Bishop (Orthodox Church)
Encyclopedia
A Bishop in the Orthodox Christian Church is the highest spiritual office within the Universal Church. Unlike in some other Christian
denominations, an Orthodox bishop cannot interfere with other diocese
s that are not under his own jurisdiction.
to the Apostles in the service and government of the Church. The bishop thus serves εις τόπον και τύπον Χριστού (in place and as a type of Christ
) in the Church. No bishop in Orthodoxy is considered infallible
, even the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who is considered to be 'First-among-equals'
. None has any authority over or apart from his priests, deacons, and people or the other bishops. A bishop holds the responsibility of maintaining the unity of the Church throughout the world by ensuring the truth and unity of the faith and practice of their diocese. The bishop represent his particular diocese to the other churches or dioceses, and represents the Universal Church to his own particular priest
s, deacon
s, and people.
According to Church Law
, bishops of an area must meet in councils
. When doing so, the metropolitan or patriarch presides administratively.
is the only priest, pastor, and teacher of the Christian Church. He alone forgives sins and offers communion with God
, his Father
. Christ alone guides and rules his people. Christ remains with his Church as its living and unique Head. Christ remains present and active in the Church through his Holy Spirit
.
Through the sacrament
of holy orders
bishops bring order to the Church. Bishops guarantee the continuity and unity of the Church from age to age and from place to place, that is, from the time of Christ and the Apostles until the establishment of God's Kingdom in eternity. Bishops receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to manifest Christ in the Holy Spirit to men and women everywhere. Bishops are neither vicars, substitutes, nor representatives of Christ. It is Christ, through his chosen ministers, who acts as teacher, good shepherd, forgiver, and healer. It is Christ remitting sins, and curing the physical, mental, and spiritual ills of humanity. This is a mystery of the Church and although firmly believed, there is reluctance to try to explain it in Orthodoxy.
es located in his a particular geographical territory, called a diocese
or archdiocese. All authority of the lower orders of clergy is derived from the bishop. No divine services may be celebrated in any Orthodox building without the authorization of the appropriate bishop. Saint Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch
went so far as to state that "he who acts without the bishop's knowledge is in the devil's service."
A ruling bishop may have the title of Bishop, Archbishop, Metropolitan, Metropolitan Archbishop or Patriarch.
The title patriarch is reserved for the primate
of certain of the autocephalous Orthodox churches. The first hierarch of the other autocephalous churches are styled metropolitan or archbishop.
The title patriarch was first applied to the original three major see
s of Rome
, Alexandria
, and Antioch
, and shortly after extended to include Constantinople and Jerusalem
(cf. Pentarchy
).
Much later the term was granted to the heads of other most significant churches. Significance for some churches now may be more historical than actual.
. He may, or may not, have provincial oversight of suffragan bishops and may possibly have auxiliary bishop
s assisting him.
In the Slavonic and Antiochian traditions, a metropolitan
outranks an archbishop, whereas the reverse is the situation in the Greek
tradition. The Antiochian tradition also uses the style 'metropolitan archbishop' to differentiate from metropolitan bishops in the Greek tradition.
The change in the Greek tradition came about in later Greek history, because the diocesan bishops of ancient sees (which in the Greek diaspora
include most) came to be styled metropolitans, short for "metropolitan bishops."
The Slavonic and Antiochian churches continue to follow the older tradition, where an archbishop is a senior bishop in charge of a major see, and a metropolitan is a bishop in charge of a province which may include a number of minor and/or major sees.
In the Greek tradition, all diocesan bishops of autocephalous churches such as the Church of Greece
(the Bishop of Patras being Metropolitan) are now metropolitans, and an archbishop holds his title as an indication of greater importance for whatever reason. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
is the notable exception as all diocesan bishops carry the title of metropolitan. In other churches under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
the ruling bishop is the archbishop while the other bishops are auxiliary bishops with titles of the ancient sees.
, a bishop who is in charge of a newly-created diocese on behalf of, and under the supervision of, the Patriarch of Antioch
is called a Patriarchal Vicar. The diocese is usually kept under the direct control of the patriarch until it becomes self-supporting. Patriarchal Vicars are not members of the Holy Synod
, and do not answer to the Holy Synod.
When a diocese becomes self-supporting, it is usually granted a ruling bishop who becomes a member of the Holy Synod.
The equivalent title in some Orthodox jurisdictions is Exarch
and in the Catholic Church (both Latin Rite and Eastern Rite
) it is "Vicar Apostolic."
Most Orthodox Churches allow themselves the capacity to appoint auxiliary bishops to assist ruling bishops within their own dioceses or archdioceses. Auxiliary bishops do not govern in their own right but act only as directed by their diocesan bishop.
Bishops who are assigned a title of ancient dioceses that no longer function are called titular bishops. The Diocese of Sourozh, the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
(Moscow Patriarchate) in Great Britain
and Ireland
, is an example. However, generally, titular bishops are auxiliary bishops.
of the Church of Constantinople holds the title Ecumenical Patriarch. The patriarchs
of the Church of Alexandria and Church of Rome have the title 'Pope', meaning 'father'. The Patriarch
of the Church of Georgia has the title Catholicos
.
and New Covenant
s. In addition, strips of cloth, called fountains, are sewn horizontally around the mantiya, representing the streams of teachings which flow from the bishop's mouth.
In the Slavonic tradition, a ruling bishop is usually liturgically vested by others while he stands in the centre of his church. In the Greek tradition, bishops are often vested at the altar. In the Antiochian tradition, the bishop usually vests in the sanctuary
.
Liturgically, except for the phelonion
and the nabedrennik
, a bishop wears the same vestments as a priest. The phelonion was at first part of the bishop's vestments but was replaced by a garment, similar to the deacon's sticharion
, called a sakkos
(also saccos), a representing humility. As Christ
's robe was without seam, the bishop, as an icon
of Christ, wears the saccos either sewn or buttoned at the sides.
Over the saccos, the bishop wears a wide shoulder covering called the omophorion
. It hangs down in front and back, and symbolizes the wandering sheep which Christ took upon his shoulders as the Good Shepherd
. In ancient times, it was made of sheepskin. At other times at services, the bishop may wear a shorter omophorion that has both ends hanging down the front called the small omophorion
The bishop wears a richly embroidered crown, called a mitre
which symbolises the authority conferred upon a minister of the Church.
Together with his pectoral cross
, the bishop also wears a small, circular icon of the Saviour or the Mother of God, called the panagia
(All-Holy, after the Mother of Christ), or engolpion
, over his heart. This is to remind the bishop that he must carry Christ
and his Holy Mother in his heart, and thus his heart must be pure.
An episcopal staff called a crosier
is carried by the bishop, as a shepherd's crook, to be reminiscent that he is a shepherd of Christ's flock. It has a cross at the top, just above a double crook. This double crook is sometimes in the shape of serpent's heads, symbolizing the serpent lifted up by Moses
in the wilderness. (Now Christ lifted up on the hristian Cross|Cross.)
, upon which is represented an eagle hovering over a city. This symbolizes his rule over a city and the eagle reminds the bishop that by his teaching and life he must rise above his flock and be an example of one hopeful to the things of Heaven
.
In the Greek traditions, the bishop sits or stands at the bishop's throne
on the south side of the church, on the solea. The back of the throne has an icon depicting Christ the King, and the bishop will always venerate this icon before occupying the throne.
At times during the services, the bishop blesses the faithful
, and any attending clerics, with two candlesticks, one with two candles called dikiri (symbolising the two natures of Christ
) and the other with three candles called trikiri (symbolising the three persons of the Holy Trinity).
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations, an Orthodox bishop cannot interfere with other diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s that are not under his own jurisdiction.
Episcopal ministry
A bishop is the successorApostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
to the Apostles in the service and government of the Church. The bishop thus serves εις τόπον και τύπον Χριστού (in place and as a type of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
) in the Church. No bishop in Orthodoxy is considered infallible
Papal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
, even the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who is considered to be 'First-among-equals'
Primus inter pares
Primus inter pares is Latin phrase describing the most senior person of a group sharing the same rank or office.When not used in reference to a specific title, it may indicate that the person so described is formally equal, but looked upon as an authority of special importance by their peers...
. None has any authority over or apart from his priests, deacons, and people or the other bishops. A bishop holds the responsibility of maintaining the unity of the Church throughout the world by ensuring the truth and unity of the faith and practice of their diocese. The bishop represent his particular diocese to the other churches or dioceses, and represents the Universal Church to his own particular priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s, deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s, and people.
According to Church Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, bishops of an area must meet in councils
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
. When doing so, the metropolitan or patriarch presides administratively.
Male monastics only
In the Orthodox Church, from about the sixth century, it has been the rule that bishops are single men or widowers. Bishops are also usually in at least the first degree of monastic orders.Holy orders
It is the belief of Orthodoxy that ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
is the only priest, pastor, and teacher of the Christian Church. He alone forgives sins and offers communion with God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, his Father
God the Father
God the Father is a gendered title given to God in many monotheistic religions, particularly patriarchal, Abrahamic ones. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, life-giver, law-giver, and protector...
. Christ alone guides and rules his people. Christ remains with his Church as its living and unique Head. Christ remains present and active in the Church through his Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
.
Through the sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
of holy orders
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
bishops bring order to the Church. Bishops guarantee the continuity and unity of the Church from age to age and from place to place, that is, from the time of Christ and the Apostles until the establishment of God's Kingdom in eternity. Bishops receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to manifest Christ in the Holy Spirit to men and women everywhere. Bishops are neither vicars, substitutes, nor representatives of Christ. It is Christ, through his chosen ministers, who acts as teacher, good shepherd, forgiver, and healer. It is Christ remitting sins, and curing the physical, mental, and spiritual ills of humanity. This is a mystery of the Church and although firmly believed, there is reluctance to try to explain it in Orthodoxy.
Ruling bishop
A ruling bishop or diocesan bishop is responsible for and the head of all the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es located in his a particular geographical territory, called a diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
or archdiocese. All authority of the lower orders of clergy is derived from the bishop. No divine services may be celebrated in any Orthodox building without the authorization of the appropriate bishop. Saint Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch
Ignatius of Antioch
Ignatius of Antioch was among the Apostolic Fathers, was the third Bishop of Antioch, and was a student of John the Apostle. En route to his martyrdom in Rome, Ignatius wrote a series of letters which have been preserved as an example of very early Christian theology...
went so far as to state that "he who acts without the bishop's knowledge is in the devil's service."
A ruling bishop may have the title of Bishop, Archbishop, Metropolitan, Metropolitan Archbishop or Patriarch.
Rankings of bishops
Sacramentally, all bishops are equal, but there are distinctions of administrative rank.Patriarchs
Main Article: PatriarchPatriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
The title patriarch is reserved for the primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
of certain of the autocephalous Orthodox churches. The first hierarch of the other autocephalous churches are styled metropolitan or archbishop.
The title patriarch was first applied to the original three major see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
s of Rome
Diocese of Rome
The Diocese of Rome is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. The bishop of Rome is the Pope, who is the Supreme Pontiff and leader of the Catholic Church...
, Alexandria
Church of Alexandria
The Church of Alexandria in Egypt is the particular church headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria. It is one of the original four Apostolic Sees of Christianity, with Rome, Antioch and Jerusalem ....
, and Antioch
Church of Antioch
The Church of Antioch is one of the five major churches that composed the Christian Church before the East-West Schism.-History:...
, and shortly after extended to include Constantinople and Jerusalem
Church of Jerusalem
The Church of Jerusalem can refer to any of these sees or dioceses:*The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, 1st century AD–present; the most likely meaning if there is no context given....
(cf. Pentarchy
Pentarchy
Pentarchy is a term in the history of Christianity for the idea of universal rule over all Christendom by the heads of five major episcopal sees, or patriarchates, of the Roman Empire: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem...
).
Much later the term was granted to the heads of other most significant churches. Significance for some churches now may be more historical than actual.
Archbishops and Metropolitans
The title of archbishop or metropolitan may be granted to a senior bishop, usually one who is in charge of a large ecclesiastical jurisdictionJurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
. He may, or may not, have provincial oversight of suffragan bishops and may possibly have auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
s assisting him.
In the Slavonic and Antiochian traditions, a metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
outranks an archbishop, whereas the reverse is the situation in the Greek
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
tradition. The Antiochian tradition also uses the style 'metropolitan archbishop' to differentiate from metropolitan bishops in the Greek tradition.
The change in the Greek tradition came about in later Greek history, because the diocesan bishops of ancient sees (which in the Greek diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
include most) came to be styled metropolitans, short for "metropolitan bishops."
The Slavonic and Antiochian churches continue to follow the older tradition, where an archbishop is a senior bishop in charge of a major see, and a metropolitan is a bishop in charge of a province which may include a number of minor and/or major sees.
In the Greek tradition, all diocesan bishops of autocephalous churches such as the Church of Greece
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
(the Bishop of Patras being Metropolitan) are now metropolitans, and an archbishop holds his title as an indication of greater importance for whatever reason. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Church of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Demetrios of America.-About the Archdiocese:...
is the notable exception as all diocesan bishops carry the title of metropolitan. In other churches under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is the Australian archdiocese of the Greek Orthodox Church, part of the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is a jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.- Archbishop of Australia...
the ruling bishop is the archbishop while the other bishops are auxiliary bishops with titles of the ancient sees.
Non-ruling bishops
A bishop who does not rule his own diocese is either a Patriarchal Vicar or an Auxiliary Bishop.Patriarchal vicars
In the Church of AntiochChurch of Antioch
The Church of Antioch is one of the five major churches that composed the Christian Church before the East-West Schism.-History:...
, a bishop who is in charge of a newly-created diocese on behalf of, and under the supervision of, the Patriarch of Antioch
Patriarch of Antioch
Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the Bishop of Antioch. As the traditional "overseer" of the first gentile Christian community, the position has been of prime importance in the church from its earliest period...
is called a Patriarchal Vicar. The diocese is usually kept under the direct control of the patriarch until it becomes self-supporting. Patriarchal Vicars are not members of the Holy Synod
Holy Synod
In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod...
, and do not answer to the Holy Synod.
When a diocese becomes self-supporting, it is usually granted a ruling bishop who becomes a member of the Holy Synod.
The equivalent title in some Orthodox jurisdictions is Exarch
Exarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
and in the Catholic Church (both Latin Rite and Eastern Rite
Eastern Rite Catholic Churches
The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous, self-governing particular churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Together with the Latin Church, they compose the worldwide Catholic Church...
) it is "Vicar Apostolic."
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
Auxiliary bishops
Main Article: Auxiliary bishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
Most Orthodox Churches allow themselves the capacity to appoint auxiliary bishops to assist ruling bishops within their own dioceses or archdioceses. Auxiliary bishops do not govern in their own right but act only as directed by their diocesan bishop.
Titular bishops
Main Article: Titular bishopTitular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
Bishops who are assigned a title of ancient dioceses that no longer function are called titular bishops. The Diocese of Sourozh, the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
(Moscow Patriarchate) in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, is an example. However, generally, titular bishops are auxiliary bishops.
Special forms
The PatriarchBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Church of Constantinople holds the title Ecumenical Patriarch. The patriarchs
Pentarchy
Pentarchy is a term in the history of Christianity for the idea of universal rule over all Christendom by the heads of five major episcopal sees, or patriarchates, of the Roman Empire: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem...
of the Church of Alexandria and Church of Rome have the title 'Pope', meaning 'father'. The Patriarch
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Church of Georgia has the title Catholicos
Catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases is borne by the designated head of an autonomous church, in which case the holder might have other titles such as Patriarch...
.
Hierarchical vestments
The bishop wears a monastic garment called a mantiya when he arrives for a divine service. Unlike the typical monastic mantiya, which is black, that of the bishop is some other colour, purple for bishops and Greek metropolitans, blue for archbishops and non-Greek metropolitans, and green for a patriarch. Upon it are sewn the Tables of the Law, square patches at the neck and feet, characterizing the OldMosaic Covenant
The Mosaic Covenant or Sinaitic Covenant are terms used for the biblical covenant between God and the Israelites...
and New Covenant
New Covenant
The New Covenant is a concept originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. The term "New Covenant" is used in the Bible to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment...
s. In addition, strips of cloth, called fountains, are sewn horizontally around the mantiya, representing the streams of teachings which flow from the bishop's mouth.
In the Slavonic tradition, a ruling bishop is usually liturgically vested by others while he stands in the centre of his church. In the Greek tradition, bishops are often vested at the altar. In the Antiochian tradition, the bishop usually vests in the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
.
Liturgically, except for the phelonion
Phelonion
The phelónion The phelónion The phelónion (Greek: (plural, , phailónia; Latin paenula) is a liturgical vestment worn by a priest of the Eastern Christian tradition. It is worn over the priest's other vestments and is equivalent to the chasuble of Western Christianity.- Origin :...
and the nabedrennik
Nabedrennik
A Nabedrennik is a vestment worn by some Orthodox priests. It is a square or rectangular cloth worn at the right hip, suspended from a strap attached to the two upper corners of the vestment and drawn over the left shoulder....
, a bishop wears the same vestments as a priest. The phelonion was at first part of the bishop's vestments but was replaced by a garment, similar to the deacon's sticharion
Sticharion
The sticharion is a liturgical vestment of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, roughly analogous in function to the alb of the Western Church...
, called a sakkos
Sakkos
The Sakkos is a vestment worn by Orthodox and Greek Catholic bishops instead of the priest's phelonion. The garment is a tunic with wide sleeves, and a distinctive pattern of trim. It reaches below the knees and is fastened up the sides with buttons or tied with ribbons...
(also saccos), a representing humility. As Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
's robe was without seam, the bishop, as an icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
of Christ, wears the saccos either sewn or buttoned at the sides.
Over the saccos, the bishop wears a wide shoulder covering called the omophorion
Omophorion
In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgical tradition, the omophor is the distinguishing vestment of a bishop and the symbol of his spiritual and ecclesiastical authority...
. It hangs down in front and back, and symbolizes the wandering sheep which Christ took upon his shoulders as the Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd may refer to:In Christianity:* The Good Shepherd , pericope found in John 10:1-21, and a popular image in which the Good Shepherd represents Jesus...
. In ancient times, it was made of sheepskin. At other times at services, the bishop may wear a shorter omophorion that has both ends hanging down the front called the small omophorion
The bishop wears a richly embroidered crown, called a mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
which symbolises the authority conferred upon a minister of the Church.
Together with his pectoral cross
Pectoral cross
A pectoral cross or pectorale is a cross, usually relatively large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches well down the chest. It is worn by the clergy as an indication of their position, and is different from the small crosses worn on necklaces by many Christians, which have no...
, the bishop also wears a small, circular icon of the Saviour or the Mother of God, called the panagia
Panagia
Panagia , also transliterated Panayia or Panaghia, is one of the titles of Mary, the mother of Jesus, used especially in Orthodox Christianity....
(All-Holy, after the Mother of Christ), or engolpion
Engolpion
An Engolpion or Enkolpion is a general term for something worn upon the bosom . Formerly also including pectoral crosses, Enkolpion is nowadays used for a medallion with an icon in the center, worn around the neck by Orthodox and Eastern Catholic bishops...
, over his heart. This is to remind the bishop that he must carry Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and his Holy Mother in his heart, and thus his heart must be pure.
An episcopal staff called a crosier
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
is carried by the bishop, as a shepherd's crook, to be reminiscent that he is a shepherd of Christ's flock. It has a cross at the top, just above a double crook. This double crook is sometimes in the shape of serpent's heads, symbolizing the serpent lifted up by Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
in the wilderness. (Now Christ lifted up on the hristian Cross|Cross.)
Liturgical items
At services in the Slavic traditions, the bishop stands on a small round or oval rug, called orletsOrlets
An Eagle rug, is a small rug, usually round, upon which Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic bishops stand during divine services.-Appearance:...
, upon which is represented an eagle hovering over a city. This symbolizes his rule over a city and the eagle reminds the bishop that by his teaching and life he must rise above his flock and be an example of one hopeful to the things of Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
.
In the Greek traditions, the bishop sits or stands at the bishop's throne
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
on the south side of the church, on the solea. The back of the throne has an icon depicting Christ the King, and the bishop will always venerate this icon before occupying the throne.
At times during the services, the bishop blesses the faithful
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
, and any attending clerics, with two candlesticks, one with two candles called dikiri (symbolising the two natures of Christ
Hypostatic union
Hypostatic union is a technical term in Christian theology employed in mainstream Christology to describe the union of Christ's humanity and divinity in one hypostasis.The First Council of Ephesus recognised this doctrine and affirmed its importance, stating that the...
) and the other with three candles called trikiri (symbolising the three persons of the Holy Trinity).