Cleric 270516 219982795 2008-06-17T19:17:48Z Angr 157842 /* References */ not a stub {{otheruses4|the religious professional|the character class in role-playing games|cleric (character class)|the alien in the DC Universe|The Cleric}} {{redirect|Churchman|the surname|Churchman (surname)}} A '''cleric''' ([[Ancient Greek]] '''''κληρικός''''' - klērikos), '''clergyman''' (pl. '''clergymen'''), or '''churchman''' (pl. '''churchmen''') is a member of the [[clergy]] of a [[religion]], especially one who is a [[priest]], [[preacher]], or other religious professional. It is often used to refer to the religious leadership in [[Islam]], where the term "[[priest]]" is not accurate and where terms such as "[[Alim]]" are not widely understood in the English-speaking world. Within [[Christianity]], especially in [[Eastern Christianity]] and [[Roman Catholicism]], the term ''cleric'' refers to any individual who has received the clerical [[tonsure]], including [[deacon]]s, [[priest]]s, and [[bishop]]s. In [[Roman Catholicism]], the [[tonsure]] was a prerequisite for receiving any of the [[minor orders]] or [[major orders]] before the [[minor orders]] and the [[subdiaconate]] were abolished following the [[Second Vatican Council]]. Thusly, those individuals who have received the tonsure, but are not [[deacon]]s, [[priest]]s, or [[bishop]]s, are properly referred to as clerics.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04049b.htm Cleric] - ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]''</ref> [[Minor Orders]] are still given in the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], and 'cleric' is the normal title given to seminarians and those with minor orders. The term "[[clerk]]" derives from "cleric,"<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04049b.htm Cleric] - ''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]''</ref> since in medieval times the clergy were one of the few groups who could read, and therefore were often employed to do bookkeeping and similar work. The term "clerical work" continues to this day to refer to such functions. ==References== {{reflist}} {{wiktionary}} [[Category:Religious occupations]] [[Category:Clergy]] [[Category:Greek loanwords]] [[cs:Duchovní]] [[es:Clérigo]] [[it:Chierico]] [[pt:Clérigo]]