Patriarch Totally Explained

Everything about Patriarchs totally explained

Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a composition of πατήρ (pater) meaning "father" and ἄρχων (archon) meaning "leader", "chief", "ruler", "king", etc. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are referred to as the three patriarchs of the people of Israel, and the period in which they lived is called the Patriarchal Age. It originally acquired its religious meaning in the Septuagint version of the Bible.
The word has mainly taken on specific ecclesiastical meanings. In particular, the highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church (above Major Archbishop and primate), and the Assyrian Church of the East are called patriarchs. The office and ecclesiastical conscription (comprising one or more provinces, though outside his own (arch)diocese he's often without enforceable jurisdiction) of such a patriarch is called a patriarchate. Historically, a Patriarch may often be the logical choice to act as Ethnarch, representing the community that's identified with his religious confession within a state or empire of a different creed (as Christians within the Ottoman Empire).

Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East

The Catholicos-Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, head of the Assyrian Church of the East in the Near East

Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East

The Catholicos-Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, head of the Ancient Church of the East in the Near East (separated from the Assyrian Church of the East in 1964)

Patriarch of the Nasrani (Assyrian) Church of the East

The Catholicos of Jerusalem of the Church of the East & Abroad

Patriarchs in Oriental Orthodox Churches

see: Oriental Orthodoxy

The Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa and the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in Egypt and All Africa and the Spiritual Leader of Oriental Orthodoxy

The Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and the head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and Supreme Leader of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church in the Near East

The Catholicos of India and the head of the Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church in India

The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin, Armenia and of All Armenians and Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church

The Catholicos of Cilicia and head of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the House of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon and the Middle East
The Patriarch of Constantinople for the Armenians in Turkey
The Patriarch of Jerusalem and of Holy Zion for the Armenians in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and the Persian Gulf

The Catholicos of the East and the head of the Indian Orthodox Church in India

The Archbishop of Axum and Patriarch Catholicos of All Ethiopia and the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Ethiopia

The Archbishop of Asmara and Patriarch of All Eritrea and the head of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Eritrea

Patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Churches

see: Eastern Orthodoxy

The Ecumenical Patriarch, head of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople and the Spiritual Leader of Eastern Orthodoxy

The Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa and the head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria in All Africa

The Patriarch of Antioch and the head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East in the Near East

The Patriarch of Jerusalem and the head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and Holy Zion in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and All Arabia

The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia

The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia and the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Georgia

The Patriarch of Serbia and the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Serbia (and the former Yugoslavia)

The Patriarch of All Romania and the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Romania

The Patriarch of All Bulgaria and the head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria

Eastern Patriarchs out of the Orthodox Communion

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia head of the Russian Old-Orthodox Church

Patriarch of Kiev head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchate

Patriarch of Kiev head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church

Patriarchs of the Roman Catholic Church

see: Roman Catholic Church As part of the Pentarchy, the Pope's Patriarchate of Rome was the only one in the Western Roman empire. It was roughly coterminous with present territory of the Latin Rite. In the past popes have used the title Patriarch of the West. However, this title was removed from a reference publication issued by the Vatican in 2006.

Latin Rite Patriarchs

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem These titles are honorary and carry no actual Patriarchal authority:

The Patriarch of the East Indies a titular patriarchal see, united to Goa and Daman.
The Patriarch of Lisbon
The Patriarch of Venice

Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches

see: Patriarchs of the East

The Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria and head of the Coptic Catholic Church

The Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and the head of the Syrian Catholic Church

The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and the head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church; united to it are two now titular patriarchal sees, both in Middle Eastern Pentarchy cities:

Melkite Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria (in Egypt)
Melkite Catholic Patriarchs of Jerusalem (in Palestine/Israel)

The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, head of the Maronite Church

The Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon and the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church

The Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia and the head of the Armenian Catholic Church

Historical Patriarchs in the Roman Catholic Church

The Latin Patriarch of Antioch

The Latin Patriarch of Alexandria

The Patriarch of Aquileia

The Latin Patriarch of Carthage

The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople

The Patriarch of Grado

The Patriarch of the West Indies a titular patriarchal see, vacant since 1963

Other Catholic Patriarchs

The Patriarch of the Catholic Apostolic National Church of Brazil

Mormonism

According to Mormonism, a patriarch is one who has been ordained to the office of Patriarch in the Melchizedek Priesthood. The term is considered synonymous with the term evangelist. One of the patriarch's primary responsibilities is to give Patriarchal blessings, as Jacob did to his twelve sons in the Old Testament. In the main branch of Mormonism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Patriarchs are typically assigned in each stake and hold the title for life.

Further Information

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