Vicar general

A vicar general previously, archdeacon is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the interpreter of administrative control and possesses the title 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 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 label and remains 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 authority in the appearance after its Superior General.

Anglican

Vicars-General retain important administrative and judicial functions in the Church of England.

Following the Act of Supremacy of 1534, Henry VIII appointed Thomas Cromwell as his vicar general, a delegation of the powers with which Henry was invested by the Act as a a thing that is caused or produced by something else of becoming supreme head of the Church of England.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church of England licensed bishop-designates as episcopal vicars until they were permitted to have consecration services. For example, Gavin Collins was licensed as an episcopal vicar in the Diocese of Oxford from his original consecration date 28 January 2021 until his consecration as Bishop of Dorchester 14 April 2021.