PRIMATE (Lat. printas, chief, from prinnus, first). A title in sonic of the Christian churches applied to a bishop as first in a province o• group of provinces. A metropolitan is a primate as pre siding in his province, or one of several metro politans as presiding over others. The title does not seem to have come into ordinary use until the ninth century, after which it was given to the metropolitans of certain sees as the special rep resentatives of the Pope. It strictly belongs to the Latin Church, but in its general use it cor responds with that of exarch in Eastern churches. In early usage the primate, as such, was the head of a particular Church or country, and held rank, and in some churches a certain degree of jurisdiction, over all the archbishops and bishops within the national Church. This jurisdiction, however, was confined to the right of visitation and of receiving appeals. In Africa the Bishop of Carthage, without the title, pos sessed all the rank and authority of a primate. The chief primatial sees of the Western Church have been: in Spain, Seville and Tarragona, af terwards united in Toledo; in France, Arles, Rheims, Lyons, and Rouen (the Archbishop of Lyons claiming the title of primut des primats); in England, Canterbury and York; in Germany, Mainz, Salzburg. and Treves; in Ireland, Ar
magh, and for the Pale, Dublin; in Scotland, Saint Andrews; in Hungary, Gran; in Poland. Gnesen; and for the Scandinavian countries. Lund. In England, as a settlement of the quar rels between Canterbury and Yo•k, the Pope desig nated the Archbishop of Canterbury as primate of all England: while the Archbishop of Yo•k was to be known as primate of England.
The title of primate is also given to several bishops of the Church of England in the British colonies. In the Episcopal Church of Scotland the title prim us is given to the presiding bishop. Ile is chosen by vote of all the bishops without their being bound to give effect to seniority of consecration or precedency of diocese. See NUT ROPOLITAN ; PATRIARCH.