As noted above, the first consideration for precedence is always the hierarchy of order: first
bishops, then
presbyters, next
deacons. At earlier times in the Church's history, deacons were ranked above presbyters, or the two orders considered equal, but the bishop always came first.
Laity (including
lay ecclesial ministers,
religious, seminarians, et al.) are not part of the hierarchy of order. The next principle is the hierarchy of
jurisdiction: one who has authority over other persons has the right of precedence over them. This considers a person's office, and therefore can include laity, particularly
lay ecclesial ministers and religious. Relatedly, those with jurisdiction take precedence over those with
titular,
ad personam, or emeritus titles, so someone serving in a specific office (e.g., diocesan bishop) has precedence over someone with a titular claim to the same rank (e.g., titular bishop) or someone who used to serve in an equivalent office (e.g., a retired bishop). Generally speaking, function, or the exercise of office, has precedence over purely honorary titles.
De facto precedence should be applied where, a non-ordained religious or lay ecclesial minister serves in an office equivalent listed below (e.g., a diocesan director of Catholic Education is an equal office to an episcopal vicar, a pastoral life director an equal office to pastor, though with respect to the principle of the hierarchy of order noted above). Among honorary titles, geographic extent is considered (e.g., the national primate has precedence over a titular patriarch, as the former has an honorary title extending over an entire country, but the latter only over a single diocese). If two persons hold the same office, precedence is given to the one of a higher order (e.g., of two episcopal vicars, one being a presbyter and the other an auxiliary bishop, the bishop takes precedence). If two persons are of the same order and office, the one who was promoted earlier takes precedence (e.g., of two metropolitan archbishops, whoever was promoted to a metropolitan see first has precedence). If two persons of the same order and office were promoted at the same time, precedence goes to the one who was ordained first (to that order) (e.g., of two priests appointed as pastors at the same time, whoever was ordained presbyter first has precedence). In the case of cardinals of the same rank created at the same consistory, precedence is given according to the order in which their names were published. In their own dioceses, bishops have precedence before other bishops and archbishops, but not before their own metropolitan. From 1965 to 1990, they were ranked as equal to Cardinal-bishops. It remains the case that, if a patriarch is also made a cardinal in the Latin Church, he is created at the rank of cardinal-bishop, without a named see, but retains his place of precedence. From the 1917
Code of Canon Law until the
motu proprio of Paul VI in 1965, cardinals of all ranks took precedence over non-cardinal patriarchs. ==Order of precedence==