Commanding status of priest? (6)
I believe the answer is:
orders
'commanding status of priest?' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'status of priest?' is the wordplay.
'status' becomes 'order' (order is a kind of status).
'of priest?' becomes 's' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'order'+'s'='ORDERS'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for orders that I've seen before include "Decrees, commands" , "Given to soldiers" , "Monastic societies" , "Groups living under particular religious rules" , "Presumably 26 [TURKEY] will have to have taken these" .)