Metropolitan bishop

[4] The Council of Nicea codified this arrangement into canon law[5] in accordance with the growing standardisation of ecclesiastical diocesan structure along the lines of secular Roman blueprints.

Meanwhile, Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch had grown in ecclesiastical prominence such that by the early 4th century they had long-recognised jurisdiction over more than one province of bishops each.

[6] By virtue of their authority over multiple provinces, the sees of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch were by this time already exercising "supra-metropolitan" reach that would later be extended and become known as Patriarchates.

[6] After Nicaea the designation of Metropolitan applied to such sees as Caesarea and Carthage, which by the late 4th century had a recognised primacy over multiple provinces of Syria Palaestina and the wider Maghreb, respectively.

[7][4][6] With the Imperial Capital having moved to Byzantium in 330, the renamed city of Constantinople became increasingly important in church affairs of the Greek East.

Coinciding with the city's use as the Imperial residence, the See of Milan was elevated to Metropolitan/Archepiscopal status by the time of the presidency of Ambrose (374-397)[8] and temporarily exercised primacy over Northern Italy (the Diocesis Italia annonaria, which included territory across the Alps to the Danube).

[14] The metropolitan is obliged to request the pallium, a symbol of the power that, in communion with the Church of Rome, he possesses over his ecclesiastical province.

It is the responsibility of the metropolitan, with the consent of the majority of the suffragan bishops, to call a provincial council, decide where to convene it, and determine the agenda.

[21] A major archbishop is defined as the metropolitan of a certain see who heads an autonomous Eastern Church not of patriarchal rank.

Primates of autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches below patriarchal rank are generally designated as archbishops.

In Romanian Orthodox Church there are six regional metropolitans who are the chairmen of their respective synods of bishops, and have special duties and privileges.

On the other hand, in some Eastern Orthodox churches title of metropolitan is only honorary, with no special or additional jurisdiction.

Baselios Marthoma Mathews III was enthroned as Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan on 15 October 2021 at Parumala, Kerala.

Prior to 1970, however, the metropolitan of the Province of Rupert's Land was always the bishop of the eponymous diocese, centred on Winnipeg.