A woman "ordained" as deaconess in Alexandrian Patriarchate
Deaconess Angelic administers communion to believers. Photo: orthodoxdeaconess.org
On May 2, 2024, on Maundy Thursday, Metropolitan Serafim (Kykotis) of Zimbabwe of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church "ordained" Angelic Molen as a deaconess.
The orthodoxdeaconess.org website, where this information was posted, reports that such a "historic event would not have been possible without the approval and support of the Holy Synod of the Alexandrian Church and Patriarch Theodoros".
Deaconess Angelic has worked to engage the Orthodox youth of Zimbabwe and build a foundation of pastoral care within her community..
She has organized church school, mothers’s groups, and youth meetings.. As stated on the orthodoxdeaconess.org website, Angelic "is pursuing university education in order to better serve as an ordained member of the Orthodox Church. She is studying Geography and Environmental Studies, placing the sanctity of Earth at the forefront of her work".
According to her, "The Earth is a sacred gift from God. We must protect it from harm and live in harmony with the plants, animals, and every living thing."
When asked about her ordination, Angelic replied: "At first I was nervous about going into the altar, but when Metropolitan Serafim blessed me to enter the altar as part of my preparation this week, those feelings went away and I felt comfortable. I am ready."
Responding to questions about the role of deaconess Angelic and future deaconesses in Africa, Metropolitan Serafim stated that "she is going to do what the deacon is doing in the Liturgy and in all the sacraments in our Orthodox services."
The same source emphasizes that in the case of deaconess Angelic, we are talking about ordination: "The ordination of Deaconess Angelic in Zimbabwe was the fulfillment of the unanimous decision of the Holy Patriarchal Synod Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria in 2016 to follow the Apostolic Tradition of the Orthodox Church to renew the ancient institution of deaconess for pastoral reasons."
On May 4, on Holy Saturday, Metropolitan Serafim elevated Deaconess Angelica to the rank of archdeacon.
Earlier, on the Internet, a cleric of the OCU was shown teaching a girl in the church about diaconal ministry.
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