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 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 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 Archbishop 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 Bishops 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 Bishop can authorize the ordination.) Following receipt of an authorization for ordination which comes to us through the Office of the Archbishop the local Bishop can schedule the sacrament of ordination after a mandate is issued.

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