View source for Priest

{{short description|Person authorized to lead the sacred rituals of a religion}}
{{Other uses|Priest (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect2|Priesthood|Priestess||Priesthood (disambiguation)|and|Priestess (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox occupation
| name               = Priest
| synonyms           = 
| pronounce          = 
| image              = Priests rome.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = [[Priesthood in the Catholic Church|Catholic priests]] in [[Rome, Italy]], 2005
| official_names     = 
| type               = Vocation
| activity_sector    = Religion
| competencies       = 
| formation          = 
| employment_field   = 
| related_occupation = [[Deacon|Diaconate]]
}}
A '''priest''' is a [[religious leader]] authorized to perform the sacred [[ritual]]s of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more [[deity|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. A priest may have the duty to hear confessions periodically, give marriage counseling, provide prenuptial counseling, give spiritual direction, teach [[catechism]], or visit those confined indoors, such as the sick in hospitals and nursing homes.

== Description ==
According to the [[trifunctional hypothesis]] of prehistoric [[Proto-Indo-European society]], priests have existed since the earliest of times and in the simplest societies, most likely as a result of [[agricultural surplus#Neolithic|agricultural]] surplus and consequent [[social stratification]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Momigliano |first=Arnaldo |date=1984 |title=Georges Dumézil and the Trifunctional Approach to Roman Civilization |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2505078 |journal=History and Theory |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=312–330 |doi=10.2307/2505078 |jstor=2505078 |issn=0018-2656|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 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]], [[Buddhism]], [[Shinto]], and [[Hinduism]]. They are generally regarded as having privileged 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, [[worshipper]]s, and other members of the religious body, and its deity or deities, and administering religious [[ritual]]s and rites. These often include blessing worshipers with prayers of joy at marriages, after a birth, and at [[consecrations]], teaching the wisdom and [[dogma]] of the faith at any regular worship service, and mediating and easing the experience of grief and death 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 text]]s, is also commonly a responsibility – for example, the modern term for [[secretary|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 [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodoxy]] are ''priests'', as with certain synods of [[Lutheranism]] and [[Anglicanism]], though other branches of [[Protestantism|Protestant Christianity]], such as Methodists and Baptists, use ''[[minister (Christianity)|minister]]'' and ''[[pastor]].'' The terms ''priest'' and ''priestess'' are sufficiently generic that they may be used in an [[anthropology|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 ''[[goði]]'', a word meaning "priest". As seen in the [[saga]] of [[Hrafnkels saga|Hrafnkell Freysgoði]], however, being a priest consisted merely of offering periodic sacrifices to the [[Norse mythology|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 a [[theocracy]], a society is [[government|governed]] by its priesthood.

== Etymology ==
The word "priest", is ultimately derived from Latin via [[ancient Greek|Greek]] ''[[presbyter]]'',<ref>''Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language'', College Edition, The World Publishing Company, Cleveland OH, s.v. "priest"</ref> the term for "elder", especially elders of Jewish or Christian communities in [[late antiquity]]. The Latin ''presbyter'' ultimately represents Greek {{lang|grc|πρεσβύτερος}} ''presbúteros'', the regular Latin word for "priest" being ''[[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#sacerdos|sacerdos]]'', corresponding to {{lang|grc|ἱερεύς}} ''hiereús''.

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]] ''präster'', [[Old High German]] ''priast''. Old High German also has the disyllabic ''priester, priestar'', apparently derived from Latin independently via [[Old French]] ''presbtre''.

An alternative theory makes ''priest'' cognate with Old High German ''priast'', ''prest'', from [[Vulgar Latin]] *''prevost'' "one put over others", from Latin ''praepositus'' "person placed in charge".<ref>[https://www.etymonline.com/word/priest "priest"]. ''[[Online Etymology Dictionary]]''.</ref>

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 [[sacrifice]]s, or in a Christian context the [[eucharist]], performs "mediatorial offices between God and man".<ref>[[Joseph B. Lightfoot]], ''Epistle to the Philippians; a revised text, with introduction, etc.'', 2nd ed. 1869, p. 184, cited after ''[[OED]]''.</ref>

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 Anglican Communion|women ordained in the Anglican communion]], who are referred to as "priests", irrespective of gender, and the term priestess is generally considered archaic in Christianity.

Webster's 1829 Dictionary stated "PRIEST, ''noun'' [Latin proestes, a chief, one that presides; proe, before, and sto, to stand, or sisto.]" https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/priest

== Historical religions ==
[[File:Vestalin-2.jpg|thumb|[[Vestal Virgin]] priestess of [[Ancient Rome]]]]
[[File:Romans murdering Druids and burning their groves cropped.jpg|thumb|Roman soldiers murdering [[druid]]s and burning their groves on [[Anglesey]], as described by [[Tacitus]]]]
{{Further|Vedic priesthood|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 [[oracle]]s.

=== Ancient priests and priestesses ===
* [[Sumerian language|Sumerian]] {{smallcaps|[[EN (cuneiform)|en]]}} ({{langx|akk|entu}}), including [[Enheduanna]] ({{Circa|23rd century BCE}}), were top-ranking priests who were distinguished with special ceremonial attire and held equal status to high priests. They owned property, transacted business, and initiated the [[hieros gamos]] with priests and kings.<ref>{{cite book |first=Sarah |last=Dening |year=1996 |title=The Mythology of Sex – Ch.3 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-02-861207-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/mythologyofsexan0000deni |url-access=registration}}</ref>
* [[Nadītu]] served as priestesses in the temples of [[Inanna]] in the city of [[Uruk]]. They were recruited from the highest families in the land and were supposed to remain childless, owned property, and transacted business.
* The Sumerian word {{smallcaps|[[NIN (cuneiform)|nin]]}}, {{smallcaps|EREŠ}} in Akkadian, is the sign for "lady." {{smallcaps|nin.[[dingir]]}} (Akkadian ''entu''), literally "divine lady", a priestess.
* In Sumerian epic texts such as "[[Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta]]", {{smallcaps|nu-gig}} were priestesses in temples dedicated to Inanna and may be a reference to the goddess herself.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jeremy |last=Black |year=1998 |title=''Reading Sumerian Poetry'' |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=0-485-93003-X |page=142 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jj3bi8QAm1AC&pg=PA142}}</ref>
* [[Puabi]] of [[Ur]] was an Akkadian [[queen regnant]] or a priestess. In several other Sumerian city-states, the ruling governor or king was also a head priest with the rank of {{smallcaps|[[ensi (Sumerian)|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 (Sumer)|Kish]] (who was later deified as [[Kubaba]]).
* In the [[Hebrew Bible]], {{langx|he|קְדֵשָׁה}} ''qědēšā'',<ref name="blueletterbible">{{cite web |url=http://cf.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H06948&t=kjv |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710120059/http://cf.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H06948&t=kjv |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-10 |title=Hebrew Lexicon :: H6948 (KJV)|publisher=cf.blueletterbible.org |access-date=2015-07-25}}</ref> derived from the root [[Q-D-Š]]<ref name="kedeshah">{{cite web |title=Strong's H6948 |url=https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=h6948 |website=[[Blue Letter Bible]] |language=en |access-date=2018-08-29 |archive-date=2018-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829175407/https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=h6948 |url-status=dead }}, incorporating [[Strong's Concordance]] (1890) and [[Wilhelm Gesenius|Gesenius]]'s Lexicon (1857).</ref> were sacred 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]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Prioreschi |first=Plinio |title=A History of Medicine: Primitive and ancient medicine |journal=Mellen History of Medicine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJUMhEYGOKsC&pg=PA376 |year=1996 |volume=1 |publisher=Horatius Press |isbn=978-1-888456-01-1 |page=376 |pmid=11639620}}</ref>
* In the ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]'', priestess [[Shamhat]], a temple prostitute, tamed wild [[Enkidu]] after "six days and seven nights."
* ''[[Gerarai]]'', fourteen [[Athens|Athenian]] matrons of [[Dionysus]], presided over sacrifices and participated in the festivals of [[Anthesteria]].

=== Ancient Egypt ===
In [[ancient Egyptian religion]], the right and obligation to interact with the [[ancient Egyptian deities|gods]] belonged to the [[pharaoh]]. He delegated this duty to priests, who were effectively bureaucrats authorized to act on his behalf. Priests staffed [[Egyptian temple|temples]] throughout Egypt, giving offerings to the [[cult image]]s in which the gods were believed to take up residence and performing other rituals for their benefit.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sauneron |first=Serge |author-link=Serge Sauneron |title=The Priests of Ancient Egypt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J9yureoueAEC |year=2000 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=0-8014-8654-8 |pages=32–36, 89–92}}</ref> 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 of Egypt]], when temples owned great estates, the high priests of the most important cult—that of [[Amun]] at [[Karnak]]—were important political figures.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sauneron |first=Serge |author-link=Serge Sauneron |title=The Priests of Ancient Egypt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J9yureoueAEC |year=2000 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=0-8014-8654-8 |pages=42–47, 52–53}}</ref>

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 Priest of Amun|High Priests of Amun]] in the [[Late Period of ancient Egypt|Late Period]].<ref>Doxey, Denise M., "Priesthood", in ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt'' (2001), vol. III, pp. 69–70</ref>

=== Ancient Rome ===
{{See also|College of Pontiffs}}
In [[ancient Rome]] and throughout Italy, the ancient sanctuaries of [[Ceres (mythology)|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.

A Roman matron was any mature woman of the upper class, married or unmarried. Females could serve public cult as [[Vestal Virgin]]s but few were chosen, and then only from young maidens of the upper class.<ref>[[Barbette Stanley Spaeth]], ''The Roman goddess Ceres'', University of Texas Press, 1996, pp. 4–5, 9, 20 (historical overview and Aventine priesthoods), 84–89 (functions of plebeian aediles), 104–106 (women as priestesses): citing among others Cicero, ''In Verres'', 2.4.108; Valerius Maximus, 1.1.1; Plutarch, ''De Mulierum Virtutibus'', 26.</ref>

=== Ancient Greece ===
* 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 [[prophecy|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]].
* The [[Phrygian Sibyl]] was the priestess presiding over an [[Apollo]]nian [[oracle]] at [[Phrygia]], a historical kingdom in the [[Anatolia]]n highlands.

== Abrahamic religions ==
=== Judaism ===
[[File:Synagoge, Enschede, Mozaiek.jpg|thumb|left|Kohanim's hands: [[Priestly Blessing]] gesture depicted on a mosaic in the synagogue of [[Enschede]]]]
{{Main|Kohen}}

==== Historical ====
{{Main|Priesthood (ancient Israel)}}
After [[the Exodus|the departure of the Israelites from Egypt]], priests in [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|ancient Israel]] were required by the [[Law of Moses]] to be direct [[patrilineal descent|patrileneal descendants]] of [[Aaron]], the elder brother of [[Moses]]. In Exodus 30:22–25 [[JHWH|God]] instructs Moses to make a [[holy anointing oil|holy anointing-oil]] to consecrate the priests "for all of eternity". During the times of the two Jewish [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temples in Jerusalem]], the Aaronic priests performed the daily and special [[Jewish holiday|Jewish-holiday]] offerings and sacrifices within the temples; these offerings are known as the ''[[korbanot]]''.

In Hebrew, the word for "priest" is ''[[kohen]]'' (singular כהן ''kohen'', plural כּהנִים ''kohanim''), hence the family names [[Cohen (surname)|''Cohen'']], ''[[Cahn]]'', ''[[Kahn]]'', ''[[Kohn]]'', ''[[Kogan]]'', etc. Jewish families with these names belong to the [[tribe of Levi]] ([[Levites]] – descended from [[Levi]], the great-grandfather of Aaron) and in twenty-four instances are called by scripture as such.<ref>[[Jerusalem Talmud]] to [[Mishna]]ic tractate Maaser Sheini p.&nbsp;31a.</ref>{{Request quotation|date=January 2023}} In Hebrew, the word for "priesthood" is ''kehunnah''.

The Hebrew word ''kohen'' comes from the [[Hebrew root|root]] KWN/KON כ-ו-ן 'to stand, to be ready, established'<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Even-Shoshan |first=Avraham |title=Even-Shoshan Dictionary |year=2003 |pages=Entry "כֹּהֵן" (Kohen)}}</ref> in the sense of "someone who stands ready before God",<ref>{{cite web |title=Klein Dictionary, כֹּהֵן |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Klein_Dictionary,_כֹּהֵן |access-date=2020-08-01 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> and has cognates in other [[Semitic languages]], e.g. [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] [[Tabnit sarcophagus#Inscription|KHN 𐤊𐤄𐤍 "priest"]] or [[Arabic]] ''kahin'' كاهن "priest".

==== Modern Judaism ====
{{See also|List of disqualifications for the Jewish priesthood}}
Since the [[destruction of the Second Temple]], and (therefore) the cessation of the daily and seasonal temple ceremonies and sacrifices, [[kohanim]] have become much less prominent. In traditional Judaism ([[Orthodox Judaism]] and to some extent, [[Conservative Judaism]]) a few priestly and [[Levitical]] functions, such as the ''[[pidyon haben]]'' (redemption of a first-born son) ceremony and the [[Priestly Blessing]], have been retained. Especially in Orthodox Judaism, kohanim remain subject to a number of restrictions concerning matters related to marriage and [[tumah and taharah|ritual purity]].

[[Orthodox Judaism]] regard the kohanim as being held in reserve for a future [[Third Temple|restored Temple]]. Kohanim do not perform roles of propitiation, sacrifice, or sacrament in any branch of [[Rabbinical Judaism]] or in [[Karaite Judaism]]. The principal religious function of any kohanim is to perform the [[Priestly Blessing]], although an individual kohen may also become a [[rabbi]] or other professional religious leader.

===== Beta Israel =====
The traditional [[Beta Israel]] community in Israel had little direct contact with other Jewish groups after the destruction of the temple and developed separately for almost two thousand years. While some Beta Israel now follow Rabbinical Jewish practices, the Ethiopian Jewish religious tradition ([[Haymanot]]) uses the word [[Kahen]] to refer to a type non-hereditary cleric.

=== Samaritanism ===
Aaronic Kohanim also officiated at the [[Samaritan]] temple on [[Mount Gerizim]]. The Samaritan kohanim have retained their role as religious leaders.

=== Christianity ===
[[File:Georgischer Priester.jpg|thumb|[[Eastern Orthodox]] priest wearing [[epitrachelion]] (stole) and [[epimanikia]] (cuffs), [[Mtskheta]], [[Georgia (country)|Republic of Georgia]]]]

With the spread of Christianity and the formation of [[parish]]es, the Greek word {{lang|grc|ἱερεύς}} ''hiereús'' and Latin word ''sacerdos'', which Christians had since the 3rd century applied to [[bishop]]s and only in a secondary sense to [[presbyter]]s, began in the 6th century to be used for presbyters,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Garhammer |first=Erich |editor=Erwin Fahlbusch |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Christianity |title=Priest, Priesthood &nbsp;3. Roman Catholicism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C5V7oyy69zgC&q=%22same+tasks+as+bishops%22&pg=PA348 |access-date=2012-06-20 |year=2005 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |volume=4 |isbn=978-0-8028-2416-5 |page=348}}</ref> and is today commonly used for presbyters, distinguishing them from bishops.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VrLnu1RiyVgC&dq=Smolarski+%22priests+and+presbyters%22&pg=PA128 |title=Dennis Chester Smolarski, ''Sacred Mysteries'' (Paulist Press 1995 ISBN 978-0-8091-3551-6), p. 128 |date=1995 |publisher=Paulist Press |isbn=978-0-8091-3551-6 |access-date=2014-08-25}}</ref>

Today, the term "priest" is used in the [[Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Oriental Orthodoxy]], the [[Church of the East]], and many branches of [[Lutheranism]] and  [[Anglicanism]], to refer to those who have been [[ordained]] to a ministerial position through receiving the [[sacrament]] of [[Holy Orders]], although "presbyter" is also used.<ref>An example of the use of "presbyter" is found in [https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P4U.HTM Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1554]</ref> Since the [[Protestant Reformation]], non-sacramental denominations are more likely to use the term "[[Elder (Christianity)|elder]]" to refer to their pastors. The Christian term "priest" does not have an entry in the [[Anchor Bible Series|Anchor Bible Dictionary]], but the dictionary does deal with the above-mentioned terms under the entry for "Sheep, Shepherd."<ref>Vancil, Jack W. (1992). "Sheep, Shepherd" ''The Anchor Bible Dictionary'' New York: Doubleday. 5, 1187–1190. {{ISBN|0-385-19363-7}}.</ref> 

In Western Christianity, priests are usually styled "[[The Reverend]]".

==== Eastern Orthodoxy ====
[[File:Orthodox priest family.jpg|thumb|[[Clerical marriage|Married Eastern Orthodox priest]] from [[Jerusalem]] with his family (three generations), {{circa|1893}}]]
{{Main|Priesthood (Eastern Orthodox Church)}}
In Orthodoxy, the normal minimum age is thirty (Can. 11 of Neocaesarea) but a bishop may dispense with this if needed. In neither tradition may priests marry after ordination. In the Catholic Church, priests in the Latin Church must be [[clerical celibacy|celibate]] except under special rules for married clergy converting from certain other Christian confessions.<ref>{{cite news
|title=Peoria diocese ordains its first married priest
|last=Miller
|first=Michael
|work=[[Peoria Journal Star]]
|date=May 17, 2008
|page=C8
|url=https://rentapriest.blogspot.com/2008/05/peoria-diocese-ordains-its-first.html
|access-date=2013-06-14
|quote=About 100 [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] priests, many of them married, have become Roman Catholic priests since a "pastoral provision" was created by [[Pope John Paul II]] in 1980, said [Doug] Grandon, director of catechetics for the diocese. [...] His family life will remain the same, he said. Contrary to popular misunderstandings, he won't have to be celibate.}}</ref> Married men may become priests in [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], but cannot marry after ordination, even if they become widowed. In the view of the Eastern Orthodox Churches:
{{quotation|By allowing married men to enter the priesthood, the Orthodox Church affirms the blessedness of marriage without lessening the affirmation of the blessedness of celibacy. St Clement of Alexandria writes: “Celibacy and marriage each have their own functions and specific services to the Lord”, and so “we pay homage to those whom the Lord has favoured with the gift of celibacy and admire monogamy and its dignity” (The Stromata, Book 3). Marriage according to the will of Christ, and celibacy as a devotion to Christ, are two different spiritual paths, equally valid for a true living of the spiritual life. This is so for ordained clergy as it is for everyone else.<ref name="Toumbelekis2014">{{cite web |last1=Toumbelekis |first1=Pandelis |title=Why does the Orthodox Church have married priests? |url=https://lychnos.org/why-does-the-orthodox-church-have-married-priests/ |publisher=Greek Orthodox Christian Society |access-date=2 February 2025 |language=en |date=2014}}</ref>}}
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. The garb of an Eastern Orthodox priest is generally the same as that of an [[Eastern Catholic]] or [[Eastern Lutheran]] priest.

==== Oriental Orthodoxy ====
In the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]], there are different orders of ministry, each with different vestments.<ref name="Manna2019">{{cite web |title=Different Orders of Priesthood in Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church |url=https://mannaghaziabad.com/post/44/differentorders-of-priesthood-in-malankara-orthodox-syrian-church-explaining-theresponsibilities-and-vestments-of-each-order |publisher=Manna |access-date=2 February 2025 |language=en |date=27 October 2019}}</ref> The order of the priest is known as the ''Kashisho''.<ref name="Manna2019"/>

In addition to the ministerial priesthood, Oriental Orthodoxy does affirm the [[priesthood of believers]], which is called the ''Ulmoyo''.<ref name="Manna2019"/>

==== Catholicism ====
{{Main|Priesthood in the Catholic Church}}
[[File:Dominus vobiscum 1960s.jpg|thumb|A [[Catholic]] priest celebrating  [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]]]]
The most significant [[Christian liturgy|liturgical]] acts reserved to priests in these traditions are the administration of the [[Sacrament]]s, including the celebration of the [[Mass (liturgy)|Holy Mass]] or [[Divine Liturgy]] (the terms for the celebration of the [[Eucharist]] in the [[Latin Church|Latin]] and Byzantine traditions, respectively), and the [[Sacrament of Reconciliation]], also called [[Confession (religion)|Confession]]. The sacraments of [[Anointing of the Sick]] ([[Extreme Unction]]) and [[Confirmation (Catholic Church)|Confirmation]] 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 [[Consecration in Christianity|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, [[Baptism|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 [[Catholic marriage|Matrimony]]".<ref name="vatican">{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c3a7.htm |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – The sacrament of Matrimony |publisher=vatican.va |access-date=2015-07-25}}</ref> 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<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|28:19|KJV}}</ref> 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 the Catholic Church|Holy Orders]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

In these traditions, only men who meet certain requirements may become priests. In Catholicism, the [[canon law|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 §§&nbsp;1, 4.) A Catholic priest must be [[Incardination and excardination|incardinated]] by his bishop or his major religious [[Superior (hierarchy)|superior]] in order to engage in public ministry. [[Secular clergy|Secular priests]] are incardinated into a [[diocese]], whereas religious priests live the [[consecrated life]] and can work anywhere in the world that their specific community operates.

Married men may become priests in the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], but cannot marry after ordination, even if they become widowed.

==== Lutheranism ====
[[File:Strängnäs Cathedral interior.jpg|thumb|A Lutheran priest of the [[Church of Sweden]] prepares for the celebration of [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] in [[Strängnäs Cathedral]]]]
Conservative Lutheran reforms 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 and some ancient cathedrals and parishes in the Lutheran church were constructed many centuries before the Reformation. Indeed, ecumenical work within the Moravian Church, Anglican Communion and among Scandinavian Lutherans mutually recognize the [[apostolic succession|historic apostolic legitimacy]] and [[full communion]]. Likewise in America, Lutherans have embraced the apostolic succession of bishops in the full communion with Moravians and Episcopalians. Most Lutheran ordinations are performed by a bishop.

The [[Church of Sweden]] has a threefold ministry of bishop, priest, and deacon and those ordained to the presbyterate are referred to as priests.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/ministry-and-ministries |title=Ministry and Ministries – Svenska kyrkan |publisher=Svenskakyrkan.se |date=2021-09-20 |accessdate=2022-03-18}}</ref> In the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland]], ordained presbyters are referred to by various publications, including Finnish ones, as pastors,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://evl.fi/the-church/organisation/parishes |title=Parishes |publisher=evl.fi |date=|accessdate=2022-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://evl.fi/current-issues/women-ordained-for-thirty-years |title=Women ordained for thirty years |publisher=evl.fi |date=1988-03-06 |accessdate=2022-03-18}}</ref> or priests.<ref name="Sequeira2021">{{cite web |last1=Sequeira |first1=Tahira |title=Gallery: Turku makes history with first female bishop |url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/news-in-brief/18657-gallery-turku-makes-history-with-first-female-bishop.html |work=[[Helsinki Times]] |access-date=13 May 2021 |date=8 February 2021 |quote=Leppänen also became the first woman from the Conservative Laestadian movement (a revival movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland) to be ordained as a priest in 2012. The first female priests were ordained in Finland 32 years ago.}}</ref><ref name="Doe2011">{{cite book |last=Doe |first=Norman |title=Law and Religion in Europe |date=4 August 2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |isbn=978-0-19-960401-2 |page=135 |quote=In Finland, a priest of the Lutheran church is forbidden to reveal a secret received in confession and in the course of pastoral counselling; a similar rule applies to Orthodox priests.}}</ref> In the United States, denominations like the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] use the terms "reverend" and "pastor" interchangeably for ordained members of the clergy;<ref>{{cite web |title=Paramount Christian |url=https://www.paramountchristian.org/christianity-around-the-world/often-asked-when-did-lutheranism-become-the-most-followed-christianity-religion.html |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=www.paramountchristian.org}}</ref> the [[Lutheran Church - International]], a Confessional Lutheran denomination of [[Evangelical Catholic]] churchmanship, uses the term "priest" for those ordained to the presbyterate, who are addressed as "Father".<ref>{{cite web |title=Bulletin: Pentecost and Ordinary Time 2024 |url=https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/2dd65e00-9688-4351-8bdc-a3bf83abb8e9/downloads/219ba6b3-b13b-4b50-9548-e811974643b4/LC%E2%80%93I%20BULLETIN%202024-09.pdf?ver=1736526623701 |publisher=LC-I |access-date=2 February 2025 |language=English |date=2024}}</ref>

Apart from the ministerial priesthood, the general priesthood or the [[priesthood of all believers]], is a [[Christianity|Christian]] doctrine derived from several passages of the [[New Testament]]. It is a foundational concept of [[Protestantism]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=The Protestant Heritage |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2007 |access-date=2007-09-20 |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109446 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614170201/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109446 |archive-date=June 14, 2006}}</ref> 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.

====Anglican or Episcopalian====<!-- 'Anglican priest' and 'Episcopal priest' redirect here -->
[[File:Choirhabit.jpg|thumb|An [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] priest in choir dress]]
{{Main|Anglican ministry}}
The role of a priest in the [[Anglican Communion]] and the [[Free Church of England]] is largely the same as within the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]] and [[Eastern Christianity]], except that [[canon law]] in almost every [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] province restricts the administration of [[confirmation]] to the [[bishop]], just as with [[ordination]]. Although Anglican priests who are members of [[Anglican religious order|religious orders]] must remain [[celibate]] (although there are exceptions, such as priests in the [[Anglican Cistercians|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 (although in most provinces they are not permitted to [[same-sex marriage|marry a person of the same sex]]). The Anglican churches, unlike the Roman Catholic or [[Eastern Christian]] traditions, have allowed the ordination of women as priests (referred to as "priests" not "priestesses") in some provinces since 1971.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/04/should-women-ever-be-made-bishops |title=Should women ever be bishops?|author=Emma John |date=July 4, 2010 |location=London}}</ref> This practice remains controversial, however; a minority of provinces (10 out of the 38 worldwide) retain an all-male priesthood.<ref>{{cite web |title=Male bishops speak out on female priests |author=Sulaiman Kakaire |url=https://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/9899-male-bishops-speak-out-on-female-priests}}</ref> Most [[Continuing Anglican Movement|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 (retained by the Elizabethan Settlement), 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).'' Even though both words mean 'elders' historically the term ''priest'' has been more associated with the "[[High Church]]" or [[Anglo-Catholic]] wing, whereas the term "[[minister (Christianity)|minister]]" has been more commonly used in "[[Low Church]]" or Evangelical circles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Minister or Priest?|author=Anglican Church of Canada |url=http://www.anglican.ca/help/faq/minister-or-priest/}}</ref>

==== Latter Day Saints ====
{{Main|Priesthood (Latter Day Saints)}}
[[File:Priesthood03080u.jpg|thumb|1898 depiction of the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood]]
In the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], the priesthood is the power and authority of God given to man, including the authority to perform [[ordinance (Latter Day Saints)|ordinances]] and to act as a leader in the church. A body of priesthood holders is referred to as a [[quorum (Latter Day Saints)|quorum]]. Priesthood denotes elements of both power and authority. The priesthood includes the power [[Jesus]] gave his [[twelve apostles|apostles]] to perform miracles such as the casting out of devils and the healing of sick ([[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 9:1). Latter Day Saints believe that the [[Bible|Biblical]] miracles performed by [[prophet]]s and apostles were performed by the power of the 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, the 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, [[Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)|ordinances]]) performed by one with priesthood authority are recognized by God and are binding in heaven, on earth, and in the afterlife.

There is some variation among the Latter Day Saint denominations regarding who can be ordained to the priesthood. In [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), all worthy males above the age of 12 can be ordained to the priesthood. However, prior to a [[1978 Revelation on Priesthood|policy change in 1978]], the LDS Church did not ordain men or boys who were of black African descent. The LDS Church does not ordain women to any of its priesthood offices. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), the second largest denomination of the movement, began ordaining women to all of its priesthood offices in 1984. This decision was one of the reasons that led to a schism in the church, which prompted the formation of the independent [[Restoration Branches]] movement from which other denominations have sprung, including the [[Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]].

=== Islam ===
{{See also|Clergy#Islam}}
Islam has no [[sacerdotalism|sacerdotal]] priesthood. There are, however, a variety of academic and administrative offices which have evolved to assist Muslims with this task, such as the [[imam|imāms]] and the [[mullah|mullāhs]].

=== Mandaeism ===
{{Main|Mandaean priest}}
A [[Mandaean priest]] refers to an ordained religious leader in [[Mandaeism]]. In [[Mandaean scriptures]], priests are referred to as ''Naṣuraiia'' ([[Nasoraean Mandaeans|Naṣoraeans]]).<ref name="Secret Adam">Drower, E. S. 1960. ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''. Oxford: Clarendon Press.</ref> All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with [[tarmida]] initiation.<ref name="Buckley 2002" /> Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious texts hold the title ''Rabbi'' or in Arabic '[[Sheikh]]'.<ref>{{cite web |last=McGrath |first=James F.|url=https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1194&context=facsch_papers |title=Reading the Story of Miriai on Two Levels: Evidence from Mandaean Anti-Jewish Polemic about the Origins and Setting of Early Mandaeism |year=2010 |access-date=10 December 2021 |pages=583–592 |website=ARAM Periodical}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Open discussion with the Sabaeans Mandaeans |website=YouTube |author=Holy Spirit University of Kaslik – USEK |date=27 November 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdQq4GkT5Ao |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref>

All Mandaean communities traditionally require the presence of a priest, since priests are required to officiate over all important religious rituals, including [[masbuta]], [[masiqta]], birth and wedding ceremonies. Priests also serve as teachers, scribes, and community leaders.<ref name="Buckley 2002" />

There are three types of priests in [[Mandaeism]]:<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book |last=Buckley |first=Jorunn Jacobsen |title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people |url=http://mandaeannetwork.com/Mandaean/books/english/2The_Mandaeans_Ancient_Texts_and_Modern_People_American_Academy_of_Religion_Books_Jorunn_Jacobsen_Buckley.pdf?bcsi_scan_955b0cd764557e80=0&bcsi_scan_filename=2The_Mandaeans_Ancient_Texts_and_Modern_People_American_Academy_of_Religion_Books_Jorunn_Jacobsen_Buckley.pdf |publisher=Oxford University Press |publication-place=New York |year=2002 |isbn=0-19-515385-5 |oclc=65198443}}</ref>

*''[[rishama|rišama]]'' "leader of the people"
*''[[ganzibra|ganzibria]]'' "treasurers" (from Old Persian ''ganza-bara'' "id.," Neo-Mandaic ''ganzeḇrānā'')
*''[[tarmida|tarmidia]]'' "disciples" (Neo-Mandaic ''tarmidānā'')

Priests have lineages based on the succession of ''ganzibria'' priests who had initiated them. Priestly lineages, which are distinct from birth lineages, are typically recorded in the [[colophon (publishing)|colophons]] of many [[Mandaean texts]]. The position is not hereditary, and any Mandaean male who is highly knowledgeable about religious matters is eligible to become a priest.<ref name="Buckley2010">{{cite book |last=Buckley |first=Jorunn Jacobsen |title=The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history |publisher=Gorgias Press |publication-place=Piscataway, NJ |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59333-621-9}}</ref>

== Eastern religions ==
[[File:Puja, a ritual prayer ceremony India.jpg|thumb|A Hindu ''[[pujari]]'' performing the ''puja'' rituals in [[Varanasi]], [[India]].]]

=== Hinduism ===
{{Main|Hindu priest}}

A [[Hindu]] priest traditionally comes from the [[Brahmin]] community.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Herman |first=A. L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0haDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA52 |title=A Brief Introduction To Hinduism: Religion, Philosophy, And Ways Of Liberation |date=2018-05-04 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-98238-5 |pages=52 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Parsons |first=Gerald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vM--pQp5qBUC&pg=PA197 |title=The Growth of Religious Diversity: Traditions |date=1993 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-08326-3 |pages=197 |language=en}}</ref> Priests are ordained and trained before practicing. Their training consists of a precise memorisation of texts in a written or printed form and learning how to pronouciate and recite these texts from a guru.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fuller |first=C. J. |date=2001 |title=Orality, Literacy and Memorization: Priestly Education in Contemporary South India |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/313087 |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=35 |issue=1 |pages=3 |issn=0026-749X}}</ref> There are two types of Hindu priests, ''[[pujari]]s'' (''[[swami]]s'', ''[[yogi]]s'', and ''[[guru]]s'') and ''[[purohit]]as'' (''[[pandit]]s''). A ''pujari'' performs rituals in a temple. These rituals include bathing the ''[[murti]]s'' (the statues of the gods/goddesses), performing ''[[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]]'' (a ritualistic offering of various items to the gods), and waving a ''[[ghee]]'' or oil lamp (an offering in light) known in Hinduism as ''[[aarti]]'', before the ''murtis''. ''Pujaris'' are often married.

A ''purohita'', on the other hand, performs rituals and [[saṃskāra]]s (sacraments), [[yajna]]s (sacrifices) outside the temple. There are special ''purohitas'' who perform only funeral rites.

In many cases, a ''purohita'' also functions as a ''pujari''.

While only men have traditionally been ordained as priests, recent developments, such as feminism in India, have led to the opening of training schools for women to become priests.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Klostermaier |first=Klaus K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8CVviRghVtIC&pg=PA324 |title=A Survey of Hinduism: Third Edition |date=2010-03-10 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-0-7914-8011-3 |pages=324 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Zoroastrianism ===
{{Main|Mobad}}

A Zoroastrian priest are called a Mobad and they officiate the ''[[Yasna]]'', pouring libations into the sacred fire to the accompaniment of ritual chants. The Mobad also prepare drinks for the ''[[haoma]]'' ritual.<ref>{{cite book |last=Boyce |first=Mary |title=Zoroastrians, their religious beliefs and practices |publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2001 |isbn=0-415-23902-8 |location=London |orig-year=1979}}</ref>

In Indian [[Zoroastrianism]], the priesthood is reserved for men and is a mostly hereditary position,<ref>{{citation |last=Nigosian |first=Solomon Alexander |title=The Zoroastrian Faith: Tradition and Modern Research |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Uspf6eDDvjAC&pg=PA104 104] |year=1993 |place=Montreal, Quebec |publisher=[[McGill-Queen's University Press]] |isbn=0-7735-1144-X |oclc=243566889}}</ref> but women have been ordained in Iran and North America as a mobedyar, meaning an assistant mobed.<ref>{{citation |last=Wadia |first=Arzan Sam |title=The Jury Is Still Out On Women as Parsi Priests |date=March 9, 2011 |work=parsikhabar.net |publisher=Parsi Khabar |url=http://parsikhabar.net/religion/the-jury-is-still-out-on-women-as-parsi-priests/2968/}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Khosraviani |first=Mahshad |title=Sedreh Pooshi by Female Mobedyar in Toronto-Canada |date=June 19, 2013 |work=parsinews.net |publisher=Parsi News |url=http://www.parsinews.net/sedreh-pooshi-by-female-mobedyar-in-toronto-canada/3922.html?fb_source=pubv1 |access-date=October 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009105723/http://www.parsinews.net/sedreh-pooshi-by-female-mobedyar-in-toronto-canada/3922.html?fb_source=pubv1 |archive-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref>

=== Taoism ===
[[File:Soothsayer-outside-of-Changchun-Temple-0352.jpg|thumb|A fortune-telling [[Taoist priest]] with a customer outside of Changchun Temple, [[Wuhan]]]]
The [[Taoist priest]]s (道士 "master of the [[Taoism|Dao]]" p.&nbsp;488) act as interpreters of the principles of Yin-Yang [[Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)|5 elements]] (fire, water, soil, wood, and metal p.&nbsp;53) school of ancient Chinese philosophy, as they relate to marriage, death, festival cycles, and so on. The Taoist priest seeks to share the benefits of meditation with his or her community through public ritual and liturgy (p.&nbsp;326). In the ancient priesthood before the Tang, the priest was called ''Jijiu'' ("libationer" p.&nbsp;550), with both male and female practitioners selected by merit. The system gradually changed into a male only hereditary Taoist priesthood until more recent times (p.&nbsp;550,551).<ref>Pregadio, Fabrizio (2008) ''The Encyclopedia of Taoism, Volume 1'' Psychology Press {{ISBN|0700712003}}
*at Google books: [https://books.google.com/books?id=MioRmEq2xHUC&q=Taoist+priest+Daoshi&pg=PA489 pp. 488–90] • [https://books.google.com/books?id=MioRmEq2xHUC&q=fire+water+wood+metal&pg=PA53 pp. 53–54] • [https://books.google.com/books?id=MioRmEq2xHUC&q=Taoist+priest+Daoshi&pg=PA326 pp. 326–29] • [https://books.google.com/books?id=MioRmEq2xHUC&q=Taoist+priest+Daoshi&pg=PA550 pp. 550–51]</ref>

== Indigenous and ethnic religions ==
{{Further|Shamanism|Medicine man}}

=== Shinto ===
{{More citations needed|date=February 2012}}
[[File:Yasaka-jinja 01.jpg|thumb|alt=Shinto priest and priestess in Japan.|[[Shinto]] priest and priestess in Japan]]
The Shinto priest is called a ''{{nihongo|[[kannushi]]''|神主||lit. "Master of the [[kami]]"}}, originally pronounced ''kamunushi'', sometimes referred to as a {{nihongo|''shinshoku''|神職||}}. A kannushi is the person responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine, or ''[[Shinto shrine|jinja]]'', purificatory rites, and for leading worship and veneration of a certain ''kami''. Additionally, ''kannushi'' are aided by another priest class, ''{{nihongo|[[miko]]''|巫女||"shrine maidens"}}, for many rites. The maidens may either be family members in training, apprentices, or local volunteers.

''[[Saiin (priestess)|Saiin]]'' were female relatives of the Japanese emperor (termed ''saiō'') who served as High Priestesses in [[Kamo Shrine]]. ''Saiō'' also served at [[Ise Grand Shrine|Ise Shrine]]. ''Saiin'' priestesses usually were elected from royalty. In principle, ''Saiin'' remained unmarried, but there were exceptions. Some ''Saiin'' became [[Queen consort|consorts]] of the emperor, called ''Nyōgo'' in Japanese. The ''Saiin'' order of priestesses existed throughout the Heian and Kamakura periods.

=== Africa ===
The [[Yoruba people]] of western [[Nigeria]] practice an indigenous religion with a [[Tribal chief|chiefly]] hierarchy of priests and priestesses that dates to AD 800–1000.<ref>{{cite book |last=Akintoye |first=S. A. |title=A History of the Yoruba People |date=2010 |isbn=978-2-35926-005-2 |location=Dakar, Senegal |oclc=609888714}}</ref> Ifá priests and priestesses bear the titles [[Babalawo]] for men and [[Iyanifa]] for women.<ref name="google">{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of African Religion |author1=Asante, M.K.|author2=Mazama, A.|date=2009 |volume=1 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-4129-3636-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B667ATiedQkC&pg=PT365 |access-date=2015-07-25}}</ref> Priests and priestesses of the varied [[Orisa|Orisha]] are titled Babalorisa for men and Iyalorisa for women.<ref name="google2">{{cite book |title=Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture |author1=Walter, M.N.|author2=Fridman, E.J.N.|date=2004 |volume=1 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-645-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X8waCmzjiD4C&pg=PA451 |page=451 |access-date=2015-07-25}}</ref> Initiates are also given an Orisa or Ifá name that signifies under which deity they are initiated. For example, a Priestess of [[Oshun|Osun]] may be named Osunyemi, and a Priest of [[Ifá]] may be named Ifáyemi. This traditional culture continues to this day as initiates from all around the world return to Nigeria for initiation into the priesthood, and varied derivative sects in the New World (such as [[Cuba]]n [[Santería]] and Brazilian [[Umbanda]]) use the same titles to refer to their officers as well.

In a [[Monarchy|kingdom]], tribe or clan in [[Africa]] the traditional leader is also a priest cause of his mission between the spirit of ancestors ( Throne ) and people. Everything the traditional ruler must do,  is according to the ritual, ceremony and worship. They call him sometimes royal Priest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal priesthood |url=https://www.linguee.fr |website=www.linguee.fr}}</ref>

=== Afro-Latin American religions ===
In Brazil, the priests in the [[Umbanda]], [[Candomblé]] and [[Quimbanda]] religions are called ''[[pai-de-santo]]'' (literally "Father of saint" in English), or "babalorixá" (a word borrowed from [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] ''bàbálórìsà'', meaning ''Father of the [[Orisha]]''); its female equivalent is the ''[[mãe-de-santo]]'' ("Mother of saint"), also referred to as "ialorixá" ([[Yoruba language|Yoruba]]: ''iyálórìsà'').

In the [[Cuba]]n [[Santería]], a male priest is called ''Santero'', while female priests are called ''Iyanifas'' or "mothers of wisdom".<ref>{{cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=October 10, 2022 |title=The Cuban priestesses defying religious patriarchy |url=https://www.africanews.com/2022/10/10/the-cuban-priestesses-defying-religious-patriarchy/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Africanews |language=en}}</ref>

== Neo-paganism ==

=== Wicca ===
[[File:Wiccan priestess preaching, USA.PNG|thumb|upright=0.7|right|Wiccan priestess preaching in the United States]]
According to traditional [[Wicca]]n beliefs, every member of the religion is considered a priestess or priest, as it is believed that no person can stand between another and the divine. However, in response to the growing number of Wiccan temples and [[Wiccan church|churches]], several denominations of the religion have begun to develop a core group of ordained priestesses and priests serving a larger laity. This trend is far from widespread, but is gaining acceptance due to increased interest in the religion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/glossary/g/Priesthood.htm |title=Priesthood |publisher=Paganwiccan.about.com |date=2014-03-04 |access-date=2014-08-25 |archive-date=2014-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120309/http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/glossary/g/Priesthood.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patheos.com/Library/Pagan/Ethics-Morality-Community/LeadershipClergy.html |title=Leadership |publisher=Patheos.com |access-date=2014-08-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goodgame.org.nz/priesthood.html |title=The Priesthood – Temple of the Good Game |publisher=Goodgame.org.nz |access-date=2014-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702065543/http://goodgame.org.nz/priesthood.html |archive-date=2014-07-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Dress ==
[[File:Kruisheren 1964 Canons Regular of the Order Sanctae Crucis.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|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 clergy|secular]] or [[regular clergy|religious]].]]
[[File:AGMA Kylix femme autel.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|Priestess officiating before an altar while nude to demonstrate purity, Attic red-figure [[kylix (drinking cup)|kylix]] by Chairias, c. 510–500&nbsp;BC, Ancient Agora Museum in Athens]]
The dress of religious workers in ancient times may be demonstrated in frescoes and artifacts from the cultures. The dress is presumed to be related to the customary clothing of the culture, with some symbol of the deity worn on the head or held by the person. Sometimes special colors, materials, or patterns distinguish celebrants, as the white wool veil draped on the head of the [[Vestal Virgin]]s.

Occasionally, the celebrants at religious ceremonies shed all clothes in a symbolic gesture of purity. This was often the case in ancient times. An example of this is shown to the left on a Kylix dating from c. 500&nbsp;BC where a priestess is featured. Modern religious groups tend to avoid such symbolism and some may be quite uncomfortable with the concept.

The retention of long [[skirt]]s and [[vestment]]s among many ranks of contemporary priests when they officiate may be interpreted to express the ancient traditions of the cultures from which their religious practices arose.

In most Christian traditions, priests wear [[clerical clothing]], a distinctive form of street dress. Even within individual traditions it varies considerably in form, depending on the specific occasion. In [[Western Christianity]], the stiff white [[clerical collar]] has become the nearly universal feature of priestly clerical clothing, worn either with a [[cassock]] or a [[clergy shirt]]. The collar may be either a full collar or a vestigial tab displayed through a square cutout in the shirt collar.

[[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christian]] priests mostly retain the traditional dress of two layers of differently cut cassock: the ''rasson'' (Greek) or ''podriasnik'' (Russian) beneath the outer ''exorasson'' (Greek) or ''riasa'' (Russian). If a pectoral cross has been awarded it is usually worn with street clothes in the Russian tradition, but not so often in the Greek tradition.

Distinctive clerical clothing is less often worn in modern times than formerly, and in many cases it is rare for a priest to wear it when not acting in a pastoral capacity, especially in countries that view themselves as largely secular in nature. There are frequent exceptions to this however, and many priests rarely if ever go out in public without it, especially in countries where their religion makes up a clear majority of the population. [[Pope John Paul II]] often instructed Catholic priests and religious to always wear their distinctive (clerical) clothing, unless wearing it would result in persecution or grave verbal attacks.

Christian traditions that retain the title of priest also retain the tradition of special liturgical [[vestment]]s worn only during services. Vestments vary widely among the different Christian traditions.

In modern [[Pagan]] religions, such as [[Wicca]], there is no one specific form of dress designated for the clergy. If there is, it is a particular of the denomination in question, and not a universal practice. However, there is a traditional form of dress, (usually a floor-length [[tunic]] and a knotted cord [[cincture]], known as the ''cingulum''), which is often worn by worshipers during religious rites. Among those traditions of Wicca that do dictate a specific form of dress for its clergy, they usually wear the traditional tunic in addition to other articles of clothing (such as an open-fronted [[robe]] or a [[cloak]]) as a distinctive form of religious dress, similar to a [[religious habit|habit]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kennerson |first=Robert |title=The Garb Of The Clergy – Pagan Christianity |date=2022-12-17 |website=Wilmington For Christ |url=https://www.wilmingtonfavs.com/pagan-christianity/the-garb-of-the-clergy.html |access-date=2022-12-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Beckett |first=John |date=2017-02-12 |title=How Should Pagan Clergy Dress? |website=John Beckett |url=https://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2017/02/pagan-clergy-dress.html |access-date=2022-12-20}}</ref>

== Assistant priest ==
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2025}}
In many religions, there are one or more layers of assistant priests.

In the [[Ancient Near East]], [[hierodule]]s served in temples as assistants to the priestess.

In ancient Judaism, the Priests (Kohanim) had a whole class of Levites as their assistants in making the sacrifices, in singing [[psalm]]s and in maintaining the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temple]]. The Priests and the Levites were in turn served by servants called [[Nethinim]]. These lowest level of servants were not priests.

In the [[Catholic Church]] the term assistant priest applies to a minister assisting the main celebrant, whether it is the [[Pope]], a bishop, or another priest, at a Mass or the [[Liturgy of the Hours|Divine Office]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Assistant Priest |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12407a.htm |access-date=2025-08-19 |website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref>

An assistant priest is a priest in the Anglican and Episcopal churches who is not the senior member of clergy of the parish to which they are appointed, but is nonetheless in priests' orders; there is no difference in function or theology, merely in 'grade' or 'rank'. Some assistant priests have a "sector ministry", that is to say that they specialize in a certain area of ministry within the local church, for example youth work, hospital work, or ministry to local light industry. They may also hold some diocesan appointment part-time. In most (though not all) cases, an assistant priest has the legal status of [[curate|assistant curate]], although not all assistant curates are priests, as this legal status also applies to many [[deacon]]s working as assistants in a parochial setting.

The corresponding term in the Catholic Church is "parochial vicar" – an ordained priest assigned to assist the pastor (Latin: ''parochus'') of a parish in the pastoral care of parishioners. Normally, all pastors are also ordained priests; occasionally an auxiliary bishop will be assigned that role.

In [[Wicca]], the leader of a [[coven]] or temple (either a high priestess or high priest) often appoints an assistant. This assistant is often called a 'deputy', but the more traditional terms 'maiden' (when female and assisting a high priestess) and 'summoner' (when male and assisting a high priest) are still used in many denominations.

== See also ==
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Archpriest]]
* [[Brahmin]]
* [[Gothi]]
* [[Hieromonk]]
* [[Jogi (caste)]]
* [[List of fictional clergy and religious figures]]
* [[Presbyterorum Ordinis]], decree on the priesthood from the [[Second Vatican Council]]
* [[Priest shortage]]
* [[Ritualism in the Church of England]]
* [[Sacerdotalism]]
* [[Vicar]]
* [[Volkhv]]
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Priests}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050616005318/http://acca.asn.au/MESS011H/101P1004.html Description] of the problem of Roman Catholic and Old Catholic reunion with respect to the female priesthood
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Priest}}
* {{cite Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Priest}}

{{Sacraments of the Assyrian Church of the East}}
{{Lutheran Divine Service}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Priests| ]]
[[Category:Ecclesiastical titles]]
[[Category:Religious leadership roles]]
[[Category:Religious occupations]]
[[Category:Religious terminology]]