ordinary

The ordinary is an ecclesiastical office and title of a person wielding authority, both administrative and ceremonial, within the hierarchical organization of various traditional Christian denominations. The office and title is most used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Rite, Church of England and the Anglican Communion. In most cases, the ordinary is a prelate of an ecclesiastical territory: a see or eparchy. It may also refer to an ecclesiastical bureacratic organ or groups of individual people. Such a territory, an organ or group is called an ordinariate. An archbishop, bishop, diocesan administrator or vicar general are examples. The office and title is also used in reference to the superior of a religious order.

Ordinary

See also