The question: I am doing research about monastic ranks to understand a very complicated situation my friend is in. This is a question I wish to ask a parish priest at your church or any monastics you know who might understand this issue better than I do. I found an article on your website describing a monastic rank in which there are three stages of monasticism: Rassaphore, Stavrophore, and the Schema-Monk (or Schema-Nun). According to your document, Rassaphore is indeed the first level of monasticism but can still leave the monastery. A friend of mine (a Rassaphore) has been blessed by his bishop to leave the monastery and marry. He came to another country, and the archimandrite of the local monastery told him he was already tonsured as a monk of the first degree of monasticism after he heard that his monastic status was Rassophore. This situation is deeply confusing for him because he has an official release letter from his bishop stating that he can live as a layman and marry. Would you be able to provide any explanation about this situation? Ninety percent of sources indeed say that a Rassophore is a monk and cannot leave the monastery, yet he has received a release letter. Have you ever encountered this kind of case? Is the bishop in the wrong, or is my friend in the wrong if he wishes to continue living as a layman?
The answer of Fr Andrew Lemeshonok:
Well, yes, it is a sad thing when a man — not yet under full vows, but already a riassophore, clothed in the riasa — walks away and becomes a layman. I would call that a tragedy. Still, we probably should not start pointing fingers about who is to blame and who is not.
It may be that the bishop in the monastery where he was tonsured as a riassophore saw that he was not able to live the monastic life. I believe everyone can, yet circumstances differ. So the bishop gave his blessing, released him from that rank, and sent him to live as a layman so that he could find a bride, yes? That likely matched what he wanted. But the local archimandrite, seeing that he had held that rank, said, “You are a riassophore, and you remain one.”
Each has a case here, and it is hard to say who is right and who is wrong. The one at fault was your friend, who rushed into taking that rank and then backed out. That is his responsibility, and he will answer for it. What now? It would, of course, have been better if he had stayed a novice and not taken that step. I think it’s not good that he renounced that state; even so, life goes on, and may God grant that all works out. We are not here to pass judgement.
