Advancement Prospects
Experienced priests may advance to the position of bishop, who oversees a group of churches in a particular diocese and ordains new priests. The Eastern Orthodox Church views bishops (who must be celibate) as the successors to Jesus’ 12 apostles. (In some Eastern Orthodox traditions, the role of bishop is filled by an experienced monk.) A senior bishop may be promoted to the position of archbishop, or metropolitan, who is in charge of a large ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The highest position in the Eastern Orthodox Church is patriarch, who oversees the entire archdiocese.
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