Subdeacon
A subdeacon, also called hypodeacon, is the highest of the minor orders of clergy in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
As a concession in countries where Eastern Orthodoxy is little known, many only wear the cassock when attending liturgies or when moving about the faithful on church business.
This situation often arises if there is a need for a subdeacon and a likely candidate has stated an intention to marry but has not yet done so, causing a delay in their ordination.
The reason for this lies in the fact that the canons prohibit subdeacons to marry after their ordination (just like deacons and priests).
[1] This latter stipulation has led, in some places, to the reservation of the formal ordination liturgy as a stepping-stone for candidates for the priesthood, although this is by no means universal.
In the Byzantine Rite (followed by the majority of Eastern Orthodox churches) the subdeacon's liturgical role is primarily that of servant to the bishop.
They assist the bishop during hierarchical liturgies, (at which a hierarch/bishop is present and presiding) by vesting them, by looking after and presenting the trikiri and dikiri, placing the aëtos, operating the veil and Royal Doors, and handing the bishop and relieving them of all that they need so as to enable them to perform their role of prayer undistracted.
On occasions when there is a shortage of altar servers, the newly ordained subdeacon may be required to serve at the Liturgy, in which case the taking of the blessed water to the people may be omitted, and he may be asked not to stay on the soleas but rather to assist with serving duties in the altar and at the entrances.
Prior to the reform instituted by Pope Paul VI with his motu proprio Ministeria quaedam of 15 August 1972, the subdiaconate was regarded as the lowest of the major orders of the Latin Church.
Instead, the bishop handed to him an empty chalice and paten, his vestments, cruets of wine and water, and the Book of the Epistles and pronounced a prayer of blessing for him.
As a recipient of a major order, a subdeacon could not contract marriage, and any breach by him of the obligation to observe celibacy was classified as a sacrilege (cf.
Thus, in speaking of orders, the Catechism of the Council of Trent declares : "Their number, according to the uniform and universal doctrine of the Catholic Church, is seven, Porter, Reader, Exorcist, Acolyte, Sub-deacon, Deacon and Priest.
Although the subdeacons were allowed to carry out numerous functions specific to the diaconate, however they were always precluded from distributing Communion, in the form of both bread and wine.
In practice, the roles of deacon and subdeacon in Solemn High Mass were generally performed by men already ordained as priests, wearing the subdiaconal or diaconal vestments.
In some dioceses and provinces, laypersons who act as subdeacons in this manner may be required to be specifically authorised by the respective bishop or archbishop.
