exarch

  1. Noun.  (historical) In the Byzantine Empire, a governor of a distant province.
  2. Noun.  In the Eastern Christian Churches, the deputy of a patriarch, or a bishop who holds authority over other bishops without being a patriarch.
  3. Noun.  In these same churches, a bishop appointed over a group of the faithful not yet large enough or organized enough to constitute an eparchy or diocese.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.