Notes+On+Church+Hierarchy

Secular Clergy defined The term //secular clergy// refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or members of a religious order, or regula.

__Monastic Life__ //Monks:// male members of a religious community living under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. //Abbots:// the heads of monastic houses of the Benedictine or related orders, and of certain orders of Augustinian canons. //Nuns:// females living in a regular order under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience //Monastery:// monastic institution which houses a community of monks //Convent:// an enclosed and regulated monastic institution which houses nuns

__Types of Holy Orders__

//Bishops// //Priests//: ministers of the church empowered to administer the sacraments, especially the Holy Communion and confession. Main responsibility was pastoral care. //Deacons Sub-Deacons//
 * Major Orders** ( Higher ranks of Medieval Christian ministry)

//Acolytes Exorcists Readers Doorkeepers//
 * Minor Orders** - (Lower ranks of Medieval Christian ministry)

__Church government and administration__ //Parish:// An area under the pastoral care of a priest, who was himself under the jurisdiction of a bishop: the parish church was the center of worship for the parish. //Cathedral church:// Building which contains the throne, or official seat of the bishop of the diocese, and is therefore the "mother church" of the diocese. //Diocese:// the territorial unit of administration in the church, governed by a bishop; also known as a see.

__Universities__

Secular clergy took over the role of education from monks

Thanks to [|A Glossary of the Medieval Church] for providing some of these definitions.