Metropolitan bishop

A metropolitan bishop (or metropolitan) is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations with an episcopal polity (a church ruled by bishops).

In the early Christian Church, a metropolitan was the bishop of the main city in a Roman province. The First Council of Nicaea (in AD 325) gave him special authority over other bishops in that area. These other bishops were later called suffragan bishops.

In modern times, a metropolitan bishop is the head bishop of a metropolitan see (the main diocese of a church province). He often has the title of archbishop, so is called a metropolitan archbishop. In some churches, like the Church of Greece, all dioceses are called metropolises, and all their bishops are called metropolitans. Only the main leader of the church is called an archbishop.

Related pages

• Archbishop
• Suffragan bishop
• Diocese
• Ecclesiastical province
• Canon law