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In [[Christianity]], an '''archbishop''' is an elevated [[bishop]], responsible for all [[Church|churches]] belonging to a religious group of a particular district.  The [[diocese]] of which an archbishop is head is called an archdiocese. An archbishop is usually also the [[Metropolitan]] of an [[ecclesiastical province]], but there are exceptions to this rule. When a plain bishop becomes an archbishop, he is not in any sense being [[Holy Orders|ordained]] nor otherwise receiving any [[sacrament]]; by contrast (in the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches) a man becoming a bishop is being ordained.

Notable archbishops, past and present, include:
* [[Isidore of Seville|Isidore]], Archbishop of [[Seville]]
* [[Albert of Mainz|Albert]], [[Archbishop of Mainz]]
* [[Gregory Palamas]], Archbishop of [[Thessalonica]]
* [[Thomas Wolsey]], [[Archbishop of York]]
* [[William, Archbishop of Mainz|William]], Archbishop of Mainz
* [[Joseph Ratzinger]], Archbishop of [[Munich]] and [[Freising]]
* [[Bernard Law]], [[Roman Catholic Bishop of Boston|Archbishop of Boston]]
* [[John Carroll]], [[Roman Catholic Bishop of Baltimore|Archbishop of Baltimore]]
* [[Desmond Tutu]], Archbishop of [[Cape Town]]

See also: [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]


Etymology:  From [[Greek language|Greek]] ''archepiskopos'', ''arch-'' probably from ''archon'', leader or ruler, and ''epi-skopos'', over-seer.

[[da:�rkebiskop]] [[de:Erzbischof]] [[nl:Aartsbisschop]] [[sv:�rkebiskop]]

==Reference==
* Adapted from the [[Wikipedia]] article, "Archbishop" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archbishop January 9, 2004