Catholic Church Hierarchy - Ordinaries and Local Ordinaries

Ordinaries and Local Ordinaries

Local ordinaries are placed over or exercise ordinary executive power in particular churches or equivalent communities.

• The Supreme Pontiff (the Pope) is a local ordinary for the whole Catholic Church.
• In Eastern Catholic Churches, Patriarchs, major archbishops, and metropolitans have ordinary power of governance for the whole territory of their respective autonomous particular churches.
• Diocesan/eparchial bishops/eparchs
• Other prelates who head, even if only temporarily, a particular church or a community equivalent to it (see above #Equivalents of diocesan bishops in law)
• Vicars general and protosyncelli

• Episcopal vicars and syncelli

Major superiors of religious institutes (including abbots) and of societies of apostolic life are ordinaries of their respective memberships, but not local ordinaries.