
A prince-bishop is a
bishop who is also the civil ruler of some
secular principality and
sovereignty. Thus the principality or
prince-bishopric ruled politically by a prince-bishop could wholly or largely overlap with his diocesan jurisdiction, but some parts of his
diocese, even the city of his residence, could be exempt from his civil rule, obtaining the status of
free imperial city. If the
episcopal see is an
archbishop, the correct term is prince-archbishop; the equivalent in the regular (monastic) clergy is
prince-abbot. A prince-bishop is usually considered an
elected monarch.
In the West, with the decline of
imperial power from the 4th century onwards in the face of the
barbarian invasions, sometimes
Christian bishops of
cities took the place of the Roman commander, made secular decisions for the city and led their own troops when necessary. Later relations between a prince-bishop and the
burghers were invariably not cordial. As cities demanded charters from emperors, kings, or their prince-bishops and declared themselves independent of the secular territorial magnates, friction intensified between burghers and bishops.
In the
Byzantine Empire, the still
autocratic Emperors passed general legal measures assigning all bishops certain rights and duties in the secular administration of their dioceses, possibly as part of a development to put the
Eastern Church in the service of the Empire, with its
Ecumenical Patriarch almost reduced to the Emperor's minister of religious affairs.
itation needed
Holy Roman Empire

Bishops had been involved in the government of the Frankish realm and subsequent
Carolingian Empire frequently as the clerical member of a duo of envoys styled , but that was an individual mandate, not attached to the see. Prince-bishoprics were most common in the feudally fragmented
Holy Roman Empire, where many were formally awarded the rank of an
Imperial Prince , granting them the
immediate power over a certain territory and a representation in the
Imperial Diet ().
The
stem duchies of the
German kingdom inside the Empire had strong and powerful
dukes (originally, war-rulers), always looking out more for their
duchy's "
national interest" than for the Empire's. In turn the first
Ottonian (
Saxon) king
Henry the Fowler and more so his son, Emperor
Otto I, intended to weaken the power of the dukes by granting loyal bishops Imperial lands and vest them with privileges. Unlike dukes they could not pass hereditary titles and lands to any descendants. Instead the Emperors reserved the implementation of the bishops of their
proprietary church for themselves, defying the fact that according to
canon law they were part of the transnational
Catholic Church. This met with increasing opposition by the
Popes, culminating in the fierce
Investiture Controversy of 1076. Nevertheless, the Emperors continued to grant major territories to the most important (arch)bishops. The immediate territory attached to the episcopal see then became a prince-diocese or bishopric (). The German term was often used to denote the form of secular authority held by bishops ruling a prince-bishopric with being used for prince-archbishoprics.
Emperor
Charles IV by the
Golden Bull of 1356 confirmed the privileged status of the Prince-Archbishoprics of
Mainz,
Cologne and
Trier as members of the
electoral college. At the eve of the
Protestant Reformation, the
Imperial states comprised 53 ecclesiastical principalities. They were finally secularized in the 1803
German Mediatization upon the territorial losses to
France in the
Treaty of Lunéville, except for the Mainz prince-archbishop and German archchancellor
Karl Theodor Anton Maria von Dalberg, who continued to rule as
Prince of Aschaffenburg and
Regensburg. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the title finally became defunct. However, in some countries outside of French control, such as in the
Austrian Empire (
Salzburg,
Seckau, and
Olomouc) and the
Kingdom of Prussia (
Breslau), the institution nominally continued, and in some cases was revived; a new, titular type arose.
No less than three of the (originally only seven)
prince-electors, the highest order of (comparable in rank with the French
pairs), were prince-archbishops, each holding the title of
Archchancellor (the only arch-office amongst them) for a part of the Empire; given the higher importance of an electorate, their principalities were known as ("electoral principality") rather than prince-archbishoprics:
}
| 953–1803
|
Electoral Rhenish
|
|
Prince-elector and Arch-Chancellor of
Italy.
Duke of Westphalia since 1180.
Cologne became a
Free Imperial City in 1288.
|-
!

|
Mainz
| Archbishopric Electorate
| german: Erzbistum Mainz, Kurmainz
| –1803
|
Electoral Rhenish
|
|
Prince-elector and Arch-Chancellor of
Germany.
|-
!

|
Trier
| Archbishopric Electorate
| german: Erzbistum Trier, Kurtrier
french: Archevêque Trèves
| 772–1803
|
Electoral Rhenish
|
|
Prince-elector and Arch-Chancellor of
Burgundy.
|-
!

|
Aquileia
| Patriarchate
| la|Patriarchæ Aquileiensis
it|Patriarcato di Aquileia
fur|Patriarcjât di Aquilee
vec|Patriarcal de Aquileja
| 1077–1433
| None
|
| Conquered by
Venice in 1420, officially incorporated after the 1445
Council of Florence
|-
!

|
Augsburg
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Augsburg
| –1803
|
Swabian
|
|
Augsburg became a Free imperial City in 1276.
|-
!

|
Bamberg
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Bamberg
| 1245–1802
|
Franconian
|
|
|-
!

|
Basel
| Bishopric
| french: Principauté de Bâle
german: Fürstbistum Basel
| 1032–1803
|
Upper Rhenish
|
|
Basel joined the
Old Swiss Confederacy as the
Canton of Basel in 1501. A tiny fraction of the bishopric is not now in Switzerland:
Schliengen and
Istein are both now in Germany; a very small part of the
Vogtei of St Ursanne is now in France.
|-
!
|
Belley
| Bishopric
| french: Prince-évêque de Belley
frp|Prince Evèque de Bèlê
| 1175-1601
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| Seated in
Belley. Saint
Anthelm of Belley was granted ''Reichsfrei'' by Emperor
Frederick I. Submitted temporal authorities to the
Duchy of Savoy in 1401. Annexed by the
Kingdom of France in 1601.
|-
!
|
Besançon
| Archbishopric
| french: Archévêqué de Besançon
german: Erzstift Besantz
|
| None
|
| The archbishops had been rulers over
Besançon, an
Imperial city from 1307, which in 1512 joined the
Burgundian Circle.
|-
!

|
Brandenburg
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Brandenburg
| –1598
|
Upper Saxon
|
| Founded in 948, annihilated 983, re-established , continued by Lutheran administrators after Reformation in 1520, secularized and incorporated to the
Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1571.
|-
!

|
Bremen
| Archbishopric
| german: Erzstift Bremen
| 1180–1648
|
Lower Saxon
|
| Continued by
Lutheran administrators after Reformation in 1566 until 1645/1648.
Bremen itself became autonomous in 1186, and was confirmed as a Free Imperial City in 1646.
|-
!

|
Brescia
| Bishopric
| it|Principato vescovile di Brescia
|
| None
|
| Bishop Notingus was made count of Brescia in 844.
|-
!

|
Breslau
| Bishopric
| german: Fürstbistum Breslau
pl|Biskupie Księstwo Wrocławskie
sli|Brassel
|
| None
|
| In 1344 Bishop Przecław of Breslau (present-day
Wrocław) bought the town of Grottkau (
Grodków) from the
Silesian duke
Bolesław III the Generous and added it to the episcopal
Duchy of Neisse (
Nysa), becoming Prince of Neisse and Duke of Grottkau as a vassal to the
Bohemian Crown.
|-
!

|
Brixen
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Brixen
it|Principato vescovile di Bressanone
| 1027–1803
|
Austrian
|
|
secularized to
Tyrol
|-
!

|
Cambrai
| Bishopric, then Archbishopric
| french: Principauté de Cambrai
german: Hochstift Kammerich
| 1007–1678
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
| To
France by 1678
Peace of Nijmegen
|-
!

|
Cammin
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Kammin
pl|Biskupie Księstwo Kamieńskie
| 1248–1650
|
Upper Saxon
|
| Lost to
Duchy of Pomerania in 1544, secularized in 1650, to Brandenburg
Province of Pomerania
|-
!

|
Chur
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Chur
rm|Chapitel catedral da Cuira
it|Principato vescovile di Coira
| 831/1170–1526
|
Austrian
|
|
|-
!

|
Constance
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Konstanz
| 1155–1803
|
Swabian
|
| Greatly reduced during the
Reformation, when significant parts of Swabia and Switzerland became Protestant.
|-
!
|
Eichstätt
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Eichstätt
| 1305–1802
|
Franconian
|
|
|-
!

|
Freising
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Freising
| 1294–1802
|
Bavarian
|
|
|-
!

|
Fulda
| Abbey, then Bishopric
| german: Reichskloster Fulda, Reichsbistum Fulda
| 1220–1802
|
Upper Rhenish
|
|
Imperial Abbey until 5 October 1752, when it was raised to a bishopric. Secularized in 1802 in the
German Mediatization
|-
!

|
Geneva
| Bishopric
| french: Évêché de Genève
german: Fürstbistum Genf
| 1154-1526
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| since 1154, dominated by their guardians, the counts of
Geneva (until 1400) and
Savoy (since 1401).
Geneva joined the
Old Swiss Confederacy in 1526.
|-
!

|
Halberstadt
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Halberstadt
| 1180–1648
|
Lower Saxon
|
|
|-
!

|
Havelberg
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Havelberg
| 1151–1598
|
Lower Saxon
|
| Founded in 948, annihilated 983, re-established 1130, continued by Lutheran administrators after Reformation in 1548 until 1598
|-
!

|
Hildesheim
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Hildesheim
| 1235–1803
|
Lower Saxon
|
|
|-
!

|
Lausanne
| Bishopric
| french: Principauté épiscopale de Lausanne
german: Bistum Lausanne
| 1270–1536
| None
|
| Conquered by the
Swiss city canton of
Bern in 1536.
|-
!

|
Lebus
| Bishopric
| german: Fürstbistum Lebus
pl|Diecezja lubuska
| 1248–1598
| None
|
| Seated in since 1385; challenged by
Brandenburg, continued by
Hohenzollern Lutheran administrators after Protestant Reformation in 1555 until secularization in 1598.
|-
!
|
Liège
| Bishopric
| french: Principauté de Liége
german: Fürstbistum Lüttich
wa|Principåté d' Lidje
| 980–1789/1795
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
|
|-
!
|
Lübeck
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Lübeck
| 1180–1803
|
Lower Saxon
|
| Seated in
Eutin since the 1270s; Reformation started in 1535, continued by Lutheran administrators since 1586 until secularization in 1803.
Lübeck became a Free Imperial City in 1226.
|-
!

|
Lyon
| Archbishopric
| french: Archevêque de Lyon
frp|Arch·evèque de Liyon
| 1157-1312
| None
|
| Seated in
Lyon; ''Reichsfrei'' confirmed by
Frederick Barbarossa in 1157. Annexed by the
Kingdom of France in 1312.
|-
!

|
Magdeburg
| Archbishopric
| german: Erzstift Magdeburg
| 1180–1680
|
Lower Saxon
|
| Continued by
Lutheran administrators between 1566 and 1631, and again since 1638 until 1680.
|-
!

|
Merseburg
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Merseburg
| 1004–1565
| None
|
| Administered by the Lutheran
Electorate of Saxony between 1544 until 1565.
|-
!

|
Metz
| Bishopric
| french: Évêché de Metz
german: Hochstift Metz
| 10th century–1552
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| One of the
Three Bishoprics ceded to France by the 1552
Treaty of Chambord.
|-
!

|
Minden
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Minden
| 1180–1648
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
|
|-
!
|
Münster
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Münster
| 1180–1802
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
|
|-
!

|
Naumburg
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Naumburg-Zeitz
|
|
|
| Under guardianship of
Meissen from 1259, administrated by
Saxony from 1564.
|-
!
|
Olomouc
| Bishopric
| cs|Biskupství olomoucké
german: Bistum Olmütz
|
| None
|
| The Czech bishopric (later Metropolitan) of
Olomouc, as a
vassal principality of the Bohemian crown, was the peer of the
margraviate of Moravia, and from 1365 its prince-bishop was 'Count of the Bohemian Chapel', i.e., first
court chaplain, who was to accompany the monarch on his frequent travels.
|-
!
|
Osnabrück
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Osnabrück
| 1225/1236–1802
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
| Alternated between Catholic and Protestant incumbents after the
Thirty Years' War, secularized in 1802/1803
|-
!

|
Paderborn
| Bishopric
| german: Fürstbistum Paderborn
| 1281–1802
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
|
|-
!

|
Passau
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Passau
| 999–1803
|
Bavarian
|
| Princely title was confirmed at Nuremberg in 1217.
|-
!

|
Ratzeburg
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Ratzeburg
| 1236–1648
|
Lower Saxon
|
| Ruled by Lutheran administrators between 1554 and 1648.
|-
!

|
Regensburg
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Regensburg
| 1132?–1803
|
Bavarian
|
|
Regensburg became a Free Imperial City in 1245.
|-
!

||
Salzburg
| Archbishopric
| german: Fürsterzbistum Salzburg
| 1278–1803
|
Bavarian
|
| Raised to an electorate in 1803, but simultaneously secularized; ''see
Electorate of Salzburg''. Since 1648, the archbishop has also borne the title , First
ishopof Germania. The powers of this title – non-jurisdictional – are limited to being the Pope's first correspondent in the German-speaking world, but used to include the right to preside over the
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire.
|-
!

|
Schwerin
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Schwerin
| 1180–1648
|
Lower Saxon
|
| Ruled by an administrator between 1516 and 1648.
|-
!

|
Sion
| Bishopric
| french: Principauté épiscopale de Sion
german: Bistum Sitten
| 999–1798
| None
|
| A classic example of unified secular and diocesan authority
|-
!

|
Speyer
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Speyer
| 888–1803
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| Territories to the east of the Rhine were annexed by France in 1681, confirmed in 1697. Speyer became a Free Imperial City in 1294.
|-
!
|
Strasbourg
| Bishopric
| gsw|Bistum Strossburi
french: Évêché de Strasbourg
german: Fürstbistum Straßburg
| 982–1803
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| Territories to the east of the Rhine were annexed by France in 1681, confirmed in 1697. Speyer became a Free Imperial City in 1262.
|-
!
|
Tarentaise
| Archbishopric
| french: Prince-évêque de Tarentaise
frp|Prince Evèque de Tarentèsa
it|Principato vescovile di Tarantasia
| 1186-1769
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| Made Count of Tarentaise since 996, ''Reichsfrei'' since 1186, ''de facto'' dominated by their guardians
Savoy (since 1271). Secularized and annexed by the
Kingdom of Sardinia 1769.
|-
!

|
Toul
| Bishopric
| french: Principauté de Toul
german: Bistum Tull
| 10th century – 1552
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| One of the
Three Bishoprics ceded to France by the 1552
Treaty of Chambord, confirmed in 1648.
|-
!

|
Trent
| Bishopric
| it|Principato vescovile di Trento
german: Fürstbistum Trient
| 1027–1803
|
Austrian Circle
|
|
Secularized to
Tyrol in 1803.
|-
!

|
Utrecht
| Bishopric
| nl|Sticht Utrecht
| 1024–1528
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
| Sold to
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1528, after which it was moved to the
Burgundian Circle. Founding member of the
Dutch Republic in 1579/1581, confirmed in 1648.
|-
!

|
Verden
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Verden
| 1180–1648
|
Lower Rhenish / Westphalian
|
| Continued by Lutheran administrators after Reformation until 1645/1648, when it was continued as a secular and independent principality until its disestablishment in 1807. It became a part of the
Kingdom of Hanover in 1815.
|-
!

|
Verdun
| Bishopric
| french: Principauté de Verdun
german: Bistum Wirten
| 10th century – 1552
|
Upper Rhenish
|
| One of the
Three Bishoprics ceded to France by the 1552
Treaty of Chambord, confirmed in 1648.
|-
!

|
Worms
| Bishopric
| german: Bistum Worms
| 861–1801
|
Upper Rhenish
|
|
Worms city rule established by Bishop
Burchard (1000–25), episcopal residence at
Ladenburg from 1400, held large estates in the former region, territories left of the
Rhine lost by the 1797
Treaty of Campo Formio, secularized at first to
French Empire, finally
Baden and
Hesse-Darmstadt in 1815.
|-
!
|
Würzburg
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Würzburg
| 1168–1803
|
Franconian
|
| Duke of Franconia
The suffragan-bishoprics of
Gurk (established 1070), (1216), (1218), and
Lavant (1225) sometimes used the title, but never held any territory. The bishops of
Vienna (established 1469) and (1469–1785) didn't control any territory, nor did they claim a princely title.
State of the Teutonic Order

Upon the incorporation of the
Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1237, the territory of the
Order's State largely corresponded with the
Diocese of Riga. Bishop
Albert of Riga in 1207 had received the lands of
Livonia as an Imperial fief from the hands of German king
Philip of Swabia, he however had to come to terms with the Brothers of the Sword. At the behest of
Pope Innocent III the ''
Terra Mariana'' confederation was established, whereby Albert had to cede large parts of the episcopal territory to the
Livonian Order. Albert proceeded tactically in the conflict between the Papacy and Emperor
Frederick II: in 1225 he reached the acknowledgement of his status as a Prince-Bishop of the Empire, though the
Roman Curia insisted on the fact that the Christianized
Baltic territories were solely under the suzerainty of the
Holy See. By the 1234 Bull of Rieti,
Pope Gregory IX stated that all lands acquired by the Teutonic Knights were no subject of any
conveyancing by the Emperor.
Within this larger conflict, the continued dualism of the autonomous Riga prince-bishop and the
Teutonic Knights led to a lengthy friction. Around 1245 the Papal legate
William of Modena reached a compromise: though incorporated into the Order's State, the archdiocese and its suffragan bishoprics were acknowledged with their autonomous ecclesiastical territories by the Teutonic Knights. The bishops pursued the conferment of the princely title by the Holy Roman Emperor to stress their sovereignty. In the original
Prussian lands of the Teutonic Order, Willam of Modena established the suffragan bishoprics of
Culm,
Pomesania,
Samland and
Warmia. From the late 13th century onwards, the appointed Warmia bishops were no longer members of the Teutonic Knights, a special status confirmed by the bestowal of the princely title by Emperor
Charles IV in 1356.
}
lv|Kurzemes bīskapija
nds|Bisdom Curland
|
Terra Mariana
|
| Established about 1234, the smallest of the Livonian dioceses.
Secularized in 1559 and occupied by Prince
Magnus of Denmark. From 1585 under the suzerainty of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, part of the
Duchy of Livonia. To
Russia in the 1795
Third Partition of Poland.
|-
!

|
Dorpat
| Bishopric
| et|Tartu piiskopkond
german: Hochstift Dorpat
nds|Bisdom Dorpat
|
Terra Mariana
|
| Bishop
Hermann, appointed by his brother Bishop
Albert of Riga, received the title of a prince-bishop by King
Henry VII of Germany in 1225. Dorpat ( et|Tartu) remained a
suffragan diocese of
Riga. Dissolved in the course of the
Protestant Reformation in 1558.
|-
!

|
Ösel-Wiek
| Bishopric
| et|Saare-Lääne piiskopkond
german: Bistum Ösel-Wiek
nds|Bisdom Ösel-Wiek
|
Terra Mariana
|
| Established on
Saaremaa island in 1228 under Bishop Gottfried, appointed by Bishop
Albert of Riga, vested with the title of a prince-bishop by King
Henry VII of Germany. It remained a
suffragan diocese of
Riga. Dissolved in the course of the
Protestant Reformation in 1559.
|-
!

|
Riga
| Archbishopric
| german: Erzbistum Riga
lv|Rīgas arhibīskapija
nds|Erzbisdom Riga
|
Terra Mariana
|
| Episcopal see at
Üxküll 1186–1202. In 1225
Albert of Riga received the title of a Prince-bishop of
Livonia by Emperor
Frederick II. Last Archbishop
William of Brandenburg resigned in 1561 during the
Livonian War, territory fell to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, to
Sweden in 1621.
|-
!

|
Warmia
| Bishopric
| german: Hochstift Ermland
pl|Biskupie Księstwo Warmińskie
|
Prussia
|
| Established by Papal legate
William of Modena in 1243, princely title documented in the
Golden Bull of 1356. Incorporated into the
Jagiellon kingdom of Poland in 1466 and re-established as an autonomous prince-bishopric under the
Polish crown in 1479. Abolished in the course of the
Prussian annexation in 1772 during the
First Partition of Poland.
Elsewhere
England
The
Bishops of Durham were also territorial prince-bishops, with the extraordinary secular rank of
Earl palatine, for it was their duty not only to be head of the large diocese, but also to help protect the Kingdom against the
Scottish threat from the north. The title survived the union of England and Scotland into the
Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 until 1836. The first Prince-bishop was
William Walcher who purchased the earldom and constructed additional buildings of
Durham Castle.
Except for a brief period of suppression during the
English Civil War, the bishopric retained this temporal power until it was abolished by the
Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836 with the powers returned to the Crown.
France
From the tenth century civil wars on, many bishops took over the powers of the local count, as authorised by the king. For example, at Chalons-sur-Marne the bishop ruled the lands 20 km around the town, while the Archbishop of Rheims demarcated his territory with five fortresses of Courville, Cormicy, Betheneville, Sept-Saulx and Chaumuzy.
A number of French bishops did hold a noble title, with a tiny territory usually about their seat; it was often a
princely title, especially Count. Indeed, six of the twelve original
Pairies (the royal vassals awarded with the highest precedence at Court) were episcopal: the
Archbishop of Reims, the
Bishop of Langres, and the
Bishop of Laon held a
ducal title, the bishops of
Beauvais,
Chalôns, and
Noyon had
comital status. They were later joined by the
Archbishop of Paris, who was awarded a ducal title, but with precedence over the others. France included a number of prince-bishops formerly within the Holy Roman Empire such those of Besançon, Cambrai, Strasbourg, Metz, Toul, Verdun, and Belley. The bishops of Arles, Embrun, and Grenoble also qualify as princes of episcopal cities. The bishop of Viviers was Count of Viviers and Prince de Donzère. The bishop of Sisteron was also Prince de Lurs, the title of count was held by the Archbishop of Lyons, and the bishop of Gap, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, Vienne and Die were Seigneurs of their cities. Never part of the empire were Lisieux, Cahors, Chalon-sur-Saône, Léon, Dol and Vabres whose bishops were also counts. Ajaccio was Count of Frasso. The bishops of Sarlat, Saint-Malo (Baron de Beignon) and of Luçon were Barons and Tulle was Viscount of the city. The bishop of Mende was governor and count, Puy held the title Count of Velay, Quimper was Seigneur of the city and Comte de Cornouailles, Valence was Seigneur and Count of the city. Montpellier's bishop was Count of Mauguio and Montferrand, Marquis of Marquerose and Baron of Sauve, Durfort, Salevoise, and Brissac. The bishop of Saint-Claude was Seigneur of all the lands of Saint-Claude. The bishops of Digne (Seigneur and Baron), Pamiers (co-Seigneur), Albi, Lectoure, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Papoul, Saint-Pons, and Uzès were Seigneurs of the cities.
Montenegro
The
bishops of Cetinje,
Montenegro, who took the place of the earlier secular (Grand)
Voivodes in 1516 had a unique position of
Slavonic,
Orthodox prince-bishops of
Montenegro under
Ottoman suzerainty. They actually became the secularized, hereditary princes and ultimately
Kings of Montenegro in 1852, as reflected in their styles:
* first ("Bishop and Ruler of Montenegro and the Highlands")
* from 13 March 1852 (
New Style): ("
By the grace of God Prince and Sovereign of Montenegro and the Highlands")
* from 28 August 1910 (New Style): ("By the grace of God, King and Sovereign of Montenegro")
Portugal
From 1472 to 1967, the bishop of
Coimbra held the
comital title of Count of
Arganil, being thus called "bishop-count" ( pt|Bispo-Conde). The
comital title is still held ''de jure'', but since
Portugal is a republic and nobility privileges are abolished, its use declined during the 20th century.
Special cases
The
Bishop of Urgell, Catalonia, who no longer has any secular rights in Spain, remains one of two
co-princes of Andorra, along with the French head of state (currently its
President)
Modern informal usage
The term has been used by Episcopalians in North America to describe modern bishops with commanding personalities usually of previous generations.
One such individual was Bishop
Horace W. B. Donegan of whom Episcopal
suffragan bishop Robert E. Terwilliger said "We often say that Bishop Donegan is the last prince bishop of the church because in his graciousness, in his presence, in his total lack of any crisis of identity, we have seen what a bishop is; and we know that it is a kind of royalty in Christ."
Anglican Archbishop
Robert Duncan expressed his view that the pastoral changes "in the 1970s was a revolution in reaction to those prince bishops - they had all this authority, they had all this power." So systems such as the Commission on Ministry system in the Episcopal Church "was to replace an individual's authority with a committee's authority."
[
]
See also
* Crown-cardinal
* Lord Bishop
* Political Catholicism
* Prince-abbot
* Prince-Provost
* Prince of the Church
* Temporal power
References
Sources and external links
* Catholic Encyclopaedia passim
The Prince-Bishop of Münster
Albert of Buxhoeveden, Prince-Bishop of Livonia
* Westermann, (in German)
WorldStatesmen
search under each present country
{{Authority control
Category:Catholicism in the Middle Ages
Category:History of Catholicism in Germany
Category:Ecclesiastical titles
Category:Heads of state
Category:Bishops by type
Category:Noble titles
Category:Christianity in the Holy Roman Empire