Prelate
The word "Prelate" (from preferre, to put before) is a general name for an ecclesiastical dignitary who has jurisdiction in foro externo, whether he be a member of the secular or of the regular clergy; his jurisdiction not being delegated, but inherent to the office he holds. Prelature (or Prelacy) is the status of a Prelate. This term applies to the honor given to a dignitary on account of the jurisdiction with which he is invested. This is the canonical sense of the words Prelate and Prelature. In a wider sense, these designations are extended to other dignitaries of various kinds who have no special jurisdiction, but are personally granted the title and honors of Prelates, namely the members of the Pope's Court and Household. In this sense, the words Prelate and Prelature mean nothing else than a superiority of rank.
The teaching of the Council of Trent is that the Hierarchy of the Church is, by divine institution, composed of three elements, Bishops, Priests and Ministers. This simple division having been found insufficient in proportion as Christianity spread, the Church was led to create intermediary offices which, without interfering with the primitive division, constituted supplementary degrees, with the view of making the external administration of the Church easier and more effective. For instance, we see the institution of Metropolitans, of Patriarchs, the gradual growth in the importance of the Sacred College,' etc.
Although, by divine institution and ordination, Bishops are all equal, yet Ecclesiastical Law has introduced certain modifications in episcopal authority, by virtue of which, some Bishops are superior to others, exercising over them a real authority, a participation, as it were, of the supreme Prelacy of the Sovereign Pontiff. Such are Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops or Metropolitans.
The Cardinals are those Prelates who form the Senate of the Church. Their name, from the Latin word cardo (a hinge), seems to indicate that the government of the Church rests on them as a door on its hinges. They are divided into three classes: Cardinal-Bishops, Cardinal-Priests and Cardinal-Deacons; but this distinction does not proceed from their ordination; an Archbishop as, for instance, the Archbishop of Baltimore, is a Cardinal-Priest; and a simple cleric may be a CardinalDeacon : the distinction originates in their titles; for the cardinalitial dignity does not belong to the Hierarchy of Order, but to that of Jurisdiction. The title of a Cardinal is taken from the diocese or the church to which he is appointed as Cardinal; but ordinarily the word "title" is used only to mean the churches assigned to Cardinal-Priests. The episcopal sees of Cardinal-Bishops are usually called "suburban dioceses."'
As a body, the Cardinals are known as the Sacred College. The College is headed by the Dean, who is the first of the Cardinal-Bishops in order of seniority, and always Bishop of Ostia and Veletri. The Cardinals' functions generally consist in acting as advisers2 and auxiliaries to the Sovereign Pontiff in the administration of the Church. They also govern the Church during the vacancy of the Holy See and elect the new Pope. Their official title is "Eminentissimus et Reverendissimus Dominus," and their dignity gives them a right of precedence immediately after the Pope and over all those who are not Cardinals.
Literally, the word Patriarch means a "Chief of Fathers." The appellation is very ancient. The title of the early Bishops being that of "Father," their leaders were quite naturally called "Patriarchs." This title of Patriarch was first given to the Bishops of Rome, Alexandria and Antioch, three episcopal, sees the foundation of which is ascribed to St. Peter. To these three patriarchal sees were soon added the bishopric of Jerusalem, on account of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, and the bishopric of Constantinople, on account of the new importance given to the city as the residence of the Roman Emperor.
But since the cities, in which the Eastern patriarchal sees were established, have fallen under the domination of infidels or schismatics, the Popes, in order to keep alive the memory of these illustrious sees, have continued to appoint Latin Patriarchs, who enjoy not only the titles of these sees, but the prerogatives and privileges of the patriarchal rank as well. However, they have no jurisdiction over the territory of their patriarchates. These great Prelates are called "Titular Patriarchs."8 Pius IX. made an exception to the usual practice, when he allowed the. Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem a residence in his patriarchal city, and invested him with metropolitan jurisdiction over Jerusalem and its vicinity.
Besides these Latin patriarchs, there are, in the East, Catholic patriarchs of the different rites, all of them having over their subjects tlie same traditional authority as the ancient patriarchs of the Eastern Church. Such are: the Patriarch of Antioch for the Melchites, residence at Damascus; the Patriarch of Alexandria for the Copts, residence at Cairo (Egypt); the Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronites, residence at Bikorchi (Lebanon); the Patriarch of Antioch for the Syrians, residence also at Bikorchi; the Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans, residence at Mossul (Mesopotamia), and the Patriarch of Cilicia for the Armenians, residence at Constantinople.
Several Bishops in the Western Church have also been granted the title and honors of Patriarchs. These are the Patriarch of Venice (Italy); the Patriarch of Lisbon (Portugal); the Patriarch of the West Indies, who is the Chaplain Major of the Spanish Army (at present the Archbishop of Toledo, Spain); and the Patriarch of the East Indies, who is the Archbishop of Goa in India.2 These are known as "Minor Patriarchs."
Primates were Bishops having authority or jurisdiction over the Archbishops of a country or of a considerable portion of a country. Nowadays, the jurisdicton of Primates has practically ceased, though some Bishops have kept the title, a merely honorary one. Such, for instance, are the Archbishop of Armagh, "Primate of All Ireland;" the Archbishop of Dublin, "Primate of Ireland;" the Archbishop of Lyons, "Primate of Gaul;" the Archbishop of Gran, "Primate of Hungary," etc. In the Eastern Church, the corresponding title was that of Exarch.
An Archbishop is a Prelate invested with the episcopal character, and holding a rank immediately superior to that of simple Bishops. An Archbishop is also called a "Metropolitan," from the ancient custom of calling the Bishop of the capital (metropolis) of a Roman province metropolis tonus. The title of Metropolitan is not given to titular Archbishops, since they have no ordinary jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province.
A Bishop (a word derived from the Greek "overseer") is an ecclesiastical dignitary who has received, through his consecration, the full priestly character, and has the special charge of governing a determined portion of the Christian fiock under the supervision of the Sovereign Pontiff.
An Archbishop or a Bishop is called residential when he occupies a see canonically erected, with residence in and ordinary jurisdiction over the limited territory annexed to the city from which the see takes its name. He is styled titular when he has no ordinary jurisdiction over the diocese of which he bears the title, his episcopal or archiepiscopal see being under the domination of infidels or schismatics.8 Formerly, Titular Bishops or Archbishops were also styled "Bishops (or Archbishops) in partibus infidelium" (in the countries of infidels); but, yielding to the protests of the schismatic Greeks, under whose domination most of these titular sees are located, Pope Leo XIII. abolished the title of "Bishop in partibus infidelium," and decreed that henceforth only the title of "Titular Bishop (or Archbishop) of N. in N." (the name of the episcopal city, with that of the ancient Roman province to which the city belonged) should be used: Thus "Right Reverend N. N. N., Titular Bishop of Rosea in Cilicia."'
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