Are Clergy and Clark the same tartan?

[Galician]

I would just expand on Matt's informative article by pointing out that the word "clark" was used in Middle English for what we now call "cleric" or "clergy." This can still be seen in the category used Church documents referring to Clarks Regular (clergy living in community under vows).

In the Middle Ages, those men who were permanently ordained into the lower Orders (grades/levels) of the clergy (now abolished in the Roman Cathoic Church) were not required to be celibate. So this term came to cover not only those who were ordained, but also covered any one who was literate and able to read and write.

[Scotus]

... ordained into the lower Orders (grades/levels) of the clergy (now abolished in the Roman Cathoic Church)

Not exactly. Communities devoted to the extraordinary form of the Roman rite (FSSP, Institute of Christ the King, etc.) still have these minor orders. One became a cleric (clark) when one was tonsured.

[Tony]

Not exactly. Communities devoted to the extraordinary form of the Roman rite (FSSP, Institute of Christ the King, etc.) still have these minor orders. One became a cleric (clark) when one was tonsured.

Dang, I got it backwards! I started out a Clark, and am rapidly approaching tonsured status through DNA rather than religion.