Priest

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A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rituals of 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-indo-European trifunctional hypothesis) and in the simplest societies, most likely as a result of agricultural surplus and consequent social stratification. 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. 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 for advice on spiritual matters, and less of a "person authorized to perform the sacred rituals" For example, clergy in Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity are priests, but inProtestant Christianity they are typically minister and pastor. In many religions, being a priest or priestess is a full-time position, ruling out any other career. 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.
Contents
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1 Etymology 2 Historical religions

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2.1 Ancient priests and priestesses 2.2 Ancient Egypt 2.3 Ancient Rome 2.4 Ancient Greece

3 Abrahamic religions

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3.1 Judaism 3.2 Christianity

3.2.1 Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy 3.2.2 Anglican or Episcopalian 3.2.3 Protestantism

3.3 Islam

4 Eastern religions

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4.1 Hinduism 4.2 Zoroastrianism 4.3 Taoism

5 Indigenous and ethnic religions

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5.1 Shintoism 5.2 Africa

6 Paganism

6.1 Wicca

7 Dress 8 Assistant priest 9 See also 10 References 11 External 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 Icelandic prestr, Old Swedish prster, Old High German priast. Old High German also has the disyllabic priester, priestar, apparently derived from Latin independently via Old French presbtre. 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 preChristian 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 ofAncient 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 thegoddess 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, derived from the root Q-D-[5][6] 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.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10]

Antonia Minor as a priestess of Ceres (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.[11][12]

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 ofclassical 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 holidayofferings 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 twentyfour 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 halakhalaw.

Christianity[edit]
See also: Priesthood of all believers

A Roman Catholic priest,Saint Josemara Escriv, celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass

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

A Catholic priest fromBelgian Congo

Eastern Orthodox priest wearing epitrachelion(stole) and epimanikia(cuffs), Mtskheta, Republic of Georgia

With the growth of the Catholic Church and the formation of parishes, the word , sacerdos, which Christians had since the 3rd century applied to bishops and only in a secondary sense to presbyters, began in the 6th century to be used of presbyters,[13] and is today commonly used of presbyters, distinguishing them from bishops.[14] Today the term "priest" is used in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, 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.[15] Since the Protestant Reformation, nonsacramental denominations are more likely to use the term "elder" to refer to their pastors. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) upholds all priesthood positions of the primitive gospel of Jesus Christ by the ordination of the laying on of hands by one in authority to act in Christ's name, namely deacons, teachers, priests, elders, high priests, patriarchs and apostles. The New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews draws a distinction between the Jewish priesthood and the high priesthood of Christ; it teaches that the sacrificialatonement 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 theMosaic law. 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. Catholics,[16] Eastern Orthodox,[17] High Church Anglicans,[17] Lutherans,[citation needed] and some Methodists[citation needed] consider the sacrifice to be "re-presented" in the Eucharist. 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.

Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy[edit]

Main article: Priesthood (Catholic 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 of Anointing 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 and Matrimony may be witnessed by a deacon, but most often these normally are administered by a priest as well. 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.[18] 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 Anglican province restricts the administration of confirmation to the bishop, just as with ordination. Whilst Anglican priests who are members of religious ordersmust remain celibate (although there are exceptions, such as priests in the Anglican Order of Cistercians), the secular clergy (bishops, priests, and deacons who are not members of religious orders) are 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. [19] This practice remains controversial, however; a minority of provinces (ten out of the thirty-eight worldwide) retain an all-male priesthood.[20] Most Continuing 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.[21]