Deaconess
Deaconesses were women assigned to perform certain functions in the early church. Their assistance was required because for reasons of modesty, the clergy could not do for women everything which they did for men. Deaconesses would assist with baptisms—which at that time were performed in the nude—so that the priest could stand behind a barrier and not see anything. Similarly they would assist with visiting women to distribute alms, and maintaining order in the women's side of the church. They performed their function even during Church services, although it did not extend to the deacon's service during the Liturgy.[1]
Deaconesses were older, celibate women and their role was subsumed into that of nuns.[1][2]
Due to abuses, ancient canons forbade the further creation of deaconesses. There have been occasional attempts to revive—more commonly, to subvert—deaconesses in the Church. In 1911, for example, attempts by the procurator of the Holy Synod of Russia to recreate deaconesses were opposed by the future hieromartyr Saint Hermogenes (Dolganov) of Tobolsk.[3]
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Feminist subversion of the title
In postmodern times, there is a movement among World Orthodox and Roman Catholics which pretends to seek "restoration" of deaconesses, while what they actually advocate is something completely different.[4][5] The heretical feminist movement for female ordination has already succeeded in subverting and indeed, destroying, large sections of protestantism.[6]
The movement employs the so-called motte and bailey fallacy: in order to advance their agenda they demand "deaconesses" which are not in fact historic deaconesses but female deacons, something which has never existed. But when their claims are attacked, they defend them by referring to the historical practice of deaconesses, which is not the same as what they are fighting for.[7] They are already succeeding in World Orthodoxy: The Alexandrian Patriarchate,[8] GOARCH[9][10], and others have women openly serving in roles ranging from altar servers to deacons.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 As per footnotes to Canon 19 of Nicaea in The Rudder.
- ↑ Canon 15 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council.
- ↑ This is mentioned in the life of St. Hermogenes, at least in the version which was published in Living Orthodoxy. https://www.orthodox.net/russiannm/hermogenes-bishop-and-hieromartyr-of-tobolsk-and-those-with-him.html
- ↑ https://nftu.net/world-orthodox-gather-support-womens-ordination/
- ↑ https://gab.com/BishopEnoch787/posts/112412300418392850
- ↑ Just one example of many.
- ↑ https://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/2024/03/deaconesses-female-deacons-and-agenda.html
- ↑ https://www.orthodoxethos.com/post/a-public-statement-on-orthodox-deaconesses-by-concerned-clergy-and-laity-updated-56-signatories
- ↑ https://orthochristian.com/153650.html
- ↑ https://stpaulsirvine.org/parish-history/
