Priest

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A vajracharya(thunderbolt-carrier), aNewar Buddhist priest.

Roman Catholic Parish Priest from the Belgian Congo

A priest or priestess (feminine)
(from Greek presbteros through Latin presbyter, "elder", or from Old
High German priast, prest, from Vulgar Latin "prevost" "one put over others", from
Latin praepositus "person placed in charge"), is a person authorized to perform
the sacred ritualsof a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and

one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious
rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their
office or position is the priesthood, a term which also may apply to such persons
collectively.
Priests and priestesses have existed since the earliest of times (see Proto-indoEuropean trifunctional hypothesis) and in the simplest societies, most likely as a
result of agricultural surplus and consequent social stratification. The necessity to
read sacred texts and keep temple or church records helped foster literacy in many
early societies. Priests exist in many religions today, such as all or some branches
of Judaism, Christianity, Shintoism,Hinduism. They are generally regarded as having
positive contact with the deity or deities of the religion to which they subscribe,
often interpreting the meaning of events and performing the rituals of the religion.
There is no common definition of the duties of priesthood between faiths; but
generally it includes mediating the relationship between one's
congregation, worshippers, and other members of the religious body, and its deity
or deities, and administering religious rituals and rites. These often include blessing
worshipers with prayers of joy at marriages, after a birth, and atconsecrations,
teaching the wisdom and dogma of the faith at any regular worship service, and
mediating and easing the experience of grief anddeath at funerals - maintaining a
spiritual connection to the afterlife in faiths where such a concept exists.
Administering religious building grounds and office affairs and papers, including any
religious library or collection of sacred texts, is also commonly a responsibility - for
example, the modern term for clerical duties in a secular office refers originally to
the duties of a cleric. The question of which religions have a "priest" depends on
how the titles of leaders are used or translated into English. In some cases, leaders
are more like those that other believers will often turn to for advice on spiritual
matters, and less of a "person authorized to perform the sacred rituals." For
example, clergy in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxyare priests, but
in Protestant Christianity they are typically minister and pastor. The
terms priest and priestess are sufficiently generic that they may be used in
an anthropological sense to describe the religious mediators of an unknown or
otherwise unspecified religion.
In many religions, being a priest or priestess is a full-time position, ruling out any
other career. Many Christian priests and pastors choose or are mandated to
dedicate themselves to their churches and receive their living directly from their
churches. In other cases it is a part-time role. For example, in the early history of
Iceland the chieftains were titled goi, a word meaning "priest". As seen in
the saga of Hrafnkell Freysgoi, however, being a priest consisted merely of offering
periodic sacrifices to the Norse gods and goddesses; it was not a full-time role, nor
did it involve ordination.
In some religions, being a priest or priestess is by human election or human choice.
In Judaism the priesthood is inherited in familial lines. In atheocracy a society
is governed by its priesthood.
Contents

[hide]

1Etymology

2Historical religions

2.1Ancient priests and priestesses

2.2Ancient Egypt

2.3Ancient Rome

2.4Ancient Greece

3Abrahamic religions
o

3.1Judaism

3.2Christianity

3.2.1Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy

3.2.2Anglican or Episcopalian

3.2.3Protestantism

3.2.4Latter Day Saints

3.3Islam

4Eastern religions
o

4.1Hinduism

4.2Zoroastrianism

4.3Taoism

5Indigenous and ethnic religions

o

5.1Shintoism

5.2Africa

6Neo-Paganism
o

6.1Wicca

7Dress

8Assistant priest

9See also

10References

11External links

Etymology[edit]
The word "priest", is ultimately derived from Greek, via Latin presbyter,[1] the term
for "elder", especially elders of Jewish or Christian communities in Late Antiquity. It
is possible that the Latin word was loaned into Old English, and only from Old
English reached other Germanic languages via the Anglo-Saxon mission to the
continent, giving Old Icelandicprestr, Old Swedish prster, Old High German priast.
Old High German also has the disyllabic priester, priestar, apparently derived from
Latin independently via Old Frenchpresbtre. The Latin presbyter ultimately
represents Greek presbyteros, the regular Latin word for "priest" being sacerdos,
corresponding to Greek hiereus.
That English should have only the single term priest to
translate presbyter and sacerdos came to be seen as a problem in English Bible
translations. The presbyter is the minister who both presides and instructs a
Christian congregation, while the sacerdos, offerer of sacrifices, or in a Christian
context the eucharist, performs "mediatorial offices between God and man". [2]
The feminine English noun, priestess, was coined in the 17th century, to refer to
female priests of the pre-Christian religions of classical antiquity. In the 20th
century, the word was used in controversies surrounding the ordination of women.
In the case of the ordination of women in the Anglican communion, it is more
common to speak of "priests", regardless of gender.

Vestal Virgin priestess of Ancient Rome

Historical religions[edit]
Further information: Vedic priesthood and Druid

In historical polytheism, a priest administers the sacrifice to a deity, often in highly

elaborate ritual. In the Ancient Near East, the priesthood also acted on behalf of the
deities in managing their property.
Priestesses in antiquity often performed sacred prostitution, and in Ancient Greece,
some priestesses such as Pythia, priestess at Delphi, acted as oracles.
Ancient priests and priestesses[edit]

Sumerian and Akkadian Entu or EN were top-ranking priestesses who were

distinguished with special ceremonial attire and held equal status to high
priests. They owned property, transacted business, and initiated the hieros
gamos ceremony with priests and kings.[3]

Nadtu served as priestesses in the temples of Inanna in the ancient city

of Erech. They were recruited from the highest families in the land and were
supposed to remain childless, owned property, and transacted business.

The Sumerian word NIN, ERE in Akkadian, is the sign for "lady."
NIN.DINGIR (Akkadian entu) "divine lady," a priestess.

In Sumerian epic texts such as Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, Nu-Gig were
priestesses in temples dedicated to Inanna and may be a reference to
the goddess herself.[4]

Puabi of Ur was a Semitic Akkadian queen or a priestess. In several other

Sumerian city-states, the ruling governor or king was also a head priest with
the rank of ensi, such as at Lagash.

Control of the "holy" city of Nippur and its temple priesthood generally meant
hegemony over most of Sumer, as listed on the Sumerian King List; at one
point, the Nippur priesthood conferred the title of queen of Sumer on Kugbau,
a popular taverness from nearby Kish (who was later deified as Kubaba).

In the Hebrew Bible, ( )Qedesha or Kedeshah,[5] derived from the root QD-[6][7] were temple prostitutes usually associated with the goddess Asherah.

Quadishtu served in the temples of the Sumerian goddess Qetesh.

Ishtaritu specialized in the arts of dancing, music, and singing and they
served in the temples of Ishtar.[8]

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, priestess Shamhat, a temple prostitute, tamed

wild Enkidu after "six days and seven nights."

En-hedu-ana, Akkadian 2285 BC 2250 BC was the first known holder of the
title, "En Priestess."

Gerarai fourteen Athenian matrons of Dionysus who presided over sacrifices

and participated in the festivals of Anthesteria.

Ancient Egypt[edit]

In Egyptian ideology, the right and obligation to interact with the gods belonged to
the pharaoh. He delegated this duty to priests, who were effectively bureaucrats
authorized to act on his behalf. Priests staffed temples throughout Egypt, giving
offerings to the cult statues in which the gods were believed to take up residence
and performing other rituals for their benefit. [9] Little is known about what training
may have been required of priests, and the selection of personnel for positions was
affected by a tangled set of traditions, although the pharaoh had the final say. In
the New Kingdom, when temples owned great estates, the high priests of the most
important cultthat of Amun at Karnakwere important political figures.[10]
High-ranking priestly roles were usually held by men. Women were generally
relegated to lower positions in the temple hierarchy, although some held specialized
and influential positions, especially that of the God's Wife of Amun, whose religious
importance overshadowed the High Priests of Amun in the Late Period.[11]

Antonia Minor as a priestess ofCeres (36 BCE37 CE)

Ancient Rome[edit]
See also: College of Pontifices
In Ancient Rome and throughout Italy, the ancient sanctuaries
of Ceres and Proserpina were invariably led by female sacerdotes, drawn from
women of local and Roman elites. It was the only public priesthood attainable by
Roman matrons and was held in great honor.[12][13]
Ancient Greece[edit]

The Pythia was the title of a priestess at the very ancient temple
of Delphi that was dedicated to the Earth Mother. She was widely credited for

her prophecies. The priestess retained her role when the temple was
rededicated to Apollo, giving her a prominence unusual for a woman in the
male-dominated culture of classical Greece.

Phrygian Sibyl was the priestess presiding over

an Apollonian oracle at Phrygia, a historical kingdom in
the Anatolian highlands.

Abrahamic religions[edit]
Judaism[edit]
Main article: Kohen
In ancient Israel the priests were required by the Law of Moses to be of direct
paternal descendency from Aaron, Moses' elder brother. In Exodus 30:2225 God
instructs Moses to make a holy anointing oil to consecrate the priests "for all of
eternity." During the times of the two Jewish Temples in Jerusalem, the Aaronic
priests were responsible for the daily and special Jewish holiday offerings and
sacrifices within the temples, these offerings are known as the korbanot.
In Hebrew the word "priest" is kohen (singular kohen, plural kohanim),
hence the family names Cohen, Cahn, Kahn, Kohn, Kogan, etc. These families are
from the tribe of Levi (Levites) and in twenty-four instances are called by scripture
as such (Jerusalem Talmud to Mishnaic tractate Maaser Sheini p. 31a). In Hebrew
the word for "priesthood" is kehunnah.
Since the destruction of the Second Temple, and (therefore) the cessation of the
daily and seasonal temple ceremonies and sacrifices, Kohanim in traditional Judaism
(Orthodox Judaism and to some extent, Conservative Judaism) continue to perform a
number of priestly ceremonies and roles such as the Pidyon HaBen (redemption of a
first-born son) ceremony and the Priestly Blessing, and have remained subject,
particularly in Orthodox Judaism, to a number of restrictions, such as restrictions on
certain marriages and ritual purity (see Kohanic disqualifications).
Orthodox Judaism regard the kohanim as being held in reserve for a future restored
Temple. In all branches of Judaism, Kohanim do not perform roles of propitiation,
sacrifice, or sacrament. Rather, a kohen's principal religious function is to perform
the Priestly Blessing, and, provided he is rabbinically qualified, to serve as an
authoritative judge (posek) and expositor of Jewish halakha law.
Christianity[edit]
See also: Priesthood of all believers

A Roman Catholicpriest, Saint Josemara Escriv, celebrating theholy sacrifice of the

Mass

Some clergy and religious, such as these, who are Canons Regular of the Order of
the Holy Cross and live in the Netherlands, wear distinctive clothing which
distinguishes them from other clergy, whether secular or religious

Eastern Orthodox priest wearingepitrachelion (stole)

and epimanikia(cuffs), Mtskheta, Republic of Georgia
With the spread of Christianity and the formation of parishes, the Greek
word (hiereus), and Latinsacerdos, which Christians had since the 3rd

century applied to bishops and only in a secondary sense topresbyters, began in the
6th century to be used of presbyters,[14] and is today commonly used of presbyters,
distinguishing them from bishops. [15]
Today the term "priest" is used in Roman Catholicism, Eastern
Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Oriental Orthodoxy, theChurch of the East, and some
branches of Lutheranism to refer to those who have been ordained to a ministerial
position through receiving the sacrament of Holy Orders, although "presbyter" is
also used.[16] Since the Protestant Reformation, non-sacramental denominations are
more likely to use the term "elder" to refer to their pastors.
However, nowhere in the New Testament is a Christian pastor (besides Christ) titled
"hiereus," the distinctive Greek word for "priest," and thus its rendering into English
is seen as an etymological corruption of the Greek word "presbuteros," which means
"elder," and which is the word for the lead category of Christian leaders in the New
Testament church,[17] under the Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest (archiereus).
In the New Testament, it is taught that as Christ made the perfect sacrifice for the
forgiveness of sins, then believers have direct access to the Father through Him,
(Hebrews 10:19) with the only priesthood that is named under Christ in the church
being that which consists of all believers. [18]
The New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews in particular draws a distinction between
the Jewish priesthood and the high priesthood ofChrist; it teaches that the
sacrificial atonement by Jesus Christ on Calvary has made the Jewish priesthood and
its prescribed ritual sacrifices redundant, along with the rest of the ceremonial acts
of the Mosaic law, see Christian views on the Old Covenant for details. Thus, for
Christians, Christ himself is the only high priest, and Christians have no priesthood
independent or distinct from participation in the priesthood of Christ, the head of
the Church. The one sacrifice of Christ, which he offered "once for all" (Hebrews
10:10) on the Cross, provides eternal sanctification and redemption. Roman
Catholics,[19] Eastern Orthodox,[20] High Church Anglicans,[20]Lutherans,[citation needed] and
some Methodists[citation needed] consider the sacrifice to be "re-presented" in
the Eucharist. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) claims to
uphold all priesthood positions of the primitive gospel by the laying on of hands.
The most known form of distinctive clothing for the priest is the easily
identifiable clerical collar (or Roman collar), which takes form in either the
traditional cassock, or modern day clerical shirt. The typical modern version consists
of a white plastic tab, inserted into a specially made collar of a black shirt, although
traditional cloth collars are still worn.
Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy[edit]
Main articles: Priesthood (Catholic Church) and Priesthood (Orthodox Church)
The most significant liturgical acts reserved to priests in these traditions are the
administration of the Sacraments, including the celebration of the Holy
Mass or Divine Liturgy (the terms for the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin
and Byzantine traditions, respectively), and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also

called Confession. The sacraments ofAnointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction)

and Confirmation or Chrismation are also administered by priests, though in the
Western tradition Confirmation is ordinarily celebrated by a bishop. In the East,
Chrismation is performed by the priest (using oil specially consecrated by a bishop)
immediately after Baptism, and Unction is normally performed by several priests
(ideally seven), but may be performed by one if necessary. In the West, Holy
Baptism may be celebrated by anyone. The Vatican catechism states that
"According to Latin tradition, the spouses as ministers of Christ's grace mutually
confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony".[21] Thus marriage is a
sacrament administered by the couple to themselves, but may be witnessed and
blessed by a deacon, or priest (who usually administers the ceremony). In the East,
Holy Baptism and Marriage (which is called "Crowning") may be performed only by a
priest. If a person is baptized in extremis (i.e., when in fear of immediate death),
only the actual threefold immersion together with the scriptural words (Matthew
28:19) may be performed by a layperson or deacon. The remainder of the rite, and
Chrismation, must still be performed by a priest, if the person survives. The only
sacrament which may be celebrated only by a bishop is that
of Ordination (cheirotonia, "Laying-on of Hands"), or Holy Orders.
In these traditions, only men who meet certain requirements may become priests.
In Roman Catholicism the canonical minimum age is twenty-five. Bishops may
dispense with this rule and ordain men up to one year younger. Dispensations of
more than a year are reserved to the Holy See (Can. 1031 1, 4.) A Catholic priest
must be incardinated by his bishop or his major religious superior in order to engage
in public ministry. In Orthodoxy, the normal minimum age is thirty (Can. 9 of
Neocaesarea) but a bishop may dispense with this if needed. In neither tradition
may priests marry after ordination. In the Roman Catholic Church, priests in the
Latin Rite, which covers the vast majority of Roman Catholicism, must
be celibate except under special rules for married clergy converting from certain
other Christian confessions.[22] Married men may become priests in Eastern
Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches, but in neither case may they marry
after ordination, even if they become widowed. Candidates for bishop are chosen
only from among the celibate. Orthodox priests will either wear a clerical collar
similar to the above mentioned, or simply a very loose black robe that does not
have a collar.
Anglican or Episcopalian[edit]
The role of a priest in the Anglican Communion is largely the same as within
the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity, except that canon law in
almost every Anglicanprovince restricts the administration of confirmation to
the bishop, just as with ordination. Whilst Anglican priests who are members
of religious orders must remain celibate(although there are exceptions, such as
priests in the Anglican Order of Cistercians), the secular clergybishops, priests,
and deacons who are not members of religious ordersare permitted to marry
before or after ordination. The Anglican churches, unlike the Roman Catholic or
Eastern Christian traditions, have allowed the ordination of women as priests in
some provinces since 1971.[23] This practice remains controversial, however; a

minority of provinces (10 out of the 38 worldwide) retain an all-male priesthood.

[24]
MostContinuing Anglican churches do not ordain women to the priesthood.
As Anglicanism represents a broad range of theological opinion, its presbyterate
includes priests who consider themselves no different in any respect from those of
the Roman Catholic Church, and a minority who prefer to use the title presbyter in
order to distance themselves from the more sacrificial theological implications
which they associate with the word priest. While priest is the official title of a
member of the presbyterate in every Anglican province worldwide, the ordination
rite of certain provinces (including the Church of England) recognizes the breadth of
opinion by adopting the title The Ordination of Priests (also called Presbyters).
Historically, the term priest has been more associated with the High Church
or Anglo-Catholic wing, whereas the term minister has been more commonly used
in Low Church or Evangelical circles.[25]
Protestantism[edit]
The general priesthood or the priesthood of all believers, is a Christian doctrine
derived from several passages of the New Testament. It is a foundational concept
ofProtestantism.[26] It is this doctrine that Martin Luther adduces in his 1520 To the
Christian Nobility of the German Nation in order to dismiss the medieval Christian
belief that Christians were to be divided into two classes: "spiritual" and "temporal"
or non-spiritual.
The conservative reforms of Lutherans are reflected in the theological and practical
view of the ministry of the Church. Much of European Lutheranism follows the
traditional catholic governance of deacon, priest and bishop. The Lutheran
archbishops of Finland, Sweden, etc. and Baltic countries are the historic national
primates (See the originalCatholic Church) and some ancient cathedrals and
parishes in the Lutheran church were constructed many centuries before the
Reformation. Indeed, ecumenical work within the Anglican communion and among
Scandinavian Lutherans mutually recognize the historic apostolic legitimacy and full
communion. Likewise in America, Lutherans have embraced the apostolic
succession of bishops in the full communion with Episcopalians and most Lutheran
ordinations are performed by a bishop. The Roman Catholic Church, however, does
not recognise Episcopalians or Lutherans as having legitimate apostolic succession.
Ordained Protestant clergy often have the title of pastor, minister, reverend, etc. In
some Lutheran churches, ordained clergy are called priests, while in others the term
pastor is preferred.
Latter Day Saints[edit]
Main article: Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)

1898 depiction of the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.

In the Latter Day Saint movement, priesthood is the power and authority of God
given to man, including the authority to performordinances and to act as a leader in
the church. A body of priesthood holders is referred to as a quorum. Priesthood
denotes elements of both power and authority. The priesthood includes the
power Jesus gave his apostles to perform miracles such as the casting out of devils
and the healing of sick (Luke 9:1). Latter Day Saints believe that
the Biblical miracles performed by prophets and apostles were performed by the
power of priesthood, including the miracles of Jesus, who holds all of the keys of the
priesthood. The priesthood is formally known as the "Priesthood after the Order of
the Son of God", but to avoid the too frequent use of the name of deity, the
priesthood is referred to as the Melchizedek priesthood (Melchizedek being the high
priest to whom Abraham paid tithes). As an authority, priesthood is the authority by
which a bearer may perform ecclesiastical acts of service in the name of God. Latter
Day Saints believe that acts (and in particular, ordinances) performed by one with
priesthood authority are recognized by God and are binding in heaven, on earth,
and in the afterlife. In addition, Latter Day Saints believe that leadership positions
within the church are legitimized by the priesthood authority.
Islam[edit]
See also: Clergy Islam
Islam has no sacerdotal priesthood, as every believer (mu'min) is individually
empowered to engage with God directly, without any mediator. There are, however,
a variety of academic and administrative offices which have evolved to assist
Muslims with this task; a full discussion can be found at Clergy#Islam.
Eastern religions[edit]

Hinduism[edit]

A yagya being performed

Hindu priests historically were members of the Brahmin caste. Priests are ordained
and trained as well. There are two types of Hindu priests, pujaris and purohits.
A pujari performs rituals in a temple. These rituals include bathing the murtis (the
statues of the gods/goddesses), performing puja, a ritualistic offering of various
items to the Gods, the waving of a ghee or oil lamp also called an offering in light,
known in Hinduism as aarti, before the murtis. Pujaris are often married.
A purohit, on the other hand, performs rituals and saskras (sacraments) outside
of the temple. There are special purohits who perform only funeral rites.
In many cases, a purohit also functions as a pujari. Both women and men are
ordained as purohits and pujaris.[27][28]
There are many priests in India who perform their work both inside and outside
temples. The ones who perform it inside are called "pujaris" who are more common
and are more significant in society. A few tasks of these "pujaris" would be to clean
or bathe the statue of the God in the temple. They do earn from this but do not
demand too much money. The other more debatable priests are the purohitswho
perform their duties outside the temple. They act as God for poor people and by
talking or by providing 'hope', they earn a living.
Zoroastrianism[edit]
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this
section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may
be challenged and removed. (June 2012)
In Zoroastrianism, the priesthood is reserved for men and is a mostly hereditary
position. The priests prepare a drink from a sacred plant, which is called
the haoma ritual. They officiate the Yasna, pouring libations into the sacred fire to
the accompaniment of ritual chants.
Taoism[edit]
The Taoist priest is called a Daoshi ( "master of the Dao" p. 488). Daoshi act as
interpreters of the principles of Yin-Yang 5 elements (fire, water, soil, wood, and

metal p. 53) school of ancient Chinese philosophy, as they relate to marriage,

death, festival cycles, and so on. The Daoshi seeks to share the benefits of
meditation with his or her community through public ritual and liturgy (p. 326). In
the ancient priesthood before the Tang, the priest was called Jijiu ("libationer"
p. 550), with both male and female practitioners selected by merit. The system
gradually changed into a male only hereditary Daoshi priesthood until more recent
times (p. 550,551).[29]
Indigenous and ethnic religions[edit]