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Submitted January 27, 2005
Church of Greece
Restores Diaconate for Women
by Dr. Kyriaki Karidoyanes FitzGerald |
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The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has decided
to restore the order of the diaconate for women.
Under the leadership of Archbishop Christodoulos
of Athens, the decision was taken at the October
8, 2004 meeting which brought together 64 bishops
from throughout Greece.
The decision was announced the following day on
the web site of the Church of Greece and in the
Greek paper Kathimerini.
The historic decision was made by a majority of
the bishops following an extensive discussion.
Before their decision, the bishops heard a
comprehensive presentation on the topic by His
Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostom of Chalkidos. He
presented the theological, liturgical, canonical,
and ministerial aspects of the order of the
diaconate for women.
According to the report of the Holy Synod,
Metropolitan Chrysostom concluded his presentation
by affirming: “It is certainly possible to
rejuvenate this praiseworthy order, with its many
diversified and blessed activities, as long as the
Church decides this is necessary, after carefully
weighing her needs and study, being illumined by
the Holy Spirit concerning the ‘signs of the
times.’”
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens fully endorsed
the presentation and expressed his own support for
the rejuvenation of the order. According to the
Synod’s statement, the Archbishop concluded the
deliberations by “affirming the missionary,
catechetical, philanthropic and social efforts of
women today in Greece. He particularly stressed
deep appreciation for women who voluntarily
contribute to the betterment of society and
emphasized their vital place in the life of the
Church.”
The restoration of the ministry of the diaconate
for women has been a particular concern for
Archbishop Christodoulos. While serving as
Metropolitan of Demetriados, now the region of
Volos, he ordained a nun in the year 1986. For the
rite, he made use of the ancient ordination
prayers of the Byzantine period. Throughout his
ministry, he has been a consistent advocate for
the restoration of the order.
The Holy Synod’s Statement says that the bishops
affirmed that “the institution (thesmos) of
deaconesses established in antiquity and rooted in
the Holy Canons was never abolished…” The Holy
Synod also say, that depending on opportunities,
“the regional Bishop may consecrate (kathosiosi)
senior nuns of Holy Monasteries of their Eparchy;
in order to address the needs of their Holy
Monasteries, and only with the understanding that
the deaconess is not appointed to the rank (bathmos)
of priesthood.”
Professor Evangelos Theodorou, emeritus Professor
at the University of Athens, applauded the
decision of the bishops. In a telephone interview,
Professor Theodorou stated that the decision
initially to receive nuns to the order must be
seen as the first step toward fully reestablishing
the diaconate for women. He noted that the bishops
want to take the restoration one step at a time.
Theodorou believes that eventually other devoted
and qualified women will be eligible to be
ordained. He feels that this is implicit in the
positive remarks made by Archbishop Christodoulos
and other bishops at the Synod meeting. Theodorou
says “some bishops already have publicly expressed
their desire for deaconesses to minister within
the wider society on behalf of the Church.”
Theodorou also says that the bishops clearly
recognized that they were restoring the ancient
order which was important in the life of the
Church for generations. He believes that the
ordination rite of the Byzantine period will be
used in future ordinations of deaconesses.
Professor Theodorou’s scholarly examination of the
history of women deacons was first published in
the year 1948. In his monumental study published
in 1954, Theodorou clearly demonstrates that women
were truly ordained as deacons in the Orthodox
Church at least through the Middle Ages, and that
the order never completely disappeared to this
very day. Based upon an extensive study of ancient
sources, Theodorou convincingly shows that women
deacons were ordained at the Altar during the
Liturgy in a manner similar to male deacons. In
his study, Theodorou reproduces the ordination
prayers for women deacons used in the Byzantine
period. He also identifies and discusses the many
responsibilities which women deacons had in the
Church.
As professor at the University of Athens,
Theodorou was the teacher of many of the bishops
who approved the decision to restore the diaconate
for women. His historic studies and his many
scholarly articles on women deacons are well known
to clergy and theologians in Greece, and
throughout the Orthodox world. He presently serves
as a senior advisor to Archbishop Christodoulos.
The decision of the Holy Synod of the Church of
Greece is in conformity with the decision of the
Pan-Orthodox Consultation on Rhodes in 1988.
Convened by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, this
Consultation brought together representatives of
the autocephalous Orthodox churches. There, the
delegates also formally reaffirmed that women had
been ordained as deacons in the Church. They also
noted that the order had never totally fallen out
of existence. Mindful of the historical and
liturgical evidence, the delegates formally called
for the restoration of the order of the diaconate
for women to serve the needs of the Church today.
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Dr. Kyriaki Karidoyanes FitzGerald is the
author of Women Deacons in the Orthodox Church
which contains an extensive preface by Professor
Evangelos Theodorou. She has represented the
Ecumenical Patriarchate at numerous theological
conferences including the Pan-Orthodox
Consultation on Rhodes in 1988.
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