Ecclesiastical
Titles Patriarch.
This is the title borne by the heads
of certain autocephalous (self-heading — i.e., independent) Churches. At the
present time the heads of the Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria (Pope
and Patriarch), Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania bear this title. The heads of the other Churches are entitled
Archbishop (i.e., Greece, Albania, Cyprus) or Metropolitan (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
(ROCOR), Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Orthodox Church in America, OCA).
The head of the autocephalous Church of Georgia is entitled the Katholicos.
Metropolitan, Archbishop.
Originally a Metropolitan (from
metropolis) was the Bishop of the capital of a province, while Archbishop was a
more general title of honor given to Bishops of special eminence (e.g., Bishops
of long tenure) the Church of Russia still generally uses these titles in the
original way, but the Greek Churches (except Jerusalem) give the title
Metropolitan to every Diocesan Bishop and grant the title Archbishop to those
who formerly would have been styled Metropolitans. Thus an Archbishop now ranks
above a Metropolitan in the Greek Churches, but in the Slavic Churches the rank
of Metropolitan is pre-eminent.
Archimandrite.
Originally this title was given to a
Monk supervising several monasteries or who was the superior of an especially
important monastery. Now it is usually given as a title of honor for distinguished
Priestmonks.
Abbot (Hegumen or Igumen).
Originally a Priestmonk who was the Superior of a
monastery was entitled Abbot (a practice strictly adhered to by the Greek
Church), but in the Russian church, this is more often a title of honor given
to Priest-monks. In the Russian Church, an Igumen ranks below an Archimandrite.
Archpriest, Protopresbyter.
These are titles of honor given to
non-monastic Priests, and are generally equivalent to that of Archimandrite.
Hieromonk.
A Hieromonk is a Monk who happens to
be a Priest.
Hierodeacon.
A Hierodeacon is a monastic Deacon.
Archdeacon.
This is a title of honor given to
monastic Deacons — usually those attached to a Bishop.
Protodeacon.
This is a title of honor given to
non-monastic Deacons — usually those attached to cathedrals or to Bishops.