suffragan

Suffragan is a term used in some Christian churches to designate a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan archbishop or to a diocesan bishop. The word derives from Latin suffragānus, meaning “helping” or “assisting.” In practice, a suffragan is a bishop who assists the diocesan or metropolitan bishop but does not govern an independent metropolitan province.

In the Roman Catholic Church, suffragan bishops belong to a province headed by a metropolitan archbishop. Each suffragan presides over a suffragan diocese and has ordinary jurisdiction within his own diocese, operating under the metropolitan’s oversight on broader provincial matters. The appointment of a suffragan bishop is made by the pope, and while they exercise full episcopal authority in their diocese, their relationship to the metropolitan is defined by canon law and the needs of the province.

In the Anglican Communion, suffragan bishops also assist a diocesan bishop and typically have jurisdiction over a specific geographic area or functional ministry within the diocese. They are distinct from auxiliary bishops in that they usually hold a see and have defined territorial responsibilities, whereas auxiliary bishops more often assist without separate jurisdiction. Some provinces use area schemes where suffragan or area bishops oversee parts of a large diocese.

Historically, suffragan bishops emerged in medieval and early modern church organization to share pastoral duties in large or populous dioceses. In England, the formal authorization of suffragan bishops occurred with the Suffragan Bishops Act in the 16th century, enabling the appointment of bishops to assist diocesan authorities.