Ranks in Church
The ranks of the Orthodox Church are divided into three stages:
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1.Episcopal (monastic)
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2. Presbyterian
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3. Deaconess
-The episcopal rank is the highest in the Orthodox Church because the episcops are the immediate successors of the apostles.The word episcop is of Greek origin: epi = over, skopo = I look; therefore, he who oversees and has the fullness of the sacred grace is the supreme elder of the priesthood and the believing people, the chief teacher of the faith, and belongs to him the primacy of performing worship and holy mysteries.He alone has the right to ordain priests and deacons, to sanctify holy oil and antimines.The episcop is the undisputed administrator of the entrusted church area - the diocese.The clergy and the believing people are obliged to obey his commands and to do church work upon his blessing and approval.Just as the apostles were straight among themselves, so are the episcops, as their heirs, all equal in rank and law, wherever they may be - in Constantinople, Moscow, Jerusalem ...That is why chirotonia is performed by two or more episcops, and a episcop cannot be judged by a single episcop but only by a council of episcops.The highest authority is the Ecumenical Council (the assembly of all episcops of the entire Orthodox world).The first episcops were elected and appointed by the apostles and later the episcops of the local church with the participation of the clergy and the people.
The Episcopal rank includes the Patriarch, the Archepiscop, the Metropolitan and the Episcop.
Metropolitan
All diocesan and vicarial archepiscops of the Serbian Church bear the title of episcop, except for dioceses:
Montenegrin-coastal, with headquarters in Cetinje,dabrobosanic based in Sarajevo and Zagreb-Ljubljana headquarters in Zagreb,which are called metropolitan areas,and accordingly their diocesan episcops have the title of metropolitan.The word metropolitan comes from the Greek word metropolis = capital.In the first centuries of Christianity, these were the episcops of the capitals.In the Serbian Church, the Metropolitan, apart from a certain honor and primacy in congregational worship, where several episcops and certain rights participate in the Holy Synod of Episcops when the Patriarch is absent, has no other rights over other episcops.
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-Metropolitan Amphilochia (Metropolitan of Montenegro)
Patriarch
The highest degree in the hierarchy of administration is the Patriarch. He has no greater authority than the episcop in the clergy, except that he has the honor of sanctifying holy oil for the whole church, but he is the first among the plains.His authority, rights, duties and honors are reflected in the affairs of the church administration.
-Patriarch Paul
2. The presbyters are the heirs of the seventy apostolic disciples, and in the first centuries of the Church were the assistants of the episcops.The Greek word prezviteros means older. Presbyterians in the Serbian Church today are priests performing parish ministry at parishes throughout the Serbian Church.The priest ordains the episcop at the Holy Episcops' Liturgy, and then ordinances appoints him to a particular parish.He has the right to perform all worship, rites, prayers, and holy secrets - except the Holy Secret Priesthood (cannot ordain) and the Holy Secret Eloquence (sanctification of holy oil).In the Serbian Orthodox Church, there are four stages in the Presbyterian act: the right to wear the red belt, the Protonsor, the proto-priest, the proto-treasurer.
Right to wear a red belt
This first ecclesiastical decoration in the presbyterian act is given to young priests who excel in their zealous work in the priesthood service.The priest after the ordination has the right to wear a blue belt. With this decoration, she replaces the blue belt with red and wears it on festive occasions.A person wearing at least five years of priesthood service may be awarded the right to wear a belt. Blue and red belts are not worn during the Fast and on the days of mourning. Then a black belt is worn.
Protonsor
The diocesan episcop also gives this decoration to persons who have up to twenty years of priesthood service who have distinguished themselves through their work and dedication in the Church.Protonsormeans the proto-heir's deputy. He has the right to wear a red belt.
-Protonsor Branislav Mrkić
The proto-priest
This high ecclesiastical decoration features the diocesan episcop of the priests with over twenty years of priestly service, who distinguished themselves with their zealous work and service to their Church and showed evident results in their work.This decoration is bestowed on the Holy Episcops' Liturgy, when the bishop reads a prayer above the head of the decorated and is handed over to his superman (rhombus canvas), which the proto-leader then always wears at the Holy Liturgy.The word proto-priest in Greek means the high priest.
-The proto-priest John Milanović
The proto-treasurer
The highest ecclesiastical honors in the presbyterian act of the priesthood of the peace order are distinguished by distinguished senior priests, usually at the end of their pastoral ministry, who have especially distinguished themselves and their whole lives in the Church through their life and work.This decoration is given by the Holy Synod of Episcops at the suggestion of the Diocesan Episcop, and is solemnly handed over to the Holy Blessed Liturgy with an appropriate speech and congratulations.This decoration means the right to wear a cross on your chest. Hence the name proto-ruler - a proto-ruler wearing a cross.
-The proto-treasurer Dušan Kolundžić
3. The origin of this act is described in the Acts of the Apostles in Scripture.Namely, lest the apostles waste their time serving the hungry and the poor at the table and neglect the preaching of the word of God, they choose seven people, full of Sts. Of spirit and wisdom, and having laid their hands upon them, set them into the service of the care of the poor.Among the first seven deacons was St. Archdeacon Stefan, who celebrates January 9, the third day of Christmas, as the first martyr for the faith of Christ.It was the duty of the deacons to assist the apostles, that is, episcops and presbyters, in the worship and preaching of the word of God.They served agapas (tables of love), which is why they were called deacons (the Greek word diakonos means one who serves).In the Serbian Orthodox Church today, every diocesan episcop is deacon, as well as churches in major cities. The deacon rank is the first act of the hierarchical ladder.The deacon cannot perform any worship alone (without a episcop or priest) except for emergency baptism (if the person to be baptized is in mortal danger and there is no priest). Every believer who knows how to correctly pronounce the formula of the Holy Secret of Baptism also has this right of baptism.If the baptized patient is healed, the priest later performs the baptism supplement, but the formula of baptism is omitted, which reads: The baptized servant of God (name) in the name of the Father, amen, and Son, amen, and Holy Spirit, amen.
-Deacon Dejan Sokolov
In the Serbian Orthodox Church, there are two degrees in the deacon act: the right to wear a red belt and the proto-deacon.
Right to wear a red belt
This decoration is given to deacons who are distinguished by the same attributes mentioned in this presidency in the presbytery.
Proto-deacon
This decoration is symmetrical with the proto-Jewish rank of the presbyter and is given to persons over ten years of service. Proto-deacon means the first deacon, or the distinguished deacon, the first in honor.
