What’s the difference between an archbishop and other kinds of bishops?

Bishops fulfill a fundamental office in the Church, an office instituted by Christ when he called the apostles. Through apostolic succession, today’s bishops continue to fulfill roles of governing, teaching and sanctifying.

Though every bishop receives a single episcopal ordination (it is not repeatable), there are different ranks of bishops, including auxiliary bishops, bishops and archbishops. A bishop can move among these ranks according to the responsibilities with which he is entrusted.

A Single Office
Every bishop, including cardinals and the pope himself, shares in a single office. They have each been ordained to the episcopacy, the last of the three ranks of Holy Orders, after diaconate and priesthood.

As bishops, they are marked out for pastoral leadership in communion with the pope, becoming a visible representative of Christ. They have become sharers in Jesus’ life and mission as successors to the first apostles. In this, they are assisted by the Holy Spirit, who constitutes them authentic teachers, shepherds and exemplars of Jesus.

Differing Responsibilities
The differences between the ranks of bishop reflect differing responsibilities, jurisdictions and authority. In most cases, a bishop is responsible for the pastoral care of a portion of the People of God—usually delineated by the boundaries of a diocese or an archdiocese. Appointed by and answerable to the pope, they are assisted by priests, deacons and certain members of the lay faithful.

An archbishop is a bishop who holds a higher rank due to his leading an archdiocese, which may be larger or older than its surrounding dioceses. He has the same responsibilities as other bishops but with the additional role of helping to support nearby dioceses. He is called in particular to guide other bishops who compose his ecclesiastical province, where he is known by the title “metropolitan.” The metropolitan’s unique status is indicated by a special vestment he wears, the pallium, which is a woolen band received from the pope that he can wear in his archdiocese and the other dioceses of his ecclesiastical province.
An auxiliary bishop assists in the pastoral and administrative responsibilities of another bishop, especially in cases where a diocese is particularly populous or has a large geographic expanse that makes it difficult for one bishop to serve adequately. In such a case, the auxiliary bishop does not govern a diocese himself but is assigned a “titular diocese”—meaning a diocese that no longer functions— whose members’ souls he is to pray for.

Common Ministries
Bishops may have differing roles and jurisdictions but have common sacramental ministries. Bishops—and only bishops—can ordain men to Holy Orders. All deacons, priests and other bishops receive ordination at the hands of a bishop. Bishops are also the ordinary minister for the sacrament of confirmation, though this authority can be delegated to priests.

No matter a bishop’s assigned role—archbishop, bishop or auxiliary bishop—he is entrusted with pastoral care. As such, he is to be a father and teacher to his people. Each bishop is to collaborate with priests, deacons and laity and to be a source of unity.

Bishops share a connection to the pope, other bishops throughout the world and, ultimately, the apostles. This office of pastoral service was not meant to end at the apostles’ deaths but to be carried on by their successors, the bishops, until Christ’s return.

Father David Endres [email protected], is professor of Church history and historical theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology.

This article appeared in the April 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here