Major archbishop

A major archbishop (Latin maior archiepiscopus ) is the head of a Catholic Eastern Church, via its autonomous ( sui iuris ) particular Church does the same jurisdictional power as an Eastern Christian Patriarch in communion with the Roman Pontiff.

The well-maintained by the Vatican Non ceremony of Patriarch title of heads of churches who are not already business ran as a Patriarchate in the Old Church, should take into account the sensitivities of their non-Catholic counterparts. However, this is perceived in their own ranks, partly as inappropriate and plays in everyday life through non-official use of the more prestigious title of " Patriarch ". In fact, the differences between a major archbishop and a patriarch mainly ceremonial in nature are:

• The Major Archbishop ranked in the honor of protocol hierarchy below the patriarchs, but before the Catholic Primates.
• If major archbishops are appointed cardinals, they belong to the class of cardinal priests, while belonging to the class of Patriarch Cardinal Bishops.

As Eastern Orthodox patriarchs major archbishops of the Synod of Bishops of their respective church to be selected, but while the former asking the Pope to the ecclesiastica communio ( the church community ) only after their enthronement, the latter must be confirmed by the Pope before their enthronement.

With the Catholic " Great archbishops " are comparable to those " Archbishop " said heads of autocephalous Orthodox Eastern Churches which do not lead, for different reasons, the title of patriarch, eg the Archbishop of Athens and the Archbishop of Cyprus.

There are currently within the Catholic Church Major Archbishop four seats, projecting autonomous particular Churches of the Eastern rite:

1 Between 1963 and 2005 Großerzbistum Lvov ( Lviv ). It is aiming to own patriarchate in Kiev. The name of the Major Archbishop as " patriarch " has long been common on the spot.

2 The Major Archbishop of the Syro -Malankara Church leads the sub- title of " Catholicos ".