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The phrase "Prime Minister" literally means "primary minister" or "first minister." As such, the Prime Ministers of many countries are traditionally considered to be "first among equals" - they are the most senior of a group of ministers, rather than holding an office that is superior to that of ministers. It is debatable whether this description of the Prime Minister's role is accurate, however.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has frequently been referred to as "first among equals." In the UK, the executive is the Cabinet, and during Hanoverian times a minister had the role of informing the monarch about proposed legislation in the House of Commons and other matters. In modern times, however, although the phrase is still used, it understates the powers of the Prime Minister.
In 1984, author Jeffrey Archer wrote "First Among Equals," a well-regarded novel about the careers and private lives of several men vying to become British Prime Minister.
The phrase "first among equals" is also used by some to describe the roles of the Pope or the Patriarch of Constantinople. According to those views, the titles do not mean that the holder has special authority over the other bishops; rather, it is an acknowledgement of their historic significance.
This is not the view of the Roman Catholic Church, which considers the Pope to be Vicar of Christ, successor of Saint PeterSaint Peter (died c. 67) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. His original name was Simon "Hearkening; listening", Standard Hebrew imon Tiberian Hebrew imon , but he was given the nickname of Peter which means rock in Greek, and clearly superior to the rest of the bishops, successors of the ApostleAlternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism The Christian Apostles were Jewish men who were "sent forth" (as indicated by the Greek word apostolos , by Jesus to preach Christianity to both Jews and Gentiles, across the world. He called unto him his disciples. Because of this, the Roman Catholic Church sees the Pope as holding an office senior to that of other bishops, rather than merely being the most senior bishop.
In the Anglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is a world-wide organisation of Anglican Churches. There is no single "Anglican Church"; it is better to speak of the Anglican Communion, which consists of national churches in communion with the Church of England. Most share the do, the Archbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is a bishop of the Church of England. His see is the Diocese of Canterbury and his episcopal chair ('cathedra') is at Canterbury Cathedral. He is the most senior bishop of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Co is often considered to be "first among equals".
The phrase "first among equals" has also used been to describe the Chief Justice of the United States (sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Chief Justice of the Supreme Court"). The Chief Justice has considerable administrative powers, and can assign the writing of decisions in cases in which he is in the majority, but has no direct control over the decisions of his colleagues on the United States Supreme Court.
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