A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. It is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church. A cleric is a member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals. ... Main article: Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is a world-wide affiliation of Anglican Churches. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ...

Catholic Church

The title "dean" is conferred upon a the pastor of a parish who serves as a senior figure, though usually without specific jurisdictional authority, over a section of a diocese.^[1] These are sometimes referred to as "rural deans," and are expected to show a degree of leadership among the pastors of the region, known as a deanery. This function is sometimes titled vicar forane. An episcopal vicar serves a similar function, but has more formal authority and specific powers under Canon Law. Apostolic vicariate is a type of Roman Catholic diocese for non-Catholic or missionary regions and countries. ... A vicar general is an ecclesiastical office in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church existing in each particular church. ...

In recent years, the Catholic Church in England and Wales has introduced the custom of designating Cathedral Deans, formerly known as Cathedral Administrators. However, the term differs slightly from the Anglican usage as Catholic Deans do not necessarily preside over the cathedral chapter (this function belonging to the office of Provost), and are not necessarily required even to be a member of the chapter. More commonly, in places throughout the world where a cathedral chapter has not been erected (as for instance, in the United States, where there are no chapters at all), the term Rector is used for the priest who serves as chief administrator of a cathedral church. The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches. ... The word rector (ruler, from the Latin regere) has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate someone who is in charge of something. ...

Another important use of the term within the Catholic Church is in the office of the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who serves as senior member of that body. Cardinal Angelo Sodano is the current dean. The Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals is the president of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, and as such always holds the rank of Cardinal Bishop. ... Cardinal Sodano with Condoleezza Rice. ...

Anglican Communion

In the Church of England and elsewhere in the Anglican Communion, the dean is the chief resident cleric of a cathedral or other collegiate church and the head of the chapter of canons. If the cathedral or collegiate church has its own parish, the dean is usually also rector of the parish. However, in the Church of Ireland the roles are often separated, and most cathedrals in the Church of England do not have associated parishes. In the Church in Wales, however, cathedrals are parish churches, and their deans are also vicars of their parishes. The Church of England logo since 1996. ... Main article: Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is a world-wide affiliation of Anglican Churches. ... For other uses, see Cathedral (disambiguation). ... A collegiate church was a church served and administered by a body of canons or prebendaries, similar to a cathedral, although they were not the seat of a bishop. ... This article incorporates text from the Catholic Encyclopedia, which is in the public domain. ... The word rector (ruler, from the Latin regere) has a number of different meanings, but all of them indicate someone who is in charge of something. ... The Church of Ireland (Irish: ) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... The Church of England logo since 1996. ... Flag of the Church in Wales The Church in Wales (Welsh: Yr Eglwys Yng Nghymru) is a member Church of the Anglican Communion, consisting of six dioceses in Wales. ... Vicariate redirects here. ...

In some parts of the Communion (particularly in the Scottish Episcopal Church and, formerly in some cathedrals in England), the senior resident cleric in a cathedral is a provost. Each diocese of the Scottish Episcopal Church has a dean of the diocese, this is a cleric who, rather than heading the cathedral staff, assists the bishop in the administration of the diocese. In this way, a Scottish Episcopalian dean is similar to an archdeacon in the other member churches of the Communion (a post that does not exist in the Scottish church). In the Anglican Church of Canada, the roles of senior cleric of the cathedral are combined in one person who is referred to as "Rector of Cathedral and Dean of Diocese". Thus, Peter Elliott is Rector of Christ Church Cathedral and Dean of New Westminster. The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches. ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... For the Major League Baseball player, see Maurice Archdeacon. ... Anglican Church of Canada The Anglican Church of Canada (the ACC) is the Canadian branch of the Anglican Communion. ... This article is about the Canadian Anglican priest. ... Christ Church Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia; one of two cathedrals in the Diocese of New Westminster. ... The Diocese of New Westminster is an Anglican Church of Canada diocese in British Columbia, based in Vancouver. ...

The style The Very Reverend distinguishes a cleric as a dean (or a cathedral provost). For example, the Very Reverend June Osborne is Dean of Salisbury Cathedral. The Very Reverend is a style given to certain religious figures. ... Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishops Grounds by John Constable c. ...

Some important deans include the deans of St Paul's, the Canterbury and Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey is a royal peculiar, not the seat of any bishop or a cathedral, but is led by a dean. The deans Washington National Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin are likewise important clerics in their churches. The Dean of St Pauls is the head of the Chapter of St Pauls Cathedral in London, England and an extremely influential position in the Church of England. ... The Dean of Canterbury is the head of the Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral in England. ... The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often mistaken for one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... A Royal Peculiar (or Royal Peculier) is a place of worship that falls directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarch, rather than a diocese. ... Washington National Cathedral has been the site of three presidential state funerals: for Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald W. Reagan, Gerald R. Ford and a presidential burial for Woodrow Wilson and a memorial service for Harry Truman. ... St. ...

In many parts of the Anglican Communion, parishes are grouped together to form deaneries, each being a constituent administrative district of the diocese. Usually, a deanery is led by one of the incumbents of the deanery's parishes, who is called a rural dean, but in more urban areas this has often been replaced by the title area dean or regional dean. Such a dean chairs the meeting of the deanery's clergy (which, like a cathedral, is called a chapter), and may also chair a deanery synod. Rural Deans (and those known by alternative titles) rank as primi inter pares of their chapters, and do not have the seniority of cathedral or diocesan deans. A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... In the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church, a deanery is a collection of parishes within an archdeaconry. ... The incumbent of a benefice, usually the parish priest, in Anglican canon law holds the temporalities or assets and income. ... A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. ... First among equals redirects here. ...

The head of an Anglican theological college or seminary may also be called a dean (in common with its use in education). For the Ecuadorian artist, see Manuel Rendón Seminario. ... For the Ecuadorian artist, see Manuel Rendón Seminario. ... In an educational setting, a dean is a person with significant authority . ...

Subdean

A subdean serves as a dean's deputy.

United Methodism

United Methodist Christians often speak of a Dean in terms of the Dean of the Cabinet. Every Annual Conference has a Bishop's Cabinet made up of the District Superintendents under the Bishop's appointment, as well as occasionally a few other conference officials. One of these Superintendents is chosen by his/her colleagues to serve as the Dean, usually for one year. This Dean then has certain administrative and leadership responsibilities, and is accountable to the Bishop.

Other uses

In various other religious denominations, the title, "dean" may be used informally in its wider sense of a senior or venerated member of a congregation. The title may also used in its academic sense in parochial schools.

See also

• Rural Dean
• Dean (education)
• Dean

A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. ... In an educational setting, a dean is a person with significant authority . ... Dean is a title given to some institutions senior or supervisory staff: Look up dean in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

References

1. ^ Dean. Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.