§ 113. Collegial Diocesan Organs

When vicar bishops are mentioned as assistants of the bishop in diocesan administration, this already presupposes a great extent of the diocese and a dense settlement of it. But, as we have seen, this was not so at the beginning of the Church; rather, even insignificant places had their own bishop, and the whole diocese of such a bishop covered no more than one of our larger parishes today.[1] The administration of such a diocese could be conducted by the bishop alone, without need of assistants. When dioceses began to become more extensive, the need for this arose. Bishops surrounded themselves with more skilled men from the clergy, and, availing themselves of their counsel, administered the affairs of their diocese in the best manner.[2] But this did not yet have, in the beginning, the form of any legal institution, nor were these counselors of the bishop permanent officials in the diocesan administration. Only in the 3rd century is a permanent presbyteral council at the episcopal sees mentioned, which assists the bishop in conducting diocesan affairs.[3] Beginning with the 4th century, this presbyteral council, as a fixed diocesan institution, receives canonical confirmation, and the canons already prescribe what offices the individual members of that council are to perform;[4] and in the 8th century we find this same council fully organized at every episcopal see of the Eastern Church, under one name or another.[5]

This diocesan presbyteral council developed most fully in the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and after its model similar councils were then organized at all the other episcopal sees of the Eastern Church, with greater or lesser modifications in the number of persons composing them and in the wider or narrower scope of their activity. This council was called by various names in the course of time;[6] today among the Greeks it is called ἐπισκοπικὸν (πνευματικὸν, ἐκκλησιαστικὸν) δικαστήριον,[7] and among us: the diocesan (episcopal, spiritual) Consistory.[8] The members themselves of this council were also called by various names,[9] but their most usual title is: dignitaries (ἀξιωματικοί), according to the office which they perform in the central diocesan administration,[10] while as participants in the episcopal council they are called: assessors (παρακαθήμενοι).[11]

In earlier times the following members of this council are usually mentioned: 1) the oikonomos, 2) the sakellarios, 3) the skeuophylax, 4) the chartophylax, 5) the sakellion, 6) the protekdikos. Of the duties which these dignitaries performed in the central church administration we have already spoken.[12] Besides these there were also: 7) the protopresbyter (πρωτοπρεσβύτερος, πρωτοπαπᾶς), who was in charge of liturgical affairs throughout the whole diocese and of assessing the qualities of those who were to be received into the priesthood;[13] and if he also had to attend to advocatory business in disputes concerning the cathedral church, then liturgical affairs were conducted by 8) the hieromnemon (ἱερομνήμων);[14] further, 9) the kanstresios (κανστρήσιος), keeper of the diocesan treasury;[15] 10) the referendarius (ῥεφερενδάριος), mediator between the bishop and the political power;[16] 11) the logothete (λογοθέτης), examiner of accounts and assistant to the protekdikos and the chartophylax;[17] and the assistant of this last official was in turn 12) the hypomnematographos (ὑπομνηματογράφος), who chiefly conducted the notarial business.[18] This was the usual number of members of the diocesan council; but it depended on the discretion of the diocesan bishop whether to increase or diminish this number, according to the needs concerned.[19]

Except for the protopresbyter, it was immaterial what hierarchical rank these various members held;[20] but it was not immaterial whether they were of the secular or the monastic clergy. Until the 12th century there were also monks among the members of the diocesan council;[21] but from that time, in consequence of a synodal ordinance under the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael III, as a rule only secular priests were received as members of these councils, and monks were refused, since this could not be reconciled with the general monastic vows.[22] Afterward they again began to receive them, but only for monastic affairs in the consistories, otherwise depriving them of the right to participate in certain designated matters.[23]