Diocese

In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, an important diocese, governed by an Archbishop is called an archdiocese (usually due to size, historical significance, or both). As of 2003, there are about 569 Roman Catholic archdioceses and 2014 dioceses in the world.

Christian hierarchy

Christian usage in the modern sense of the sphere of a bishop's jurisdiction became commonplace only within the consciously "classicizing" structure of the Carolingian empire in the 9th century, but the usage had been taking over from the much earlier parochia ("parish") from the surfacing of the Christian authority structure in the 4th century (see EB 1911).

Related Topics:
Carolingian empire - Parish

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In English-speaking countries, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the term ward, rather than diocese, to refer to the jurisdiction of the bishop and his counselors. However, the ward is not equal in size to a Catholic diocese; rather, a stake is.

Related Topics:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Ward - Bishop - Stake

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