Archbishop

(ärch-), a chief bishop, or bishop over other bishops; a metropolitan prelate. The establishment of this dignity is to be traced up to an early period of Christianity, when the bishops and inferior clergy met in the capitals to deliberate on spiritual affairs, and the bishop of the city where the meeting was held presided. In England there are two archbishops—those of Canterbury and York; the former styled 221 Primate of all England , the latter Primate of England . The Archbishop of Canterbury is the first peer of the realm, having precedence before all great officers of the Crown and all dukes not of royal birth. He crowns the sovereign, and when he is invested with his archbishopric he is said to be enthroned. He can grant special licences to marry at any time or place, and can confer degrees otherwise to be obtained only from the universities. He is addre ed by the titles of your grace and most reverend father in God , and writes himself by divine providence , while the Archbishop of York and the bishops only write by divine permi ion . The first Archbishop of Canterbury was Augustine, appointed A.D. 598 by Ethelbert. Next in dignity is the Archbishop of York, between whom and the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord High-Chancellor of England has his place in precedency. The first Archbishop of York was Paul in us, appointed in 622. The incomes of the sees are £15,000 and £10,000 respectively. An Archbishop of Wales was first appointed in 1920. Scotland had two archbishops—St. Andrews and Glasgow. Ireland had four, but the Episcopal Church has but two—Armagh and Dublin, the former being Primate of all Ireland , the latter Primate of Ireland . There are four Roman Catholic archbishops in England and Wales—Westminster, Cardiff, Birmingham, and Liverpool; two in Scotland—St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and Glasgow; four in Ireland—Armagh, Dublin, Cashel, and Tuam.