archimandrite
Sign in to savethumb|250px|An archimandrite wearing his full habit, holding his Crosier#Eastern crosiers|pastoral staff, and minimally vested in an [[epitrachelion and epimanikia. His mitre stands on the table to his right.]]
Article
10 sectionsContents
- History
- Byzantine usage
- Kiev Metropolis
- Russian usage
- Greek usage
- Western usage
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|250px|An archimandrite wearing his full habit, holding his Crosier#Eastern crosiers|pastoral staff, and minimally vested in an [[epitrachelion and epimanikia. His mitre stands on the table to his right.]]
The title archimandrite (; ), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (hegumenos, , present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom a bishop appointed to supervise several "ordinary" abbots and monasteries, or as the abbot of some especially great and important monastery, but nowadays it is most often used purely as a title of honor (with no connection to any actual monastery) and is bestowed on a hieromonk as a mark of respect or gratitude for service to the Church.