From: Office Metropolis of Detroit
Subject: Re: Question for the Metropolitan
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2009, 8:03 PM

Thank you for your question regarding the candidates for ordination in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

Ordination in the Church is not a right but a privilege, and is only offered to those candidates who meet the canonical requirements and who request to be considered for ordination.

In this process we consider the following:

1) Potential canonical impediments to ordination;

2) Review of the candidate's record from a recognized Orthodox school of Theology;

3) Signed statement from candidate's wife (if married) agreeing to the ordination;

4) Signed statement from the candidate's spiritual father;

5) Review of required psychological exams;

6) Formal background check including police files, etc;

7) Review of the candidate's application including biographical statement, etc.

8) Request and recommendation from the Metropolitan in whose Metropolis the candidate will be assigned.

The complete file, of which the above list is part, is forwarded to the Archdiocese and is reviewed by the Synod for approval. No candidate can be ordained unless one of the Metropolitans supports the petition and requests that the candidate be ordained for church service. (Because we are a single Archdiocese, and inasmuch as the clergy are transferable within the Archdiocese, no individual Metropolitan can authorize the ordination.) Following receipt of an authorization for ordination which comes to us through the Office of the Archbishop the local Metropolitan can schedule the sacrament of ordination.

This is the general outline of the process which we follow. If you have additional questions, please let us know.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Metropolitan Nicholas