§ 61. The Administrative Hierarchy

In the administrative hierarchy there developed, over the course of time, a multitude of various degrees, of which some today no longer exist, or constitute merely honorary titles. The foundation on which these various degrees developed is constituted by the three aforementioned degrees of sacred ministers: episcopal, presbyteral, and diaconal. We shall speak further of the chief among the existing degrees of this hierarchy; here, for the sake of the system, we mention them only summarily.

From the episcopal degree there developed: 1. Metropolitans (Μητροπολῖται). By this name were called bishops who held authority in a broad district (ἐπαρχία) in which there were several bishops, and they took this name from the chief cities (μητρόπολις) of the Greco-Roman state. This name is first mentioned in the canons of the First Ecumenical Council.[1] 2. Archbishops (Ἀρχιεπίσκοποι). This was properly a church title given to bishops who held the chief sees of the ecumenical Church. Athanasius the Great was the first to use this title, for his predecessor on the see of Alexandria, Alexander.[2] 3. Exarchs (Ἔξαρχοι) were bishops who had their seat in the chief cities of the great districts of the Greco-Roman state, and as such held precedence of honor among the metropolitans within the same district (διοίκησις).[3]

4. Primates (Primates, πρῶτοι, πρωτεύοντες ἐπισκόπων) were in the West what exarchs were in the East.[4] 5. Catholicoi (Καθολικοί, Catholici) were the names given to exarchs or primates in some churches of the East.[5] 6. Patriarchs (Πατριάρχαι). By this name were called, from the time of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, several bishops who had earlier enjoyed only precedence of honor among the metropolitans of the great districts, and who now received also precedence of authority.[6] 7. Popes (Πάπαι), a title of the patriarchs of Alexandria and of Rome.[7] 8. Autocephaloi (Αὐτοκέφαλοι) were the names given to all those bishops who held under their jurisdiction several eparchies, and who exercised that jurisdiction independently, without dependence on any other church superior.[8] All those now mentioned represent the development of the episcopal degree upward, while the development downward is shown to us by: 1. Chorepiscopoi (Χωρεπίσκοποι),[9] 2. assistant bishops (vicars)[10], and 3. episcopal stewards (ἐπισκοπικοὶ ἐπίτροποι).[11]

From the presbyteral degree there developed: 1. Archpriests (Ἀρχιπρεσβύτεροι, Πρωτοπρεσβύτεροι, Πρωτοπάπαι)[12] and 2. Periodeutai (Περιοδευταί).[13] From the diaconal degree—archdeacons (Ἀρχιδιάκονοι) and protodeacons (Πρωτοδιάκονοι).[14]

Independent of either hierarchical degree, there existed various church dignitaries (ἀξιωματικοί, ἄρχοντες ἐκκλησιαστικοί, ὀφφικιάλιοι), who performed certain services in the administration of the Church. All the canonical sources divide the dignitaries into two main ranks, according to the character of the duties entrusted to them. The first rank is composed of those who serve in the central diocesan administration. The second rank is composed, first, of those entrusted with the administration of particular centers within the eparchy dependent on the central administration, and second, of those appointed for personal service to the bishop or at his liturgical services. The canonical sources call the first dignitaries in the full sense, since they held a corresponding permanent jurisdiction in church administration, whereas the second did not have such jurisdiction at all, or, where some did, it was dependent on the central diocesan administration.[15]

Among the dignitaries of the first rank, six are the chief, who at the patriarchates were called ἐξωκατάκοιλοι, namely: 1. the oikonomos (ὁ οἰκονόμος), to whom was entrusted the care of the whole property of the respective eparchy; 2. the sakellarios (ὁ σακελλάριος), who conducted affairs concerning the monasteries; 3. the skeuophylax (ὁ σκευοφύλαξ), who had care of the church treasury; 4. the chartophylax (ὁ χαρτοφύλαξ), the chief overseer and director of the eparchial official records; 5. the sakellion (ὁ σακελλίων), who had care of the parish churches and the parish clergy; and 6. the protekdikos (ὁ πρωτέκδικος), or chief church advocate.[16]

Of the dignitaries of the second rank, some were dignitaries of the cathedral church, among whom the chief was the protopresbyter (ὁ πρωτοπαπᾶς), first among all the presbyters of the whole eparchy, who, during a vacancy of the see, conducted all business in the bishop’s place. The office of protopresbyter was independent, and he had several other presbyters and deacons as his assistants. Among these last was one archdeacon, or protodeacon. To this same rank belong the dignitaries who were stationed in the chief places of the respective eparchy, and to whom was entrusted oversight over a certain number of churches in towns and villages. Such, among others, are the archpriests, or, as they are called today in the Russian Church, blagochinnye, and among us district protopresbyters.[17]

The monastic dignitaries with defined jurisdiction in their respective monasteries are the archimandrites and hegumens.[18]

The court dignitaries, who were at the episcopal courts for the personal service of the bishop in church affairs of his personal competence, without defined jurisdiction, are the protosyncelli and syncelli.[19]