prelate

Prelate is a title used for a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who exercises jurisdiction or governance within a church. The term is commonly applied to bishops, archbishops, abbots, and other clerics who have ordinary authority over a diocese, abbey, or defined territory. In many traditions, the prelate’s jurisdiction is recognized by church law or custom, and the holder may be referred to as an ordinary.

Etymology and scope: The word comes from Latin praelatus, meaning “placed before,” from prae “before” and ferre “to bear.” In practice, a prelate denotes rank and authority rather than a specific office. In the Roman Catholic Church, the most familiar prelates are bishops and abbots; the term can also apply to archbishops and other superiors with jurisdiction. In the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran contexts, similar offices exist, and the term is often used in formal language to denote high rank.

Types and examples: A diocesan prelate governs a diocese; a territorial prelate presides over a territorial prelature, a form of jurisdiction not organized as a diocese. An abbot, who oversees an abbey and its surrounding lands, may also be described as a prelate. Historically, the term could denote secular-prince rulers of church territories, such as prince-bishops who held both ecclesiastical and temporal power.

See also: prelacy, prelature, prince-bishop.