Archdeacon

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An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the

Catholic Church

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See also:

Catholic Church hierarchy

In the Latin

episcopal vicars

. The title remains.

History

The term "archdeacon" appears for the first time in

Large dioceses had several archdeaconries, in each of which the archdeacon (usually by now a priest), had an authority comparable to that of the bishop. He was often appointed not by the bishop but by the cathedral chapter or the king. However, from the 13th century, efforts were made to limit their authority. This was effected in part by the institution of the new office of vicar general. In 1553, the Council of Trent removed entirely the independent powers of archdeacons. Those who had been in charge of different parts of the diocese gradually ceased to be appointed. Only the archdeacon associated with the cathedral chapter continued to exist as an empty title, with duties almost entirely limited to liturgical functions.^[3][4]

The title of archdeacon is still conferred on a

However, Eastern Catholic Churches still utilize archdeacons.

When

Later, Sixtus appointed Lawrence as Archdeacon of Rome, the first among the seven deacons who served in the cathedral church.

Archdeacons serve the church in part of a diocese by taking particular responsibility for all buildings, the welfare of clergy and their families and the implementation of diocesan policy for the sake of the Gospel.

In some other Anglican churches they can be deacons instead of priests; such archdeacons often work with the bishop to help with deacons' assignments to congregations and assist the bishop at ordinations and other diocesan liturgies. The Anglican ordinal presupposes (it is policy by default) that every Archdeacon helps to examine candidates for ordination and presents the most suitable candidate(s) to the ordaining bishop.[1] In some parts of the Communion where women cannot be consecrated as bishops, the position is the most senior office a female cleric can hold: this being so, for instance, in the (Anglican) Diocese of Sydney.^[8]

Very rarely, "lay archdeacons" have been arisen, most notably the former Anglican Communion Observer to the United Nations, Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Leota, who retained her title after having served as Archdeacon of Samoa.^{[citation needed]}

In the Eastern Christian churches (Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches), an archdeacon is the senior deacon within a diocese and has responsibility for serving at hierarchical services (those at which the bishop is present and presiding). He has responsibility for ensuring the smooth running of the service by directing the clergy and servers as appropriate. As such, he usually travels with the ruling bishop to various parts of the diocese, and will sometimes act as his secretary and cell attendant, ensuring that he is able to balance his monastic life with his hierarchical duties. The archdeacon wears the double orarion, which is twice the length of the usual orarion, and wraps under the right arm as well as hanging from the left shoulder. An archdeacon may come from either the monastic or married clergy.

A protodeacon also wears the double orarion, although he is distinguished from the archdeacon in that he is the senior deacon at a cathedral or other principal church within a diocese and serves as the principal deacon when a number of deacons serve together.

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According to the canons of the Eastern churches, an archdeacon is of the highest priestly rank: he is the head of all the clerics belonging to a bishopric; he is responsible for the whole worship of the cathedral church and represents the will of the bishop in his absence. However, from the local point of view, the rank of an archdeacon was more important than this; not only was he the most important priest of the community, but he also fulfilled the role of an ethnarch. An archdeacon was the "prince and head of the Christians of Saint Thomas" and had such titles as "Archdeacon and Gate of All India, Governor of India". The origin and the meaning of the term "gate" is mysterious. While the Catholicos Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon reserved for himself the right to send his own prelates originating from Iraq to the Indian diocese, the continuous governance of his Indian flock was secured by the indigenous Archdeacon serving as the head of all the priests in Malabar and representing the bishop's will.

According to the traditional structure, the Indian Church of the East was governed by a metropolitan sent by the Catholicos Patriarch. At the same time, at the local level, in India, church affairs were governed by the Malabar Assembly or Malankara Yogam. There was also an indigenous head of the Church of Malabar, the "head of the caste", that is the head of the St Thomas Christians called Jathikku Karthavyan or Malankara Mooppen^{[citation needed]}. Patriarch Timothy (780–826) of Persia called him the head of the faithful in India.

While originally an archdeacon in the Church of the East was elected by the bishop according to merit, the office of the Archdeacon of India seems to have been dynastic. It was the privilege of the Pakalomattam family, at least from the sixteenth century onwards. Indeed, we know about a number of Pakalomattam archdeacons, beginning with 1502, when Metropolitan John of India appointed George Pakalomattam. The name of the family varies, and the family seems to be identical with the Parambil family, translated into Portuguese as 'de Campo'.

An archdeacon had all the attributes of a secular leader and was normally escorted by a number, sometimes several thousands, of soldiers. While there could be several bishops appointed for the Malabar Church, there was always only one archdeacon, a custom contrary to the canons of the Church of the East. This situation is best explained by the fact that from the point of view of the

In the

• Church of England § Structure
• Superintendent (Christianity), an analogous position in some Christian denominations

Look up archdeacon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Role of Archdeacons, the tomb of Archdeacons and Kappalottam at Kuravilangadu, Nasrani, 2007-06-14.
• The Saint Thomas Christians in India from 52 to 1687 AD, DE: Srite, archived from the original on 2021-07-11, retrieved 2009-11-09.
• Bibliography of Works relevant to Archdeacons throughout Europe, CA: U Toronto, archived from the original on 2007-11-17.
• Phillips, Walter Alison (1911). "Archdeacon" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). pp. 358–359.
• Pakalomattom Ayrookuzhiyil family, archived from the original on 2011-06-24, retrieved 2013-01-28.