List of Eastern Orthodox saint titles

The Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church (and of the Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine Rite) have various customary saint titles with which they are commemorated on the liturgical calendar and in Divine Services.

Many of the titles of saints can overlap with each other (e.g. apostle and disciple) or are at least not mutually exclusive. Some of them are, however, mutually exclusive (e.g. confessor and martyr). Some titles are only given to one saint, very often the Virgin Mary and some titles are also no longer able to be obtained (e.g. apostle).

List

The following list explains the titles and gives an exemplary saint for each title:

• Archangel: an angel of the second lowest rank, whose purpose is to act as a messenger of God to humans; this rank of angel is the only one to have known names^[1] (e.g. St. Michael^[2])
• Apostle: One of the twelve men who followed Jesus and who were sent out on the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16–20 to spread the Gospel to all nations^[3] (although Judas Iscariot was one of the original twelve Apostles, he is never called as such in the Orthodox Church, since his position was filled in by St. Matthias after his suicide^[4])
• Confessor of the Faith or Confessor: one who suffered for the faith but was not martyred outright^[5] (St. Maximus the Confessor^[6])
• Disciple: One of the seventy or seventy-two men who were sent by Jesus in pairs to spread the Gospel in Luke 10:1–21; they may also simultaneously be called Apostles^[7] (e.g. Philip the Evangelist^[8])
• Enlightener or Illuminator: the saint who first brought the faith to a people or region, or who did major work of evangelisation there^[9] (e.g. St. Sava of Serbia^[10])
• Equal-to-the-Apostles: one whose work greatly built up the Church, whether through direct missionary work or through assisting the Church's place in society, but was not one of the twelve Apostles^[11][12] (e.g. St. Constantine^[13])
• Evangelist: One of the four men who wrote the four Gospels, as well as any saint who preached the Gospel^{[citation needed]} (e.g. St. Luke^[14])
• Fool-for-Christ: one known for his apparent, yet holy foolishness or insanity^[15] (e.g. St. Gabriel of Georgia^[16])
• God-bearing or Theophoros: title given only to St. Ignatius, who according to tradition, was one of the children who went to Jesus in Matthew 19:13–14 ^[11][17]
• Healer: a saint who used the power of God to heal maladies and injuries (e.g. St. Tryphon^[18])
• Hieroconfessor: a confessor who is also a clergyman (e.g. St. Martin I^[19])
• Hieromartyr: a martyr who is also a clergyman (e.g. St. Philoumenos^[20])
• Intercessor: a saint who prays, or intercedes, on behalf of the living and the dead.^[21] All saints bear this title (e.g. St. Seraphim of Sarov)
• Martyr: literally meaning "witness" in Greek;^[22] one who has died for the faith^[5] (e.g. St. Sebastian^[23])
• Merciful: one known for almsgiving, especially toward the poor (e.g. St. John the Merciful^[24])
• Myrrhbearers: the first witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus^[11][25] (e.g. St. Mary Magdalene^[26])
• Myroblyte, Myrrh-gusher or Myrrh-streaming: the relics of the saint exude holy and sweet-smelling (and often miraculous) oil (e.g. St. Simeon the Myrrh-streaming^[27][28])
• New or Younger: title given to a saint whose name already belongs to a previous saint (e.g. St. Stephen the Younger)
• New-martyr or Neo-martyr: a martyr often bearing the same name as a more ancient martyr, but usually more recent in the Church's history, typically beginning from the Ottoman persecutions^[29] and onwards^[30] (e.g. St. Mary of Paris)
• Panagia: literally meaning 'all-holy' in Greek;^[31] the title is only given to the Virgin Mary, referring to her position as the holiest of all saints^[32]
• Passion-bearer: one who was killed not for the faith but faced his death in a Christ-like manner^[33][34] (e.g. Tsar Saint Nicholas II^[35])
• Prophet: an Old Testament saint who anticipated Christ and who spoke the word of God^[5][36] (e.g. St. Abraham^[37])
• Protomartyr: the first martyr in a given region or time period (in the case of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, the first martyr of the whole Church^[38])
• Right-Believing: title used for canonised monarchs and rulers who treated the Church and the people well (e.g. St. Vladimir Yaroslavich^[39])
• Righteous: a holy person under the Old Covenant (Old Testament Israel) who is not a prophet but also sometimes used for married saints of the New Covenant (the Church) (e.g. St. Job and St. Matilda respectively)
• Saint: from Latin (sanctus), literally meaning "holy one";^[40] a human or angel who is in heaven; one who has reached salvation, who the Church on earth has recognised and glorified^[41][42] (e.g. St. Publius^[43])
• Theologian: Has classical meaning, but only three saints are given the appellation Theologian, due to their writings introducing new theological doctrines: St. John the Theologian,^[44] St. Gregory the Theologian,^[45] and St. Symeon the New Theologian.^[46]
• Theotokos or Mother of God: title given only to the Virgin Mary, since she gave birth to Jesus, who Orthodox Christians believe is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, and thus God^[47][48][49]
• Unmercenary Healer: a saint who used the power of God to heal maladies and injuries without charge (e.g. St. Pantaleon^[50])
• Venerable: a monastic saint; a saint who is a monk or nun^{[citation needed]} (e.g. St. Paisios^[51])
• Venerable-martyr: a martyred monastic (e.g. St. Eudokia^[52])
• Virgin: a female saint who consecrated her life to Christ and made a vow of chastity (e.g. St. Agatha^[53])
• Virgin martyr: a celibate female martyr (e.g. St. Lucy^[54])
• Wonder-worker: a saint renowned for performing miracles^[55] (e.g. St. Nicholas^[56])

See also

• Honorifics
• List of Eastern Orthodox saints

References

1. "Orthodox Belief On Angels". Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
2. "Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
3. "The Twelve Apostles - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - Orthodox Church". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
4. "The Orthodox Faith - Volume III - Church History - First Century - Christ and the Apostles". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
5. Frawley, Fr. Joseph, "The Glorification of the Saints in the Orthodox Church", The Orthodox Church Newspaper, April-May 2000
6. "The Orthodox Faith - Volume III - Church History - Seventh Century - Saint Maximus the Confessor and Saint Martin of Rome". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
7. "Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
8. "Apostle Philip of the Seventy, One of the Seven Deacons". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
9. "Saint Kosmas the Aitolos, as an Enlightener of Orthodoxy (Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos)". Saint Kosmas Orthodox Education. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
10. "Saint Savva I, first Archbishop of Serbia". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
11. "The Titles of the Saints", Orthodox Holiness
12. "Saints "Equal-to-the-Apostles"". Eastern Orthodox. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
13. "Equal of the Apostles and Emperor Constantine with his Mother Helen". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
14. "Apostle and Evangelist Luke". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
15. "Bev Cooke. Holy Fools". OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
16. Christ, Saint Gabriel of Georgia Confessor of. "Saint Gabriel of Georgia - Confessor of Christ". monkgabriel.ge. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
17. "Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
18. "Martyr Tryphon of Lampsacus Near Apamea in Syria". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
19. "Saint Martin the Confessor, Pope of Rome". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
20. "Saint Philoumenos the new Hieromartyr of Jacob's Well". PEMPTOUSIA. 2012-12-01. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
21. "The Orthodox Faith - Volume IV - Spirituality - Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving - Intercessory Prayer". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
22. Sysoyev, Daniel (13 February 2024). "On martyrdom┃RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF ST.JOHN THE BAPTIST".
23. "The Orthodox Veneration of Saint Sebastian the Martyr". Retrieved 2024-02-13.
24. "Saint John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
25. "The Myrrh-Bearers. Metropolitan Paul Yazigi". OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
26. "Myrrhbearer and Equal of the Apostles Mary Magdalene". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
27. "Venerable Simon the Myrrh-gusher of Mount Athos". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
28. "Saint Simon the Myrrhgusher, Founder of Simonopetra Monastery". Retrieved 2024-02-13.
29. "Greek New Martyrs Under Ottoman Rule: A Case Study". Retrieved 2024-02-13.
30. "New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
31. Kimel, Fr Aidan (2018-11-25). "Panagia: The Immaculate and Predestined Mother of God". Eclectic Orthodoxy. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
32. "Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie). The Veneration of the Theotokos According to the Bible". OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
33. "Priest Valery Dukhanin, Priest Dimitry Shishkin, Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov. What is the Meaning of Passion-bearing?". OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
34. "Royal Passion-Bearers Tsar Nicholas II and His Family | A Russian Orthodox Church Website". www.pravmir.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
35. "Royal Passionbearers Tsar Nicholas (Nikolai), Tsaritsa Alexandra, Tsarevich Aleksy, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
36. "The Orthodox Faith - Volume I - Doctrine and Scripture - Old Testament - Prophets". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
37. "Righteous Forefather Abraham". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
38. "Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen. Commemorated on December 27". OrthoChristian.Com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
39. "Right-believing Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich of Novgorod". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
40. "saint | Etymology of saint by etymonline". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
41. Boston, Greek (2019-07-08). "Why Are There Saints in the Orthodox Church?". www.greekboston.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
42. "Saints". Holy Apostles Orthodox Church. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
43. "Holy Hieromartyr Publius, Bishop of Athens". Retrieved 2024-02-13.
44. "Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
45. "Saint Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
46. "Venerable Simeon the New Theologian". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
47. Peoples, Mother of All (2019-01-28). "The Mother of God in the Orthodox Church". Motherofallpeoples. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
48. Berzonsky, Fr Vladimir (2005-03-20). "Theotokos and the Mother of God". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
49. Church, Saint John (2022-08-16). "Why We Call The Virgin Mary "Theotokos"". Saint John the Evangelist Orthodox Church. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
50. "Greatmartyr and Healer Panteleimon". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
51. "Life and Miracles of St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain". obitel-minsk.org/. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
52. maryadmin (2023-03-01). "Mar. 01 The Holy Venerable Martyr Eudoxia". St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
53. "Martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
54. "Virgin Martyr Lucy of Syracuse". www.oca.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
55. "Wonderworker". St. Nicholas Center. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
56. "Feast of our Father Among the Saints, Nicholas, the Wonderworker and Archbishop of Myra - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - Orthodox Church". Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Retrieved 2024-02-13.

Sources

• Derived with permission from Saint titles at OrthodoxWiki.

External links

• Brief explanation of Orthodox saint titles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylPL-0ERvT0