bogoliubtsy wrote:OrthodoxLearner wrote:Yeah. LoL The only problem is that the Liturgy is in all Church Slavonic.
St. John of Kronastad.
In Christ Nektarios
What does St. John have to do with this? Is that the name of the parish?
It's the new craze, bro. We all just throw a random Saint's name in at the end of every paragraph. :mrgreen:
OrthodoxLearner wrote:Now about my question about becoming a priest on Mt. Athos in a monastery.
In Christ
Nektarios
Well, I think the first problem with your original question about becoming a hieromonk on the Holy Mountain is that you said something like "what if you were a monk and then you decided you wanted to be a hieromonk...". Monasticism is about obedience and dying to self.
OrthodoxLearner wrote:Now about my question about becoming a priest on Mt. Athos in a monastery.
In Christ
Nektarios
Christ is Risen!
Hieromonks in monasteries are governed by different rules, and there IS no canon that says a priest needs a seminary education. A monk MAY have a seminary education, MAY obtain a seminary education, but in a community that is a cloistered as Mt. Athos, the practice would most likely be to teach the monk what he needs to know, and ordain him.
In other countries, priests often do not have a seminary education, either. This may limit their functions. In Greece, a priest who is not seminary trained is often prevented from doing ANYTHING beyond the liturgy and other services. Even sermons MAY not be allowed, depending on the priest, to avoid accidental heresy due to ignorance of theology. There are, of course, exceptions to this as well.
Monastics do not have this restriction, IIRC.
A more important issue for you if you were considering monasticism yourself, is whether the jurisdiction of your choice will ordain you (monasticsm is one thing, ordination is another) if you have killed someone. As a Marine, that might be tricky...though many get through a tour of duty just fine without combat, it is increasingly difficult these days.
However, I do not know the specifics as to ordination of ex-soldiers who killed in battle, and imagine it may vary somewhat from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Vicki
I talked to both my Priest the Antiochian and the ROCOR and they know what I might have to do in the Marine Corps, but they still encouarged me to become a priest and a monastic. I asked that very question. They said that you still could become a Hieromonk according to them.
In Christ
Nektarios
Thanks for the answer viki
Christ is Risen!
Dear Nektarios,
Excellent, then...It is always best to discuss these matters with your spiritual father...I would go one small step further, though, as you specifically asked about Mt. Athos.
If there is a particular monastery that you feel that you would like to eventually become a tonsured monk in, check with them, as well. There may be rules within one, and not another...
And you are very welcome!
Vicki
Nektario:
No, there is no rule saying that one must have a seminary education to be ordained-- especially on Athos. It simply requires election and ordination from a bishop in good standing with the church. However, many of the heiromonks do go for a Lic.Th. or doctoral education at the schools of theology in Thessaloniki or Athens. This is very common.
In Greece, the qualifications for ordination-- outside of monasteries vary-- there are four levels of priests, alpha, beta, gamma, and delta, based on one's level of education. The alpha's have the standard seminary education and are sent to larger parishes. The beta's have attended something similar to a theological community college. And it goes down to the delta's who are basically someone in a village who's been ordained because someone needs to serve the liturgy when there aren't enough full time priests. These people are for the most part not serving as spiritual fathers or doing anything other than communing.
As for serving in the Marine Corps, I have heard that there is a canon saying that if you have killed or murdered, you cannot be ordained a priest. The canons are very exacting and stringent on who may and may not be ordained. However, a bishop MAY grant oikonomia (an exception to a rule).
There are two types of canons, those that are doctrinal, and those that are normative/behavioral. The doctrinal canons NEVER can be broken or granted exceptions to. We would refer to these people as schismatics or heretics depending on the level of severity. The bishops of the church do however have the canonical right to grant exceptions to the normative canons. Here in America, the churches tend to grant more oikonomia than elsewhere. Also, a bishop who does not reside in a monastery would probably be more likely to do so.
As for the typical monastic, oikonomia would probably not be granted. However, there are gerondes/staretz who have surprised people with their gentleness, wisdom, and mercy. You should probably speak to one of them. Very few exist and most are on Mt. Athos or Optima. Only one is in the U.S.-- Fr. Ephraim in Arizona.
--Chris