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The '''bishop''' is the first and highest degree of the [[clergy]] in the [[Orthodox Church]] (Επίσκοπος or ''episkopos'' in Greek, which means overseer). He is the successor to the Apostles in the service and government of the Church. The [[bishop]] thus serves εις τόπον και τύπον Χριστού (in place and as a type of Christ) in the Church. A '''ruling bishop''', is responsible for and the head of all the parishes [[parish]]es located in his [[diocese]]. All authority of the lower orders of [[clergy ]] is derived from the bishop. No divine services may be served in any Orthodox temple without the authorization of a bishop. Saint Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch went so far as to state that "he who acts without the bishop's knowledge is in the devil's service".

The title patriarch was first applied to the original three major sees [[see]]s of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, and shortly after extended to include Constantinople and Jerusalem.

The title of archbishop or metropolitan may be granted to a senior bishop, usually one who is in charge of a large ecclesiastical jurisdiction. He may or may not have provincial oversight of suffragan bishops. He may or may not have auxilliary bishops [[auxiliary bishop]]s assisting him.

The change in the Greek tradition came about in later Greek history, because the [[diocese|diocesan]] bishops of ancient sees (which in the Greek diaspora are pretty much all of them) came to be styled metropolitans.

In the Greek tradition, all diocesan bishops of Autocephalous churches such as the Church of Greece (the bishop of Patras being Metropolitan) are now metropolitans, and an archbishop holds his title as an indication of greater importance for whatever reason. The [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ]] is the notable exception in the Greek practice where diocesan bishops carry the title of Metropolitan. In other churches under the Jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia the ruling bishop is the Archbishop while the other bishops are auxiliary bishops with titles of the ancient sees.

=== Auxilliary Auxiliary Bishops ===

Most Orthodox Churches allow themselves the capacity to appoint Auxilliary Auxiliary Bishops to assist ruling bishops within their own dioceses or archdioceses.

Auxilliary Auxiliary Bishops do not govern in their own right but only act as directed by their diocesan bishop.

The primate of the [[Church of Constantinople]] assumed the title Ecumenical Patriarch. The [[primate ]] of the [[Church of Alexandria]] was granted the title Pope and Patriarch. The primate of the [[Church of Georgia]] recently amended his title from Catholicos to Catholicos-Patriarch.

In general, when referring to a [[hierarch]], His is often used (e.g. His All Holiness, Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, visited Tarpon Springs, Florida in January of 2006). An English speaking hierarch can be addressed "Your..", such as "Your Eminence, I'm so glad to see you!".