What is the meaning of bishop?

Answer 1

; : A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a Metropolitan. In the Roman Catholic Church this term is applied to all non-metropolitan bishops (that is, diocesan bishops of dioceses within a metropolitan's province, and auxiliary bishops). In the Anglican Communion, the term applies to a bishop who is a full-time assistant to a diocesan bishop: the Bishop of Warwick is suffragan to the Bishop of Coventry (the diocesan), though both live in Coventry. Some Anglican suffragans are given the responsibility for a geographical area within the diocese (for example, the Bishop of Stepney is an area bishop within the Diocese of London)

Answer 2

Bishops generally oversee a diocese, and tend to the clergy as well as the parishes within that diocese... in this sense, you can think of a bishop as a Catholic "district manager". There are some ceremonies that they carry out that priests don't usually do, such as confirmations; they also sometimes lead mass at the main church within their diocese
A Diocesan Bishop confirms, ordains Priests, administers a diocese, preaches the Holy Gospel, performs visitations of, monasteries, convents, and seminaries, instructs the faithful in sound doctrine, and performs other Priestly duties as well.

An auxiliary Bishop of a diocese does whatever work he is instructed to do by his diocesan ordinary (the Bishop of the Diocese).

Bishops directly in the service of the Holy See serve in the offices of the Roman Curia, oversee certain Apostolic works, or can be employed in diplomatic service, such as Nuncios of the Holy See to various countries.
A bishop is like a pastor or a preacher.

Answer 3

Catholic Answer

A Bishop is a man who was a priest and has been consecrated by another Bishop in the Apostolic succession. He enjoins the fullness of Christ's priesthood and rules over a diocese asa successor to the Apostles.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon,

S.J.

Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Bishop A successor of the Apostle who has received the fullness of Christ's priesthood. His most distinctive power, that of ordaining priests and other bishops, belongs uniquely to a bishop. Moreover, in spite of some disputed cases in history, it is highly probably that a priest would not be authorized by the Holy See to ordain another priest. A priest certainly cannot consecrate a bishop.
In the ordination of a bishop the "matter" is the imposition of hands on the head of the bishop-elect

by the consecrating bishops, or at least by the principal consecrator,

which is done in silence before the consecratory

prayer; the "form" consists of the words of the consecratory

prayer, of which the following pertains to the essence of the order, and therefore are required for the validity of the act: "Now pour out upon this chosen one that power which flows from you, the perfect Spirit whom He gave to the apostles, who established the Church in every place as the sanctuary where your name would always be praised and glorified." (Etym.

Greek episkopos

, a bishop, literally, overseer)

Answer 4

Catholic Answer

A bishop is a successor to the Apostles, who has been consecrated by another Bishop(s) and enjoys the fullness of Christ's priesthood.

from

Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

A successor of the Apostles who has received the fullness of Christ's priesthood. His most distinctive power, that of ordaining priests and other bishops, belongs uniquely to a bishop. Moreover, In spite of some disputed cases in history, it is highly probably that a priest would not be authorized by the Holy See to ordain another priest. A priest certainly cannot consecrate a bishop.

In the ordination of a bishop the "matter" is the imposition of hands on the head of the bishop-elect by the consecrating bishops, or at least by the principal consecrator, which is done in silence before the consecratory prayer; the "form" consists of the words of the consecratory prayer, of which the following pertains to the essence of the order, and therefore are required for the validity of the act: "Now pour out upon this chosen one that power which flows form you, the perfect Spirit whom He gave to the apostles, who established the Church in every place as the sanctuary where your name would always be praised and gloried."

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition

The teaching office

888 Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command. They are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers" of the apostolic faith "endowed with the authority of Christ."

The sanctifying office

893 The bishop is "the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood," especially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or whose offering he assures through the priests, his co-workers. The Eucharist is the center of the life of the particular Church. The bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, "not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock." Thus, "together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life."

The governing office

895 "The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the particular Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example, but over and above that also by the authority and sacred power" which indeed they ought to exercise so as to edify, in the spirit of service which is that of their Master.

Answer 5

Catholic Answer

.

The Bishop is the successor to the Apostles, and has received the fullness of Christ's priesthood. The priests under him, receive their priesthood from him and are his helpers. The Bishops are charged with being heralds of the faith, and preserving the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles. They also enjoy infallibility as a body of Bishops when they are teaching in union with Peter's successor - the Roman Pontiff.

.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

A successor of the Apostles who has received the fullness of Christ's priesthood. His most distinctive power, that of ordaining priests and other bishops, belongs uniquely to a bishop. Moreover, In spite of some disputed cases in history, it is highly probably that a priest would not be authorized by the Holy See to ordain another priest. A priest certainly cannot consecrate a bishop.

In the ordination of a bishop the "matter" is the imposition of hands on the head of the bishop-elect by the consecrating bishops, or at least by the principal consecrator, which is done in silence before the consecratory prayer; the "form" consists of the words of the consecratory prayer, of which the following pertains to the essence of the order, and therefore are required for the validity of the act: "Now pour out upon this chosen one that power which flows form you, the perfect Spirit whom He gave to the apostles, who established the Church in every place as the sanctuary where your name would always be praised and gloried."

.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition

.

The teaching office

.

888 Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task "to preach the Gospel of God to all men," in keeping with the Lord's command. They are "heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers" of the apostolic faith "endowed with the authority of Christ."

.

The sanctifying office

.

893 The bishop is "the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood," especially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or whose offering he assures through the priests, his co-workers. The Eucharist is the center of the life of the particular Church. The bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, "not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock." Thus, "together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life."

.

The governing office

.

895 "The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the particular Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example, but over and above that also by the authority and sacred power" which indeed they ought to exercise so as to edify, in the spirit of service which is that of their Master.

Answer 6

comes from greek - episkopos - meaning overseer, overlooker (supervisor) but is now restricted to ecclesiastical use - bishop is top man in his diocese (are and group of parishes) and is charged with ensuring the catholic faith (and none other under its guise) is taught by his priests (presbyters) and others who are subject to his immediate jurisdiction

Answer 7

The word bishop is a latin derivation of the greek word "episkopos" which means "overseer, or supervisor", a bishop is called such as he is the senior priest within a diocese.