Archdeacon

Etymology

The word archdeacon is the deformation of the Latin word archidiaconus . It was formed starting from the word diaconus , Diacre. The word deacon comes from the Greek diakonos who wants to say servant .

The archdeacon appears in the Catholicisme at the time Carolingian, in Europe, like particular temporal assistant of the bishop. It was in the beginning a deacon in charge of special functions in the name of the bishop.

History

The archdeacons appear in the catholic Clergé at the time Carolingian, but their names knew each other that starting from the surroundings of the year millet. Keystone of the governmental system of the Diocese S, this function was initially entrusted to deacons. Quickly, the bishops name them among the priest S of their chapter.

Main actors of the administration diocésaine at the XIe-XVIIIe centuries, in particular in France, the archdeacons were the right-hand men of the bishops and their direct representatives in the Paroisse S, in particular as regards control.

Charged arbitrating the conflicts and with managing the Temporal of the bishop, of the districts very early was personally allotted to them: the Archidiaconé S (kind of small dioceses). Especially in a vast diocese and at one time when the communications were so difficult, the bishop seldom visited the various parishes subjected to his jurisdiction. He was helped in his administration by the archdeacons and the seniors. It was asked to them to visit all the parishes within the competence of this territory, to establish an official report of visit by mentioning there the state of the parish church (cleanliness, furniture), to inventory the objects necessary to the catholic worship and to question the Curé or the Doyen of the spiritual state of the parishioners. These control measures perduré in France until the French revolution.

The archdeacons whose capacity was originally extended enough, lost much of their authority in XIIe century, by the establishment of Officiality diocésaine, and in XIVe century, by the institution of the general Vicaire. They had hardly than an honorary title starting from XVe century. However, they had kept the inspection of their archidiaconé of which they were to make the visit every year. It was with them also that the Collateur S of cures introduced their candidates. They proceeded to canonical information, and if they considered them suited, they sent them to the bishop who gave them the nomination by the ring. The seniors were elected by their colleagues of the deanery and were confirmed by the bishop. Each year, with the return of the great synod or synod diocesan, they held the synod décanal or rural; there they communicated to the priests the instructions of the bishop and the Holy oils gave to them. When the priests introduced by the outlet drains had been examined by the archdeacon and counsel by the bishop, it was the senior who undertook their installation.

It is among the archdeacons that the chapters cathédraux had taken the practice to indicate the bishop S. In France, that was possible until the Concordat of Bologna, in 1516. Moreover, the archdeacons were often appointed among the priests resulting from important families of the Noblesse, or among more the well-read men. Chosen for their culture connected with the church and literary as much as for their administrative qualities, they made function of archdeacon one of the footboards of the episcopal order.

In the Catholicism of today

The role of the archdeacons was reserved, in certain countries with the general vicars. The visit of the parishes was allocated to the bishop, but they remain the representatives of the bishop in a given part of the diocese.

In orthodoxy

August 1st

In Protestantism

The function of archdeacon exists within the Anglicanisme. The first woman archdeacon is Sheila Watson, ordered archdeacon by the archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, on April 28th, 2007.

See too

Clergy

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