Subdeacons and Marriage

[Little_Boy_Lost]

Hey Ya’ll,

I read that subdeacons normally can’t marry after their ordination but since it is not one of the major Holy Orders, the canons regarding this are often overlooked. What’s the straight story?

 

[Aramis]

Hey Ya’ll,

I read that subdeacons normally can’t marry after their ordination but since it is not one of the major Holy Orders, the canons regarding this are often overlooked. What’s the straight story?

Roman Subdeacons definitely could not, because the Roman Subdeacon was considered (according to Pope Paul VI, erroneously so,) a major order, like deacon, priest, or bishop.

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

Sorry, my clarification is for Eastern Subdeacons. Byzantine, and Oriental and Assyrian.

 

[Diakonia]

Subdeacons may marry after ordination - deacons may not.

 

[Aramis]

Sorry, my clarification is for Eastern Subdeacons. Byzantine, and Oriental and Assyrian.

The confusion originates from the Roman praxis. Because the different approach, the East’s policy was different.

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

From this thread on Monachos.net forums, it seems some jurisdictions allow Subdeacons to marry and others don’t. What is the history of this, and what are the rules regarding the four jurisdictions in the United States?

Depends on the national tradition. In the Russian tradition, subdeacons are not allowed to marry, however in the Greek/Arabic tradition that seems to be permitted. I don’t know what they do in the Bulgarian Church. I know of one person who was made a subdeacon while in seminary before marriage in one jurisdiction where it did not present an obstacle to marriage. After seminary graduation, he then returned to the Russian Church where it was an issue. He was offered a choice by the Synod - either take monastic tonsure and proceed in the clerical ranks or marry and remain a subdeacon with no possibility of advancement. (He chose to become a monk and was subsequently ordained.)