Preot

Preot is a Romanian term for a male clergyman authorized to perform sacred rites in Christian churches, especially within the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic traditions in Romania. It is commonly used for a parish priest, and informally the priest may be addressed as părintele (the father). The role is defined by ordination and the ability to celebrate sacraments.

A preot presides over liturgy, administers sacraments such as baptism and the Eucharist, witnesses marriages, conducts funerals, hears confessions in liturgical settings, provides pastoral care, and guides parish life and religious education.

Training and status: In Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, a preot is ordained by a bishop; in these traditions, married men may be ordained in some contexts, though bishops typically come from among priests or monks. In the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, priests are usually celibate, though some Eastern Catholic churches allow married men to be ordained; female ordination is not practiced in the historic Orthodox or Catholic churches.

Etymology and context: The term derives from the Latin presbyter meaning elder, via Church Slavonic or Greek influences into Romanian. In Romanian culture, the priest often serves as a community figure in rural areas and small towns, overseeing religious education and vital life events; the parish is called a parohie and the priest is the paroh.