What is a bishop and what is a diocese? Are archdioceses and cardinals different?
He is the leader of a specific group of priests, churches and other Catholic institutions (schools, for instance), usually within a specific geographic boundary, called a diocese. His authority does not extend beyond that area. Archdioceses are larger dioceses, often often large cities; they are headed by an archbishop, which is one step up from a bishop. Some archdioceses are run by cardinals–bishops who have been appointed by the pope to participate in the college of cardinals, an administrative body of the church (which, incidentally, chooses a new pope when one passes away). Broadly speaking, the church’s hierarchy from the top down goes Pope-Cardinal-Archbishop-Bishop-Priest.
