Duties of the CROWNED QUEEN ABBESS

(4) 1                           CROWNED QUEEN ABBESS

  1. The holder of the office must always be mindful of the burden she has taken up and of Him to Whom she must give an account of her stewardship.
  2. She should know better how to subordinate herself than to rule.
  3. She must be instructed in the divine law that she may know whence to bring forth both new things and old. She must be chaste, sober, merciful, she will often place mercy above justice so that the same will be done for her. Let her hate vice and love her sisters.
  4. She must act prudently and not be excessive in correcting others, lest in trying to scrape out the rust she destroys the vessel.
  5. She must always be distrustful of her own fragility and remember that the bruised reed must not be crushed. By that we do not mean that she should permit vice to flourish but that she should cut it out prudently and charitably so that she sees what may be of help and, as we say, study more to be loved than to be feared.
  6. She must not be turbulent and anxious, neither excessive nor obstinate, neither jealous nor overly suspicious so that she never rests.
  7. Let nothing contrary to her teaching be seen in her deeds nor anything blameworthy is found in her preaching lest God says to her error, “What hast thou to do, to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest out my words behind thee?” (Ps 50:16-17).
  8. Let her orders be prudent and considerate and let her distinguish whether the work she assigns is according to God or to the world and temper it accordingly.
  9. She must make no distinction of persons in the Mystical Order and not love one more than another, except for what she finds better in good actions or obedience.
  10. She may temper and distinguish all things according to God and on the Judgement Day, she may take her profit from the talents lent to her. And if she keeps the present rule in all things then, having served well, she will deserve to hear from the Lord what the good servant deserved to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

(4) 2    The office of the Crowned Queen Abbess is of honorary status and is appointed by the Patriarch and Presiding Prelate on the advice of the Archbishop.

The office is of high respect and integrity and must command the arm of the women’s department.

The Crowned Queen Abbess will be nominated from the Abbess and elected at the Executive Council.

The Crowned Queen Abbess must attain the age of fifty (50) and must be consecrated an Abbess according to the Mystical Order Ministries and sacred rites.

She must have served in that office for at least four (4) years

(4) 3      The Crowned Queen Abbess must meet the following requirements:

  1. Higher than another in rank, station, or authority: She is a superior officer.
  2. Of a higher nature or kind.
  3. Of great value or excellence; extraordinary.
  4. Greater in number or amount than another:
  5. Presuming to be or suggesting that one is morally or socially better than others; disdainful or supercilious.
  6. Above being affected or influenced; indifferent or immune:
  7. One that surpasses another in rank or quality.
  8. Ecclesiastical The head of a religious community, such as a church, or Women’s group.
  9. Ex-officio member of all standing committees and shall not have a vote

(4) 4     The Crowned Queen Abbess can exercise supreme domestic authority over her department and all its dependencies, but as a female, she is debarred from exercising any power of spiritual jurisdiction, such as belongs to a Bishop. She is empowered therefore to administer the temporal possessions of the church; to issue commands to her juniors “in virtue of holy obedience”, thus binding them in conscience, provided the obedience she demands to be in accordance with the rule and bylaws of the Mystical Order Ministries; and to prescribe and ordain whatever may be necessary for the maintenance of discipline in the house, or church to the proper observance of the rule, and the preservation of peace and order in the Mystical Order Ministries.

Therefore the Crowned Queen Abbess ought not to teach or ordain or command anything which is against the Lord’s precepts; on the contrary, her commands and her teaching should be a leaven of divine justice kneaded into the minds of her disciples.’

She must show forth all good and holy things by her words and even more by her deeds.”

And “…she should show herself equally loving to all, and maintain discipline impartially according to the merits of each.”

She must, indeed, be encouraged, another to be rebuked, another persuaded, each according to her nature and intelligence. Thus she must adapt and fit herself to all…

(4) 5

  • to provide advice and guidance to the Church especially to the Matriarch and the Archbishop;
  • to discuss, debate and recommend appropriate policies for the Church and the furtherance of the women’s ministry;
  • to identify and recommend worthy Abbesses or Queen Abbess to the Matriarch for elevation;
  • such other duties and tasks as the Church may from time to time assign.
  • Upon receiving recommendations the Matriarch shall immediately inform the Archbishop or Patriarch and Presiding Prelate of such notices. (Article [2] 2-4