Deacon
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Comment by Brett Slote on June 14th, 2009 at 10:44 am
The Coptic Church did not recently start ordaining female deacons. A deaconess is a distinct order from deacon, not a female deacon. There were deaconesses from the earliest time in the church, though the use of this minor order died out. Recently some women have been consecrated deaconesses in the Coptic Orthodox Church. This is very different then making females deacons. Deaconesses serve in the congregation or society, and have no liturgical functions. Deacons serve at the altar in the Liturgy, assist the priest in distributing Communion, give sermons, and can serve the poor, etc. They are two distinct orders, not different names for men and women in the same order.
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