Definition

Noun: 1. A minor order in the historical Western Church: In the unreformed Western Church, an ostiarius was a cleric who received the lowest of the minor holy orders. The primary duties of this office were to guard the doors of the church and to ring the bells. This order has been suppressed in the Roman Catholic Church.

Usage Notes

• The term ostiarius is a historical and ecclesiastical term. It is not used in modern church structures.
• It is used specifically to refer to the office or the person holding that office in the context of pre-reform Latin Church history.

Examples

• Noun:
  • In medieval times, the ostiarius was responsible for the security of the church building.
  • The ceremony for ordaining an ostiarius involved presenting him with the keys to the church.

Advanced Usage

• The role of the ostiarius is often discussed in historical studies of liturgy and ecclesiastical hierarchy.
• The term can be used metaphorically in very formal or literary contexts to mean "a doorkeeper" or "guardian of a threshold," though this is rare.

Variants and Related Words

• Porter: This is the more common English translation for the role and duties of an .
• Doorkeeper: A direct, non-ecclesiastical synonym for the function.
• Minor Orders: The collective term for the preliminary clerical grades, including , lector, exorcist, and acolyte.

Synonyms

• Doorkeeper
• Porter
• Usher (in a general, non-ecclesiastical sense)

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym, as it is a specific office. In a hierarchical sense, a bishop or priest (major orders) would be of a significantly higher rank.

Related Idioms or Phrases

• There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs using ostiarius.

Noun

1. the lowest of the minor Holy Orders in the unreformed Western Church but now suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church