A Hieromonk, or celibate priest, declares a vow of celibacy the evening of the same day he is ordained and is given a "veghar" (), a special head-cover, which symbolizes his renunciation of worldly things. A celibate priest is given the title of Monk ( "abegha"). Upon successful completion and defense of a written thesis, on a topic of his choosing, the Monk receives the rank of Archimandrite ( "vardapet"). This indicates that he is a “Doctor” of the Church and receives the right to carry the staff of an Archimandrite. A higher rank of Senior Archimandrite ("Dzayraguyn Vardapet") can be granted after completing and defending a doctoral thesis. The rank can only be granted by Bishops who themselves have attained the rank of Senior Archimandrite. The bishops are elected from among those celibate priests who have achieved the rank of archimandrite.