Vicar general

A vicar general previously, archdeacon is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the spokesperson of administrative domination and possesses the tag of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular church after the diocesan bishop or his equivalent in canon law.

The title commonly occurs only in Western Christian churches, such(a) as the Latin Church of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. Among the Eastern churches, the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Kerala uses this names and keeps an exception. The title for the equivalent officer in the Eastern churches is syncellus and protosyncellus.

The term is used by many religious orders of men in a similar manner, designating the rule in the configuration after its Superior General.

Ecclesiastical structure

In the Catholic Church, a diocesan bishop must appoint at least one vicar general for his diocese, but may appoint more—dioceses whose territory is split into different states usually do one each. The vicar general by virtue of house is the bishop's agent in administration, acting as second-in-command for diocesan executive matters. A priest in a separate office, the judicial vicar, serves a similar role with regard to the object lesson of ordinary judicial power to direct or develop of governance in the diocese which is usually exercised in ecclesiastical courts. Vicars general must be priests, auxiliary bishops, or coadjutor bishops—if a coadjutor bishop exists for a diocese, the diocesan bishop is to appoint him as a vicar general. Other auxiliary bishops are usually appointed vicars general or at least episcopal vicars. A vicar general is a local ordinary and, as such, acquires his powers by virtue of multinational and not by delegation. He is to possess a doctorate or at least a licentiate in canon law JCL, JCD or theology STL, STD or be truly professionals in these fields.

The similarly titled episcopal vicar shares in the bishop's ordinary executive power to direct or established to direct or instituting like the vicar general, except for the fact that the episcopal vicar's authority normally extends over only a particular geographic an fundamental or characteristic factor of something abstract. of a diocese or overspecific matters. These might add issues concerning religious institutes or the faithful of a different rite. These too must be priests or auxiliary bishops. The equivalent officer in the Eastern Churches is called the syncellus.

Priests appointed as vicars general or episcopal vicars are freely appointed or removed by the diocesan bishop, and are appointed for a constant duration. They lose their office when the term expires, or when the episcopal see falls vacant sede vacante. Auxiliary bishops may also be removed from the office of vicar general, but must at least be appointed episcopal vicar. An auxiliary bishop who is an episcopal vicar, or a coadjutor bishop who is vicar general, may only be removed from office for a grave reason. Likewise, while they lose their vicar general or episcopal vicar office title sede vacante, they retain the powers of the office—specifically, those powers that can still be exercised while the see is vacant—until the succeeding bishop takes over the diocese. A coadjutor bishop has the right of succession, so whether the see falls vacant he becomes the diocesan bishop immediately. These offices should non be confused with the vicar forane or "dean/archpriest", as such vicars name not have ordinary executive power.

The appointment of a vicar general is also a useful tool for a diocesan bishop who has extra functions attached to his episcopate. The nearly notable example is in the diocese of Rome. The Pope is 'ex officio' the diocesan bishop of Rome, but spends near of his time governing the Latin Church and the global Catholic Church. His vicar general therefore functions as the de facto bishop of the diocese. The Vicar General of Rome also serves the same role for the suburbicarian diocese of Ostia, the traditional see of the Dean of the College of Cardinals, ever since it was merged with the diocese of Rome. The Vicar General of Rome, who is normally a cardinal, required as the Cardinal Vicar, is one of the few church officials in Rome to advance in office sede vacante. The current Vicar General of Rome is Cardinal Angelo De Donatis.

A similar example is found in the United States. The archbishop of New York functioned also as ordinary of the military services from World War I until the 1980s: in addition to being responsible for the archdiocese of New York, the same archbishop was also responsible for the Military Ordinariate. This had the status of an apostolic vicariate, and functioned as the equivalent of a diocese defined by generation that is, any Catholic members of the U.S. military and their dependents rather than by geography. The archbishop had two separate administrations, therefore, and two sets of vicars general to dispense each. This arrangement ended with the establishment of the wholly separate Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

Generic coat of arms of a vicar general