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Protodiacon

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Protonotarius Apostolicus

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The protodiacon, or archdeacon, holds the first rank among the deacons employed in the Episcopal Church to assist the bishop during worship and in the exercise of his pontificalia. He is constantly near the person of the bishop or archbishop, and stands at his side while he is performing the liturgical rites or conferring holy orders. The splendor of the episcopal dignity reflected on this office, and the influence which the archdeacons in all times exercised upon the bishops, made of the proto- or arch-deacon, in the Greek-Russian Church, a very important person. In larger parishes several deacons are employed, but only the first deacon of an episcopal church is distinguished by the honorary title of archi- or proto-diaconus.