The Difference Between the Bishop and the Archpriest
The Difference Between the Bishop and the Archpriest
Question
Is it really true that everything the bishop does, the archpriest does as well, except only the laying on of hands, which distinguishes the bishop?!
Answer
This statement is not correct.
For example, the bishop is the one who performs all acts of consecration.
He is the one who consecrates churches, baptisteries, altars, icons, and all the church vessels used in the sanctuary…
He is the one who grants the Holy Spirit in ordinations and in consecration.
Whether by the laying on of hands or by the holy breath. He is the one who breathes into the mouth of the priest at his ordination, saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” While the priest says: “I opened my mouth and received a spirit for myself”…
Thus the Canons of the Church say, “If he who says to his brother, ‘Fool,’ deserves the fire of Gehenna,” according to the teaching of the Gospel (Matt. 5:22), how much more one who speaks an evil word against his bishop, by whose laying on of hands he receives the Holy Spirit.
Likewise, in the Sacrament of Holy Chrism for elderly women, they can receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the bishop’s hand and the breath of his mouth, instead of anointing them completely with oil.
Rather, he anoints her with the oil of Chrism on the visible parts of her body, such as the head and hands, and the rest is replaced by the laying on of the hand….
And his relationship with the priest is not merely the laying on of hands at his ordination…
He ordains the priest, determines his service and place of work, supervises his work, holds him accountable, promotes him if he deserves promotion, whether from the priestly or administrative aspect, or punishes him if he deserves punishment, by suspending him from practicing all the Church sacraments or one sacrament or more. The punishment may even reach defrocking…
The bishop is the shepherd, and not the priest or archpriest.
Therefore, the bishop—in the day of his ordination—receives the shepherd’s staff from the hand of the patriarch, while the deacon cries, “Receive the shepherd’s staff from the hand of our father Pope Patriarch Anba…” And the patriarch receives the shepherd’s staff from above the altar, while the acting priest says: “Receive the shepherd’s staff from the hand of the Shepherd of shepherds, our Lord Jesus Christ…”
As the bishop is a shepherd, he is the one who carries the brazen serpent, which an archpriest or priest is not permitted to carry.
The priest or archpriest does not receive a shepherd’s staff on the day of his ordination.
He has no right to carry a staff, nor to call himself the shepherd of a church. Rather, he is called “Priest of the Church of…” or “Servant of the Church of such-and-such…”
The bishop’s service is broader; it includes a diocese, not a church:
Because he is responsible for the entire diocese, with all its cities and villages, while the service of the priest or archpriest is confined to a particular church… Therefore, the bishop is the one who establishes new churches, because this is an essential part of his responsibility….
The bishop is the one who gives the priest permission to pray.
In the presence of the bishop, the priest or archpriest cannot pray unless the bishop gives him permission and says to him, “Pray” (Eshlil). He also does not participate in the service of the Divine Liturgy—in his presence—unless he blesses his priestly vestments.
The priest or archpriest does not give the blessing in the presence of the bishop.
Whether by reciting the blessing or by making the sign of the blessing.
The priest cannot give the blessing in his presence, nor make the sign of blessing over the people, nor even carry a cross in his hand in his presence. And whenever the people are mentioned in any liturgical prayer prayed by the priest or archpriest, he stops so that the bishop himself may pronounce it, because he is responsible for the people…..
Thus, the archpriest or priest does not pray the Litania of the Meetings in the presence of the bishop…
Likewise, the priest or archpriest cannot recite the absolution in the presence of the bishop.
The bishop is the one who absolves the people and all the clergy, whether at the end of the Divine Liturgy or at the end of any meeting, or in reading the absolution of the servants during the Liturgy.
Rather, even in the absence of the bishop, when the archpriest or priest is alone and reads the absolution over the people, he says at its end: “And from the mouth of our father the patriarch (…..) and his partner in the apostolic service, our father the bishop (….).”
The name of the bishop is mentioned in the Litania of the Fathers, while the name of the archpriest or priest is not mentioned.
Whether the Litania of the Fathers is recited in the Divine Liturgy, or in the raising of incense in Matins or Vespers, or in any other liturgical prayer…. And this is done in all the churches belonging to this bishop’s diocese…..
The bishop’s service is an apostolic service.
The service of the archpriest or priest is not.
Because it is not merely a priestly service, but rather the presidency of the priesthood… And this is how our fathers the apostles were…. Therefore, in the Litania of the Fathers, when the name of the Pope Patriarch is mentioned in the Litania of the Fathers in any diocese, the name of the bishop is mentioned beside it with the title “and his partner in the apostolic service.” The priest does not have this title…..
And since the bishops are chief priests, the Pope Patriarch is therefore given the title “Chief of the Chiefs of our Priests.”
And because the bishop is one of the chief priests, he is therefore a member of the Holy Synod.
The archpriest or priest is not…
But as an exception, our Holy Synod permits the heads of monasteries to be members of the Holy Synod even if they are archpriests…, as they are heads of fathers or heads of monastic communities.
If they are removed from this responsibility, or resign from it, they do not have membership in the Holy Synod. Membership here is connected to the position and responsibility, and not to the priestly rank.
The bishop is a representative of Christ in the Church.
Therefore, when he enters the church, he is received with the hymn Ep Oouro, meaning “O King of Peace, grant us Your peace.” And these words are addressed to the Lord Christ, said in the presence of His representative, the bishop. Likewise, the hymn Eksamaroout…..
And as a king, he wears a crown during the priestly service.
It is the crown of his priestly presidency, and through it he represents Christ the King.
The archpriest or priest does not do likewise.
Likewise, how many hymns are said in welcoming the fathers the bishops as representatives of the Lord Christ.
Among them is what is said at the reading of the Gospel. It is a hymn said to the Lord Christ, the Owner of the Gospel, in the presence of His representative, the bishop: “Let them exalt Him in the church of His people… You are the priest forever according to a true royal order”.
Finally, I would like to say a simple word:
The Protestants—and especially the Plymouth Brethren—have ideas on this subject that Orthodox thought cannot accept, and they rely for this on a translation of the verses of Scripture that we also do not accept. Therefore, believers should beware of this thought and the like.
For better translation support, please contact the center.
