prelacy
Rule by bishops
Prelacy refers to the system of church government by prelates—high-ranking clergy such as bishops, archbishops, and cardinals who hold authority over lower clergy and laity.
The term often carries critical overtones, particularly in Protestant traditions that rejected hierarchical church structures in favor of more democratic or congregational governance.
The Puritans viewed prelacy as an unbiblical corruption of the church.
Prelacy can also refer collectively to prelates as a group, or to the office and dignity of a prelate.
Diocesan clergy head
- archbishopSenior prelate over province
- cardinalOf foremost importance
- popeCatholic Church's supreme leader
- primateHigher mammal order member
metropolitan · patriarch · episcopate · see · diocese · archdiocese · suffragan · coadjutor
Diocesan clergy head
- archbishopSenior prelate over province
- cardinalOf foremost importance
- primateHigher mammal order member
- metropolitanOf a major city
patriarch · monsignor · dean · canon · auxiliary · ordinary · hierarch · pontiff
Bishop's territorial jurisdiction
- archdioceseArchbishop's jurisdictional territory
- seePerceive with eyes
- provinceRegional administrative district
- bishopricBishop's jurisdictional district
deanery · parish · patriarchate · Holy See · Vatican · Rome · Canterbury · jurisdiction
Legal authority's scope
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- ruleGoverning principle or standard
dominion · stewardship · canon law · pastoral care · visitation · discipline · dispensation · decree
Opposition to church influence
- disestablishmentWithdrawal of official status
- reformationProcess of improving institutions
- ProtestantPost-schism Western Christian
- simonyBuying church positions
corruption · worldliness · luxury · pomp · interference · privilege · abuse · reform
bishop
Diocesan clergy head
- archbishopSenior prelate over province
- cardinalOf foremost importance
- popeCatholic Church's supreme leader
primate · metropolitan · patriarch · episcopate · see · diocese · archdiocese · suffragan · coadjutor · mitre
bishop
Diocesan clergy head
- archbishopSenior prelate over province
- cardinalOf foremost importance
- primateHigher mammal order member
metropolitan · patriarch · monsignor · dean · canon · auxiliary · ordinary · hierarch · pontiff · episcopacy
diocese
Bishop's territorial jurisdiction
- archdioceseArchbishop's jurisdictional territory
- seePerceive with eyes
- provinceRegional administrative district
bishopric · deanery · parish · patriarchate · Holy See · Vatican · Rome · Canterbury · jurisdiction · bounds
jurisdiction
Legal authority's scope
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
rule · dominion · stewardship · canon law · pastoral care · visitation · discipline · dispensation · decree · mandate
anticlericalism
Opposition to church influence
- disestablishmentWithdrawal of official status
- reformationProcess of improving institutions
- ProtestantPost-schism Western Christian
simony · corruption · worldliness · luxury · pomp · interference · privilege · abuse · reform · controversy
- church authoritypapacy, bishops, papal authority, popes, papal supremacy
prelacyanti-clericalism
Opposition to religious institutional influence