ordinarii

Ordinarii is the plural of ordinarius, a Latin term used in Catholic canon law. The term refers to persons who possess ordinary jurisdiction—i.e., authority to govern a diocese or other defined jurisdiction—by right, rather than by delegation for a particular task.

In the Catholic Church, an ordinary is the person who has ordinary (non-delegated) governance authority within a defined territory or jurisdiction. This typically includes a diocesan bishop or archbishop who presides over a diocese or ecclesiastical province. The category also covers other prelates who exercise equivalent jurisdiction, such as territorial abbots, apostolic vicars in mission territories, and military ordinaries who head military ordinariates. In contrast, officials who govern only by delegated authority or in extraordinary circumstances do not count as ordinarii.

The plural ordinarii is used when speaking about multiple such authorities across several jurisdictions or in reference to the body of those who bear ordinary jurisdiction.

Etymology: ordinarius comes from Latin ordino/order, meaning regular or standard. In canon law, the term underscores a formal, ongoing authority rooted in the office itself rather than delegated ad hoc power.

Related terms include ordinary (canonical), canon law, diocesan bishop, territorial abbot, apostolic vicar, and military ordinary.