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Hieromonk (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ?e??µ??a???, Ieromonachos; Slavonic: Ieromonakh, , also called a Priestmonk, is a monk
Monk

A Monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the unconditioning of mind and body in favor of the realization of one's true nature, and does so living either alone or with any number of like-minded people, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose....
 who is also a *priest
Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world with an estimated 225 million members worldwide. It is considered by its adherents to be the Four Marks of the Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago....
.

A hieromonk can be either a monk who has been ordained
Ordination

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies....
 to the priesthood, or a priest who has received monastic tonsure
Tonsure

Tonsure is the practice of some Christianity churches, mystics, Buddhist novices and Bhikkhus, and some Hindu temples of cutting the hair from the scalp of clerics, devotees or holy people as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem....
.

Ordination to the priesthood is the exception rather than the rule for monastics
Christian monasticism

Monasticism began to develop early in the history of the Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an institution in the scriptures....
, but is still more common than a priest entering monastic life, as only married men or monks are ordained priests.

In the Church hierarchy, a hieromonk is of higher dignity than a hierodeacon
Hierodeacon

A Hierodeacon , sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Church is a monk who has been ordination a Deacon#Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism....
, just as a secular (i.e., married) priest is of higher dignity than a deacon.






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Hieromonk (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ?e??µ??a???, Ieromonachos; Slavonic: Ieromonakh, , also called a Priestmonk, is a monk
Monk

A Monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the unconditioning of mind and body in favor of the realization of one's true nature, and does so living either alone or with any number of like-minded people, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose....
 who is also a *priest
Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world with an estimated 225 million members worldwide. It is considered by its adherents to be the Four Marks of the Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago....
.

A hieromonk can be either a monk who has been ordained
Ordination

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies....
 to the priesthood, or a priest who has received monastic tonsure
Tonsure

Tonsure is the practice of some Christianity churches, mystics, Buddhist novices and Bhikkhus, and some Hindu temples of cutting the hair from the scalp of clerics, devotees or holy people as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem....
.

Ordination to the priesthood is the exception rather than the rule for monastics
Christian monasticism

Monasticism began to develop early in the history of the Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament, but not mandated as an institution in the scriptures....
, but is still more common than a priest entering monastic life, as only married men or monks are ordained priests.

In the Church hierarchy, a hieromonk is of higher dignity than a hierodeacon
Hierodeacon

A Hierodeacon , sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Church is a monk who has been ordination a Deacon#Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism....
, just as a secular (i.e., married) priest is of higher dignity than a deacon. Within their own ranks, hieromonks are assigned order of precedence
Order of precedence

An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments....
 according to the date of their ordination. Ranking above Hieromonk is a Hegumen
Hegumen

Hegumen, hegumenos, or ihumen is the title for the head of a monastery of the Eastern Orthodox Church or Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the one of abbot....
 and an Archimandrite
Archimandrite

The title Archimandrite , primarily used in the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches, originally referred to a superior abbot whom a bishop appointed to supervise several 'ordinary' abbots and monasteries, or to the abbot of some especially great and important monastery....
.

In some countries, married clergy are referred to as "white clergy" while monastic clergy are called "black clergy" because monks should always wear black clothing but married clergy in many parts of the world typically wear white (or gray or colored) cassocks and rasons.

The proper title for a Hieromonk is, "the Reverend Hieromonk (name)" The form of address is, "Hieromonk (name)", "Father Hieromonk (name)", "Father (name)", or, informally, "Father".

In Western Christianity, a priest who is also a monk is termed a "religious priest".

See also

  • Hieromonk Makarije
    Hieromonk Makarije

    Hieromonk Makarije is the founder of Serbian and Romanians printing, having printed the first book in Serbian language and the first book in the territory of Walachia ....
  • Hieromonk Seraphim Rose
  • Degrees of Eastern Orthodox monasticism
    Degrees of Eastern Orthodox monasticism

    The Degrees of Eastern Orthodox monasticism are the stages an Eastern Orthodox monk or nun passes through in their religious vocation.In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the process of becoming a monk or nun is intentionally slow, as the monastic vows taken are considered to entail a life-long commitment to God, and are not to be entered into l...