The protosyncellus is normally a senior
priest,
archimandrite,
chorbishop or
auxiliary bishop selected to assist the bishop with his administrative responsibilities. In this capacity the protosyncellus exercises the bishop's executive power over the entire eparchy. The title derives from the Greek term
syncellus (), from
syn, "with", and
kellion, "cell" (Latin:
cella).
Synkellos was a term used in the
early Church for those
monks or
clerics who lived in the same cell with their bishops and whose duty it was to be witnesses to the purity of their lives or to perform the daily spiritual exercises in common with them. In the
Eastern Church, they became the
councillors and
confessors of the
patriarchs and bishops and were much trusted by them. They held the first place after their masters and had a seat and vote in the
councils of the Church. In the course of time the patriarchs took two or more
syncelli, the most distinguished of whom was called
protosynkellos,
Latinized as
protosyncellus. == Missionary use ==