Can a priest have a higher position in the Catholic church?

Answer 1

Yes, priests have a promotional hierarchy just like most businesses do. Priests (both types, secular and diocesan) are typically granted these honors by the bishop of their region. The hierarchy is as follows, within a diocese: 1. Priest 2. Monsignor, also known as Vicar Generals. There are three ranks of Monsignor. Sometimes you'll see an auxiliary bishop be appointed who typically holds the highest of this rank. 3. Bishop, one per diocese or arch-diocese. The bishop resides at a Cathedral which comes from the Latin word cathera (chair) describing his seat. After this, it gets a bit tricky. Generally speaking, a bishop is supreme over their own diocese answering only to the Pope in Rome as a moral authority. However, bishops can be reappointed (moved around) by a college of Cardinals in either his country or in Rome. There's actually a lot of politics going on at this level. Bishops who reside over an arch-diocese are called an Arch-Bishop. An arch-diocese is called this because it encompasses a large number of parishes, typically in metropolitan areas like New York City. A bishop or arch-bishop can be appointed a Cardinal which is the next "rank". This can only be done by the Pope in Rome and usually in a large batch celebrated at a special mass at the Vatican. Cardinals technically are still bishops, but with an extra fancy title. They can oversee Arch-Diocese or hold special offices in the church like Doctrine of the Faith. When time comes to appoint the next successor of Peter (the Pope), only Cardinals are invited to the Vatican to select the highest ranking office, the Pope. This is done democratically through voting. Technically, during this process, any baptized Catholic can become Pope even if they are a lay person! However, they must be a single male and able to receive Holy Orders immediately when appointed. This is because once appointed, the Pope immediately becomes the bishop of Rome's arch-diocese (and there are a ton of Catholic churches near Rome!). The Pope is the supreme moral authority of Christ's Church on Earth until he returns again. Think of him as a steward, holding the place of Christ for him while God's plan unfolds.