Chorbishop

A choir bishop or Chorepiskopos ( from Ancient Greek Χωρεπίσκοπος chorepískopos " Bishop ") is a priest of the Eastern Churches with episcopal dignity.

Old Church

Chorbishop was a name given to the bishop of the country (Greek χωρα ) in contrast to the bishop of a city church.

As early as the third century of Chorepiskopos held a position as Country Bishop ( Bishop in the country ) for the dedication of the lecturers and for the decision of legal issues; he was the respective city and placed under Metropolitan bishop.

The term Chorbishop was first mentioned in the Synodalkanones of the 4th century; there would be this office to push back and emphasize its dependence on the city bishops. The canon of the Synod of Serdica 6 prohibits the use of bishops, priests, if sufficient in small towns and villages.

Latin Church

From many sources, from the 6th to the 18th century, the title "Choir bishop ", etc. etc. attested in the Bavarian dioceses in Trier, Langres. Under a Chorbishop (Latin episcopus missus ) was understood at that time a marked particularly by Mission tasks Bishop of no fixed headquarters. The Latin word missus denotes its position as commissioner. From the name of his order (Latin missio ), the word mission comes from.

When Karantanenmission at the end of the 8th and beginning of the 9th century choir bishops seem to have played an important role as missionaries. Already in the year 798 the king granted the Archbishop of Salzburg Arno instructed to send to the Carantanians and the Avars missionaries. The Salzburg " conversion story " reported that Pannonia - the area between the Raab, Danube and Drava - was transferred to the diocese of Salzburg as a mission country. To 799 sent Archbishop Arno den Chorbishop Deoderich after Karantania (Carinthia ) with the mission to evangelize and Pannonia as parish of the Archdiocese.

From the 18th century following document comes: Heinrich Ferdinand von der Leyen to Nickenich († May 8, 1714 ) is buried in the cathedral of Mainz, in his grave inscription we find the title "Choir Bishop ".

Syrian Orthodox Church

In the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Holy Synod has established in 1998, which in some dioceses since a decade came repealed Act on the ordination of a Chorepiskopats reintroduce. In this case, no office it is to be plotted; Similarly, there is therefore an appointment to a bishop, however a limited award of a episcopal dignity. The Chorepiskopos to only the highest-ranking priest of his town, mainly rural area, be. Often, the appointment will be made with the order to a patriarchal vicar.

The outer trappings are a pectoral cross and a waistband in purple. The applied during a church prayer robe ( " Gulto " ) has the inside the color purple.

Armenian Apostolic Church

The Chorepiskopos is considered in the Armenian Apostolic Church as " overseer of the eparchy ."

Chorbishop as Honorary Title

The title " Chorbishop " is awarded today earned by various Eastern Churches Priests of your own or a foreign honorary rite.