La penitenza nella Chiesa ortodossa /4. Lo starec – Il confessore

In the Orthodox Church, the role of the starets, or spiritual father, is a charismatic ministry of confession that is distinct from general priestly duties. While the figure of the starets was historically represented by holy monks, the development of sacramental practice has since associated the role with ordained ministers.

The right to hear confessions is not automatically granted through priestly ordination. A priest must receive a specific assignment from his bishop to exercise this sacrament, and not all priests receive this mandate. When these priests earn the trust of the faithful as both confessors and spiritual fathers, they are called starets.

The Orthodox understanding of penance views Christ primarily as a physician who heals the penitent from the harms of being distant from God, rather than a judge who condemns sin. Writing about the hieromonk Abbà Isidoro, P. Florenskij noted in the last century that the starets performs a healing and merciful ministry focused on the penitent's desire for purification.