prelates
High-ranking clergy
Prelates are high-ranking clergy in Christian churches—bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and similar officials who hold authority over other clergy and church administration.
The term appears most often in historical or formal religious contexts: The prelates gathered for the council.
A prelate holds a prelacy.
Diocesan clergy head
- archbishopSenior prelate over province
- cardinalOf foremost importance
- popeCatholic Church's supreme leader
- patriarchMale head of family
metropolitan · primate · episcopate · see · diocese · archdiocese · curia · papacy
Ceremonial religious attire
- ordinationClergy appointment ceremony
- consecrationDedicating to sacred purpose
- enthronementFormal investiture of sovereign
- liturgyFormal worship structure
pontifical · mass · procession · blessing · benediction · altar · cathedral · incense
Church governing assembly
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- ecclesiasticalRelating to church matters
- convocationFormal ceremonial gathering
- decreeAuthoritative legal command
edict · encyclical · mandate · dispensation · excommunication · interdict · tribunal · chancery
bishop
Diocesan clergy head
- archbishopSenior prelate over province
- cardinalOf foremost importance
- popeCatholic Church's supreme leader
patriarch · metropolitan · primate · episcopate · see · diocese · archdiocese · curia · papacy · jurisdiction
vestments
Ceremonial religious attire
- ordinationClergy appointment ceremony
- consecrationDedicating to sacred purpose
- enthronementFormal investiture of sovereign
liturgy · pontifical · mass · procession · blessing · benediction · altar · cathedral · incense · chalice
synod
Church governing assembly
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- ecclesiasticalRelating to church matters
- convocationFormal ceremonial gathering
decree · edict · encyclical · mandate · dispensation · excommunication · interdict · tribunal · chancery · consistory
pastoral
Of countryside or clergy care
sanctity · holiness · piety · devotion · prayer · teaching · doctrine · dogma · theology · salvation
- Catholic figurescardinals, archbishops, abbots, bishops, friars
- church structurearchdioceses, episcopacy, bishoprics, episcopate, dioceses
- Imperial Estatesestates, electors, princes, imperial cities, free cities
- social classesupper class, middle class, lower class, working class, nobles
- prominencesprotuberance, protrusion, bulge, bump, swelling
- clergypriest, bishop, pope, nun, monk
prelatesparish priests
Local church leaders
curates · deacons · laypeople · vicars · parishioners
prelateskings
Male hereditary rulers
princes · nobles · magistrates · governors · politicians