The Role of an Archpriest in Church

Archpriest in the Orthodox Church is a very important person in its spiritual importance, who largely determines the entire Christian hierarchy.

The archpriest in Orthodoxy is the high priest.  This title was awarded to the face of the white priesthood as a reward for his faithful service to the Orthodox Church.  In official sources, he is the senior priest.  Before this term appeared, the word "protopopop" was used for the name of the high priest.

Conditions of admission to the high priests:

• such a person is usually the Prior of the temple;
• the consecration is performed by a priest in the rank of bishop through the rank of consecration;
• in the patriarchate, archpriestry is given only five (not earlier) years after the ceremony of awarding with a pectoral cross, or ten years after the consecration, and the condition - leadership position - must be met;
• in agreement with the patriarch, the archpriest may ordain the protodeacon as archpriest immediately, without additional or intermediate appointments;
• in solemn official speeches it is customary to address the archpriest "Your Reverend"; at the same time, the epithet "Reverend" in various versions is a daily Catholic tradition in addressing the representative of the white clergy;
• in the divine services all archpriestesses wear special vestment set: phelon (riza), handrails, and epitrachil on top of a wagon and robes;
• for special merits, the Church may grant a high priest the right to wear a mitra, then such a archpriest is called a metropolitan.