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ADiosgracias
Guest
Can you explain me what is the difference between a Cardinal and a Bishop. I also want to know about archbishop and all the rank in the church
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PaulfromIowa
Guest
A bishop is the head of a diocese, a district of the Church. An archbishop is the head of an archdiocese, a larger diocese. A Cardinal is a member of the College of Cardinals, the Pope’s top advisers. Cardinals are almost always bishops or archbishops.
The College of Cardinals elects the Pope. The Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is the Successor of St. Peter as the leader of Christ’s Church.
The College of Cardinals elects the Pope. The Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is the Successor of St. Peter as the leader of Christ’s Church.
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malphono
Guest
A bishop is not a bishop unless he is ordained a bishop.The episcopacy is the final degree of Holy Orders (often called the “fullness of the priesthood”), whereas “Cardinal” is merely an honorific title. At one time it wasn’t all that unusual for laymen to have been granted the title (for example Cardinal Mazarin). It’s true that most Cardinals these days are bishops, but exceptions can be found. (Avery Dulles comes to mind.)
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Joe_5859
Guest
The other posters are correct. “Cardinal” is basically a designation for those who will elect the next pope. If they are under 80 (when a Cardinal turns 80, they are no longer eligible to participate in a papal conclave *), they are pretty much always a bishop, but that’s not a necessity. Generally, a Cardinal will have some important position within the Church.
Sometimes, the Pope will make a priest (not a bishop) a Cardinal as an honorary recognition of their contribution to the Church. This pretty much always occurs when the man is over 80 and thus not eligible to participate in a papal conclave.*
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pablope
Guest
First…a priest…becomes a bishop.
A bishop heads a diocese, comprised of several parishes.
An Archbishop heads an archdiocese. An Archdiocese is like a cental diocese…the dioceses surrounding it are called suffragan dioceses.
newadvent.org/cathen/01691a.htm
An archbishop or metropolitan, in the present sense of the term, is a bishop who governs a diocese strictly his own, while he presides at the same time over the bishops of a well-defined district composed of simple dioceses but not of provinces. Hence none of these subordinate bishops rule over others. These bishops are called the suffragans or comprovincials. The archbishop’s own diocese is the archdiocese. The several dioceses of the district form the archiepiscopal, or metropolitan, province.
The archbishop…as is the common practice…can be elevated to Cardinal by the Pope…usually large dioceses…like New York, Los Angeles, to name a few.
So it is bishop…archbishop…cardinal.
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Joe_5859
Guest
That’s generally the way it works, but I try to avoid that ranking system because not all cardinals are bishops and the only thing gained from being made a cardinal is the ability to elect the next pope. A cardinal is not one of the degrees of Holy Orders.
Also not all archbishops oversee archdioceses. Some are titular (arch)bishops who work in Rome.
Just to make things more confusing for the OP.
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pablope
Guest
And to add to the confusion…That’s generally the way it works, but I try to avoid that ranking system because not all cardinals are bishops and the only thing gained from being made a cardinal is the ability to elect the next pope. A cardinal is not one of the degrees of Holy Orders.
Also not all archbishops oversee archdioceses. Some are titular (arch)bishops who work in Rome.
Just to make things more confusing for the OP.
…there are auxilliary bishops in the archdiocese.
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Joe_5859
Guest
And to add to the confusion…
…And sometimes the Pope will even appoint a coadjutor bishop when a bishop is close to retiring… 
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ConstantineTG
Guest
An archdiocese doesn’t necessarily mean larger. Perhaps in population. Archdiocese usually is the most important city within a cluster of archdiocese. Before the Vatican flattened the hierarchy in the Roman Church, the Archbishop is the “first among equals” of a cluster of dioceses in an area or region. Those diocese that are “under” the archbishop are called “suffragan diocese”.
Now being Archbishop is more honorary and carries no real function. At least in the West.
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Joe_5859
Guest
True. The Archdiocese of Anchorage is the 4th smallest diocese in the U.S.(in terms of population, not geography). Of course, it’s larger than the other two dioceses in Alaska (which are the two smallest dioceses).
But it usually is the case.
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twf
Guest
Not all archdioceses in the Latin Church are metropolitan sees - most are, but not all. Winnipeg, for example, belongs to no province - it is simply an independent archdiocese. Vancouver or Toronto are both ardioceses and metropolitan sees. Latin metropolitan sees do still have some remnants of their ancient local primacies. For example, if a see in the province becomes vacant, the metropolitan archbishop is by default the administrator unless another is appointed. The metropolitan also has the right to celebrate mass in any parish in any diocese within the province, not just within his own archdiocese. He is also the “court of appeal” for rulings of the other bishops in the province (though in Canada the bishops have collectively decided to establish a single tribunal of appeal in Ottawa for all the dioceses).
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bmonk
Guest
It depends. If there is a provincial synod, a gathering of the archbishop of a given province with the suffragen bishops, then the Archbishop presides. Also, the Archdiocese’s tribunal is the “court of second recourse” that examines the cases of the tribunals in the province and affirms (or rejects) them. So there are minor functions. Also, I believe, when a new bishop is appointed, the Archbishop is the desired bishop to preside at the bishop’s installation–unless he must also be ordained.
Strictly speaking, a Cardinal is not superior to a Bishop–a Cardinal is a sort of rank in the clergy of Rome. However, since most Cardinals are Bishops, and if not are required to be ordained (although some, like Avery Dulles, decline the ordination), in practice Cardinals are ranked above “mere” bishops.
General rank in the Church:
Pope
Patriarchs and Cardinal-Bishops
Cardinal-Priests
Cardinal-Deacons
Archbishops
Bishops (and others, such as Eparchs, Apostolic Administrators, etc)
Coadjutor Bishops
Vicars General (and Episcopal Vicars)
Monsignors and other similar Prelates
Pastors
Pastoral Vicars
Priests
Deacons
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TimothyH
Guest
There is another ranking system in the Church.
Christ is the head.
The poor, for whom Christ had a special love, are just below Christ.
Then the rest of the laity.
Then the servants of the laity, the priests.
The priests are served by their servant/leader, the Bishops.
The Holy Father is the servant of the servants of Christ.
At the bottom are the deacons who serve all.
I know that it is not the Church hierarcy, which is being discussed her, but it I believe that it is important to note that the Church often refers to herself as having this structure or ranking and that many clergy feel this way.
I don’t know where the religious fit in.
-Tim-
Christ is the head.
The poor, for whom Christ had a special love, are just below Christ.
Then the rest of the laity.
Then the servants of the laity, the priests.
The priests are served by their servant/leader, the Bishops.
The Holy Father is the servant of the servants of Christ.
At the bottom are the deacons who serve all.
I know that it is not the Church hierarcy, which is being discussed her, but it I believe that it is important to note that the Church often refers to herself as having this structure or ranking and that many clergy feel this way.
I don’t know where the religious fit in.
-Tim-
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