Can someone explain how the various orders work within the catholic church? Are they a completely independent structure from the diocese? Are orders accountable to the bishop structure (in the context of being an order)? Do bishops provide the boundaries for orders, or are the independent? And, since the pope is a special case of bishop, is the pope’s relationship with the orders the same as any other bishop, or is that role a special case in this instance as well? Are there any special titles that go with orders?
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A religious order is characterized by an authority structure where a superior general has jurisdiction over the order’s dependent communities. An exception is the Order of Saint Benedict which is not a religious order in this technical sense, because it has a system of independent houses, meaning that each abbey is autonomous. However, the constitutions governing the order’s global independent houses and its distinct Benedictine congregations (of which there are twenty) were approved by the pope.
The Canons Regular of Saint Augustine are in a situation similar to that of the Benedictines. They are organized in eight congregations, each headed by an abbot general, but also have an Abbot Primate of the Confederated Canons Regular of Saint Augustine. And the Cistercians are in thirteen congregations, each headed by an abbot general or an abbot president, but do not use the title of abbot primate.
They are generally **outside diocesan control**. The Pope does not have specific authority over any one or more order/s.
There is a cool little [Catholic hierarchy website ](https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/)with further, much more detailed, information.
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