Expert: Dan Hotchkiss - 8/9/2006

Question
I haven't been to Church in a long while and I'm interested in the way the hierarchy in a church order works.  I'd like to know where nuns, priests, bishops and friars fit in this order, perhaps in the same sense the chain-of-command works in the U.S. Military.

The way I understand it a private answers to a sergeant who answers to a higher-ranking NCO who answers to a C.O. who answers to a CG who answers to a chief of staff who answers to Sec. Of Defense to the President.

Where can I get a complete diagram for this hierarchy as it applies to a church order?  

Also, I'd like to know about the steps a woman would need to take in order to become a nun.  (Assuming she's already a Christian) Is it as simple as just filling out an application to the sisterhood?  (That was flippant, I know, but that's the basic level I guess I'd like to have the process explained) Is it also possible for a nun to "advance" in the hierarchy? Even higher than a priest?

I appreciate your help.

Answer
I'm assuming that your question refers to the Roman Catholic Church. Protestant, Orthodox, and other churches have their own structures and are quite different from the Catholic Church.

I'm not really an "expert" on this, but I'll tell you what I think I know: The pope is the head of the whole church, and appoints all bishops. Each bishop assigns and controls priests within his diocese. Nuns and brothers (and some priests as well) belong to religious communities such as the Franciscans or Jesuits, which have their own hierarchies. The head of each order works under the direction of the pope.

That's the theory, but as in any organization the reality is more complex. The pope consults with various parties about his appointments and other decisions, most notably with Ecumenical Councils (most recently Vatican II, 1962-65). It is up to each pope how much attention to pay to such counsel. Similarly bishops sometimes work with councils of priests whose advice they may choose to follow. The relationship between religious communities and the bishops of the dioceses in which they work can be complicated.

I have hunted for a diagram, but didn't find one. I imagine a complete one would be full of special cases and interesting details.

Can a nun be promoted above a priest? The head of a community of nuns or the head of an order of nuns may well be more powerful than a given priest, but as I understand it a nun would not normally be placed above a priest. Is the command sergeant major of the Army more powerful than a new second lieutenant? Undoubtedly, but he salutes just the same.

A Christian woman who wanted to become a nun would first become a Catholic if she wasn't one already. Beyond that she should talk with a priest or nun, who can guide her to the next step for a given community.

Best wishes,

Dan