Caodaism: ranks and lineage

IColours

Colour used for this page of the library: Yellow (color of the Way, "Thái" branch) #E0A91B. Every colour code is approximate, since most paths name their colours without publishing codes.

Principal colour the colour of the path

Place of worship real sanctuaries

Ritual colours by occasion and season

Mourning and avoided colours

IIRanks

The Great Way of the Third Period of Salvation ("Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ") was founded in 1926 in Tây Ninh and teaches the return of the Three Teachings to a common source. It is organized according to the Religious Constitution ("Pháp Chánh Truyền") into three palaces. The Eight Trigrams Palace ("Bát Quái Đài") is the sacred body under the Supreme Being. The Heavenly Union Palace ("Hiệp Thiên Đài") holds communion with the divine and the law. The Nine Sphere Palace ("Cửu Trùng Đài") handles administration and propagation. There is no single central church. The Caodai Sacerdotal Council of the Tây Ninh Holy See is the largest body, alongside many other independent councils and branches.

1. 1
   Pope 教宗 · Pope

   Head of the Nine Sphere Palace, a single person who guides the worldly side on behalf of the Supreme Being. Equal in rank to the Guardian of the Law of the Heavenly Union Palace.

2. 2
   Censor Cardinal 掌法 · Censor Cardinal

   Three persons, one for each branch ("Thái", "Thượng", "Ngọc"), who review laws and rules before they are issued.

3. 3
   Cardinal 頭師 · Cardinal

   Three persons, one for each branch, who govern both the religious and the worldly affairs of the Nine Sphere Palace.

4. 4
   Principal Archbishop 正配師 · Principal Archbishop

   Three persons chosen from the thirty six Archbishops, one for each branch, heading the Archbishops of their branch.

5. 5
   Archbishop 配師 · Archbishop

   Thirty six persons, twelve for each branch.

6. 6
   Bishop 教師 · Bishop

   Seventy two persons, twenty four for each branch, in charge of registers and rites.

7. 7
   Priest 教友 · Priest

   Three thousand persons, one thousand for each branch, closest to the adherents and in charge of propagating the faith.

8. 8
   Student Priest 禮生 · Student Priest

   Unlimited in number, chosen from among the disciples, in charge of rites.

9. 9
   Chief Village Dignitary 正治事 · Chief Village Dignitary

   A lay officer who heads the Administrative Committee of the village parish, elected by the adherents of the village.

10. 10
    Vice Village Dignitary 副治事 · Vice Village Dignitary

    A lay officer in charge of administration in the village parish, called the "younger Pope". Elected by the adherents of the village.

11. 11
    Village Law Officer 通事 · Village Law Officer

    A lay officer in charge of the law in the village parish, called the "younger Guardian of the Law". Elected by the adherents of the village.

12. 12
    Adherent 信徒 · Adherent

    A person who has been initiated, makes the four daily offerings and wears a white long robe for rites.

13. 1
    Heavenly Union Palace: Guardian of the Law 護法 · Hộ Pháp, Guardian of the Law

    Head of the Heavenly Union Palace, in charge of communion with the divine and the law, equal in rank to the Pope. Commands the Law branch.

14. 2
    Heavenly Union Palace: "Thượng Phẩm" and "Thượng Sanh" 上品, 上生 · Thượng Phẩm, Thượng Sanh

    The two assistants of the Guardian of the Law. The "Thượng Phẩm" commands the Religious branch and the "Thượng Sanh" commands the Secular branch. This grade is counted within the Heavenly Union Palace only.

15. 3
    Heavenly Union Palace: the Twelve Zodiacal Dignitaries 十二時君 · Twelve Zodiacal Dignitaries

    Twelve persons divided into three branches. Law branch: "Bảo Pháp", "Hiến Pháp", "Khai Pháp", "Tiếp Pháp". Religious branch: "Bảo Đạo", "Hiến Đạo", "Khai Đạo", "Tiếp Đạo". Secular branch: "Bảo Thế", "Hiến Thế", "Khai Thế", "Tiếp Thế".

16. 4
    Heavenly Union Palace: the Juridical Body Lower dignitaries of Hiệp Thiên Đài

    "Tiếp Dẫn Đạo Nhơn" (receiver of followers), "Chưởng Ấn" (keeper of the seal), "Cải Trạng" (advocate), "Giám Đạo" (inspector), "Thừa Sử" (archivist), "Truyền Trạng" (investigator), "Sĩ Tải" (clerk), "Luật Sự" (law student).

Followers: Caodai adherents, fellow adherents ("đạo hữu"). no source found on how adherents are graded

IIIForms of address

IVVestments by rank

Flat drawings made from the descriptions in the sources, with no people shown. Colours are approximate.

VLine of succession

Caodaists believe that the Supreme Being founded the religion directly through spirit writing, so the highest dignitaries are regarded as appointed by Heaven. At the Tây Ninh Holy See, after Interim Pope Lê Văn Trung and "Hộ Pháp" (Guardian of the Law) Phạm Công Tắc, no one has held the rank of Pope or Guardian of the Law. The Sacerdotal Council has been run by acting heads and, since 1979, by a Governing Council. Beyond Tây Ninh there are many parallel councils and branches, each with its own head.

Cao Đài Holy See of Tây Ninh: leaders through the periods

1. Opened the religion in the "Bính Dần" year, 1926The Supreme Being, the Jade Emperor, "Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát" 高臺仙翁大菩薩摩訶薩

   The Supreme Being believed to have founded the religion through séances and ordained the first disciples.

2. From 1926Li Bai (Lý Thái Bạch), First Spiritual Head and invisible Pope 李太白

   Believed to hold the spiritual papacy of the Third Amnesty.

3. #1 · 1878 to 1932. According to Caodai history he received the vision of the Divine Eye on Phú Quốc in 1921Ngô Văn Chiêu 吳文昭

   First disciple of Cao Đài. He declined the papacy, left in 1926 and founded the Chiếu Minh branch.

4. #2 · 1876 to 1934, Interim Pope 1926 to 1934Lê Văn Trung, Interim Pope, holy name "Thượng Trung Nhựt" 黎文忠

   Ordained Cardinal then Acting Pope, the only person to exercise the papal office at Tây Ninh.

5. #3 · 1888 to 1929Cao Quỳnh Cư, "Thượng Phẩm" 高瓊璩

   One of the three original mediums of 1925, held the rank of Thượng Phẩm in the Hiệp Thiên Đài.

6. #4 · 1890 to 1959, head of the Heavenly Union Palace and also of the Nine Sphere Palace from 1935Phạm Công Tắc, "Hộ Pháp" (Guardian of the Law) 范公稷

   Head of the Hiệp Thiên Đài who led both councils after 1935. Exiled to Madagascar 1941 to 1946, left for Cambodia in 1956, died in Phnom Penh 1959.

7. #5 · 1901 to 1971, head of the Heavenly Union Palace from 1956Cao Hoài Sang, "Thượng Sanh" 高懷

   One of the three original mediums, led the Hiệp Thiên Đài after the Hộ Pháp left in 1956.

8. #6 · Issued instructions from 1963 to 1971Trương Hữu Đức, "Hiến Pháp" 張有德

   Head of the Legal Department and of the Hiệp Thiên Đài in the post Hộ Pháp period.

9. #7 · 1888 to 1980Trần Ngọc Sáng, Cardinal of the "Thượng" branch, holy name "Thượng Sáng Thanh" 陳玉創

   Cardinal of the Cửu Trùng Đài, co-signed the 1979 ordinance of the Holy See.

10. #8 · Head in 1979, brought before a review in 1983Hồ Tấn Khoa, "Bảo Đạo", Head of the Heavenly Union Palace 胡進科

    Signed the 1979 ordinance as head administrator. Put before a denunciation meeting in 1983 and asked to step down.

11. #9 · Established on 4 June 1979 by decision 124/QĐ-UBGoverning Council

    Collective body replacing the former structure. In 1997 the Holy See was recognised by the State with a new charter.

12. #10 · Born April 1936, serving as Head as of September 2026Nguyễn Thành Tám, Cardinal, holy name "Thượng Tám Thanh", Head of the Sacerdotal Council 阮成三

    Current head of the Tây Ninh Holy See, who marked his 90th birthday in April 2026.

Main Cao Đài branches and their founders

1. Separated from 1926, recognized in 1996Chiếu Minh Tam Thanh Vô Vi (Chiếu Minh Long Châu): Ngô Văn Chiêu

   Esoteric branch following Ngô Văn Chiêu, without the Tây Ninh administrative hierarchy.

2. Founded in the early 1930s in Mỹ Tho, recognized in 2000Minh Chơn Lý (Caodai Sacerdotal Council of Chơn Lý): Nguyễn Văn Ca 阮文歌

   One of the earliest branches to separate from Tây Ninh.

3. Founded in the 1930s in Bến Tre, recognized in 1995Tiên Thiên: Lê Kim Tỵ 黎金巳

   Branch focused on self-cultivation, now a separate church.

4. Founded in the 1930s in Bạc Liêu, recognized in 1996Minh Chơn Đạo: Trần Đạo Quang, then Cao Triều Phát 高朝發

   Branch strong in the far southwest.

5. Separated in 1934, recognized in 1997Ban Chỉnh Đạo (Bến Tre): Nguyễn Ngọc Tương 阮玉相

   Separated from Tây Ninh after the death of Lê Văn Trung.

6. Recognized in 1996Caodai Missionary Church (Đà Nẵng)

   Church that spread the faith in central Vietnam.

7. Recognized in 1998Bạch Y Liên Đoàn Chơn Lý

   A state recognised Cao Đài church.

8. Recognized in 2000Cầu Kho Tam Quan

   A state recognised Cao Đài church.

A venerated figure: the library shows no portrait, only the name inside a round seal.

VIOrdination and transmission

Dignitaries are promoted to ranks. There is no monastic ordination. There are two kinds of promotion. Heavenly promotion is a rank granted by the Supreme Being through spirit writing, and human promotion is a rank granted by people. Lay officers are elected by the adherents of their village. Religious administration runs from the central level to the regional, provincial, district, village and hamlet parishes.

1. Initiation as an adherentRequirement: Voluntary. No primary source found on detailed requirements.Rite: Initiation ceremony at a Holy House ("Thánh Thất")
2. Lay officer (Village Law Officer, Vice Village Dignitary, Chief Village Dignitary)Requirement: Elected by all the adherents of the village, observant of the religious law and of good conductRite: no detailed source found
3. Student Priest, rising through Priest, Bishop and ArchbishopRequirement: Heavenly promotion through spirit writing, or review of merit and seniority by the Sacerdotal Council. No detailed source found on the criteria for promotion.Rite: Promotion ceremony. No detailed source found.

VIIWhere the sources disagree

• The color of the "Ngọc" branch is inconsistent. The flag gives red, while the vestments in the Religious Constitution are pink. The page should use red for the flag and pink for the vestments of the "Ngọc" branch.
• The "Thượng" Censor Cardinal wears all white, not blue like the "Thượng" Cardinal. The daotam.info source states this clearly.
• Orientation of the flag stripes: English Wikipedia describes the three color flag of yellow, blue and red as vertical. The Charter of the Missionary Sacerdotal Council gives three colors parallel along the length, that is horizontal stripes, with yellow on top, blue in the middle and red at the bottom. Different councils use different flag designs.
• The old color in mau-sac.json, deep #8C6408, is a dark yellow for reading text and works as a text color. The identity yellow should be brighter. The proposal is #E0A91B.
• The old place of worship colors in mau-that.json (ceiling #8DBFE8, pillars #D9869B) match the source descriptions. For the exterior walls the source only says pastel colors, and these have not been measured.
• All descriptions of vestments here follow the Sacerdotal Council of the Tây Ninh Holy See. Other branches may differ.
• Grade numbers for the Heavenly Union Palace are counted within that palace only. There is a source only for the Guardian of the Law being equal to the Pope. No source found comparing the lower grades with the Nine Sphere Palace.
• The Eight Trigrams Palace is the sacred body under the Supreme Being and the Divinities, Saints, Immortals and Buddhas. It has no human ranks and so is not listed in the hierarchy.
• The ten_en values of the ranks are common translations in English language documents, not official names.
• After 1975 a group of Tây Ninh dignitaries and adherents, in Vietnam and abroad, did not accept the Governing Council and the Sacerdotal Council recognized in 1997 as legitimate, calling it the 1997 Branch. The VNFORB source (from that side) records that in 2015 the Legislative Body of the traditional Sacerdotal Council publicly separated itself. The library records both sides without judgment.
• Ngô Văn Chiêu: the Wikipedia page on Caodaism says he signed the Declaration of the Founding of the Religion on 7 October 1926, while the Wikipedia page about him says he did not sign. Caodai sources agree that he declined the office of Pope.
• No sufficiently reliable source found for the heads of the Governing Council between 1983 and the time of Mr. Nguyễn Thành Tám. It is also unclear in which year Mr. Tám became Head.
• The dates of Cao Quỳnh Cư (1888 to 1929) and the Divine Eye vision on Phú Quốc in 1921 follow common Caodai history and have not been checked against primary sources in this session.
• The founding years of branches before 1975 are given by decade, since sources differ by a few years. Years of recognition follow nhipcautamgiao.net. That source also lists 19 other independent Caodai organizations recognized from 1998 to 2008.
• The Chinese characters of Cao Hoài Sang's name have not been fully checked. The last character is left in transcription.
• No images obtained: the server blocked access to Wikimedia Commons in this session, so all anh entries are null. Retry for Phạm Công Tắc, Lê Văn Trung, Ngô Văn Chiêu and Cao Hoài Sang.

VIIISources

?Quick Questions

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