not my will, but thine be done'. The 'visual will' is erased by the garment; one lives in obedience to another. And the practical aspect of this is that the reader is bound in obedience to his bishop - to read rightly, under instruction, without variation. He is not a 'free agent', any more than any member of the clergy is a free agent. A reader is tonsured to a specific bishop, and indeed, to a specific parish. He is given a blessing to read in that place (hence the final prayer of the ordination as reader: 'Blessed is the Lord. Lo, the servant of God, Dimitri, is become a reader of the most holy Church of the Theotokos in Berlin, in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit'). In technical terms, a reader is not permitted to read in another setting unless given a blessing to do so - in the same manner that a priest, technically speaking, is not permitted to serve in a parish other than his own without receiving a blessing to do so. Nor is the reader permitted to select his own texts ('I prefer the RSV to the KJV...'); he is to read what is given. Nor is he to read interpretively, but in a style handed down to him in obedience, which allows the text to speak for itself.



The role of the reader as a rank of the clergy thus has served a twofold purpose. It places the reader under obedience, thus preserving the integrity of what is read; and it situates reading into the ministerial character of the Church. This is why the newly-ordained reader is bidden with the following words:
'My son, the first degree in the holy priesthood is that of reader. It behooveth thee therefore, to peruse the divine scriptures daily, to the end that the hearers, regarding thee may receive edification; that thou, in nowise shaming thine election, mayest prepare thyself for a higher degree. For by a chaste, holy and upright life thou shalt gain the favour of the God of loving-kindness, and shalt render thyself worthy of a greater ministry; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.'In terms of non-readers reading in the present day; the first thing to note is that this is not simply a modern practice. In monasteries, it has always been the custom that lay-monastics (and by 'lay', one includes non-readers) read during the services. This is, in part, because they are already under obedience, by virtue of their monastic tonsure. Outside this context, the strict regulations on only readers reading, was to preserve the integrity of the Word as proclaimed in the churches. Without obedience, one must not read; and obedience to this role is bound up in the office of reader.

In modern practice, some things have changed. The same trust for accuracly is not always placed upon the shoulders of the reader, as texts are now readily available to all. There is not the same reliance in the modern era upon the reader as keeper of the faithful word. A much greater proportion of the faithful are literate; copies of the scriptures are everywhere. This particular aspect of the reader's responsibility has certainly changed.

The result of this has been that some bishops elect to lessen the strictures surrounding the proclaiming of the word, allowing non-readers to read during the services. While this is not a universally accepted practice, it is certainly widespread. With the blessing of the bishop, those who are not in clerical ranks are allowed to proclaim the texts. This is driven by a belief that the particular 'guardianship' role of the reader is no longer necessary in the present-day context, and that the proclamation of the Word, while ministerial, is not necessarily exclusively priestly (which would restrict it to men) - noting that some of the greatest proclaimers of the Word in the history of the Church have been women. This, and the role of the reader, and insistence that only a tonsured reader read, are not embedded in ecumenical canons (though they are certainly found in some local canons). In these contexts, the blessing to read in the services is not restricted only to the clerical ranks; and by virtue of that, becomes open to all - men as well as women.

The important thing to remember in all this, is that there is a norm in the Church's practice -- that only tonsured readers read in the services -- but that oikonomia with regard to this is extremely widespread, and on grounds that most (if not quite all) find acceptable. But, as with every instance of oikonomia, the approach must be to lay one's will at the feet of the bishop. Obedience is still a necessary attribute for reading and proclaiming the Word, whether in tonsure or out of it.

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Father David Moser]

In addition to Fr Matthew's comments,let me also point out that nothing can be done in the Church without the priest's blessing (and he is subject to the rule of the local ruling bishop as well). The act of tonsuring a reader is kind of a "permanent blessing" to read in the services - as a friend once said, before a person is tonsured it is his privilege to read in Church, afterward it is his duty. Thus no one reads in Church without a blessing to do so. I have no tonsured readers in my parish and so I have a cadre of men selected and trained by me to read the epistle on a regular basis. The one person who knows the most about how to read is my wife and yet when one of these men is present, even though she may read everything on the kliros, these "trained lay readers" are given the responsibility to read in Church. If none of them is present, then it is possible that my wife might read the epistle, but before she presumes to do that, she seeks a blessing to read.

Therefore, if you are given a blessing to read by the priest in the parish, then you may read. If the priest does not give his blessing, then no matter how well you may read, you cannot do so. Doing nothing without a blessing is the essence of that command - only those with a blessing can read and should someone presume to do so without a blessing, but due to his own willfulness, then he sins.

Fr David Moser

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Our parish has two tonsured readers who also happen to be choir conductors. As the above posts from Fr David and Fr Dn Matthew state, the position of reader implies a level of responsibility not only to the read text, but also to the Church at large. Readers have a responsibility to be familiar with the text they read, to know the church services, and also to lead a life worthy of the Church. This is partly represented in the black cassock they wear when at the services.

In our parish we also have a kind of informal order which represents parish life as a whole. Beyond our tonsured readers we also like to have other parishioners help read in order that others can either be trained to become readers at a later time or else to be involved in the life of the Church. Generally these informal readers are male at the Liturgy. But we have had females read when our readers are away; and it is a general practice to have females read parts of the services, eg the canon, etc during the Vigil.

This last reminds us that especially in the Russian church there is long standing tradition of the women helping out in whichever way they can. There is little hesitation if a woman reads when no one else is present. Also the women give of themselves tremendously in the upkeep of the Church.

The general principle, long standing in Russian culture, is that the women are always there to pick up the lose ends which often the men leave behind. As such they have often in past Russian history filled roles of responsibility including that of leadership which the Church has also come to accept in its own way.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Christopher Sajdak]

Pomaze Bog Aleksandar,

Hvala vam puno na vas savet.

I basically figured I would need to go on the route you described, and having it layed out in such an easy way has definately clarified the situation for me, so again, thank you. I think my biggest deterant is just the fact, as we both stated, that this is not a common practice in our church. I will definately turn my thoughts towards reflection and prayer. Hopefully the rest of your list will help me as well! I apreciate the support greatly and hopefully next time I talk on this subject I will have some good news to share!

S Bogom,
~Bogdan

Hello there, Bogdan! You're not the only one who wants to be a reader. I have to exact same "problem" as you do, that is, I visit a Serbian parish (I'm actually Polish-Orthodox). And have started to help out with reading during Vespers in my parish.

Thing is, when I asked the parish priest if I could be an altar boy he told me they usually let teenagers into the altar (I'm 21). He said, that If I really want to serve I'd have to wait and prove I'm really committed.

Now, I'm reading this and see that the Serbs usually don't ordain readers, does that mean I won't be ordained until I'm in seminary or is this only the practice in the US?

In IC XC,
Krzysztof / Christopher.

[Paul Cowan]

Thing is, when I asked the parish priest if I could be an altar boy he told me they usually let teenagers into the altar (I'm 21). He said, that If I really want to serve I'd have to wait and prove I'm really committed.

That is hillarious.