Primate (bishop)

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Primate (

title of honour
).

Catholic Church

In the

bishop—of a specific (mostly metropolitan) episcopal see (called a primatial see) who has precedence over the bishoprics of one or more ecclesiastical provinces of a particular historical, political or cultural area. Historically, primates of particular sees were granted privileges including the authority to call and preside at national synods, jurisdiction to hear appeals from metropolitan tribunals, the right to crown the sovereign of the nation, and presiding at the investiture (installation) of archbishops in their sees.[1]

Catholic Primate (non-cardinal) coat of arms

The office is generally found only in older Catholic countries, and is now purely honorific, enjoying no effective powers under

primate of Poland holds no jurisdictional authority over other Polish bishops or their dioceses, but is durante munere a member of the standing committee of the episcopal conference, and has honorary precedence among Polish bishops (e.g., in liturgical ceremonies). The Holy See has also granted Polish primates the privilege of wearing cardinal's crimson attire, except for the skullcap and biretta, even if they have not been made cardinals.[2][3]

Where the title of primate exists, it may be vested in one of the oldest archdioceses in a country, often based in a city other than the present capital, but which was the capital when the country was first Christianized. The city may no longer have the prominence it had when the title was granted. The political area over which primacy was originally granted may no longer exist: for example, the

Archbishop of Lyon is the "Primate of the Gauls".[1] The title of Primate can, therefore, also be disputed between different Archdioceses who, at some point, held proeminence over a shifting territory; such is the dispute over the Primacy of the Spains that was fought over by the Archdioceses of Braga, Toledo and Santiago de Compostela. After the founding of Portugal, the Archbishop of Braga held precedence over all other archbishops in the country, though his role declined under the rise of the Archdiocese of Lisbon, which culminated in 1716, when Archbishop Tomás de Almeida (1670–1754) was elevated to Patriarch
.

Some of the leadership functions once exercised by Primates, specifically presiding at meetings of the bishops of a nation or region, are now exercised by the president of the

Primate of Ireland as vice-president. Other former functions of primates, such as hearing appeals from metropolitan tribunals, were reserved to the Holy See by the early 20th century.[1] Soon after, by the norm of the Code of Canon Law of 1917, confirmed in the 1983 Code, the tribunal of second instance for appeals from a metropolitan tribunal is "the tribunal which the metropolitan has designated in a stable manner with the approval of the Apostolic See".[5]

The closest equivalent position in the Eastern Churches in 1911 was an Exarch.[1]

The Holy See has continued in modern times to grant the title of Primate. With the

papal decree Sollicitae Romanis Pontificibus of 24 January 1956 it granted the title of Primate of Canada to the Archbishop of Quebec.[6] As stated above, this is merely an honorary title involving no additional power.[7]
: 131 

A right of precedence over other bishops and similar privileges can be granted even to a bishop who is not a Primate. Thus, in 1858, the Holy See granted the

Archbishop of Westminster has not been granted the title of Primate of England and Wales, which is sometimes applied to him, but his position has been described as that of "Chief Metropolitan" and as "similar to" that of the Archbishop of Canterbury.[9]

The title of Primate is sometimes applied loosely to the Archbishop of a country's capital, as in the case of the Archbishops of Seoul in South Korea and of Edinburgh in Scotland. Functions can sometimes be exercised in practice (de facto), as by a de facto government, without having been granted by law; but since "Primate" is today a title, not a function, there is no such thing as a "de facto" primate.

The pre-reformation metropolitan

Archbishop of Nidaros was sometimes referred to as Primate of Norway,[10]
even though it is unlikely that this title ever was officially granted to him by the Holy See.

Catholic primatial sees

The heads of certain sees have at times been referred to, at least by themselves,[11] as primates:


In Europe
Elsewhere

Until the Counterreformation

At the First Vatican Council

Source[1]

Regular clergy equivalent

In the modern confederation of the

. He takes precedence of all other abbots, is empowered to pronounce on all doubtful matters of discipline, to settle difficulties arising between monasteries, to hold a canonical visitation, if necessary, in any congregation of the order, and to exercise a general supervision for the regular observance of monastic discipline. The Primatial powers are only vested in the Abbot Primate to act by virtue of the proper law of its autonomous Benedictine congregation, which at the present is minimal to none. However, certain branches of the Benedictine Order seem to have lost their original autonomy to some extent.

In a similar way the Confederation of

Canons Regular
elect a new Abbot Primate for a term of office lasting six years. The Current Abbot Primate is Rt Rev. Fr Jean-Michel Girard, CRB, Abbot General of the Canons Regular of the Grand St Bernard.

Anglicanism

Anglican usage styles the bishop who heads an independent church as its "primate", though commonly they hold some other title (e.g. archbishop, presiding bishop, or moderator). The primates' authority within their churches varies considerably: some churches give the primate some executive authority, while in others they may do no more than preside over church councils and represent the church ceremonially.

Anglican Communion

In the context of the

United Churches of Bangladesh, of North India, of Pakistan and of South India, which are united with other originally non-Anglican churches, are represented at the meetings by their moderators.[44]

In both the Church of England and the Church of Ireland, two bishops have the title of primate: the archbishops of Canterbury and York in England and of Armagh and Dublin in Ireland. Only the bishop of the senior primatial see of each of these two churches participates in the meetings.

The archbishop of Canterbury, who is considered primus inter pares of all the participants, convokes the meetings and issues the invitations.[44]

Primates and archbishops are styled "The Most Reverend". All other bishops are styled "The Right Reverend".[44]

Eastern Orthodox equivalent

Historically, the primatial title in

Caesarea (for the Diocese of Pontus).[45]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Primate" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  2. ^ "Joseph Lins, "Gniesen-Posen" in The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York 1909)".
  3. ^ "Aurelio Palmieri, "Archdiocese of Warsaw" in The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1912)".
  4. .
  5. .
  6. ^ Têtu, Henri; Gagnon, Charles Octave, eds. (1967). Mandements, lettres pastorales et circulaires des évêques de Québec (in French). Église catholique. Diocèse de Québec (Québec). pp. 44–46.
  7. .
  8. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Baltimore" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  9. Apostolic Constitution of 'certain new distinctions of preeminence', for the preservation of unity in government and policy, to the Archbishop of Westminster for the time being, comprised under the following three heads: He will be permanent chairman of the meetings of the Bishops of all England and Wales, and for this reason it will be for him to summon these meetings and to preside over them, according to the rules in force in Italy and elsewhere. (2) He will take rank above the other two Archbishops, and will throughout all England and Wales enjoy the privilege of wearing the Pallium, of occupying the throne, and of having the cross borne before him. (3) Lastly, in all dealings with the Supreme Civil Authority, he will in his person represent the entire Episcopate of England and Wales. Always, however, he is to take the opinion of all the Bishops, and to be guided by the votes of the major part of them'. Thus, though the Archbishop of Westminster was vested with more powers and privileges than Primates usually enjoy, unity of action has been safeguarded" (Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Reorganization of the English Hierarchy" . Catholic Encyclopedia
    . New York: Robert Appleton Company.).
  10. ^ "Steinvikholm fortress ruin". Fortidsminneforeningen. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  11. ^ .
  12. ^ a b Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Mechlin" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Hierarchy" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  14. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Prague" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  15. ^ Krmpotic, Martin Davorin. in Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Dalmatia" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  16. ^ Matanić, Athanasius (1952). De origine tituli "Dalmatiae ac totius Croatiae primas": Studium histor.-crit. Sublaci.
  17. ^ Ottavio Maria Paltrinieri, Notizie intorno alla vita di quattro Arcivescovi di Spalatro, Primati della Dalmazia e di tutta la Croazia (Roma, 1829)
  18. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Aix" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  19. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Bordeaux" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  20. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Bourges" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  21. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Rouen" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  22. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sens" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  23. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Grenoble" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  24. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Mainz" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  25. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Armagh" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  26. ^ .
    MacGeoghegan, James (1844). The History of Ireland, Ancient and Modern. Dublin: James Duffy. p. 337.
  27. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Gnesen-Posen" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  28. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Cagliari" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  29. ^ .
  30. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Toledo" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  31. ^ Albiñana y de Borrás, Juan Francisco. "La primacía de Tarragona" (PDF). Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  32. ^ "Tarragona, "Hispaniarum primas" de las Españas". ABC España. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  33. ^ Giovanni, Giovanni di (1846). "Storia ecclesiastica di Sicilia di Giovanni di Giovanni continuata sino al secolo XIX dal Padre Salv. Lanza".
  34. ^ "Documenti per servire alla storia di Sicilia". 1888.
  35. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Africa" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  36. ^ "Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana". www.vatican.va.
  37. ^ Episcopal Conference of Argentina: "Arquidiócesis de Buenos Aires" Archived 2013-05-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  38. ^ "Agencia Informativa Católica Argentina: "El nuevo arzobispo de Buenos Aires es Mons. Mario Poli"".
  39. ^ "Esquiu, 16 December 2012, p. 14".
  40. ^ Gazanini, Guillermo (19 July 2016). "65 años del título de Primado de México". Religión Digital (in Spanish).
  41. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Canterbury" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  42. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ancient See of York" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  43. ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Gran" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  44. ^ a b c "Anglican Communion: "What Is a Primate?"".
  45. ^ Meyendorff 1989, p. 56, 58.

Sources

External links