Suffragan diocese

A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church^[1], the Episcopal Church^[2], Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and the Romanian Orthodox Church^[3].

In the Catholic Church, although such a diocese is governed by its own bishop or ordinary, who is the suffragan bishop, the metropolitan archbishop has in its regard certain rights and duties of oversight.^[specify] He has no power of governance within a suffragan diocese, but has some limited rights and duties^[specify] to intervene in cases of neglect by the authorities of the diocese itself.^[4]

References

^ Payne, Daniel (2026-01-12). "How the Catholic Church Creates Dioceses and Archdioceses". EWTN Vatican. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
^ "Boston Globe: Right Rev. Bud Cederholm, "Green Bishop" of Episcopal Diocese, dies at 79 | Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts". diomass.org. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
^ Boboc, Alexandru (2025-01-11). "First Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Ireland and Iceland enthroned in Dublin: Patriarch Daniel's official message". Basilica.ro. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
^ Code of Canon Law, canons 435–436

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[1] Payne, Daniel (2026-01-12). "How the Catholic Church Creates Dioceses and Archdioceses". EWTN Vatican. Retrieved 2026-02-06.

[2] "Boston Globe: Right Rev. Bud Cederholm, "Green Bishop" of Episcopal Diocese, dies at 79 | Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts". diomass.org. Retrieved 2026-02-06.

[3] Boboc, Alexandru (2025-01-11). "First Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Ireland and Iceland enthroned in Dublin: Patriarch Daniel's official message". Basilica.ro. Retrieved 2026-02-06.

[4] Code of Canon Law, canons 435–436

[note_n0-5] The ROC severed full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2018, and later severed full communion with the primates of the Church of Greece, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Church of Cyprus in 2020.

[note_n1-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Autocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized.

[note_n3-7] UOC-MP has moved to formally cut ties with the ROC as of 27 May 2022.

[note_n2-8] Semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church whose autonomy is not universally recognized.

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v t e Oriental Orthodox Churches
Eastern Christian communion of autocephalous churches from Armenia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and parts of the Middle East, and India
Autocephalous churches	Coptic Orthodox Church Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Armenian Apostolic Church See of Etchmiadzin See of Cilicia Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church Syriac Orthodox Church Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Autonomous churches	Armenian Apostolic: Patriarchate of Constantinople Patriarchate of Jerusalem Syriac Orthodox: Malankara Jacobite
Independent churches	British Isles Malabar Independent Syrian Church Tigrayan Orthodox Tewahedo Church Western Rite Oriental Orthodox Catholicate of the West Communion of Western Orthodox Churches Celtic Orthodox Church Orthodox Church of the Gauls
Liturgy	Alexandrian Rites Anaphora of Saint Gregory Liturgy of Saint Cyril Liturgy of Saint Basil Armenian Rite Glastonbury Rite West Syriac Rite Liturgy of Saint James

See also

References