- Cleric
A cleric (
Ancient Greek "κληρικός" - klērikos), clergyman (pl. clergymen), or churchman (pl. churchmen) is a member of theclergy of areligion , especially one who is apriest ,preacher , or other religious professional. It is often used to refer to the religious leadership inIslam , where the term "priest " is not accurate and where terms such as "Alim " are not widely understood in the English-speaking world.Within
Christianity , especially inEastern Christianity andRoman Catholicism , the term "cleric" refers to any individual who has received the clericaltonsure , includingdeacon s,priest s, andbishop s. InRoman Catholicism , thetonsure was a prerequisite for receiving any of theminor orders ormajor orders before theminor orders and thesubdiaconate were abolished following theSecond Vatican Council . Thus those individuals who have received the tonsure, but are notdeacon s,priest s, orbishop s, are properly referred to as clerics. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04049b.htm Cleric] - "Catholic Encyclopedia "]Minor Orders are still given in theEastern Catholic Churches , and 'cleric' is the normal title given to seminarians and those with minor orders.The term "
clerk " derives from "cleric," since in medieval times the clergy were one of the few groups who could read, and therefore were often employed to do bookkeeping and similar work. The term "clerical work" continues to this day to refer to such functions.References
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