Archbishop: highest of the Holy Orders; successors of the Apostles who may dispense all the sacraments, including the ordination of priests and other bishops. Bishops and cardinals are clergies with spiritual authority over another clergy within their churches. The city at the centre of the church is known as the cardinal or bishop’s “see”. In the middle ages, their functions included judging ecclesiastical cases, interpreting doctrine, consecrating clergy, performing sacraments, and administering church property pertaining to the Church. In the Mystical Order, they must be recommended by the Archbishop and approved by the Patriarch.

3:1 An archbishop is the superior of a bishop and in The Mystical Order superior to a Cardinal. He is charged with the spiritual direction of a District that comprises a number of churches. His sacramental powers are no greater than that of a bishop and cardinal, though he is the cardinal and bishop’s superior in the ecclesiastical chain of command. Bishops and Cardinals were advised by the clergy of their church, known as the Church chapter, and possessed an episcopal administration that consisted of a Secretary, notaries, judicial officers for disciplinary committees, assistant to the Archbishop.

3:2 Unsurprisingly, an archbishop generally cannot fulfil all of his duties, and must often appoint a subordinate with the consent of the Patriarch to which he may delegate some of his responsibilities.

1. a) The Archbishop is the Head of the day to day functioning of The Church. He must be at least fifty (50) years to be appointed Archbishop. However, if the Archbishop retires from office and the replacement does not meet the requirements for office the Patriarch shall appoint the Provost to act in that office until the appointment of a replacement.
2. b) Shall be the successor to The Patriarch whenever that office is Vacant.
3. c) Shall be appointed by The Patriarch and all Authority, Honours, Powers, Rights and Privileges accorded with the office shall be conferred on him.
4. d)  Shall put in place the instrument for the successor to the Patriarch Matriarch or Crowned Queen Abbess whenever the Office becomes vacant whether by Resignation, Death, or Sanctions (Article 13) Providing the archbishop declines elevation.
5. e) Shall assume the acting position of The Office of the Patriarch whenever he is absent from the jurisdiction and shall relinquish the office on the Patriarch’s return.
6. f) His Grace the Archbishop is the Chief of all Bishops, Cardinals, Apostles, Abbesses and Queen Abbesses that governs the Church. He has the authority to declare a DECREE at any time after he has advised the Patriarch. He is to exercise jurisdiction over the Church He receives from GOD through the ministry of the Church and the authority, which is to be exercised by him in a spirit of service, listening to his members and fostering their cooperation for the good of the Church and all mankind, without prejudice.
7. g) The Archbishop is the advisor to the Patriarch in all matters.
8. h)  He is to ensure that everything concerning the administration of the Church is properly coordinated and is directed in the way that will best achieve the good of the people of GOD entrusted to His care.
9. i) He is to ensure that there is a good historical archive in the Church and that documents, which have a historical value, are kept in it and systematically filed.
10. j) Shall be the custodian of all records and SEAL, and keep them in a safe place.
11. k) A chief bishop; a church dignitary of the first class (often called a metropolitan or primate) who superintends the conduct of the other bishops in his domain, and also exercises episcopal authority in his own church.
12. l)  The chief of the clergy of a whole domain. He has the inspection of the bishops of that domain, as well as of the inferior clergy, and may deprive them on the notorious cause. The archbishop has also his own church, in which he exercises, episcopal jurisdiction, as in his domain he exercises archepiscopal authority.
13. m) An Archbishop is an elevated bishop who leads a particularly important diocese called archdiocese. Archbishops do all the jobs of the priest and is sometimes assigned to govern local regions. Archbishops can also be elected Patriarch.
14. n) All bishops are important because they are successors to the Apostles, and have the fullness of Christ’s priesthood. Archbishops are just bishops of Archdioceses, he is also styled a “metropolitan”.
15. o) Both bishops and archbishops have the fullness of the priesthood, that is, they are empowered to administer the sacrament of Order. Both are bishops; there is no higher RANKING in the priesthood as all bishops are equal.
16. p) Those named Cardinal, Archbishop, Apostolic Head, Chief Apostle, Presiding Prelate, etc., are Prelates of Honour and their title merely indicates the ADMINISTRATIVE posts which they hold, including the title of Patriarch or Divisional Patriarch. The Patriarch is acknowledged to be first among equals – that is, first among his brother bishops.
17. q) Nothing in this section shall bar the Archbishop from holding more division of office until such time that a qualified minister accept the appointment.

 

(3) 2                       THE ROLE OF THE ARCHBISHOP

 

The Archbishop is a member of the clergy and has a higher rank than just a bishop and cardinal. It is an appointed position by the Patriarch and does not come from ordination. This position has a higher sacramental order than the three other orders of cardinal, reverend or bishop. The archbishop position is not debatable and is protected in the Rules and Bylaws of the Church. He is the only choice to replace the Patriarch on death, ill-health, or resignation The post of Archbishop can be found in several Christian denominations including Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Independent Catholic Churches, and the Anglican churches.

 

An archbishop, in some cases called a metropolitan, is a bishop who governs his own Church and also supervises all the other bishops in his archepiscopal District. The major city of the region is typically part of the District Church. In some countries, the senior archbishop is considered the spiritual leader of the country. Some archbishops are elected, others are appointed by the Patriarch, depending on the country and the religion. A few archbishop positions are more honorary in nature, as they no longer have a church to administer.

 

(3) 3                             Religious Duties

Bishops and Archbishops are the successors of the apostles, and their basic duty is to guide the flock of Christ and maintain the unity of Christians. By the same token, Archbishops are the primary ministers of the sacred liturgy and principal dispensers of the sacraments. Archbishops often participate in Ordinations in District or Regional churches, as well as performing the ordinations of deacons and priests. In the United States, the Archbishop is responsible for appointing an administrator of a church when a bishop leaves office.

(3) 4                          Ecumenical Duties

Modern Archbishops are also responsible for both ecumenical relations and inter-religious relations. In practice, this typically means that Archbishops sponsor interfaith conferences or lead ecumenical Christian organizations that seek to improve relations among various faiths. In many cases, Archbishops meet with leaders of other churches, and experience first-hand the ministry of other faiths. Some Archbishops also have formal diplomatic relationships with other major religious organizations.

(3) 5                                 Oversight

The term archbishop literally means chief bishop. This chief bishop position would be responsible for overseeing the bishops under their jurisdiction. If a bishop is comparable to a civilian regional manager, then an archbishop would easily be compared to a regional vice-president.

(3) 6                               Selection of Clergy

One of the prime duties of the archbishop is in the selection of clergy or priests to individual churches. This assignment process is done when a new church is built or a current priest is reassigned or retires. The archbishop will call together the other bishops and look over the qualified candidates and then appoint a priest or clergy to a church in need of a new leader.

(3) 7                   Ordination

Another main duty of an archbishop is the ordination of ministers and clergy who have satisfied the requirements as stipulated in the Rules and Bylaws of The Mystical Order. This ordination procedure can vary from denomination to denomination, but applies to candidates who have attended college and graduate school for training in a particular denomination. In This Church setting the minimum requirement together with the scriptural qualifications is the completion of an extensive workshop. All ordinations will and MUST be approved by the PATRIARCH and conducted in a manner that will reflect the true principles of the Church. Ordinations will be conducted by the Patriarch and whomsoever he shall authorize.

All certificates issued without the signature of the Patriarch and or, the Archbishop shall be deemed false, forged and null and void.

 

(3) 8                                       Sacrament

During religious holidays, the archbishop is the one who begins the sacrament of confirmation. This sacrament is to remember the Last Supper of Jesus Christ before he was crucified on the cross. The archbishop will also delegate other bishops to perform this duty.

 

(3) 9                                      Discipline

The archbishop is also responsible for the discipline of the clergy, deacons, priests and bishops under his jurisdiction. This duty requires the archbishop to either remove a minister from active duty under the authority of The Mystical Order, from their duties and responsibilities. This grave responsibility will be approved by the Patriarch in writing. Letters will be issued to such a person and shall bear the seal of the Archbishop and the Church.

 

(3) 10                                    Church Doctrine

The opinions and interpretation of scriptures by Christian denominations are commonly referred to as the Church Doctrine. The responsibility of ensuring this doctrine is being taught and followed in each church is one of the duties of the Archbishop. All issued instructions must be followed in the public’s eyes to maintain clarity with the principles for which these two organizations have come together for the development of the Mystical.

 

NOTE:

The Patriarch shall under the Patriarchial rules appoint someone to an office who is qualified but does not attain the required age. This is a special provision that is only exercised under special powers of the Patriarch.