Female elders

[SeventhValley]

Are there female elders in Orthodoxy to lead women just as many male monastics are elders?

 

[jckstraw72]

sure, we have Eldresses --- whether they be Abbesses or other nuns and lay women.

 

[SeventhValley]

sure, we have Eldresses --- whether they be Abbesses or other nuns and lay women.

Could you give me some examples of any you know of?

 

[ArmyMatt]

Could you give me some examples of any you know of?

Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration
Holy Protection Monastery of the Theodokos

here are two women's monasteries that I love going too. the nuns there are fantastic.

 

[jckstraw72]

i've met a few times Gerontissa Olympiada, who is the current abbess at Holy Protection Monastery in White Haven, PA. i think she's pretty awesome - I'd have no problem entrusting my soul to her. Women cannot absolve, of course, but they can counsel. And the former abbess of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in Saxonburg, PA, Gerontissa Taxiarchia, is considered to have been a holy woman.

 

[SeventhValley]

Neat! Thanks guys.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Is there a distinction between a priest and an elder? Or is an elderess also a priestess?

 

[~Anastasia~]

Is there a distinction between a priest and an elder? Or is an elderess also a priestess?

They are not "priestesses".

The woman's monastery I visited relied on visits by a priest to serve the Divine Liturgy. Mother B. cannot hear confession/offer absolution.

During my visit, the sisters did not go behind the iconostasis. Though I can reasonably guess that they maintain it when the priests are not there.

 

[MoreCoffee]

They are not "priestesses".

The woman's monastery I visited relied on visits by a priest to serve the Divine Liturgy. Mother B. cannot hear confession/offer absolution.

During my visit, the sisters did not go behind the iconostasis. Though I can reasonably guess that they maintain it when the priests are not there.

Well, how can they be elderesses then? "Elder" is a literalistic translation of presbuteros isn't it? And priest is the English word for presbyter. It came to English through German and to German through Latin and to Latin from Greek. English never bothered to create separate words for Heirus (also translated as priest)

 

[jckstraw72]

as we use the terms today, an Elder is often a priest, but not necessarily so. Elder Paisios is a notable recent exception. Although, now that I think about it, i think an Elder is always a monastic - I can't think of anyone being called Elder who wasn't a monastic, but maybe so. And Eldresses are holy nuns.

 

[tapi]

Well, how can they be elderesses then? "Elder" is a literalistic translation of presbuteros isn't it? And priest is the English word for presbyter. It came to English through German and to German through Latin and to Latin from Greek. English never bothered to create separate words for Heirus (also translated as priest)

Presbyteros literally means elder in Koine (Biblical) Greek.

"Definition:
older; ancestral; (n.) in the Gospels and Acts, elder, usually as an official leader of the Jewish community, in the epistles, older man and older woman, who may or may not be official leaders of the church, depending on the context.

elder, senior; older, more advanced in years, Lk. 15:25; Jn. 8:9; Acts 2:17; an elder in respect of age, person advanced in years, 1 Tim. 5:1, 2; pl. spc. ancients, ancestors, fathers, Mt. 15:2; Heb. 11:2; as an appellation of dignity, an elder, local dignitary, Lk. 7:3; an elder, member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, Mt. 16:21; 21:23; 26:3, 47, 57, 59; an elder or presbyter of the Christian church, Acts 11:30; 14:23, et al. freq."

https://www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary/presbyteros

 

[~Anastasia~]

Well, how can they be elderesses then? "Elder" is a literalistic translation of presbuteros isn't it? And priest is the English word for presbyter. It came to English through German and to German through Latin and to Latin from Greek. English never bothered to create separate words for Heirus (also translated as priest)

I'm glad someone else answered you, because I couldn't have.

I don't know the titles and terms as I am still learning all of this. FWIW, I have never heard them called "eldresses" but usually I have heard "abbess" or just Mother-first-name.

I never hear anyone in a Church (local parish) called "elder" either. So far as I have heard, the term has been applied to a senior monk.

But I don't really know that much about such things.

I only know the women are not priests, cannot celebrate the Divine Liturgy, cannot hear Confessions, etc.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I'm glad someone else answered you, because I couldn't have.

I don't know the titles and terms as I am still learning all of this. FWIW, I have never heard them called "eldresses" but usually I have heard "abbess" or just Mother-first-name.

I never hear anyone in a Church (local parish) called "elder" either. So far as I have heard, the term has been applied to a senior monk.

But I don't really know that much about such things.

I only know the women are not priests, cannot celebrate the Divine Liturgy, cannot hear Confessions, etc.

Okay. Catholics also have abbesses and similar titles.

 

[gzt]

"Elder" in this case is "geronta" - think "geriatric".

 

[SeventhValley]

In the book I am reading they did talk about a Gerontissa (Eldress) Gabrielia. I though Gerontissa was a name

Gabrielia (Papayannis) - OrthodoxWiki

Apparently she was of the rank or something called Great Schema.

Not a knowledge that you learn, but a knowledge that you suffer. That is Orthodox spirituality. -Gerontissa Gabrielia

 

[~Anastasia~]

In the book I am reading they did talk about a Gerontissa (Eldress) Gabrielia. I though Gerontissa was a name

Gabrielia (Papayannis) - OrthodoxWiki

Apparently she was of the rank or something called Great Schema.

It does take a while to sort such things out. The first time I read it, I thought it was a name too.

 

[ArmyMatt]

as we use the terms today, an Elder is often a priest, but not necessarily so. Elder Paisios is a notable recent exception. Although, now that I think about it, i think an Elder is always a monastic - I can't think of anyone being called Elder who wasn't a monastic, but maybe so. And Eldresses are holy nuns.

and Elder Joseph the hesychast. he turned down the priesthood so that he could focus on prayer. and he pretty much revived the hesychastic tradition on Mt Athos

 

[Joseph Hazen]

When my mother saw "Hierodeacon Herman" commenting on my posts on Facebook she assumed "Hierodeacon" was an unusual first name. We named our kid Athanasius and our neighbors are Ignatius, Seraphim, Yuri...I get it, lol.

The Great Schema is the highest rank of monastic available. You cane read a bit about it here. If the nun was a Great Schema Nun she was very well respected within her monastery, and probably attained a very high level of sanctity. If she met with people to give them advice, she could very well be seen as a holy mother.

 

[prodromos]

Is there a distinction between a priest and an elder? Or is an elderess also a priestess?

Elder is "Γεροντα", and any one earn that title whether they be an ordained minister, a monk, or a layperson, though it is most commonly monastics who achieve such a position of respect.

 

[prodromos]

Well, how can they be elderesses then? "Elder" is a literalistic translation of presbuteros isn't it? And priest is the English word for presbyter. It came to English through German and to German through Latin and to Latin from Greek. English never bothered to create separate words for Heirus (also translated as priest)

Whatever the etymology might have been, I have two younger siblings and two older siblings. The older siblings are my elder brother and elder sister and I can assure you that neither are in the priesthood.