During the early development of Christianity, bishops were the heads of small communities of believers who acted as overseers in any cities and provinces. This definition of the word was meant by the apostle Paul, speaking in his epistles about the common goals of the activity of bishops and apostles, but distinguishing between the settled way of life of the former and the wandering life of the latter. Over time, the meaning of the word "bishop" took on a superlative meaning among the other degrees of the priesthood, rising to the diaconal and prosbyter degrees.
Definition value
Bishop is Greek for "overseeing", a clergyman belonging to the third - highest - degree of priesthood. However, over time, a large number of honorary titles appeared, equal to a bishop - pope, patriarch, metropolitan, bishop. Often in speech, a bishop is a bishop, from the Greek "senior priest." In Greek Orthodoxy, the general term for all these definitions,is the word hierarch (priest).
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 Hebrews.
Episcopal consecration
Features of episcopal consecration as ordination to the dignity lies in the recognition by the Christian Orthodox and Catholic churches of the apostolic succession of episcopacy. The rite of ordination is carried out by at least two bishops (council), the need to fulfill this condition is indicated by the First Apostolic Canon; in the Russian Orthodox Church, applicants for the role of bishop are traditionally chosen from the monks of the small schema, and in Eastern 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 Trullo Soboa. At the same time, if the future bishop already had a wife, then the couple parted of their own free will, and after being ordained to the dignity, the ex-wife went to a remote convent, took monastic vows - and the monastery moved under the direct patronage of the new bishop.
The Duties of a Bishop
Along with the acquisition of a new - higher - dignity, the bishop had many other duties.
Firstly, only he had the right to ordination to the dignity of presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, lower clerics and to illuminate antimensions. In the diocese, absolutely all priests perform their services with the blessing of the bishop - his nameascends in all the churches of the dioceses during divine services. According to the Byzantine tradition in the Orthodox Church, the only sign of the bishop's blessing for the service is the antimis given to the clergyman - a quadrangular scarf made of cloth with particles of the relics of a saint sewn into it.
The second duty of a bishop was to protect and justly govern all the monasteries in his diocese. The only exceptions are stauropegia, who report directly to the patriarch of the local church.
Escopate in Orthodoxy
The history of the episcopate in the Russian Orthodox Church dates back to the 3rd century AD, when the Scythian Christians living on the territory of modern Russia, led by Andrew the First-Called, created the Scythian diocese of the Ecumenical Church with a pulpit in Dobruja.
The history of Russia knows many conflict situations that have developed between Russian princes and representatives of Christian dioceses. Thus, the unsuccessful visit of Adalbert - the envoy of the Pope of Rome, the future Archbishop of Magdenburg - to Kyiv, which took place in 961, is known.
In 988, Patriarch Nicholas II of Constantinople Chrysoverg II sent the first Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Russia Michael to Kiev, who was invited by His Holiness Prince Vladimir to accept the Greek faith by the Russian people.
An Orthodox priest was usually appointed to the episcopal rank by the patriarchs of the Church of Constantinople. But there are several cases of local elections. Yes, firstMetropolitan of Russian nationality was Hilarion of Kyiv.
The story also tells about the further process of autocephaly and separation of the Russian Patriarchate from Constantinople.
Thus, for the political support of Bishop Nifont and fidelity to Byzantine traditions during the Kyiv schism, the Patriarch of Constantinople granted the atony of the Novy Novgorod diocese. Thus, the bishop began to be elected right at the time of the people's veche by the Novogorodtsy. The first bishop appointed to the episcopacy in this way was Archbishop Arkady of Novgorod in 1156. Since the 13th century, on the basis of this autonomy, the first conflicts between the bishops of Novy Novgorod and the great Moscow princes began.
The final split of the Orthodox Church into the eastern and western branches occurred in 1448 after the election of Bishop Jonah of Ryazan to the post of Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Russia, which also finally isolated the northeastern Russian church (Moscow episcopate) from Constantinople. But the West Russian bishops, having retained their autonomy from Moscow, continued to be under the jurisdiction of Constantinople.
It is interesting to know that in the Orthodox canonical traditions there is an age limit for candidates for the post of bishop, the lower bar of which did not fall below 35 - the edge of 25 years old - from birth. The exception here is Nicholas the Wonderworker, who was elevated to the rank of bishop by youths.
In the Orthodox tradition, it is a rule how to address a bishop - the appeals “Vladyka”, “His Grace” are used. Vladyka" or "Your Eminence".
Bishop in Catholicism
The central place in the governance of the Roman Catholic Church belongs to the college of bishops, whose existence and duties were spelled out 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 acts as Christ's vicar on earth. At the same time, only the consolidation of the college of bishops with the Pope of Rome makes its activities legal and charitable. 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 Bishop of Rome, 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, whose photo is shown on the right, also has the exclusive right to conduct the rite of chrismation - confirmation.
Protestant Bishop
Due to the denial of apostolic succession by the doctrine of Protestantism, the bishop is elected and perceived by Protestant groups as an exclusively figure of organizational activity, having nothing to do with praising his fact of existence and having no material privileges. This is due to the lack of a difference in the New Testament between a bishop and an elder in the Christian community.
Protestant Orthodox priest, even ifand occupying 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 who ordains clerks and presbyters, presides at conferences, keeps order in the Church, and visits all parishes in his diocese.
In the Anglican Episcopal Protestant Churches, bishops are considered the successors of the apostles, and therefore they have full sacred authority in their dioceses.
Bishop Vladimir and his services to society
Bishops of the Orthodox Church are known for their active participation in public life.
For example, Metropolitan of Kyiv and Galicia, Bishop of the Orthodox Russian Church Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky in the world), during the cholera epidemic in the Volga region, fearlessly visited barracks with cholera patients, held requiem services at cholera cemeteries, served prayers for deliverance from disasters in city squares. He also actively opened women's church schools.
The Life of Bishop Longinus
Bishop Longin - Mikhail Zhar in the world - not only supervised the construction of numerous monasteries in Ukraine, but also actively engaged in the construction and expansion of an orphanage. He launched this construction in 1992 after he adopted a girl with AIDS. Bishop Longin has a large number of civil awards for services to the Fatherland.
Activity of Bishop Ignatius
It is impossible to ignore the figure of Vladyka Ignatius (in Punin's world), chairmanSynodal Department for Youth Affairs. Bishop Ignatius leads the Orthodox Spiritual Center, which includes Sunday schools for children and adults, children with disabilities, on the basis of the parish of the church in honor of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, which has a computer class, a library and a gym.
