Religious Signs

A bishop is someone who is a pastoral leader and administrator in church communities which have a strong structural element (such as Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox). A bishop is in charge of a definite area called a diocese. All members of the church in a diocese and all its institutions (e.g., schools and hospitals) are under the bishop�s authority in most church-related matters. The background to the sign on the left is an outdated practice in the past, when people used to kiss the ring worn by the bishop as a symbol of his role as a leader.