Order of precedence in the Catholic Church

{{Short description|Relative preeminence of officials for ceremonial purposes}}

{{about|precedence of persons|precedence of liturgical days|Ranking of liturgical days in the Roman Rite}}

Precedence signifies the right to enjoy a prerogative of honor before other persons; for example, to have the most distinguished place in a procession, a ceremony, or an assembly, to have the right to express an opinion, cast a vote, or append a signature before others, to perform the most honorable offices.{{CathEncy|wstitle=Precedence}}

The order of precedence in the Catholic Church is organized by rank within the hierarchy according first to order, then jurisdiction, and finally to titular or ad personam honors granted to individuals despite a lack of jurisdiction. Emeritus ecclesiastics are counted among the latter.

Sources

At this time, a current table of precedence in its entirety is not published by the Holy See. However, the principles of precedence present in the Codes of Canon Law, and the customs of precedence longstanding, inform any formulation of an order of precedence. Some contemporary authors{{cite book|last1=Noonan|first1=James Charles|title=The Church Visible: Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Catholic Church|date=2012|publisher=Sterling Ethos|location=New York|isbn=9781402787300|pages=504|edition=Revised}} have compiled helpful, though unofficial, reference texts with a table of precedence based on such principles.

Though the 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia{{cite book|last1=Noonan|title=Church Visible|pages=196}} offered a brief order of precedence based on these principles, it was updated and replaced by the New Catholic Encyclopedia in 1967, which was further updated with a Revised Edition in 2002.{{cite book|title=New Catholic Encyclopedia|date=2002|publisher=Gale|isbn=978-0787640040|pages=15 vols.|edition=Revised}} The current Catholic Encyclopedia does not include an entry on "precedence". Since the publication of the first edition, in 1911, several changes have rendered its order of precedence substantially out of date, including the publication of three codes of canon law (1917, 1983, 1990), an ecumenical council (1962–65), and multiple apostolic constitutions that affect the topic.

Principles and customs

As noted above, the first consideration for precedence is always the hierarchy of order for the ordained: first bishops, then priests, (also referred to as

presbyters in formal documents and settings), and lastly, deacons. The following are not part of the hierarchy of order: religious men and women (such as monks and nuns), seminarians and the

Laity (including lay ecclesial ministers, et al.)

The next principle is the hierarchy of jurisdiction: one who has authority over other persons has the right of precedence over them.{{cite book|last1=Peters|first1=Edward N.|title=1917 Code of Canon Law|date=2001|publisher=Ignatius Press|location=San Francisco|page=106.2}} This considers a person's office, and therefore can include laity, particularly lay ecclesial ministers and religious.

Relatedly, those with jurisdiction take precedence over those with titular, ad personam, or emeritus titles, so someone serving in a specific office (e.g., diocesan bishop) has precedence over someone with a titular claim to the same rank (e.g., titular bishop) or someone who used to serve in an equivalent office (e.g., a retired bishop).

Generally speaking, function, or the exercise of office, has precedence over purely honorary titles. De facto precedence should be applied where, a non-ordained religious or lay ecclesial minister serves in an office equivalent listed below (e.g., a diocesan director of Catholic Education is an equal office to an episcopal vicar, a pastoral life director an equal office to pastor, though with respect to the principle of the hierarchy of order noted above).

Among honorary titles, geographic extent is considered (e.g., the national primate has precedence over a titular patriarch, as the former has an honorary title extending over an entire country, but the latter only over a single diocese).

If two persons hold the same office, precedence is given to the one of a higher order (e.g., of two episcopal vicars, one being a presbyter and the other an auxiliary bishop, the bishop takes precedence).{{cite book|title=1917 Code of Canon Law|page=106.3}}

If two persons are of the same order and office, the one who was promoted earlier takes precedence (e.g., of two metropolitan archbishops, whoever was promoted to a metropolitan see first has precedence).{{cite book|title=1917 Code of Canon Law|page=106.3}}

If two persons of the same order and office were promoted at the same time, precedence goes to the one who was ordained first (to that order) (e.g., of two priests appointed as pastors at the same time, whoever was ordained presbyter first has precedence).{{cite book|title=1917 Code of Canon Law|page=106.3}}

In the case of cardinals of the same rank created at the same consistory, precedence is given according to the order in which their names were published.{{cite book|last1=Noonan|title=Church Visible|page=194}}

In their own dioceses, bishops have precedence before other bishops and archbishops, but not before their own metropolitan. A metropolitan archbishop has precedence before all other bishops and archbishops (except the Pope, his Patriarch, or his Primate) within his own province, and a patriarch has precedence over other patriarchs within his own jurisdiction.

Similarly, in their own parishes, pastors have precedence before other presbyters and deacons, even monsignors, but not before their own dean or archdeacon.

Diplomatic precedence in the Holy See's diplomatic corps incorporates the Congress of Vienna (1815) and the updated Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). The office of nuncio (papal ambassador) is primarily a diplomatic rank and not of an ecclesiastical nature. Most nuncios are ordained as titular archbishops, and would be ranked accordingly. If, however, the nuncio is present in a diocese or at an event acting as the personal representative of the pope, as for example at the ordination of a bishop, he is granted precedence accordingly, taking precedence over even cardinals present.

Patriarchs of autonomous (sui juris) churches have precedence above all other bishops of any rank, but not cardinals as stated in the 1917 Code of Canon Law,[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/LAT0813/_PO.HTM Code of Canon Law (1917), can. 239 §1 21°] continuing the observance of tradition as reaffirmed in the First Vatican Council.{{Cite book |last=Charles Augustine |first=Rev P. |url=https://archive.org/details/acommentaryonthe00bachuoft/page/36/mode/2up?view=theater&q=precedence |title=A commentary on the new Code of canon Law |date=1918 |publisher=St. Louis : B. Herder Book Co |others=Kelly - University of Toronto}} While the 1983 Code of Canon Law no longer addresses the question of precedence, the motu proprio Ad purpuratorum patrum collegium of 11 February 1965 stated that Eastern Rite Patriarch who is created a cardinal maintain his see and join the order of cardinal bishops.{{Cite web |title=Ad Purpuratorum Patrum Collegium - De loco Patriarcharum Orientalium in Sacro Cardinalium Collegio, Litterae Apostolicae Motu Proprio datae, Die 11 m. Februarii, a. 1965, Paulus PP.VI |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/la/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19650211_ad-purpuratorum.html |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=www.vatican.va}}

Finally, the Can. 58 of the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches states that while generally speaking the patriarchs precede all the bishops, exception is made if the Roman Pontiff has established special norms of precedece, that is the case for cardinals.

{{Verse translation|Patriarchae Ecclesiarum orientalium ubique terrarum praecedunt omnes Episcopos cuiuscumque gradus salvis normis specialibus de praecedentia a Romano Pontifice statutis.|Patriarchs of Eastern Churches precede all bishops of any degree everywhere in the world, with due regard for special norms of precedence established by the Roman Pontiff.|lang=la|}}