This manuscript from the Vatican library, covered in white parchment,
was written before 1100, according to Jean Morin who inspected it. The
manuscript is incomplete. Moreover, the diaconate service reflects the practice
of a later date as far as male deacons are concerned, e.g. in the reading of
the ordination statement from a piece of paper. The ritual for ordaining women
deacons was obviously copied from a older text (compare with the
Barberini gr. 336 and Grottaferrata gr. Gb1 manuscripts), but incorporates
some later changes; e.g. a priest, instead of the (Arch)bishop, hands her the
chalice.
The manuscript has been published and translated into Latin by
John Morinus, in Commentarius [sic!] de Sacris Ecclesiae Ordinationibus,
publ. Kalverstraat, Antwerp 1695; here pp. 78-81.
| ‘The Order to be observed in the
Ordination (cheirotonia) of Deacons whose age we have fixed at 25
years’ |
‘Prayer at the Ordination
(cheirotonia) of a deaconess’ |
| After the sacred offertory, when the doors [of the
sanctuary] have been opened and when the Archdeacon has proclaimed: ‘His
mercies shall be . . .’, before the Deacon starts the litany ‘All
Saints’, the man who is to ordained is brought by the Archdeacon to the
holy table on the right side of the Bishop. The Archdeacon hands the Bishop a
written paper. And with the Archdeacon calling out: ‘Let us pay
attention!’, the Bishop reads what is written on the paper to all
listeners who are standing around. |
After the sacred offertory, the woman who is to
ordained Deacon is brought before the Archbishop. |
| This is what he says: ‘Divine
Grace, which always heals what is infirm and makes up for what is
lacking, promotes so-and-so, this most devout Subdeacon, to be a Deacon. Let us
therefore pray that the grace of the Holy Spirit may descend on him.’ |
And after the exclamation, he says the ‘Divine
Grace’ [statement]. |
| While all say ‘Lord, have mercy’, the
ordinand bends the right knee before the sacred table. The Archbishop puts the
sign of the cross on his forehead three times, and holding his hand imposed on
his head, prays in this fashion: |
And while she only bows her head, the Archbishop
imposes his hand on her forehead , makes the sign of the cross on it three
times, and prays thus: |
| [the ordination prayer is not found in the
manuscript] |
“Holy and Omnipotent Lord, through the birth of
your Only Son our God from a Virgin according to the flesh, you have sanctified
the female sex. You grant not only to men, but also to women the grace and
coming of the Holy Spirit. Please, Lord, look on this your maid servant and
dedicate her to the task of your diaconate, and pour out into her the rich and
abundant giving of your Holy Spirit.
Preserve her in the orthodox faith and
irreproachable conduct. Grant her to always perform her ministry
(leitourgia) with orthodox faith , according to what is pleasing to
you.
For to you . . . .”, and-so-on. |
| Afterwards the Archdeacon begins appropriate
intercessions, in a low voice, but in such a way that the Deacons around him
can hear him and respond. ‘Let us pray the Lord in peace. For heavenly
peace. For her. For our father and Archbishop so-and-so, for his priesthood,
help, perseverance, peace, health and the works of his hands, and for so-and-so
who has now been promoted to be a Deacon, for his health we pray the
Lord.’ ‘That the merciful and people-loving Lord may give him a
sincere and incontaminated diaconate, let us pray the Lord.’ ‘For the
most devout [Emperor], for the city, for liberation and for all our Christian
brethren. Help, o most holy and immaculate Mother of God.’ |
Afterwards the Deacon recites the aforesaid diaconal
prayers [=the intercessions]. |
| Afterwards the Bishop imposes his hand on him,
praying: |
And the Bishop, still holding his hand over the head of
the woman that was ordained, says as follows praying: |
“God, our Saviour, with immortal voice you have
foretold to your Apostles and announced to them first the ministry of the
deacon, and-so-on . . .
(in a loud voice)
For you are our God,
God of mercy, etc.” [sic!]” |
“Lord, Master, you do not reject women who
dedicate themselves to you and who are willing, just as you have ordered, to
serve your Holy House, but admit them to the order of your ministers
[leitourgôn].
Grant the gift of your Holy Spirit also to this
your maid servant who wants to dedicate herself to you, and fulfil in her the
office of the ministry of the diaconate, as you have granted this grace to your
hand maid Phoebe, whom you had called to the work of the ministry
[leitourgia].
Give her, Lord, that she may persevere without guilt
in your Holy Temple, that she may carefully guard her behaviour, especially her
modesty and chastity.
Moreover, make your maid servant perfect , so that,
when she will stand before the judgement seat of your Christ, she may be found
worthy of your excellent company and may receive the reward for it from you,
through the mercy and humanity of your Only Son.” |
| Afterwards he puts a stole [horarion] on him.
And having kissed him, he hands him the holy fan and
puts him near the holy table. Then the Deacon who stands in the ambo says:
‘Remembering all the saints . . . . ’ |
Afterwards he puts the stole of the diaconate [to
diakonikon horarion] round her neck, under her [woman's] scarf
[maphorion], arranging the two extremities of the stole towards the
front. The Deacon who stands in the ambo then says: ‘Remembering all the
saints . . . . ’ |
| When the time for communion comes, the newly ordained
receives as first among the Deacons communion of the sacred mysteries from the
ordaining Bishop. He is the first to receive from the hands of the Bishop the
bread and chalice. When however the Patriarch has communicated and all the
others [clergy], the newly ordained distributes communion to all the people.
After they have all received communion, he returns to the sacred table. |
When [at the time of communion] she has received
communion, the priest hands her the chalice. She accepts it and, without
distributing from it to anyone, puts it on the holy table and leaves. |
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