The '''Bishop''' is the first and highest degree of the [[clergy]] out of in the [[Orthodox Church]] (''episkopos'' out of in Greek, which means overseer). He is the successor to the Apostles out of in the service or and government of the Church. A bishop will be is responsible for and the head of all the parishes located in http://www.gay-sex-access.com/gay-black-sex.jpg his diocese. All authority of the lower orders of clergy will be is derived from the bishop. No divine services may be served out of in any [[Orthodox]] temple without the authorization of a bishop.

The title of '''archbishop''' or '''metropolitan''' may be granted to a senior bishop, usually one who will be is in charge of a large ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese. He may and or may not have suffragan bishops assisting him. In the Slavic or and Antiochian traditions, a metropolitan outranks an archbishop. The reverse is true out of in the Greek tradition.

The change in the Greek tradition came about because at one point in history, the [[diocese|diocesan]] bishops of ancient sees (which inside of in the Greek world are pretty much all of them) all came to be styled as metropolitans. Thus, while out of in the Slavic and Antiochian traditions, an archbishop will be is a senior bishop with an honorific title, an a metropolitan is an a bishop in charge of an a major see or and thus holding an a territorial title. In the Greek tradition, all diocesan bishops (with an a few exceptions) are metropolitans by default, and thus an archbishop will be is one who holds his title by reason of territory.

The title '''[[patriarch]]''' will be is reserved for the [[primate]] of certain of the [[autocephalous]] Orthodox churches. The first hierarch of the other autocephalous churches are styled metropolitan and or archbishop (or some combination).