During the early development of Christianity, bishops called the heads of small communities of believers who served as overseers in any cities and provinces. This definition of the word was meant by the apostle Paul, speaking in his letters about the common goals of the activities of bishops and apostles, but distinguishing between the sedentary lifestyle of the former and the wandering life of the latter. Over time, the meaning of the word “bishop” has acquired excellent meaning among the rest of the priesthood, rising to a deacon and pro-pastoral degree.
Definition Value
A bishop is a Greek “overseer”, a clergyman belonging to the third — highest — priesthood. However, over time, a large number of honorary titles appeared, equal to the bishop - the pope, the patriarch, the metropolitan, the bishop. Often in a speech the bishop is a bishop, from the Greek "senior priest." In Greek Orthodoxy, the general term for all these definitions is the word hierarch (clergy).
According to the speeches of the Apostle Paul, the bishop is also Jesus Christ, whom he literally calls the bishop in the Epistle to the Jews.
Episcopal consecration
The peculiarities of the episcopal ordination as ordination to the dignity are the recognition by the Christian Orthodox and Catholic churches of the apostolic succession of the bishopric. A rite of ordination is carried out by at least two bishops (a cathedral), the First Apostolic Rule indicates the need to fulfill this condition; in the Russian Orthodox Church, pretenders for the role of bishop are traditionally selected from the monks of the minor schema, and in East Christian churches - from widowed priests or celibates.
The obligatory custom of celibacy of bishops by the 7th century began to be perceived as the norm and was enshrined in the 12th and 48th rules of the Trullian Soboa. At the same time, if the future bishop already had a wife, then, according to their free will, the couple dispersed, and after the ordination to the dignity, the ex-wife went to a remote nunnery, took monastic tonsure - and the monastery was moved under the direct protection of the new bishop.
Duties of the Bishop
Along with gaining a new - higher - dignity, the bishop had many other duties.
Firstly, only he had the right to ordain presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, lower clergy, and light anti-mince. In the diocese, absolutely all priests perform their services with the blessing of the bishop - his name is exalted in all the churches of the dioceses during divine services. According to Byzantine tradition, the only sign of a bishop’s blessing in the Orthodox Church is the antimis issued to the clergyman — a four-square handkerchief made of cloth with particles of the relics sewn into it.
The second responsibility of the bishop was the patronage and fair administration of all the monasteries located on the territory of his diocese. The only exception is stavropegy, reporting directly to the patriarch of the local church.
Episcopate in Orthodoxy
The history of the episcopate in the Russian Orthodox Church dates back to the 3rd century AD, when Christian Scythians living on the territory of modern Russia, headed by Andrei Pervozvanny as a whole community, created the Scythian diocese of the Ecumenical Church with a pulpit in Dobrudja.
The history of Russia knows a lot of conflict situations that have developed between Russian princes and representatives of Christian dioceses. Thus, the futile visit of Adalbert - the envoy of the Pope of Rome, the future archbishop of Magdenburg - to Kiev, which took place in 961, is known.
In 988, the Patriarch of Constantinople Nicholas II Chryserberg sent to Russia in Kiev the first Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia Michael, who was invited by His Holiness Prince Vladimir to accept the Greek faith by the Russian people.
An Orthodox priest was ordained as bishop by the patriarchs of the Church of Constantinople. But there are several cases of local elections. So, the first metropolitan of Russian nationality was Hilarion of Kiev.
The story also tells of the further process of autocephalization and the separation of the Russian patriarchy from Constantinople.
So, for the political support given to Bishop Nifont and his loyalty to the Byzantine traditions in the process of the Kiev schism, the Patriarch of Constantinople granted the atonomy of the Novgorod diocese. Thus, the bishop began to be elected right at the time of the People’s Vecherod. The first bishop to be placed in the bishop in this way was Archbishop Arkady Novogorodsky in 1156. From the 13th century, on the basis of this autonomy, the first conflicts of the bishops of the city and the great Moscow princes began.
The final split of the Orthodox Church into eastern and western branches occurred in 1448 after the election of the bishop of Ryazan Jonah to the post of Metropolitan of Kiev and All Russia, which also completely separated the north-eastern Russian church (Moscow episcopate) from Constantinople. But the Western Russian bishops, while maintaining autonomy from the Moscow ones, continued to be under the jurisdiction of Constantinople.
It is interesting to know that in Orthodox canonical traditions there is an age qualification regarding candidates for the post of bishop, whose lower bar did not fall below 35 - the edge of 25 years of age. An exception here is Nikolai the Miracle Worker, elevated to the rank of bishop of youths.
In the Orthodox tradition, the rule is adopted on how to appeal to the bishop - the addresses “Vladyka”, “Bishop Vladyka” or “Your Grace” are used.
Episcopate in Catholicism
The central place in the administration of the Roman Catholic Church belongs to the collegium of bishops, whose existence and responsibilities were prescribed in the dogmatic constitution of the Second Vatican Council on November 21, 1964. The president of this college is the Pope, who has full authority over the Church and fulfills the role of the viceroy of Christ on earth. Moreover, only the consolidation of the collegium of bishops with the Pope makes its activities legitimate and pious. The pope is also the sole owner of the sovereign territory of the Vatican and the supreme ruler of the Holy See.
A special place in the management system of the Roman Catholic Church belongs to the Roman bishop, whose status has developed over the centuries in line with the total control of the church in all spheres of society.
A typical Catholic bishop, the photo of which is presented on the right, also has the exclusive right to conduct the ritual of anointing - confirmation.
Bishop in Protestantism
In connection with the denial of apostolic succession by the doctrine of Protestantism, the bishop is elected and perceived by the prostestan collectives as exclusively a figure of organizational activity, not related to praising his fact of existence and not having any material privileges. This is due to the lack of difference in the New Testament between the bishop and the presbyter of the Christian community.
A Protestant Orthodox priest, even if holding an administrative and organizational post, should be as close as possible to both the layman and the higher powers.
A Protestant bishop is a presiding pastor, ordaining clergy and presbyter, presiding at conferences, monitoring order in the Church, and visiting all the parishes of his diocese.
In the Anglican episcopal Protestant churches, bishops are considered successors of the apostles, and therefore in their dioceses they have all the fullness of sacred authority.
Bishop Vladimir and his services to society
The bishops of the Orthodox Church are known for their active participation in public life.
For example, Metropolitan of Kiev and Galitsky, Bishop of the Orthodox Russian Church Vladimir (in the world of the Epiphany) during a cholera epidemic in the Volga region fearlessly visited barracks with cholera patients, held memorial services in cholera cemeteries, and prayers were served in city squares for getting rid of disasters. Also actively opened women's church schools.
The Life of Bishop Longinus
Bishop Longin - in the world Mikhail Zhar - not only supervised the construction of numerous monasteries in Ukraine, but also actively engaged in the construction and expansion of the orphanage. He launched this construction in 1992 after adopting a girl with AIDS. Bishop Longinus has a large number of civilian awards for services to the Fatherland.
Activities of Bishop Ignatius
One cannot ignore the figure of Lord Ignatius (in the world of Punin), chairman of the Synodal Department for Youth Affairs. Bishop Ignatius leads the Orthodox Spiritual Center, which has Sunday schools for children and adults, children with disabilities, on the basis of the parish church in honor of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, which have a computer class, a library and a gym.