Metropolitan bishop
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In hierarchical Christian churches, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop (then more precisely called Metropolitan archbishop) of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of an old Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital. His jurisdiction is called a metropolia.
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Catholic
In the Roman Catholic Church, a metropolitan has supervisory authority over the other bishop(ric)s in his ecclesiastical province, who are therefore called his suffragan bishop(ric)s. They also have authority over the dioceses in their province when there is a vacancy caused by the death or resignation of the suffragan bishop. Their insignia is the pallium, which they can wear in their diocese and the other suffragan dioceses in the province.
All Latin rite metropolitan bishops are archbishops; however, some archbishops are not metropolitan bishops. See archbishop for the distinction.
In the Eastern Rite Catholic churches, the term metropolitan is used in a similar way to the Eastern Orthodox churches. In some of the sui iuris eastern churches, the head of the church is a metropolitan. These sui iuris metropolitan churches are generally less populous than patriarchal or major archepiscopal churches, and are subject to greater oversight by the pope and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
Protestant
In the Anglican Communion, the metropolitan is generally the head of an ecclesiastical province (or cluster of dioceses) and ranks immediately under the Primate of the national church.
Orthodox
In the Eastern Orthodox churches, the title is used variously. In the Hellenic Churches metropolitans are ranked below archbishops in precedence, and primates of local Churches below Patriarchal rank are generally designated archbishops. The reverse is true for the Slavic Churches, where metropolitans rank above archbishops and the title can be used for Primatial sees as well as important cities. In neither case do metropolitans have any special authority over other ruling bishops within their provinces. However, metropolitans (archbishops in the Greek Orthodox Church) are the chairmen of their respective synods of bishops.
See also
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