The Duties of an Archbishop

Church

The Roman Catholic Church is structured similar to many businesses in that there's a clear chain of command. The deacon is the lowest link on this chain, followed by a priest and then a bishop. A bishop has the responsibility of governing a diocese (a territory or district). Bishops are responsible for overseeing all the Catholic churches, schools and organizations within their diocese. If a diocese is especially large or historically significant, it is known as an archdiocese. An archbishop is the leader of an archdiocese.

Link to God

An archbishop's primary duty is to serve as a link between God and the people of the archdiocese, which is the territory/geographic area that the church has appointed the bishop to manage. In this capacity, the archbishop may officiate over masses, weddings, and funerals, hear confessions, give sermons (called homilies in the Catholic Church) or conduct other such sacramental duties.

Governance

An archbishop is responsible for many roles in his archdiocese, including overseeing budget management, making decisions and appearing at various events around the area. The archbishop also serves as a liaison between the pope and the people of the archdiocese.

Supervision

The archbishop is often responsible for overseeing other dioceses near his archdiocese. He may assist the local bishop in resolving problems or issues at local parishes or, in more extreme cases, contact the pope if a papal decree is required to resolve an issue or dispute.

References

• New Advent: Archbishop
• Catholic Culture: The Duties of the Bishop
• Sentinel.org: Bishop Duties Are Threefold