Religion Wiki
Register
Advertisement
This article forms part of the series
Clergy (Christian)
Russian Orthodox Episcopal Ordination
Major orders
Bishop - Priest - Deacon
Minor orders
Subdeacon - Reader
Cantor - Acolyte
Other orders
Chorepiscopos - Exorcist
Doorkeeper - Deaconess
Episcopal titles
Pope - Patriarch - Cardinal - Catholicos
Archbishop - Metropolitan
Auxiliary bishop -

Chorbishop - Titular bishop
Major Archbishop

Priestly titles
Archimandrite - Protopresbyter
Archpriest - Protosyngellos
Economos
Diaconal titles
Archdeacon - Protodeacon - Hierodeacon
Minor titles
Lampadarios
Monastic titles
Abbot - Igumen
Related
Ordination - Vestments
Presbeia - Honorifics
Clergy awards - Exarch
Proistamenos - Vicar


Protodeacon derives from the Greek proto- meaning 'first' and diakonos, meaning 'deacon'. The word in English may refer to various clergymen, depending upon the usage of the particular church in question.

Eastern Orthodox Church[]

Protodeacon is an honorific rank given to certain married deacons in Eastern Christian churches. In the Russian Orthodox Church it is an honorary title given to married deacons, as a mark of which, the clergyman is entitled to wear a burgundy-colored skufia. The equivalent rank for Hierodeacons—i.e., monastic deacons—is Archdeacon. The senior deacon of a cathedral or principal church may be awarded the title of protodeacon. In the Greek usage, the chief deacon who is attached to the person of a bishop is called an archdeacon. In the Slavic usage a protodeacon or archdeacon wears a distinctive orarion (deacon's stole).

The title of protodeacon is an award, not a distinctive order of ministry; so while a man may be ordained a deacon, he is said to be 'elevated' to the rank of protodeacon. This elevation may be awarded only by the deacon's own ruling bishop. The rite of elevation is identical for both a protodeacon and an archdeacon, and is normally done during the Little Entrance of the Divine Liturgy.

A protodeacon has precedence when serving with other deacons, regardless of the date of his own ordination to the deaconate. If several protodeacons serve at the same time, their order of precedence is determined by the date of their elevation.

In the Archieratikon (Slavonic: Chinovnik), the liturgical book containing the services as celebrated by a bishop, the term Protodeacon is used to refer to the senior-ranking deacon who is serving, regardless of whether or not he has actually had that rank bestowed upon him.

Roman Catholic Church[]

In the Holy Roman Church, the senior-ranking Cardinal Deacon (in order of appointment to the College of Cardinals) is the Cardinal Protodeacon. He has the privilege of announcing a new Pope's election in the famous Habemus Papam announcement given from the central loggia at the St. Peter's Basilica. The current Cardinal Protodeacon is Agostino Cacciavillan.

External links[]

Advertisement