Cryptic crossword clue
Patriarch John squeezing alongside Protestant elder 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PRESBYTER

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
R
E
S
B
Y
T
E
R

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Protestant elder" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case protestant elder = presbyter.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PRESBYTER mean?

PRESBYTER noun
  1. A priest or minister in various churches.
  2. An elder of the Presbyterian church.
  3. An elder of the congregation in early Christianity.

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