Everything about Dean Religion totally explained
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.
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. 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.
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 don't 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 hasn't 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.
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.
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 don't have associated parishes. In the
Church in Wales, however, most cathedrals are parish churches, and their deans are now also
vicars of their parishes.
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 doesn't 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 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.
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.
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 don't have the seniority of cathedral or diocesan deans.
The head of an Anglican
theological college or
seminary may also be called a
dean (in common with its use in
education).
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.
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