[dangus]

Thanks, but I was particularly interested in the Romanian Church, not the Roman Church, which I’m very familiar with.

[Claud]

oops...sorry about that.

[NYer]

Thanks, but I was particularly interested in the Romanian Church, not the Roman Church, which I’m very familiar with.

From the link at my #12.

ORTHODOX

In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the title is used variously. In the Hellenic Churches metropolitans are ranked below archbishops in precedence, and primates of local churches below patriarchal rank are generally designated as archbishops. The reverse is true for the Slavic Churches (Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, etc.), where metropolitans rank above archbishops and the title can be used for primatial sees as well as important cities.

In neither case do metropolitans have any special authority over other ruling bishops within their provinces. However, metropolitans (archbishops in the Greek Orthodox Church) are the chairmen of their respective synods of bishops, and have special privileges.