What is the difference between diocese and parish

For example, the Archdiocese of Baltimore is the metropolitan see for the Province of Baltimore, which includes the Archdiocese itself and the suffragan Dioceses of Arlington, Richmond, Wheeling-Charlestown, and Wilmington. The term suffragan simply refers to those dioceses of a province under the leadership of the archdiocese. The purpose of forming such a province is to foster cooperation and common pastoral action within a region Code of Canon Law , The archbishop, while clearly holding an office with great prestige, has immediate jurisdiction only over his own diocese.

However, as the metropolitan archbishop , he has several important duties: 1 to insure that his suffragan dioceses are vigilant in the faith and ecclesiastical discipline; 2 to inform the Holy Father in the case of any abuse or neglect in another diocese, and with his permission to conduct a formal visitation to the suffragan bishop; 3 to appoint a diocesan administrator when the suffragan diocese has no bishop; 4 to install a newly appointed bishop for the suffragan diocese; and 5 to perform other special duties as circumstances warrant Code of Canon Law , The archbishop also meets with the suffragan bishops in a provincial council to discuss matters of importance to the region.

Finally, in regard to juridical matters, the Metropolitan Tribunal would be the first court of appeal for cases adjudicated in the local diocesan Tribunal. While this answer may seem somewhat complicated and the particulars of Canon Law make it seem more so , the structure of leadership and organization is very basic: The Successor of St.

The Diocesan Priest enjoys two distinct communities: 1 the Presbyterate to which he belongs, and 2 the People for whom he serves. The Presbyterate is the group of diocesan priests of a local diocese who gather around the local bishop. Typically, the people that a diocesan priest serves are his parishioners, but sometimes a diocesan priest is asked to serve in a specialized ministry such as a chaplaincy, or diocese wide ministries with a broader immediate community.

Those called to Diocesan Priesthood are usually attracted to the vocation through a desire to serve the People of God in the local parish, especially in and through the Holy Eucharist and Sacraments. Religious Order priests are first called to be Religious Brothers in the Consecrated Life, where a man consecrates himself to Christ through the three Evangelical Counsels, through making the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

For those called to Religious Life, some are also called to serve that community and oftentimes other communities as a priest. The Catholic Church eventually organized its parishes into what are called dioceses.

Simply put, a diocese is a geographical region, and all the parishes in that area, that a particular bishop oversees and shepherds. All the Catholics in a diocese are under the spiritual care of that bishop. An archdiocese is headed by an archbishop , and the archbishop of the largest diocese in a region is known as a metropolitan archbishop.

When a problem arises that a local bishop is unable to resolve, he first goes to the metropolitan archbishop, before going any further up the hierarchical chain. In reality, the difference between a diocese and an archdiocese is primarily one of size. The bishop may assign a deacon to the parish; although the deacon assists in public ministry, they will not perform several rites by themselves. The diocese is the geographical division that encompasses some parishes. The canonical authority within the diocese is the bishop, who is assisted by his principal deputy, a vicar general — who must be an ordained deacon, priest, or bishop.

The right of succession is held by the coadjutor bishop, who also cooperates in administering the diocese. Then, the archbishop has authority over the bishops whose dioceses are located in the archdiocese within his ecclesiastical province.

Obviously, archdioceses are more significant than dioceses. In fact, their importance is based on their size and historical origins. There may be more than just one archbishops in an ecclesiastical province. However, only one archbishop has the title of Metropolitan of the See. In case you were wondering about the purpose of the archdiocese, here it is: it fosters the common pastoral action and cooperation within a geographical region.

The power of the bishops and archbishops is different.