Prior

The office of Prior is an ecclesiastic station of the Church of the Holy Light.

History
The office has a mixed history of usage, but now finds consistent and singular usage in the Council of Bishops regulated by the Code of Canon Law. But originally, the office of prior was specific to monasteries such as Northshire Abbey, where the prior was the abbot's right hand. With special ceremonial duties and authority over the priests and paladins of the monastery, the prior was considered the "first cleric" of the abbey, second only to the Abbot, who was lord of the house.

But the Holy See under St. Columban V adopted the office as a second to the Bishop of the Diocese of Stormwind and the first priest of the regular canons in the Cathedral of Light. The last known prior of the Holy See was Johannes Moorwhelp, at which point the Holy See's leader, Kaston Electus, fell to apostasy.

That usage continued under Johannes Moorwhelp (later Alonsus II) as he reformed the College of Canons, but he sent his priors to serve most usually an education purpose in the Cathedral's outpost of Northshire Abbey. The last known prior of Northshire under this usage was Elesabeth Stanbridge.

When the Council of Bishops was reformed under Benedictus, the priors of Northshire had a role within the government of the worldwide church, and eventually, the law was changed and the role of prior became one of the entire church.