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The '''hierarchy of the Catholic Church''' consists of its [[bishop (Catholicism)|bishops]], [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priests]], and [[deacon]]s.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p4.htm Catechism of the Catholic Church, 873] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906142233/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p4.htm |date=6 September 2010 }}</ref><ref>"If any one saith, that, in the Catholic Church there is not a hierarchy by divine ordination instituted, consisting of bishops, priests, and ministers; let him be [[anathema]]" ([http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct23.html Council of Trent, session XXIII, canon VI on the sacrament of Order]).</ref> In the [[Catholic ecclesiology|ecclesiological]] sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the church, the [[Body of Christ]], so to respect the diversity of gifts and ministries necessary for genuine unity.

In canonical and general usage, it refers to those who exercise authority within a Christian church.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Hierarchy |volume=13 |page=452 }}</ref> In the [[Catholic Church]], authority rests chiefly with bishops,<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|874–896}}</ref> while priests and deacons serve as their assistants, co-workers or helpers.<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|886,888,893,939}}</ref> Accordingly, "hierarchy of the Catholic Church" is also used to refer to the bishops alone.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=33923 |title="Hierarchy" in John Hardon, ''Modern Catholic Dictionary'' |access-date=1 January 2013 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033038/http://www.catholicreference.net/index.cfm?id=33923 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The term "pope" was still used loosely until the sixth century, being at times assumed by other bishops.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes|last=Duffy|first=Eamon|publisher=Yale|year=1997|isbn=978-0300115970|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/00book1593273669}}</ref> The term "hierarchy" became popular only in the sixth century, due to the writings of [[Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite|Pseudo-Dionysius]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07322c.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Hierarchy|website=newadvent.org|access-date=3 June 2019}}</ref>

As of 31 December 2020, the Catholic Church consisted of 2,903 [[diocese]]s or equivalent jurisdictions,<ref name="sees">Vatican, ''Annuario Pontificio'' 2021, p. 1103.</ref> each overseen by a bishop. Dioceses are divided into individual communities called [[Parish (Catholic Church)|parishes]], each staffed by one or more priests, deacons, or [[lay ecclesial ministers]].<ref name="OneFaith52">Barry, p. 52</ref> Ordinarily, care of a parish is entrusted to a priest, though there are exceptions. Approximately 19.3% of all parishes do not have a resident pastor, and 1,948 parishes worldwide are entrusted to a deacon or lay ecclesial minister.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frequently Requested Church Statistics |url=http://cara.georgetown.edu/frequently-requested-church-statistics/ |access-date=21 January 2024 |website=Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate |publisher=Georgetown University}}</ref>

All clergy, including deacons, priests, and bishops, may preach, teach, [[baptize]], witness [[Marriage in the Catholic Church|marriages]], and conduct [[Catholic funeral|funeral liturgies]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions About Deacons|url=http://www.usccb.org/deacon/faqs.shtml|author=Committee on the Diaconate|publisher=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops|access-date=9 March 2008}}</ref> Only priests and bishops can celebrate the sacraments of the [[Eucharist (Catholic Church)|Eucharist]] (though others may be [[extraordinary minister of Holy Communion|ministers of Holy Communion]]),<ref>"The minister who is able to confect the sacrament of the Eucharist in the person of Christ is a validly ordained priest alone" ([https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/ __P38.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 900 §1).] While in the English language, the word "priest" usually means someone received into the second of the three [[holy orders]] (also called the [[presbyter]]ate) but not into the highest, that of [[bishop (Catholicism)|bishop]], the Latin text underlying this statement uses the Latin term ''sacerdos'', which comprises both bishops and, in the common English sense, priests. To refer exclusively to priests in the more common English sense, Latin uses the word ''presbyter''. See [https://archive.org/details/generalinstructi0000smol/page/24 <!-- quote=Smolarski "important technical difference". --> Dennis Chester Smolarski, ''The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 1969–2002: A Commentary'' (Liturgical Press 2003] {{ISBN|978-0-8146-2936-9}}), p. 24.</ref> [[Sacrament of Penance|Penance]] (Reconciliation, Confession), [[Confirmation (Catholic Church)|Confirmation]] (priests may administer this sacrament with prior ecclesiastical approval), and [[Anointing of the Sick (Catholic Church)|Anointing of the Sick]].<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P16.HTM Canon 42] Catholic Church Canon Law. Retrieved 9 March 2008.</ref><ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1D.HTM Canon 375] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219141242/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1D.HTM |date=19 February 2008 }}, Catholic Law. Retrieved 9 March 2008.</ref> Only bishops can administer the sacrament of [[Holy Orders (Catholic Church)|Holy Orders]], by which men are [[ordination|ordained]] as bishops, priests or deacons.<ref name="OneFaith114">Barry, p. 114.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Strenski |first=Ivan |date=10 February 2015 |title=Understanding Theories of Religion: An Introduction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Hr7CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA195 |publisher=Wiley |page=195 |isbn= 9781118457702}}</ref>

==History==
The existence of a Roman Catholic hierarchy (made of bishops, priests, and deacons) is attested since the time of the first [[Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphia]].<ref>Quote: "...especially if [men] are in unity with the bishop, the presbyters, and the deacons, who have been appointed according to the mind of Jesus Christ, whom He has established in security, after His own will, and by His Holy Spirit.[...] Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth ] the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants: that so, whatsoever you do, you may do it according to [the will of] God". See ''[[Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians]]'', [https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0108.htm Ch. 1 and 4].</ref>

==Episcopate==
{{main article|Bishop (Catholic Church)}}
The [[Bishop (Catholicism)|bishops]], who possess the fullness of orders, and therefore the fullness of both priesthood and diaconate, are as a body (the [[College of Bishops]]) considered the successors of the [[Twelve Apostles|Apostles]]<ref name="ccec 42">{{cite web | url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P16.HTM | title=Canon 42 | work=[[Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches]] | year = 1990 | access-date=20 April 2007 }}</ref><ref name="BritannicaCollegeOfBishops">[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/507284/Roman-Catholicism Roman Catholicism] (at "Structure of the Church: The College of Bishops"). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2012.</ref> and are "constituted Pastors in the Church, to be the teachers of doctrine, the priests of sacred worship and the ministers of governance"<ref name="cic 375">{{cite web | url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1D.HTM | title=Canon 375 | work=[[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]] | year=1983 | access-date=20 April 2007 }}</ref> and "represent the Church."<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19900524_theologian-vocation_en.html Instruction on the Ecclesial Vocation of Theologian, 19] Member of the Episcopal College by virtue of his sacramental ordination and hierarchical communion, the bishop represents his Church just as all the bishops, in union with the Pope, represent the Church universal in the bonds of peace, love, unity, and truth.</ref> In 2012, there were 5,133 Catholic bishops;<ref>Carol Glatz, [http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/05/05/vatican-statistics-church-growth-remains-steady-worldwide/ Vatican statistics: Church growth remains steady worldwide], ''Catholic Herald'' (5 May 2014).</ref> at the end of 2021, there were 5,340 Catholic bishops. The Pope himself is a bishop (the bishop of Rome) and traditionally uses the title "Venerable Brother" when writing formally to another bishop.

The typical role of a bishop is to provide pastoral governance for a [[diocese]].<ref name=BritannicaCollegeOfBishops/> Bishops who fulfill this function are known as diocesan [[#Ordinaries and local ordinaries|ordinaries]], because they have what [[Canon law (Catholic Church)|canon law]] calls ordinary (i.e. not delegated) authority for a diocese. These bishops may be known as hierarchs in the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]]. Other bishops may be appointed to assist ordinaries ([[auxiliary bishop]]s and [[coadjutor bishop]]s) or to carry out a function in a broader field of service to the church, such as appointments as [[papal nuncio]]s or as officials in the [[Roman Curia]].

Bishops of a country or region may form an [[episcopal conference]] and meet periodically to discuss current problems. Decisions in certain fields, notably [[Mass (liturgy)|liturgy]], fall within the exclusive competence of these conferences. The decisions of the conferences are binding on the individual bishops only if agreed to by at least two-thirds of the membership and confirmed by the [[Holy See]].

Bishops are normally ordained to the episcopate by at least three other bishops,<ref name="cic 375" /> though for validity only one is needed<ref name="cic 1014">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3O.HTM |title=Canon 1014 |work=[[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]] |year=1983 |access-date=20 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070402021547/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3O.HTM |archive-date=2 April 2007 }}</ref> and a mandatum from the Holy See is required.<ref name="cic 1013">{{cite web | url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3O.HTM | title=Canon 1013 | work=[[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]] | year=1983 | access-date=20 April 2007 }}</ref> [[Ordination]] to the episcopate is considered the completion of the sacrament of Holy Orders; even when a bishop retires from his active service, he remains a bishop, since the ontological effect of Holy Orders is permanent. On the other hand, titles such as archbishop or patriarch imply no ontological alteration, and existing bishops who rise to those offices do not require further ordination.

Sacramentally, all bishops are equal. According to jurisdiction, office, and privileges, however, various ranks are distinguished, as indicated below. All bishops are "vicars of Christ".<ref>{{cite book|title=Lumen Gentium|publisher=Catholic Church|page=27}}</ref>

===Pope (Bishop of Rome) ===
{{Main article|Pope}}
[[File:Pope Francis in March 2013 (cropped3).jpg|thumb|[[Pope Francis]], bishop of Rome since 2013|left]]
The pope is the bishop of [[Diocese of Rome|Rome]]. He is also, by virtue of that office:

{{quote|[[Vicar of Christ|Vicar of Jesus Christ]], Successor of the [[Saint Peter|Prince of the Apostles]], [[Pontifex Maximus|Supreme]] [[Pontiff#Christianity|Pontiff]] of the Universal Church, [[Patriarch]] of the [[Latin Church]], [[Primate (bishop)|Primate]] of Italy, [[Metropolitan bishop|Archbishop and Metropolitan]] of the [[List of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Italy#Ecclesiastical Province of Rome|Roman]] [[Ecclesiastical province#Catholic Church|Province]], [[List of sovereigns of Vatican City State|Sovereign]] of the [[Vatican City|Vatican City State]], [[Servant of the servants of God]].<ref>''Annuario Pontificio'', published annually by Libreria Editrice Vaticana, p. 23. {{ISBN|978-88-209-8722-0}}.</ref>}}

====Offices and titles====
"Pope" is a pronominal [[honorific]], not an office or a title, meaning "Father" (the common honorific for all clergy). The honorific "pope" was from the early 3rd century used for any bishop in the West, and is known in [[Greek language|Greek]] as far back as Homer's ''[[Odyssey]]'' (6:57). In the East, "pope" is still a common form of address for clergy in the [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church]] and the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], and is the style of the bishop of Alexandria. [[Pope Marcellinus]] (died 304) is the first Bishop of Rome shown in sources to have had the title "pope" used of him. From the 6th century, the imperial chancery of Constantinople normally reserved this designation for the Bishop of Rome. From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West to the Bishop of Rome, a practice that was firmly in place by the 11th century, when Pope Gregory VII declared it reserved for the Bishop of Rome.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} 

As bishop of the Church of Rome, he is successor to the co-patrons of that local church, [[Saint Peter]] and [[Saint Paul]].<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/507284/Roman-Catholicism Roman Catholicism] (at "Structure of the Church: Apostolic Succession"). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2012.</ref>  As such, the Church of Rome, and its bishop, has always had a prominence in the Catholic communion and at least to some degree [[Primacy of the Roman Pontiff|primacy]] among his peers, the other bishops,<ref name="cic 331">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P16.HTM |title=Canon 331 |work=[[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]] |year=1983 |access-date=20 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070402021624/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P16.HTM |archive-date=2 April 2007 }}</ref> as Peter had a certain primacy among his peers, the other apostles.<ref name="cic 330">{{cite web | url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P15.HTM | title=Canon 330 | work=[[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]] | year=1983 | access-date=20 April 2007 }}</ref> The exact nature of that primacy is one of the most significant ecumenical issues of the age, and has developed as a doctrine throughout the entire history of the Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schatz|first1=Klaus|title=Papal Primacy: From its Origins to the Present|date=1996|publisher=Michael Glazier|isbn=978-0-8146-5522-1}}</ref>

The [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]], quoting the [[Second Vatican Council]]'s document {{lang|la|[[Lumen gentium]]}}, states: "The ''pope'', Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, 'is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.'"<ref name="ccc 882">{{cite web | url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p4.htm#I | title=#882 | work=[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] | access-date=20 April 2007 }}</ref> Communion with the bishop of Rome has become such a significant identifier of Catholic identity that at times the [[Catholic Church]] has been known in its entirety as "[[Roman Catholic (term)|Roman Catholic]]," though this is inaccurate in Catholic theology ([[ecclesiology]]).<ref name="cic 336">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P17.HTM |title=Canon 336 |work=[[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]] |access-date=20 April 2007 |year=1983 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525120911/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P17.HTM |archive-date=25 May 2012 }}</ref>

Three other of the pope's offices stem directly from his office as bishop of the [[Diocese of Rome|Church of Rome]]. As the [[Latin Church]] owes its identity and development to its origins in the liturgical, juridical, and theological patrimony of Rome, the bishop of Rome is de facto the [[patriarch]] of the Latin Church. According to Pope Benedict XVI, there has been much 'confusion' between the pope's primacy as patriarch of the western church and his primacy as first patriarch among equals, that this "failure to distinguish" between the roles and responsibilities of these two distinct positions leads in time to the "extreme centralization of the Catholic Church" and the schism between East and West.<ref>{{cite book|last1=DeVille|first1=Adam A.J.|title=Orthodoxy and the Roman Papacy: Ut Unum Sint and the Prospects of East-West Unity|date=2011|publisher=University of Notre Dame Press}}</ref>

As the first local Church of Italy, the bishop of Rome is the [[Primate (bishop)|Primate]] of Italy and is empowered to appoint the president of the Italian Bishops' Conference.

The Church of Rome is also the principal church of the [[Ecclesiastical province#Catholic Church|Province]] of Rome, so the bishop of Rome is [[Metropolitan bishop|Archbishop and Metropolitan]] of the [[List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)#Ecclesiastical Province of Rome|Roman province]].

As a bishop, the pope is referred to as a [[Vicar of Christ]]. This title was common to all bishops from the fourth through twelfth centuries, reserved to the bishop of Rome from the twelfth through early twentieth centuries, and restored to all bishops at the Second Vatican Council.<ref name="Lumen gentium">{{cite web
 |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html 
 |title=Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church ''Lumen gentium'' §&nbsp;27 
 |access-date=27 January 2010 
 |work=Site da Santa Sé 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906031754/https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html 
 |archive-date=6 September 2014 }}</ref>

The pope resides in [[Vatican City]], an independent state within the city of Rome, set up by the 1929 [[Lateran Pacts]] between the [[Holy See]] and Italy. As popes were sovereigns of the [[papal states]] (754–1870), so do they exercise absolute civil authority in the microstate of [[Vatican City]] since 1929.

Ambassadors are accredited not to the Vatican City State but to the ''Holy See,'' which was subject to international law even before the state was instituted. The body of officials that assist the Pope in governance of the church as a whole is known as the [[Roman curia]]. The term "Holy See" (i.e. of Rome) is generally used only of the Pope and the curia, because the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]], which concerns governance of the Latin Church as a whole and not internal affairs of the see (diocese) of Rome itself, necessarily uses the term in this technical sense.

Finally, the title "[[Servant of the servants of God]]" was an addition of [[Pope Gregory the Great]], a reminder that in Christianity, leadership is always about service/ministry (''diakonia'').

The [[style (manner of address)|style]] of address for the bishop of Rome is "His Holiness".

====Election====

The present rules governing the election of a pope are found in the apostolic constitution ''[[Universi Dominici Gregis]]''.<ref name="UDG">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_22021996_universi-dominici-gregis_en.html |title=Apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis |access-date=20 April 2007 |author=Pope John Paul II |date=22 February 1996 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070506074146/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_22021996_universi-dominici-gregis_en.html |archive-date=6 May 2007 |author-link=Pope John Paul II }}</ref> This deals with the powers, from the death of a pope to the announcement of his successor's election, of the cardinals and the departments of the Roman curia; with the funeral arrangements for the dead pope; and with the place, time and manner of voting of the meeting of the cardinal electors, a meeting known as a [[Papal conclave|conclave]]. This word is derived from Latin ''com-'' (together) and ''clavis'' (key) and refers to the locking away of the participants from outside influences, a measure that was introduced first as a means instead of forcing them to reach a decision.

Like all bishops, the pope has the option of [[papal resignation|resigning]], though unlike other bishops, it is not required. The best known cases are those of [[Pope Celestine V]] in 1294, [[Pope Gregory XII]] in 1415 and [[Pope Benedict XVI]] in 2013. Approximately 10% of all popes left or were removed from office before death.

===Eastern patriarchs===
The heads of some autonomous (in [[Latin language|Latin]], ''[[sui iuris]]'') [[particular church]]es consisting of several local churches (dioceses) have the title of [[Patriarch]].<ref name="ccec 55">{{cite web | url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P1J.HTM | title=Canon 55 | work=[[Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches]] | year=1990 | access-date=20 April 2007 }}</ref>

The pope, as patriarch of the Latin Church, is the head of the only sui iuris Church in the West, leading to the title [[Patriarch of the West]]. Eastern patriarchs are elected by the [[synod]] of bishops of their particular church.<ref name="ccec 63">{{cite web | url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P1R.HTM | title=Canon 63 | work=[[Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches]] | year=1990 | access-date=28 May 2008 }}</ref>

The patriarchs who head autonomous particular churches are:
*The [[List of Coptic Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria|Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria]] ([[Coptic Catholic Church]])<ref>Ronald Roberson, CSP (2006). [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=63&IndexView=toc "The Coptic Catholic Church"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712071243/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=63&IndexView=toc |date=12 July 2009 }}, ''The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (6th edition)''.</ref>
*The [[List of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch|Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch]] ([[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]])<ref>Ronald Roberson, CSP (2006). [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=68&IndexView=toc "The Melkite Catholic Church"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712071214/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=68&IndexView=toc |date=12 July 2009 }}, ''The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (6th edition)''.</ref>
*The [[List of Maronite Patriarchs|Maronite Patriarch of Antioch]] ([[Maronite Church]])<ref>Ronald Roberson, CSP (2006). [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=56&IndexView=toc "The Maronite Catholic Church"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516140520/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=56&IndexView=toc |date=16 May 2007 }}, ''The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (6th edition)''.</ref>
*The [[List of Syriac Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch|Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch]] ([[Syriac Catholic Church]])<ref>Ronald Roberson, CSP (2006). [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=65&IndexView=toc "The Syrian Catholic Church"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060301200200/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=65&IndexView=toc |date=1 March 2006 }}, ''The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (6th edition)''.</ref>
*The [[List of Chaldean Catholic Patriarchs of Babylon|Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylonia]] ([[Chaldean Catholic Church]])<ref>Ronald Roberson, CSP (2006). [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=59&IndexView=toc "The Chaldean Catholic Church"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316014359/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=59&IndexView=toc |date=16 March 2010 }}, ''The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (6th edition)''.</ref>
*The [[List of Armenian Catholic Patriarchs of Cilicia|Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia]] ([[Armenian Catholic Church]])<ref>Ronald Roberson, CSP (2006). [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=59&IndexView=toc "The Armenian Catholic Church"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316014359/http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=59&IndexView=toc |date=16 March 2010 }}, ''The Eastern Christian Churches: A Brief Survey (6th edition)''.</ref>

These have authority not only over the bishops of their particular church, including metropolitans, but also directly over all the faithful.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P1K.HTM Canon 53], ''1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches''</ref> Eastern Catholic patriarchs have [[Order of precedence in the Catholic Church|precedence]] over all other bishops, with the exceptions laid down by the Pope.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P1M.HTM Canon 58], ''Ibid''</ref> The honorary title prefixed to their names is "His Beatitude".

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 auto 0 auto"
|+Current and historical Catholic patriarchates
|-
! Type
! Church
! Patriarchate
! Patriarch
|-
| rowspan="6"|Patriarchs of ''sui iuris'' Churches
| [[Coptic Catholic Church|Coptic]]
| [[List of Coptic Catholic Patriarchs of Alexandria|Alexandria]]
| Patriarch [[Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak]]
|-
| [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church|Greek-Melkite]]
| [[List of Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch|Antioch]]
| Patriarch [[Youssef Absi]]
|-
| [[Maronite Church|Maronite]]
| [[List of Maronite Patriarchs|Antioch]]
| Cardinal [[Bechara Boutros al-Rahi]]
|-
| [[Syriac Catholic Church|Syriac]]
| [[List of Syriac Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch|Antioch]]
| Patriarch [[Ignatius Joseph III Younan]]
|-
| [[Armenian Catholic Church|Armenian]]
| [[List of Armenian Catholic Patriarchs of Cilicia|Cilicia]]
| Patriarch [[Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian]]
|-
| [[Chaldean Catholic Church|Chaldean]]
| [[List of Chaldean Catholic Patriarchs of Babylon|Baghdad]]
| Cardinal [[Louis Raphaël I Sako]]
|-
|}

===Major archbishops===
[[File:Sviatoslav Shevchuk.jpg|thumb|[[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]], the Major Archbishop of Kyiv–Galicia since 2011]]
Other autonomous particular churches are headed by a [[major archbishop]].<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P47.HTM Canon 151], ''1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches''</ref> The [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]] uses the title ''[[Catholicos]]'' for their major archbishop.<ref>[http://indiancatholic.in/news_read.asp?nid=647 "Syro Malankara Church says it can use ''Catholicos'' title"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514120345/http://indiancatholic.in/news_read.asp?nid=647 |date=14 May 2015 }}, Indian Catholic News Service, 21 July 2005</ref> With few exceptions, the authority of a major archbishop in his ''sui iuris'' church is equivalent to that of a patriarch in his church.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P48.HTM Canon 152], ''1990 Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches''</ref> This less prestigious office<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P4A.HTM Canon 154], ''1990 Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches''</ref> was established in 1963 for those Eastern Catholic Churches which have developed in size and stability to allow full self-governance if historical, ecumenical, or political conditions do not allow their elevation to a patriarchate.

At present, there are four major archbishops:
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 auto 0 auto"
|+ {{sronly|List of Catholic major archbishops}}
|-
! scope="col" | Major archdiocese
! scope="col" | Country
! scope="col" | Church
! scope="col" | Year of Establishment of Major Archeparchy
! scope="col" | Major Archbishop
|-
| [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly|Ernakulam-Angamaly]]
| {{flag|India}}
| [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church|Syro-Malabar]]
| 1896
| Major archbishop [[Raphael Thattil]]
|-
| [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Major Archeparchy of Trivandrum|Trivandrum]]
| {{flag|India}}
| [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church|Syro-Malankara]]
| 1932
| Cardinal Catholicos [[Baselios Cleemis]]
|-
| [[Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia|Făgăraş and Alba Iulia]]
| {{flag|Romania}}
| [[Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic|Romanian]]
| 2005
| Cardinal Major Archbishop [[Lucian Mureșan]]
|-
| [[Ukrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kyiv–Galicia|Kyiv–Galicia]]
| {{flag|Ukraine}}
| [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|Ukrainian]]
| 2005
| Major Archbishop [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]]
|}

===Latin patriarchs===
There are also titular patriarchs in the Latin Church, who, for various historical reasons, were granted the title, but never the corresponding office and responsibilities, of "patriarch". They include the [[Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem]], the [[Patriarch of Venice]], the [[Patriarch of Lisbon]], and the [[Patriarch of the East Indies]]. All of these offices are honorary, and the patriarchs are not the heads of autonomous particular churches.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1J.HTM Canon 438], ''1983 Code of Canon Law''</ref> The Patriarch of the East Indies is the archbishop of [[Goa]], while the other patriarchs are the archbishops of the named cities. The title of [[Patriarch of the West Indies]] was in the past granted to some Spanish bishops (not always of the same see), but is long in abeyance.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 auto 0 auto"
|+Current and historical Latin patriarchates
|-
! Type
! Patriarchate
! Patriarch
|-
|rowspan="3"|Patriarchs of the Latin Church
| [[Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]]
| Cardinal [[Pierbattista Pizzaballa]]
|-
| [[Patriarch of Lisbon|Lisbon]]
| Patriarch [[Rui Valério]]
|-
| [[Patriarch of Venice|Venice]]
| Patriarch [[Francesco Moraglia]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|Titular patriarchs of the Latin Church
| [[Patriarch of the East Indies|East Indies]]
| Patriarch [[Filipe Neri Ferrão]]
|-
| [[Patriarchate of the West Indies|West Indies]]
|style="text-align:center"| vacant since 1963
|-
|rowspan="5"| Suppressed titles
| [[Latin Patriarch of Alexandria|Alexandria]]
|style="text-align:center"| suppressed in 1964
|-
| [[Latin Patriarch of Antioch|Antioch]]
|style="text-align:center"| suppressed in 1964
|-
| [[Latin Patriarch of Constantinople|Constantinople]]
|style="text-align:center"| suppressed in 1964
|-
| [[Patriarchate of Aquileia (Episcopal)|Aquileia]]
|style="text-align:center"| suppressed in 1751
|-
| [[Patriarch of Grado|Grado]]
|style="text-align:center"| transferred to Venice in 1451
|-
|}

===Cardinals===
{{main article|Cardinal (Catholicism)}}
[[File:Koorkledij (vlnr Jean-Pierre Delville-Franco Coppola-Jozef De Kesel - Guy Harpigny).jpg|thumb|left|275px|A cardinal (second from right) and bishops]]
[[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinals]] are princes of the church appointed by the Pope.<ref name="BritannicaRomanCuria">[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/507284/Roman-Catholicism Roman Catholicism] (at "Structure of the Church: The Roman Curia and the College of Cardinals"). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2012.</ref> He generally chooses bishops who head [[dicastery|departments]] of the [[Roman Curia]] or important [[episcopal see]]s throughout the world. As a whole, the cardinals compose a [[College of Cardinals]] which advises the Pope, and those cardinals under the age of 80 at the death or resignation of a Pope [[Papal conclave|elect his successor]]. Their heraldic achievement is surmounted by the red [[galero]] and [[tassels]] as a form of martyred position in the church.

Not all cardinals are bishops. [[Domenico Bartolucci]], [[Karl Josef Becker]], [[Roberto Tucci]] and [[Albert Vanhoye]] are examples of 21st-century non-bishop cardinals. The [[1917 Code of Canon Law]] introduced the requirement that a cardinal must be at least a priest.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0813/_PO.HTM Code of Canon Law (1917), canon 232 §1]</ref> Previously, they need only be in [[minor orders]] and not even [[deacon]]s. [[Teodolfo Mertel]], who died in 1899, was the last non-priest cardinal. In 1962, [[Pope John XXIII]] made it a rule that a man who has been nominated a cardinal is required to be consecrated a bishop, if not one already,<ref>Pope John XXIII (15 April 1962). "Cum gravissima".</ref> but some ask for and obtain dispensation from this requirement. It is rare that the Pope will appoint Cardinals who are priests only and not consecrated as a bishop.

The 1917 Code of Canon Law, continuing the tradition observed, for instance, at the [[First Vatican Council]],<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/acommentaryonthe00bachuoft#page/36/mode/2up/search/precedence Chas. Augustine, ''A Commentary on the New Code of Canon Law'' (Herder 1918), book II, pp. 36–37]</ref> laid down that cardinals have [[Order of precedence in the Catholic Church|precedence]] over all other prelates, even patriarchs.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0813/_PO.HTM Code of Canon Law (1917), canon 239 §1 21°]</ref> The [[1983 Code of Canon Law]] did not deal with questions of precedence.

The cardinalate is not an integral part of the theological structure of the Catholic Church, but largely an honorific distinction that has its origins in the 1059 assignation of the right of electing the Pope exclusively to the principal clergy of Rome and the bishops of the seven [[suburbicarian diocese]]s.<ref name=BritannicaRomanCuria/> Because of their resulting importance, the term ''cardinal'' (from Latin ''cardo'', meaning "hinge") was applied to them. In the 12th century the practice of appointing ecclesiastics from outside Rome as cardinals began. Each cardinal is still assigned a church in Rome as his "titular church" or is linked with one of the suburbicarian dioceses. Of these sees, the [[Dean of the College of Cardinals]] holds that of [[Bishop of Ostia|Ostia]], while keeping his preceding link with one of the other six sees. Traditionally, only six cardinals held the rank of [[Cardinal Bishop]], but when Eastern patriarchs are made cardinals, they too hold the rank of Cardinal Bishop, without being assigned a [[suburbicarian see]]. The other cardinals have the rank either of [[Cardinal Priest]] or [[Cardinal Deacon]], the former rank being normally assigned to bishops in charge of dioceses, and the latter to officials of the Curia and to priests raised to the cardinalate.

===Primates===
The Latin Church title of [[primate (bishop)|primate]] has in some countries been granted to the bishop of a particular (usually metropolitan) see.<ref name="ce">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Primate}}</ref> It once involved authority over all the other sees in the country or region, but now only gives a "prerogative of honor" with no power of governance unless an exception is made in certain matters by a privilege granted by the Holy See or by an approved custom.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P1I.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 438]</ref> The title is usually assigned to the [[#Ordinaries and local ordinaries|ordinary]] of the first diocese or the oldest archdiocese in the country.<ref name=ce/> Thus in [[Roman Catholicism in Poland|Poland]], the primate is the archbishop of the oldest archdiocese ([[Archdiocese of Gniezno|Gniezno]], founded in 1000), and not the oldest diocese ([[Diocese of Poznań|Poznań]], founded in 968).

Notably, the [[Archbishop of Baltimore]] is not formally considered a primate of the [[Catholic Church in the United States]], but "prerogative of the place".

The closest equivalent position in [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] is an [[exarch]] holding authority over other bishops without being a patriarch.<ref name=ce/> In the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], exarchs, whether apostolic or patriarchal, do not hold authority over other bishops ([[#Equivalents of diocesan bishops in law|see below]]).

===Metropolitan bishops===

{{See also|Metropolitan bishop#Catholic Church}}

[[File:Archbishop-robert-carlson.jpg|right|thumb|Archbishop [[Robert James Carlson|Robert Carlson]], [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis|Metropolitan Archbishop of St. Louis]] (2009–2020). He is wearing the [[pallium]].]]
A Latin Church [[metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] is the bishop of the principal (the "metropolitan") see of an [[ecclesiastical province]] composed of several dioceses.  The metropolitan receives a [[pallium]] from the pope as a symbol of his office.
The metropolitan bishop has limited oversight authority over the [[suffragan diocese]]s in their province, including ensuring that the faith and ecclesiastical discipline are properly observed.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1J.HTM Canons 435–437], ''Ibid''.</ref> He also has the power to name a [[diocesan administrator]] for a [[sede vacante|vacant]] suffragan see if the diocesan council of consultors fails to properly elect one.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1H.HTM Canon 421 §2], ''Ibid''.</ref> His diocesan tribunal additionally serves by default as the ecclesiastical [[court of appeal]] for suffragans (court of second instance),<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P5F.HTM Canon 1438], ''Ibid''.</ref> and the metropolitan has the option of judging those appeals personally.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P5C.HTM Canon 1419 §1], ''Ibid''.</ref>

The metropolitans of a given territory are also involved in the selection of bishops. Every three years, they compile a list of ''promovendis'' - a list of priests who may be suitable for the office of bishop. This is forwarded to the local [[Nuncio|apostolic nuncio]], who evaluates the candidates in a consultative and confidential process. The nuncio in turn forwards the best candidates to the [[Dicastery for Bishops]] in Rome, who conduct a final evaluation of candidates and offer their findings to the pope for his final decision of appointment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2021-04/vatican-dicasteries-congregation-bishops-cardinal-ouellet.html|title = To choose a bishop: A man for the Church, not a "ladder-climber" - Vatican News|date = 26 April 2021}}</ref>  

Eastern Metropolitans in patriarchal or major archiepiscopal churches have a level of authority similar to that of Latin metropolitans, subject to the specific laws and customs of their ''sui iuris'' church.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P3P.HTM Canons 133]-[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P3V.HTM 139], ''Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches''</ref> Eastern metropolitans who ''head'' a metropolitan ''sui iuris'' church have much greater authority within their church, although it is less than that of a major archbishop or patriarch.<ref>[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P4B.HTM Canons 155]-[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_P4T.HTM 173], ''Ibid''</ref>

All metropolitans have the title of [[Archbishop]], and the metropolitan see is usually referred to as an [[Archdiocese|archdiocese or archeparchy]], a title held not only by the 553 metropolitan sees but also by 77 other sees.<ref>{{cite book|title=Annuario Pontificio 2017|publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana|isbn=9788820999759|page=1136|year=2017}}</ref> An exception is the metropolitan [[Diocese of Rome]].

===Archbishops===
The title of ''archbishop'' is held not only by bishops who head metropolitan sees, but also by those who head archdioceses that are not metropolitan sees (most of these are in Europe and the [[Levant]]<ref>According to [[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]], as of 2007, non-metropolitan archdioceses include [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview7.html 37 in Europe] (10 immediately subject to the Holy See, 1 immediately subject to an Eastern Catholic major archbishop, 25 suffragan archdioceses, and 1 military archdiocese), [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview6.html 37 in Southwest Asia] (3 immediately subject to the Holy See, 21 immediately subject to Eastern Catholic patriarchs, 4 suffragan archdioceses), [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview5.html 4 in Africa] (2 immediately subject to the Holy See, 2 immediately subject to Eastern Catholic patriarchs), [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview1.html 2 in North America] (1 immediately subject to the Holy See, 1 military archdiocese), [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview3.html 2 in South America] (1 immediately subject to the Holy See, 1 military archdiocese), [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview4.html 2 in Australia] (both immediately subject to the Holy See), [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview6.html 1 in Southeast Asia] (immediately subject to the Holy See), and [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/qview6.html 1 in South Asia] (immediately subject to an Eastern Catholic major archbishop)</ref>). In addition, it is held by certain other bishops, referred to as "Titular Archbishops" (see "[[#Other bishops|Other Bishops]]" below) who have been given no-longer-residential archdioceses as their titular sees—many of these in administrative or diplomatic posts, for instance as [[papal nuncio]]s or secretaries of [[Congregation (Roman Curia)|curial congregation]]s. The bishop of a non-archiepiscopal see may be given the personal title of archbishop without also elevating his see (such a bishop is known as an [[archbishop#Archbishops ad personam|archbishop ''ad personam'']]), though this practice has seen significantly reduced usage since the [[Second Vatican Council]].

===Diocesan bishops===
The bishop or eparch of a see, even if he does not also hold a title such as archbishop, metropolitan, major archbishop, patriarch or pope, is the centre of unity for his [[diocese]] or [[eparchy]], and, as a member of the College of Bishops, shares in responsibility for governance of the whole church (cf. ''[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]]'', 886).

Within the Catholic Church the following posts have similarities to that of a diocesan bishop, but are not necessarily held by a bishop.

====Equivalents of diocesan bishops in law<!--linked from 'Military ordinariate'-->====
[[Canon (canon law)|Canon]] 368 of the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|1983 ''Code of Canon Law'']] lists five Latin Church jurisdictional areas that are considered equivalent to a diocese. These are headed by:
*A [[territorial prelature|Territorial Prelate]], formerly called a Prelate ''nullius dioceseos'' (of no diocese), in charge of a geographical area that has not yet been raised to the level of diocese
*A [[territorial abbey|Territorial Abbot]], in charge of an area, which in mission countries can be quite vast, associated with an abbey
*A [[apostolic vicar|Vicar Apostolic]] (normally a bishop of a titular see), in charge of an apostolic vicariate, usually in a mission country, not yet ready to be made a diocese
*A [[apostolic prefecture|Prefect Apostolic]] (usually not a bishop), in charge of an apostolic prefecture, not yet ready to be made an apostolic vicariate
*A [[apostolic administrator|Permanent Apostolic Administrator]], in charge of a geographical area that for serious reasons cannot be made a diocese.

To these may be added:{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}}
*An [[Exarch#Modern Eastern Catholic churches|Apostolic Exarch]] (normally a bishop of a titular see), in charge of an apostolic exarchate—not yet ready to be made an eparchy—for the faithful of an [[Eastern Catholic Church]] in an area that is situated outside the home territory of that Eastern Church.
*A [[Exarch#Modern Eastern Catholic churches|Patriarchal Exarch]], a bishop in charge of a patriarchal exarchate—not yet ready to be made an eparchy—for the faithful of an [[Eastern Catholic Church]] in an area situated within the home territory of that patriarchal Eastern Church.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19901018_codex-can-eccl-orient-1_lt.html#TITULUS_VIII Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 314 §1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604154301/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19901018_codex-can-eccl-orient-1_lt.html |date=4 June 2011 }}; cf. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9FN9gT7CQw4C&dq=Groen+%22patriarchal+exarch%22&pg=PA197 Bert Groen, William Peter van den Bercken (editors), ''Four Hundred Years Union of Brest'' (Peeters 1998] {{ISBN|978-90-429-0670-9}}), p. 197, which also mentions Eastern Catholic exarchs appointed in the past even by a metropolitan</ref>
*A [[military ordinariate|Military Ordinary]], serving Catholics in a country's armed forces
*A [[Personal Prelate]], in charge of a group of persons without regard to geography: the only personal prelature existing is that of [[Opus Dei]].
*An [[apostolic administrator]] of a personal apostolic administration: only one exists, the [[Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney]]
*An ordinary of a [[personal ordinariate]] for former Anglicans<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apc_20091104_anglicanorum-coetibus_en.html Apostolic Constitution ''Anglicanorum coetibus'' of 4 November 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027053023/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apc_20091104_anglicanorum-coetibus_en.html |date=27 October 2014 }}</ref>
*A superior of an [[mission sui iuris|autonomous mission]]

Of somewhat similar standing is the [[diocesan administrator]] (formerly called a vicar capitular) elected to govern a diocese during a vacancy. Apart from certain limitations of nature and law, he has, on a caretaker basis, the same obligations and powers as a diocesan bishop (canons 427–429 of the 1983 ''Code of Canon Law''). Occasionally an [[apostolic administrator]] is appointed by the Holy See to run a [[Sede vacante|vacant diocese]], or even a diocese whose bishop is incapacitated or otherwise impeded.

===Other bishops===
A diocesan bishop may have bishops who assist in his ministry. The [[coadjutor bishop]] of a see has the right of succession on the death or resignation of the diocesan bishop, and, if the see is an archdiocese, holds the title of archbishop. Similarly, a retired diocesan bishop keeps his connection with the see to which he was appointed, and is known as bishop (or archbishop) [[:wikt:emeritus|emeritus]] of that see. On the other hand, an [[auxiliary bishop]], who may also hold posts such as [[vicar general]] or [[episcopal vicar]], is appointed bishop of a [[titular see]], a see that in the course of history has ceased to exist as an actual jurisdictional unit.

Important titles or functions usually, but not necessarily, held by (arch)bishops who are not in charge of a diocese or an equivalent community include those of [[Apostolic Delegate]], [[Apostolic Nuncio]], [[Papal Legate]], [[Patriarchal Vicar]], [[Pontifical Delegate]].

==Ordinaries and local ordinaries==
{{anchor|Ordinary}}<!--[[Ordinary (Catholic Church)]] redirects here-->{{main article|Ordinary (church officer)}}
Local ordinaries are placed over or exercise ordinary executive power in [[particular church]]es or equivalent communities.<ref>''Id''.[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_PF.HTM#1.0.0.8.0.0.134 c.134 §§1&ndash;2]</ref>
*The Supreme Pontiff (the Pope) is a local ordinary for the whole [[Catholic Church]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Canon 134, §1 and §2|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1D.HTM|work=[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]|publisher=[[Libreria Editrice Vaticana|Code of Canon Law]]|access-date=21 August 2009}}</ref><ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19901018_codex-can-eccl-orient-1_lt.html Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canons 43 and 45] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604154301/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19901018_codex-can-eccl-orient-1_lt.html |date=4 June 2011 }}</ref>
*In [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], [[Patriarch]]s, [[major archbishop]]s, and [[metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]]s have ordinary power of governance for the whole territory of their respective autonomous particular churches.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19901018_codex-can-eccl-orient-1_lt.html Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canons 78, 152 and 157] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604154301/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19901018_codex-can-eccl-orient-1_lt.html |date=4 June 2011 }}</ref>
*[[diocese|Diocesan]] [[Bishop (Catholicism)|bishop]]s and [[Eparchy|eparchial eparchs]]
*Other [[prelate]]s who head, even if only temporarily, a [[particular church]] or a community equivalent to it ([[#Equivalents of diocesan bishops in law|see above]])
*[[vicar general|Vicars general]] and [[Protosyncellus|protosyncelli]]
:{{main article|Vicar general}}
*[[vicar general|Episcopal vicars]] and [[Protosyncellus|syncelli]]
:{{main article|Vicar general}}

Major superiors of [[religious institute]]s (including [[abbot]]s) and of [[society of apostolic life|societies of apostolic life]] are ordinaries of their respective memberships, but not local ordinaries.

==Presbyterate==
{{main article|Priesthood in the Catholic Church}}

===In general===
Bishops are assisted by priests<ref name="BritannicaPriesthood">[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/507284/Roman-Catholicism Roman Catholicism] (at "Structure of the Church: The priesthood"). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2012.</ref> and [[deacon]]s. All priests and deacons are [[Incardination and excardination|incardinated]] in a diocese or religious order. [[Parish#Roman Catholic Church|Parishes]], whether territorial or person-based, within a diocese are normally in the charge of a priest, known as the parish priest or the pastor.<ref name=BritannicaPriesthood/>

In the Latin Church, only celibate men, as a rule, are ordained as priests, while the Eastern Churches, again as a rule, ordain both celibate and married men. Among the Eastern particular Churches, the [[Ethiopic Catholic Church]] ordains only celibate clergy, while also having married priests who were ordained in the Orthodox Church, while other Eastern Catholic Churches, which do ordain married men, do not have married priests in certain countries. The Western or Latin Church does sometimes, though rarely, ordain married men, usually Protestant clergy who have become Catholics. A married man aged 35 and above may be ordained as a deacon, with his wife's permission. All [[sui iuris]] churches of the Catholic Church maintain the ancient tradition that, following ordination, marriage is not allowed. Even a married priest or deacon whose wife dies may not then marry again.

The Catholic Church and the ancient Christian Churches see priestly ordination as a [[sacrament]] dedicating the ordinand to a permanent relationship of service, and, like Baptism and Confirmation, having an ontological effect on him. It is for this reason that a person may be ordained to each of the three orders only once. They also consider that ordination can be conferred only on males.

===Priests in service outside their diocese===
Although priests are incardinated into a diocese or order, they may obtain the permission of their diocesan ordinary or religious superior to serve outside the normal jurisdiction of the diocese or order. These assignments may be temporary or more permanent in nature.

Temporary assignments may include studying for an advanced degree at a [[Pontifical University]] in Rome. They may also include short-term assignments to the faculty of a [[seminary]] located outside the diocese's territory.

Long-term assignments include serving the universal church on the staff of a [[dicastery]] or tribunal of the [[Roman Curia]] or in the diplomatic corps of the Holy See. They may also be appointed the [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] or to long-term teaching assignments to the faculty of a seminary or Catholic university. Priests may also serve on the staff of their [[episcopal conference]], as [[military chaplain]]s in the [[military ordinariate]]s, or as [[missionary|missionaries]].

===Positions within a diocese at diocesan level===
The diocesan bishop appoints a [[vicar general]] to assist him in the governance of the diocese. Usually, only one vicar general is appointed; particularly large dioceses may have more than one vicar general. The vicar general or one of them is usually appointed [[moderator of the curia]] who coordinates the diocesan administrative offices and ministries.<ref name="Canon 475, canon 473">{{Cite book
 |title=1983 Code of Canon Law 
 |chapter-url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1O.HTM 
 |access-date=20 August 2009 
 |date=28 January 1983 
 |publisher=The [[Holy See]] 
 |isbn=0-943616-79-4 
 |chapter=Canon 475 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012061518/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1O.HTM 
 |archive-date=12 October 2007 
}}</ref> A diocesan bishop can also appoint one or more [[episcopal vicar]]s for the diocese. They have the same ordinary power as a vicar general, however, it is limited to a specified division of the diocese, to a specific type of activity, to the faithful of a particular rite, or to certain groups of people.<ref name="Canon 476">{{Cite book
|title=1983 Code of Canon Law
|chapter-url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1O.HTM
|access-date=20 August 2009
|date=28 January 1983
|publisher=The [[Holy See]]
|isbn=0-943616-79-4
|chapter=Canon 476
}}</ref> Vicars general and episcopal vicars must be priests or bishops. In the Eastern Catholic Churches, they are called protosyncelli and syncelli ([[Canon (canon law)|canon]] 191 of the ''[[Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches]]'').

Diocesan bishops are required to appoint a [[judicial vicar]] to whom is delegated the bishop's ordinary power to judge cases (canon 1420 of the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|1983 ''Code of Canon Law'']], canon 191 of the ''Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches''). In the Latin Church, the judicial vicar may also be called ''[[officialis]]''. The person holding this post must be a priest, have earned a [[Doctor of Canon Law|doctorate in canon law]] (or at least a [[license]]), be at least thirty years old, and, unless the smallness of the diocese or the limited number of cases suggests otherwise, must not be the vicar general. As one of the jobs of the judicial vicar is to preside over collegiate tribunals, many dioceses have adjutant judicial vicars who can preside over collegiate tribunals in place of the judicial vicar and must have the same qualifications.

The diocesan bishop appoints a [[Chancellor (ecclesiastical)|chancellor]], possibly a vice-chancellor, and notaries to the [[diocesan chancery]]. These officials maintain the records and archives of the diocese. They also serve as the secretaries of the diocesan [[curia]]. The bishop also appoints a finance officer and a finance council to oversee the budget, temporal goods, income, and expenses of the diocese.

The diocesan bishop may appoint priests to be members of the [[cathedral chapter|chapter of his cathedral]] or of a [[collegiate church]] (so called after their chapter). These priests are given the title of [[Canon (priest)|canon]]. He also appoints six to twelve priests from the presbyteral council to serve as a college of [[consultors]].  They have the responsibility to elect the [[diocesan administrator]] in the event of the vacancy of the see.

The bishop appoints priests and other members of the faithful to various advisory bodies. These include the presbyteral council, the diocesan [[synod]], and the pastoral council.

===Vicars forane or deans===
"The [[Vicar Forane]] known also as the [[dean (religion)|Dean]] or the Archpriest or by some other title, is the priest who is placed in charge of a vicariate forane" (canon 553 of the 1983 ''Code of Canon Law''), namely of a group of parishes within a diocese. Unlike a regional Episcopal vicar, a vicar forane acts as a help for the parish priests and other priests in the vicariate forane, rather than as an intermediate authority between them and the diocesan bishop.

===Parish priest/pastor===
This section concerns the priest who in the 1983 Code of Canon Law is referred to by the term ''parochus'', which in some English-speaking countries is rendered as "the parish priest", in others as "the pastor". The English term "pastor" is also used in a more generic sense corresponding instead to the Latin term ''pastor'':

<blockquote>The parish priest is the proper pastor of the parish entrusted to him. He exercises the pastoral care of the community entrusted to him under the authority of the diocesan Bishop, whose ministry of Christ he is called to share, so that for this community he may carry out the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling with the cooperation of other priests or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of Christ's faithful, in accordance with the law
:—canon 519 of the 1983 ''Code of Canon Law'' in the English translation by the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, assisted by the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Canadian Canon Law Society</blockquote>

<blockquote>The pastor (''parochus'') is the proper pastor (''pastor'') of the parish entrusted to him, exercising the pastoral care of the community committed to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share, so that for that same community he carries out the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing, also with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful, according to the norm of law
:—canon 519 of the 1983 ''Code of Canon Law'' in the English translation by the Canon Law Society of America).</blockquote>

===Assistant priests/parochial vicars===
The parish priest/pastor may be assisted by one or more other priests:

<blockquote>Whenever it is necessary or opportune for the due pastoral care of the parish, one or more assistant priests can be joined with the parish priest. As cooperators with the parish priest and sharers in his concern, they are, by common counsel and effort with the parish priest and under his authority, to labour in the pastoral ministry
:—canon 545 of the 1983 ''Code of Canon Law'' in the English translation by the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland, assisted by the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Canadian Canon Law Society</blockquote>

<blockquote>Whenever it is necessary or opportune in order to carry out the pastoral care of a parish fittingly, one or more parochial vicars can be associated with the pastor. As co-workers with the pastor and sharers in his solicitude, they are to offer service in the pastoral ministry by common counsel and effort with the pastor and under his authority
:—canon 545 of the 1983 ''Code of Canon Law'' in the English translation by the Canon Law Society of America</blockquote>

===Honorary titles===
The honorary title of ''[[monsignor]]'' is conferred by the Pope upon diocesan priests (not members of [[religious institute]]s) in the service of the [[Holy See]], and may be granted by him also to other diocesan priests at the request of the priest's bishop. The priest so honored is considered to be a member of the [[papal household]]. The title goes with any of the following three awards:

* ''[[Chaplain of His Holiness]]'' (called ''Papal Chamberlain'' until a 1969 reform),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/instruction69.htm |title=The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church – Guide |access-date=11 June 2006 |archive-date=2 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602003150/http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/instruction69.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> the lowest level, distinguished by purple buttons and trim on the black [[cassock]], with a purple sash.
* ''[[Honorary Prelate]]'' (until 1969 called ''Domestic Prelate''), the middle level, distinguished by red buttons and trim on the black cassock, with a purple sash, and by choir dress that includes a purple cassock.
* ''[[Protonotary Apostolic]]'', the highest level, with the same dress as that of an Honorary Prelate, except that the non-obligatory purple silk cape known as a [[ferraiolo]] may also be worn.

In December 2013, [[Pope Francis]] decided to make future grants of the title of ''Monsignor'' to priests not in the service of the Holy See only in the rank of Chaplain of His Holiness and only to priests aged 65 or over.<ref>{{cite news| last = O'Connell | first = Gerard| title= Pope abolishes honorary title of monsignor for diocesan priests under the age of 65 |url=http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/31027/ |access-date=4 January 2014 | newspaper =Vatican Insider|date=4 January 2014}}</ref>

Under legislation of [[Pope Pius X]], [[vicar general|vicars general]] and [[vicar capitular|vicars capitular]] (the latter are now called diocesan administrators) are titular (not actual) Protonotaries ''durante munere'', i.e., as long as they hold those offices, and so are entitled to be addressed as Monsignor,<ref>"Pariter, qui vicarii generalis aut etiam capitularis munere fungitur, hoc munere dumtaxat perdurante, erit protonotarius titularis" (Pope Pius X, ''Inter multiplices curas'', 62. 21 February 1905)</ref> as indicated also by the placing of the abbreviated title "Mons", before the name of every member of the secular (diocesan) clergy listed as a vicar general in the ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]''. (Honorary titles such as that of "Monsignor" are not considered appropriate for [[religious (Catholicism)|religious]].)

Some of the Eastern Catholic Churches of Syriac tradition use the title ''[[Chorbishop]]'', roughly equivalent to the Western title of ''Monsignor''. Other Eastern Catholic Churches bestow the honorific title of ''[[Archimandrite]]'' upon unmarried priests as a mark of respect or gratitude for their services. Married presbyters may be honored with the position of ''[[Archpriest]]'', which has two grades, the higher is "Mitred Archpriest" which permits the priest to wear a mitre.

In the Latin Church, the title of [[Archpriest]] is sometimes attached to the pastors of historic churches, including the major basilicas in Rome. These archpriests are not presbyters, but bishops or cardinals.<ref>See [[Archpriest#Roman Catholicism]].</ref> Similarly, the title of [[Archdeacon]] is sometimes conferred on presbyters.

==Diaconate==
[[Deacons]] are ordained ministers of the church who are co-workers with the bishop alongside presbyters, but are intended to focus on the ministries of direct service and outreach to the poor and needy, rather than pastoral leadership. They are usually related to a parish, where they have a liturgical function as the ordinary minister of the [[Gospel]] and the Prayers of the Faithful. They may preach [[homilies]], and in the [[Roman Rite]] may preside at non-Eucharistic liturgies such as baptisms, weddings, funerals, and adoration/benediction. In the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], in the absence of a priest, deacons do not vest and may only lead services as a reader, never presiding at weddings or funerals.

The scriptural basis and description of the role and qualifications of the deacon can be found in Acts 6:1–9, and in 1 Timothy 3:1–13.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stbrendanchurch.org/deacon/scripture.html |title=The Deacon |publisher=St. Brendan Church |access-date=7 November 2013 |archive-date=19 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419003411/http://www.stbrendanchurch.org/deacon/scripture.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

They may be seminarians preparing for ordination to the priesthood, "transitional deacons", or "permanent deacons" who do not intend to be ordained as priests. To be ordained deacons, the latter must be at least 25 years old, if unmarried; if married, a prospective deacon must be at least 35 years old and have the consent of his wife.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canon 1031 §2 |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html#Art._1.}} [[1983 Code of Canon Law]]</ref> In the Latin Church, married deacons are permanent deacons. In most diocese there is a cut-off age for being accepted into formation for the diaconate.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

The passage from membership of the laity to that of the clergy occurs with ordination to the diaconate.<ref name="canon266">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PX.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 266]</ref> Previously, the [[Latin Church]] rule was that one became a cleric on receiving clerical [[tonsure]], which was followed by [[minor orders]] and by the [[subdeacon|subdiaconate]], which was reckoned as one of the [[major orders]]. By his [[motu proprio]] ''Ministeria quaedam'' of 15 August 1972, [[Pope Paul VI]] decreed: "The orders hitherto called minor are henceforth to be spoken of as 'ministries'."<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19720815_ministeria-quaedam_lt.html ''Ministeria quaedam''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103110807/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19720815_ministeria-quaedam_lt.html |date=3 November 2011 }}, II</ref> The same motu proprio also decreed that the [[Latin Church]] would no longer have the major order of subdiaconate, but it permitted any [[episcopal conference]] that so desired to apply the term "subdeacon" to those who hold the ministry (formerly called the minor order) of "[[acolyte]]".<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19720815_ministeria-quaedam_lt.html ''Ministeria quaedam''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103110807/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19720815_ministeria-quaedam_lt.html |date=3 November 2011 }}, IV</ref> Even in those societies within the Latin Church that, with the approval of the Holy See, continue to administer the rites of tonsure, minor orders and subdiaconate, those who receive those rites remain lay people, becoming clerics only on being ordained as deacons.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/ecclsdei/documents/rc_com_ecclsdei_doc_20110430_istr-universae-ecclesiae_en.html Instruction on the Application of the Apostolic Letter ''Summorum Pontificum''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223094426/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/ecclsdei/documents/rc_com_ecclsdei_doc_20110430_istr-universae-ecclesiae_en.html |date=23 February 2016 }}, 30</ref>

==Laity==
Most Catholics are [[Laity#Roman Catholicism|laity]], a term derived from Greek λαὸς Θεοῦ (''Laòs Theoû''), meaning "people of God". All Christian faithful have the right and duty to bring the gospel message increasingly to "all people in every age and every land".<ref name="1983CIC 211">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PU.HTM Canon 211] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192100/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PU.HTM |date=3 March 2016 }} ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref> They all have a share in the church's mission and have the right to undertake apostolic activity according to their own state and condition.<ref name="1983CIC 216">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PU.HTM Canon 216] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192100/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PU.HTM |date=3 March 2016 }} ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref>

[[Catholic minister#Lay ministers|Lay ministry]] can take the form of exercising the priesthood of all the baptized, and more specifically undertaking the work of [[catechist]]s, serving the church pastorally, administratively, and in other ways, including the [[liturgy|liturgical]] services as [[acolyte]]s, [[lector#Ecclesiastical|lectors]], [[cantor (church)|cantors]], and the like,<ref name="1983CIC 230">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PV.HTM Canon 230 §1], ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref><ref name="BritannicaLaity">[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/507284/Roman-Catholicism Roman Catholicism] (at "Structure of the Church: The laity"). ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Inc. Retrieved 15 March 2012.</ref> initiation sponsors, pastoral care ministers, and members of parish and diocesan consultative bodies.<ref name=BritannicaLaity/><ref name="1983CIC 228">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__PV.HTM Canon 228 §2], ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref>

Some lay Catholics carry out full-time professional and vocational service in the name of the church, rather than in a secular calling. Though the phenomenon is widespread in North America and much of Europe, the organization and definition of the ministry is left to national bishops conferences. The [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]] has adopted the term [[lay ecclesial ministers|lay ecclesial ministry]] for these individuals, as intentionally distinct from the general apostolate or ministry of the laity described above.<ref name="Co-workers">[http://www.usccb.org/laity/laymin/co-workers.pdf ''Co-Workers in the Vineyard'' (pdf)], [[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]], 2005</ref>

The consultative leadership of the church, in both the diocese and the parish, usually comprises a Pastoral Council<ref name="1983CIC 512">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1T.HTM Canon 512 §1], ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref><ref name="1983CIC 536">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1T.HTM Canon 536 §1], ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref> and a Finance Council,<ref name="1983CIC 492">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Q.HTM Canon 492] ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref><ref name="1983CIC 537">[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1T.HTM Canon 537], ''[[1983 Code of Canon Law]]''</ref> as well as several Commissions usually focusing on major aspects of the church's life and mission, such as Faith Formation or Christian Education, Liturgy, Social Justice, Ecumenism, or Stewardship.{{citation needed|date=January 2011}}

==Religious==
{{see also|Religious institute (Catholic)}}
[[Religious (Catholicism)|Religious]]—who can be either lay people or clergy—are members of [[religious institute]]s, societies in which the members take public vows and live a fraternal life in common.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Z.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 607]</ref> This is a form of [[consecrated life]] distinct from [[Consecrated life#Other forms of consecrated life|other forms]], such as that of [[secular institute]]s.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P2F.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 710]</ref> It is distinct also from forms that do not involve membership of an institute, such as that of consecrated hermits,<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Y.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 603]</ref> that of consecrated virgins,<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Y.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 604] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418141521/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Y.HTM |date=18 April 2016 }}</ref> and other forms whose approval is reserved to the Holy See.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P1Y.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 605]</ref>

Religious institutes have historically been subdivided into the categories of [[Catholic religious order|orders]] and [[Religious congregation|congregations]]. Male members of orders or congregations are [[Brother (Christian)#Catholicism|brothers]], [[monk]]s, or [[friar]]s, while female members are [[nun]]s or [[religious sister]]s. Each order may have its own hierarchy of offices such [[superior general]], [[abbot]] or [[abbess]], [[mother superior]], [[Prior (ecclesiastical)|prior or prioress]], or others, and the specific duties and responsibilities for each office will depend on the specific order or congregation. Those who are in the process of joining a religious institute but have not yet taken their perpetual vows may be referred to as [[postulant]]s or [[novitiate|novices]].

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Anglican ministry]]
* [[Apostolic Syndic]]
* [[Catholic Church by country]]
* [[Global organisation of the Catholic Church]]
* [[Exarch#Modern Eastern Catholic churches|List of Eastern Catholic exarchates]]
* [[apostolic administrator|List of Roman Catholic apostolic administrations]]
* [[Apostolic prefect|List of Roman Catholic apostolic prefectures]]
* [[Apostolic Vicariate|List of Roman Catholic apostolic vicariates]]
* [[List of Roman Catholic archdioceses]]
* [[List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical)]]
* [[List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view)]]
* [[Military ordinariate|List of Roman Catholic military dioceses]]
* [[Mission sui iuris|List of Roman Catholic missions ''sui juris'']]
* [[Territorial prelate|List of Roman Catholic territorial prelatures]]
* [[Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops]]
* [[Order of precedence in the Catholic Church]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*Directory of officials
**[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org Catholic-Hierarchy.org]. This is an online [[database]] of bishops and [[diocese]]s of the Roman Catholic Church. It contains geographical, organizational and address information on each Catholic diocese in the world, including [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] in [[Full communion|communion]] with the [[Holy See]], such as the [[Maronite Catholic Church]] or the [[Syro-Malabar Church]]. It also gives biographical information on current and previous bishops of each diocese, such as dates of birth, [[ordination]]s and (when applicable) death. Not officially sanctioned by the church, the website is run as a private project by David M. Cheney in [[Kansas City Metropolitan Area|Kansas City]]. For the sources used by Cheney in his compilation, see http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/sources.html. [[Wikipedia:Verifiability#Reliable sources|{{sup|{{small|[''self-published'']}}}}]]
**[http://www.gcatholic.org/hierarchy/prelates.htm GCatholic.org]
*Explanations of the hierarchy
**[https://web.archive.org/web/20070402021624/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P16.HTM Book II: The People of God Liber II. De Populo Dei, Part II: The Hierarchical Constitution] from the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|''Code of Canon Law'']] on the [[Holy See]] official website
**[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07322c.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' "hierarchy" article]
*** Barry, Rev. Msgr. John F (2001). ''One Faith, One Lord: A Study of Basic Catholic Belief.'' Gerard F. Baumbach, Ed.D. {{ISBN|0-8215-2207-8}}.

{{Catholicism}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Church Hierarchy}}
[[Category:Catholic Church organisation| ]]