THREE CATEGORIES OF ARCHBISHOP IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 BISHOP AND ARCHBISHOP

Rev Fr UTAZI Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

August 31 2021

BISHOPS

The sacrament of Holy Orders is one sacrament which is conferred through ordination in three grades: deacon, priest, and bishop. Each of these is also, by the fact of being ordained, made a member of the clerical state, but the clergy is a legal, not sacramental, category of people. Within the clergy, there are all sorts of titles, styles, and ranks, each of which can carry with it different legal rights and privileges: cardinals, everyone knows, can vote in conclaves to elect the pope, prelates of honor get to be addressed as monsignor and wear some fancy buttons on their cassocks, and so on. But whatever title he goes by, cardinal, archbishop, monsignor, or anything else, sacramentally, a bishop is always a bishop and a priest is always a priest. In fact, a bishop is always a priest, too, but we dont need to go into that right now. In French countries, just as I experienced in Cameroon and Burkina Faso, Bishops and Archbishops are all addressed as Monsigneur (meaning My Lord). 

Bishops generally lead dioceses, but that is not the only kind of bishop there is. The Code of Canon Law describes all bishops as the men who by divine institution succeed to the place of the Apostles through the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, are constituted pastors in the Church, so that they are teachers of doctrine, priests of sacred worship, and ministers of governance.

There are two kinds of bishops in canon law: diocesan bishops, who lead dioceses, and titular bishops, who are assigned the titles of historic dioceses that no longer exist while they work in other roles, either as auxiliary bishops in dioceses, or working in the Roman curia and Vatican diplomatic corps.

These titular bishops are not bishops in name only, by any means. While they carry the title of an historic diocese to honor the link between the function of a bishop and the care of a diocese, they are, in every sacramental way, real bishops, just as much as diocesan bishops.

ARCHBISHOP

Archbishops constitute a separate clerical rank within the order of bishops. While they do not have any extra sacramental power or authority, they do have certain legal prerogatives and rights of precedence, though much of this is ceremonial, like their place in line in liturgical processions, or linked to obscure things like the number of tassels they can display on their coats of arms.

The term “arch” comes from the Greek word αρχι which means “head” or “first.” In the Church, the title of archbishop is usually attached to an archdiocese, which is itself usually the metropolitan See of an episcopal province. 

An Archbishop is a Senior Bishop. There are THREE CATEGORIES of Archbishop. 

CATEGORY I: THE ARCHBISHOP OF AN ARCHDIOCESE AND THE METROPOLITAN OF AN ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE

A man becomes an archbishop, in most cases, because he has been named as the head of an archdiocese. An Archbishop is a senior bishop, heading an archdiocese, appointed by the Pope after consultation with outgoing and/or neighbouring bishops and the Pope's local representative, the nuncio. An archbishop has oversight of a number of dioceses; in Nigeria, there are nine metropolitan ecclesiastical provinces which each have an archbishop Abuja, Benin, Calabar, Ibadan, Kaduna, Lagos, Onitsha and Owerri. 

The metropolitan archbishop has certain rights and responsibilities in canon law, including the power to convoke a provincial council, and some limited ability to exercise vigilance and oversight in the other dioceses of the province when asked to by the Holy Father. Metropolitan archbishops also wear during Mass the PALLIUM, which looks a little like a woolen horse collar (usually white in colour), and which is given to each metropolitan by the pope personally as a sign of their special link with the pope.

CATEGORY II: VATICAN ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONARIES

Some archbishops have the title because they oversee important administrative functions. That is, they are appointed to a senior position in a Vatican department. Most of those here are the Nuncios, i.e Popes representative in the various countries of the world. Others are those who handle some functions within the Vatican City. 

Papal nuncios and the secretaries of Vatican departments are usually given the rank of archbishop as a mark of their seniority. This is done by making them titular archbishops of historical archdioceses, in the same way that titular bishops are given the titles of historic dioceses. But, since they are not metropolitans, they do not receive the pallium from the pope.

CATEGORY III: ARCHBISHOP AD PERSONAM

There are bishops who receive the personal title as an honor given to them by the Holy See (the Vatican). We refer to such Archbishops as Archbishop ad personam” The following Archbishops received it as an honour: Archbishop Arshad Joseph, the bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi of Pakistan, Archbishop Nathanael Nizar Wadih of Iraq and so many others, especially in India and other Asian countries. These bishops head a diocese (not Archdiocese) but are called Archbishops. Another of such Archbishop is Bishop Frank Nubuasah who has been elevated in Rank to Become an Archbishop. He becomes at effect His Grace Frank Nubuasah, Bishop of the Diocese of Gaborone Botswana. On 11 February 2021, it was recorded that Bishop of Pemba Diocese in Mozambique was transferred to Brazilian Diocese of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim. On July 5, 2021, he was elevated to Archbishop ad Personam. The person is Archbishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa. Part of the statement on the website where the information on His Grace Frank Nubuasahs honorific title reads: The rank of Archbishop ad personam is conferred on some bishops who are not Bishops of a archdiocese. They hold the rank not because of the See that they head but because it has been granted to them personally (ad personam). Thus the Diocese of Gaborone remains a Diocese. Congratulations your Grace.”

The Southern African Catholic Bishops explained on their website that:  The Holy Father has also granted the title of Archbishop (Archbishop ad personam) to the Most Reverend Franklyn Atese Nubuasah, Bishop of Gaborone, as a recognition for his years of missionary service in Botswana.

In the United States of America, someone such as Archbishop John Mark Gannon was granted the rank of archbishop ad personam. He served as Bishop of Erie for 46 years in the first half of the twentieth century. In addition to serving as the diocesan bishop for the better half of Western Pennsylvania, and attending all four sessions of Vatican Council II, Gannon was also a prolific supporter of Catholic education and healthcare institutions, founding and supporting schools, colleges, seminaries, hospitals and care homes. Gannon also led the U.S. Churchs committee to respond to the persecution of the Church in Mexico, founding Montezuma Seminary in New Mexico to train priests to minister, often clandestinely, in Mexico. He also went to Spain to conduct an investigation into the persecution of the Church during the civil war there.

Other bishops who enjoyed the title of Archbishop under Archbishop ad personam are : 

Gianfranco Gardin, appointed Archbishop-Bishop of the Diocese of Treviso on 21 December 2009. The title borne by the successor of such an Archbishop-Bishop is merely that of Bishop of the Diocese, unless he also is granted the personal title of Archbishop.

Arthur Roche was Bishop of Leeds until his appointment as Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome. Roche remained a Bishop by virtue of his position as Bishop Emeritus of Leeds; instead of being transferred to a different titular Archdiocese, he was appointed as an Archbishop ad personam.

The title of Archbishop ad personam is conferred on the bishops individually rather than on the Diocese they govern. It means the title was extended to him (the bishop) personally, and not attached to the diocese he leads.

An Archbishop ad personam is not an titular Archbishop. This is because he is still the local Ordinary of a diocese.

Its a singular honor, often made in recognition of a bishops long and influential career. 

The rank of Archbishop ad personam is conferred on some Bishops who are not Bishops of an Archdiocese. They hold the rank not because of the See that they head but because it has been granted to them personally (ad personam).

ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN

The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen was not made an archbishop ad personam. When he resigned as Bishop of Rochester, New York, in 1969, Sheen was named titular archbishop of the historic Archdiocese of Newport in Wales, so his rank came with the titular archdiocese to which he was named.

NOTE: Many of the titular Sees to which Nuncios and heads of departments of the Roman Curia who are not Cardinals are assigned are not of the rank of Archdiocese. In such cases, the person who is appointed to such a position is given the personal title of Archbishop (ad personam). He is usually referred to as Archbishop of the See, not as its Archbishop-Bishop.

CONSULT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES IF YOU WANT TO:

https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2018/02/11/bishop-pakistans-capital-installed-will-work-Bishop of Pakistans capital installed, will work for harmony and peaceNirmala Carvalho Feb 11, 2018

https://www.aciafrica.org/news/2845/bishop-in-mozambique-transferred-to-brazilian-diocese-elevated-to-archbishop-apersonam#:~:text=Archbishop%20ad%20personam%20is%20a,on%20the%20Diocese%20they%20govern. August 31 2021

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/pope-francis-just-named-an-archbishop August 31 2021

https://depsocomaccra.org/2021/07/05/his-grace-frank-nubuasah-now-elavated-in-rank-to-become-an-archbishop-ad-personam/August 31 2021

https://newswatchgh.com/newly-appointed-ghanaian-archbishop-nubuasah-calls-for-continuous-prayers/ August 31 2021