Greeting priests at work

[Elena]

When meeting a priest at his secular workplace, what is the appropriate way to greet him. Particularly if your not sure he recognises you?

[Kris]

When meeting a priest at his secular workplace, what is the appropriate way to greet him. Particularly if your not sure he recognises you?

Hi,

A priest is a priest regardless of his immediate surroundings, and so you should refer to him as "Father" as you woulld normally do.

However, I have heard that it is not appropriate to ask for a blessing from a priest you don't know (not sure if that's true though), and so a handshake might be more appropriate.

In XC,
Kris

[Irene]

Does it depend on whether he is wearing his robes? At a monastery you know who to get a blessing from by the pectoral cross. I did think Priests and Monks wore their robes all the time until I was introduced to a man who was Father "something", he was travelling and had decided to wear ordinary clothes. I was confused, knowing that this Orthodox convert lady was friends with clergy from other Christian Churches, I thought maybe he was a Roman Catholic or Church of England Priest/Minister. So I just "hello Father" and didn't ask for a blessing.

[Father David Moser]

Does it depend on whether he is wearing his robes?

No, it doesn't depend. In the more "traditional" practice, a priest always appears in public in riassa, however, it has become the norm in some places that clergy only wear the riassa while "in Church" or on "official business" But with or without a riassa, a priest is still a priest and one can obtain from him a blessing.



At a monastery you know who to get a blessing from by the pectoral cross.

Even this is not "foolproof" since in Byzantine tradition a priest does not always wear a cross. In fact priests generally do not wear pectoral crosses unless they are archpriests. In Russian tradition, however, a priest always wears a pectoral cross.



I did think Priests and Monks wore their robes all the time until I was introduced to a man who was Father "something", he was travelling and had decided to wear ordinary clothes. I was confused, knowing that this Orthodox convert lady was friends with clergy from other Christian Churches, I thought maybe he was a Roman Catholic or Church of England Priest/Minister. So I just "hello Father" and didn't ask for a blessing.

If the priest does not wish to dress like a priest then there is no reason to assume that you will "know" and thus approach him and ask his blessing. There have been times when I am in public without a riassa (for example when doing construction work or heavy labor) and my parishioners happen by. Even then, since they know me and know that I am a priest, they always ask and I always give to them a blessing.

Fr David Moser

[Elena]

Prehaps I should be more specific. This is a shop counter situation, and the father in question is not from my parish but from one I have regularly visited. Furthermore I have never had any sign that he recognises me, indeed there is no reason why he should.

[Irene]

Father David Bless, Thank you so much for answering my questions, now I understand....Irene