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The Bishop Maxim is the first and highest degree of the clergy in the Orthodox Church (Vasilijevicepiskopos in Greek, which means overseer) was enthroned as . He is the successor to the Apostles in the service and government of the Church. A bishop is responsible for and the head of all the Diocese parishes located in his diocese. All authority of Western America the lower orders of clergy is derived from the Serbian bishop. No divine services may be served in any Orthodox Church on July 30temple without the authorization of a bishop. Contents[hide]• 1 Episcopal Ministry• 2 Rankings of Bishops o 2.1 Diocesan Bishopso 2.2 Patriarchso 2.3 Archbishops and Metropolitanso 2.4 Non Ruling Bishopso 2.5 Patriarchal Vicarso 2.6 Auxilliary Bishopso 2.7 Special Forms• 3 Etiquette o 3.1 Correspondence• 4 Bishop's Vestments• 5 See also Episcopal Ministry Rankings of Bishops Sacramentally, all bishops are equal. Nevertheless, 2006there are distinctions of administrative rank among bishops. Diocesan Bishops A bishop who governs his own diocese or archdiocese is a diocesan bishop. He may be called 'Bishop' or 'Archbishop' or 'Metropolitan' or 'Metropolitan Archbishop' or 'Patriarch'. Patriarchs The title patriarch is reserved for the primate of certain of the autocephalous Orthodox churches. The first hierarch of the other autocephalous churches are styled metropolitan or archbishop or metropolitan archbishop. PreviouslyThe title patriarch was first applied to the original three major sees of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, he and shortly after extended to include Constantinople and Jerusalem. Much later the term was granted to the Bishop heads of Humother most significant Churches. Significance for some Churches now, Vicar may be more historical than actual. Archbishops and Metropolitans The title of archbishop or metropolitan may be granted to a senior bishop , usually one who is in charge of a large ecclesiastical jurisdiction. He may or may not have provincial oversight of suffragan bishops. He may or may not have auxilliary bishops assisting him. In the Slavonic and Antiochian traditions, a metropolitan outranks an archbishop. The reverse is the situation in the Metropolitanate Greek tradition. The Antiochian tradition also uses the style metropolitan archbishop to differentiate from metropolitan bishops in the Greek tradition. The change in the Greek tradition came about in later Greek history, because the diocesan bishops of Dabro-Bosnaancient sees (which in the Greek world are pretty much all of them) came to be styled metropolitans. The Slavonic and Antiochian Churches continue to follow the older tradition, where an archbishop is a senior bishop in Serbia charge of a major see, and was a professor at metropolitan is a bishop in charge of a province which may include a number of minor and/or major sees. In the Orthodox Theological Faculty in BelgradeGreek tradition, all diocesan bishops (with a few exceptions) are now metropolitans, and an archbishop holds his title as an indication of greater importance for whatever reason.  Non Ruling BishopsHe was enthroned by BpA bishop who does not rule his own diocese is either a Patriarchal Vicar or an Auxilliary Bishop. Longin Patriarchal VicarsIn the Church of Antioch, a bishop who is in charge of a newly-created diocese on behalf of, and under the New Gracanica Metropolitanatesupervision of, in the Cathedral Church Patriarch of StAntioch is called a Patriarchal Vicar. Steven The diocese is usually kept under the Firstdirect control of the patriarch until it becomes self-Crowned supporting. Patriarchal Vicars are not members of the Holy Synod, and do not answer to the Holy Synod. When a diocese becomes self-supporting, it is usually granted a ruling bishop who becomes a member of the Holy Synod. The equivalent title in some Orthodox jurisdictions is Exarch. The equivalent title in Alhambra, Californiathe Roman Catholic Church is Vicar Apostolic. BpAuxilliary BishopsAuxilliary Bishops are significantly different from Patriarchal Vicars. Maxim was elected Most Orthodox Churches allow themselves the capacity to appoint Auxilliary Bishops to assist ruling bishops within their own dioceses or archdioceses. Auxilliary Bishops do not govern in their own right but only act as directed by their diocesan bishop. Special Forms The primate of the see Church of Constantinople assumed the Diocese title Ecumenical Patriarch. The primate of Western America at the regular session Church of Alexandria was granted the Holy Assembly of Bishops title Pope and Patriarch. The primate of the Serbian Orthodox Churchof Georgia recently amended his title from Catholicos to Catholicos-Patriarch. Etiquette CorrespondenceIn general, held in Maywhen referring to a hierarch, 2006His is often used (e. Bpg. Maxim succeeded BpHis All Holiness, BARTHOLOMEW, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch visited Tarpon Springs, Florida in January of 2006). LonginWhen speaking to a hierarch Your is often used (Your Eminence, who previously was I'm so glad to see you!). Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco and the West (OCA) wrote a short memo on the Administrator Conventions of the diocesewriting to a hierarch.Bishop's Vestments