An archbishop is a bishop who holds a senior title or responsibility in certain Christian churches. The office is found especially in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some other episcopal traditions. The title does not have exactly the same powers everywhere.
Archbishop and bishop
Every archbishop is a bishop. The difference concerns office, jurisdiction, seniority, or honor rather than a separate degree of ordination. In churches that recognize bishops as an ordained order, an archbishop remains within the episcopate.
Metropolitan archbishops
In the Catholic Church, an archbishop may lead an archdiocese. A metropolitan archbishop also presides over an ecclesiastical province made up of several dioceses, although the diocesan bishops in that province retain their own authority. Not every archbishop is a metropolitan.
Orthodox use of the title
Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches use titles such as archbishop, metropolitan, patriarch, and catholicos according to their own histories and structures. Their ranking does not map exactly onto Catholic usage. In some Orthodox churches “archbishop” is a particularly senior title; in others “metropolitan” may rank higher.
Anglican archbishops
Within the Anglican Communion, archbishops commonly preside over provinces or national churches. Their authority is shaped by the constitution and canons of each Anglican church. The Archbishop of Canterbury has a special historical role within Anglicanism but does not govern the Communion in the manner of a universal pope.
What archbishops do
Archbishops ordinarily share the responsibilities of bishops: teaching, worship, ordination, pastoral oversight, and administration. Additional duties may include chairing synods, coordinating bishops in a province, representing the church publicly, or carrying responsibilities assigned by canon law.
Is an archbishop “above” every bishop?
Not in a simple universal sense. The title normally brings a wider coordinating role, seniority, or honor, but the legal relationship between an archbishop and other bishops depends on the church. A diocesan bishop usually retains real authority within his own diocese rather than functioning as an employee of the archbishop.
Historical development
As Christianity organized into dioceses and regional provinces, certain bishops acquired responsibilities beyond one local church. Titles such as metropolitan and archbishop developed in different places and periods, which explains why their rank and function are not identical across Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican systems.
