Hierarchy (Gr. hieros, 'sacred,' and archō, 'I govern'), the name used to designate the whole sacred governing and ministering body in the church, distributed according to its several gradations. See ORDERS (HOLY), BISHOP, PRIEST, DEACON; also POPE.
Hierarchy
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 5: Friday to Humanitarians, p. 705
Source scan(s): p. 0720