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{{Short description|Jurisdiction and office of an ecclesiastical patriarch}}
{{distinguish|Patriarchy|Patriation{{!}}Patriate}}
[[File:1800 Wilkinson Map of the 4 Eastern Churches rectified.jpg|thumb|250px|Eastern patriarchates of the [[Pentarchy]], after the [[Council of Chalcedon]] (451)]]

'''Patriarchate''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|eɪ|t|r|i|ɑːr|k|ɪ|t|,_|-|k|eɪ|t}}, {{IPAc-en|ukalso|ˈ|p|æ|t|r|i|-}};<ref>{{cite EPD|18}}</ref> {{langx|grc|πατριαρχεῖον}}, ''patriarcheîon'') is an [[Ecclesiology|ecclesiological]] term in [[Christianity]], referring to the office and [[Ecclesiastical jurisdiction|jurisdiction]] of a [[patriarch]].

According to Christian tradition, three patriarchates—[[Holy See|Rome]], [[See of Antioch|Antioch]], and [[See of Alexandria|Alexandria]]—were established by the [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostles]] as [[apostolic see]]s in the [[Christianity in the 1st century|1st century]]. These were officially recognized by the [[First Council of Nicaea]].<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle= Patriarch and Patriarchate |volume= 11 |last= Fortescue |first= Adrian |author-link= Adrian Fortescue |quote= see - II.THE THREE PATRIARCHS |short=1 }}</ref> The [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople|Patriarchate of Constantinople]] was added in the [[Christianity in the 4th century|4th century]], and the [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem|Patriarchate of Jerusalem]] followed in the [[Christianity in the 5th century|5th century]]. These five sees were later recognized collectively as the [[pentarchy]] by the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in 451.

Over the course of [[history of Christianity|Christian history]], additional patriarchates were gradually recognized by the original ancient [[episcopal see]]s. However, several of these later lost jurisdiction—primarily due to the [[Early Muslim conquests|Islamic conquests]] in the [[Middle East]] and [[North Africa]]—and became titular or honorary patriarchates without real institutional authority over their historical territories.

== History ==
{{Main|Apostolic see|Pentarchy}}

As Christianity expanded throughout the [[Roman Empire]], concentrations of believers were increasingly found in urban centers. Bishops in these cities came to hold pre-eminence in the [[Roman province|province]] where their diocese was located, especially if the city was the provincial [[Capital city|capital]]. Over time, some bishops attained authority beyond their province, becoming recognized as [[primus inter pares]]. The [[First Council of Nicaea|Council of Nicea]] formalized this structure into [[canon law]], following secular Roman administrative patterns. It also introduced the term "Metropolitan" to describe bishops who presided over multiple dioceses within a province.

By the 4th century, cities such as Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch had extended their ecclesiastical authority beyond a single province. For instance, Alexandria held jurisdiction over [[Roman Egypt]], [[Roman Libya]], and the [[Pentapolis (North Africa)|Pentapolis]], while Rome exercised [[Primate (bishop)|primatial]] authority over surrounding provinces within 100 miles of the city.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Schaff |first1=Philip |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgVuEAAAQBAJ |title=A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series, Volume 14: The Seven Ecumenical Councils |last2=Wace |first2=Henry |date=2022-04-29 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-6667-4063-9 |pages=15–19, 438 |language=en}}</ref> By virtue of this multi-provincial oversight, the sees of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch were already exercising a "supra-metropolitan" jurisdiction, later termed as Patriarchates.<ref name=":0" /> By the end of the 4th century, all of Italy had come under the broader primatial jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Rome.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Hoare |first=F. R. |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Fathers-trans-edit-Hoare/dp/B000S6VC8U |title=The Western Fathers |date=1954-01-01 |publisher=Sheed & Ward |edition=1st |pages=xvi-xvii}}</ref>

After the Imperial capital moved to [[Byzantium]] in 330, the renamed city of [[Constantinople]] grew in prominence within the Eastern Church. It was granted archiepiscopal status before the [[First Council of Constantinople|Council of 381]], which ranked it second in honor after Rome. [[Atticus of Constantinople|Archbishop Atticus]] expanded the jurisdiction of the see in the early 5th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Venables|1911|ignore-err=yes}} cites Socr. vii. 25, 28, 37.</ref>

Following the [[Council of Ephesus]] in 431, Bishop [[Juvenal of Jerusalem]] sought to extend his oversight across all three provinces of [[Roman Palestine]], aiming to elevate Jerusalem to a [[Metropolis (religious jurisdiction)|Metropolitan See]]. This move was opposed by [[Cyril of Alexandria]] and [[Pope Leo I]], who argued against separating Jerusalem from the authority of [[Patriarch of Antioch|Antioch]].<ref name="spl">{{Cite web |title=St. Pachomius Library |url=http://www.voskrese.info/spl/Xjuven_jerus.html |access-date=2023-09-03 |website=www.voskrese.info}}</ref> Juvenal later claimed metropolitan authority over [[Arabia Petraea|Roman Arabia]] and [[Phoenice (Roman province)|Phoenicia]]. At the [[Council of Chalcedon]], negotiations with Archbishop [[Maximus II of Antioch|Maximus of Antioch]] led to approval for Jerusalem’s oversight over all of Palestine but not beyond. The council recognized Jerusalem as a [[Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem|Metropolitanate]], elevating it alongside the sees of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Erickson |first=John H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgRrh2M08p0C |title=The Challenge of Our Past: Studies in Orthodox Canon Law and Church History |date=1991 |publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press |isbn=978-0-88141-086-0 |pages=96 |language=en}}</ref> Emperor [[Justinian I|Justinian]] would later recognize Jerusalem as one of the five official Patriarchates.

The [[East–West Schism]] of 1054 separated the [[Latin Church]]’s [[Holy See|See of Rome]] from the Byzantine patriarchates of the East, resulting in the formation of the modern [[Catholic Church]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]. {{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Today, the four Eastern Orthodox patriarchates—Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem—alongside their Western counterpart, Rome, are regarded as "senior" (Greek: πρεσβυγενή, ''presbygenē'', "senior-born") or "ancient" (παλαίφατα, ''palèphata'', "of ancient fame") patriarchates. These are considered [[apostolic see]]s, each traditionally founded by one of the [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostles]] or [[Four Evangelists|evangelists]]: [[Andrew the Apostle|Andrew]], [[Mark the Evangelist|Mark]], [[Saint Peter|Peter]], [[James, brother of Jesus|James]], and Peter again, respectively.

In the case of [[Constantinople]], Andrew is said to have visited the earlier city of [[Byzantium]] in 38 AD (prior to its renaming by [[Constantine the Great]] in 330 AD). According to tradition, he appointed [[Stachys the Apostle]] as bishop, who remained in office until 54 AD. Therefore, the apostolic heritage of Constantinople is attributed to the original See of Byzantium. {{citation needed|date=December 2024}}


== Roman Catholic Church ==

Within the [[Catholic Church]], six patriarchs lead the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] ''[[sui iuris]]''.<ref>In his motu proprio [https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19650211_ad-purpuratorum_lt.html ''Ad Purpuratorum Patrum'' of 11 February 1965], [[Pope Paul VI]] decreed that Eastern Catholic Patriarchs elevated to cardinals would be ranked as Cardinal Bishops—rather than Cardinal Priests—and yield precedence only to the six Cardinal Bishops holding suburbicarian titles.</ref> These include the heads of the [[Coptic Catholic Church]] ([[Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria|Patriarchate of Alexandria]]), the [[Maronite Church]], the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]], the [[Syriac Catholic Church]] (each using the title [[Patriarch of Antioch#Current patriarchs|Patriarch of Antioch]]), the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] (Patriarchate of Baghdad), and the [[Armenian Catholic Church]] ([[Patriarchate of Cilicia]]).

The Pope, as Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff, leads the Latin Church and holds supreme authority over the entire Catholic Church. While Pope Francis reinstated the historical title "Patriarch of the West" in 2024, it had been officially dropped by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 and is not commonly used to describe the Pope’s role within the Latin Church.

There are also four [[major archbishop|Major Archbishops]], each heading an Eastern Catholic Church ''sui iuris'' without a patriarchal title. These include the [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|Ukrainian Greek Catholic]], [[Syro-Malabar Church|Syro-Malabar]], [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church|Syro-Malankara]], and [[Romanian Greek Catholic Church]]es. Though they rank just below patriarchs in precedence, Major Archbishops hold similar authority within their Churches. A key procedural difference is that patriarchs request ''ecclesiastica communio'' (ecclesiastical communion) from the Pope following their election and enthronement, while a Major Archbishop’s election requires papal confirmation before enthronement.

In the Latin Church, there are four titular patriarchates—historical archdioceses where the archbishop holds the honorary title of patriarch. This title grants ceremonial precedence but no jurisdiction beyond the archdiocese (except in the case of Jerusalem, which retains territorial jurisdiction). These are the [[Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem]], the [[Patriarchate of Lisbon]], the [[Patriarchate of Venice]], and the [[Patriarchate of the East Indies]].

It is not uncommon for multiple Eastern Catholic Patriarchates—and the Latin Church—to have overlapping jurisdictions, particularly in the Middle East and diaspora regions. For example, among the three Patriarchates of Antioch, the Melkite Patriarch is based in Damascus, Syria; the Maronite Patriarch resides in Bkerké, Lebanon; and the Syriac Catholic Patriarch is based in Beirut, Lebanon.<ref>{{cite book |title=Annuario Pontificio 2012 |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |year=2012 |pages=3–5 |language=it}}</ref>

== Eastern Orthodox Church ==
{{Eastern Orthodox sidebar|expanded=organization}}

Nine of the current autocephalous [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es—among them the four ancient churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem—are organized as patriarchates. In chronological order of establishment, the other five patriarchates are the [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church|Bulgarian Patriarchate]] (the first to be founded after the [[Pentarchy]]), the [[Georgian Orthodox Church|Georgian Patriarchate]], the [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian Patriarchate]], the [[Russian Orthodox Church|Moscow Patriarchate]], and the [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Romanian Patriarchate]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Orthodox Church - Autocephalous Patriarchates |url=https://cnewa.org/eastern-christian-churches/orthodox-church/the-autocephalous-churches/ |website=CNEWA |access-date=2025-05-09}}</ref>

The [[Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch]] relocated its headquarters to [[Damascus]] in the 13th century, during the period of [[Mamluk]] rule over [[Syria]]. Although a Christian community had existed in Damascus since [[Apostolic Age|apostolic]] times ([[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] 9), the see continues to be known as the Patriarchate of Antioch.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Is Antioch in Turkey? |url=https://orthodoxhistory.org/2023/02/10/why-is-antioch-in-turkey/ |website=Orthodox History |date=10 February 2023 |access-date=2025-05-09}}</ref>

In certain legal jurisdictions, a patriarchate is considered to have [[juristic person|legal personality]], meaning it is recognized similarly to a corporation. For example, in 1999, the [[Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem]] filed a lawsuit in [[New York (state)|New York]] against Christie's Auction House, disputing the ownership of the [[Archimedes Palimpsest]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Greek Orthodox Patriarchate v. Christie’s |url=https://www.ifar.org/case_summary.php?docid=1179695605 |website=International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) |access-date=2025-05-09}}</ref>

== Oriental Orthodoxy ==

Several patriarchates exist within the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]]. These include four ancient sees: the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] (Alexandria), the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]] (Antioch), and two Armenian patriarchates—one based in [[Jerusalem]] ([[Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem]]) and the other in [[Constantinople]] ([[Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople]]).

In addition to these, two modern patriarchates have been established: the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] and the [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ethiopian-Orthodox-Tewahedo-Church |title=Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=2022-11-05}}</ref>

There are also several autocephalous churches that function similarly to patriarchates, even though they do not use the patriarchal title. These include the [[Jacobite Syrian Christian Church]], [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]], the [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]] (Armenian Catholicosate of Etchmiadzin), and the [[Holy See of Cilicia]] (Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stammer |first1=Larry |title=Armenians Called by 1 Faith, But 2 Churches |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-oct-21-me-39932-story.html |access-date=2022-11-05 |publisher=Los Angeles Times |date=21 October 2000}}</ref>

==Church of the East==
[[Patriarch of the Church of the East]] is the head of the [[Church of the East]]. Today, there are three rival patriarchs: 
*[[Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East]]
*Catholicos Patriarch of the [[Ancient Church of the East]]
* [[List of Chaldean Catholic patriarchs of Baghdad|Chaldean Catholic patriarch of Baghdad]] (of the Catholic church)

==Protestantism==
The head of the [[Czechoslovak Hussite Church]] is also called a Patriarch.<ref>[https://www.ccsh.cz/uur.php Úřad ústřední rady (Office of the Central Council)], Czechoslovak Hussite Church</ref><ref>[https://www.ccsh.cz/patriarcha.php Patriarcha], Czechoslovak Hussite Church</ref>

== Apostolic Catholic Church ==
The Patriarch of the [[Apostolic Catholic Church (Philippines)|Apostolic Catholic Church]] is called a Patriarch.

== See also ==
* [[Holy See]]
* [[Patriarch of Alexandria]]
* [[Patriarch of Antioch]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
{{refbegin|2}}
* {{Cite book|last=Erickson|first=John H.|author-link=John H. Erickson|title=The Challenge of Our Past: Studies in Orthodox Canon Law and Church History|year=1991|location=Crestwood, NY|publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press|isbn=9780881410860 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XgRrh2M08p0C}}
* {{Cite book|last=Kiminas|first=Demetrius|title=The Ecumenical Patriarchate: A History of Its Metropolitanates with Annotated Hierarch Catalogs|year=2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QLWqXrW2X-8C|publisher=Wildside Press LLC|isbn=9781434458766 }}
* {{Cite book|last=Meyendorff|first=John|author-link=John Meyendorff|year=1989|title=Imperial unity and Christian divisions: The Church 450-680 A.D.|series=The Church in history|volume=2|location=Crestwood, NY|publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press|isbn=9780881410563 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6J_YAAAAMAAJ}}
* {{Cite book|last=Meyendorff|first=John|author-link=John Meyendorff|year=1996|title=Rome, Constantinople, Moscow: Historical and Theological Studies|location=Crestwood, NY|publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press|isbn=9780881411348 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-PxVklqRBgUC}}
* {{Cite book|editor-last=Nedungatt|editor-first=George|editor-link=George Nedungatt|title=A Guide to the Eastern Code: A Commentary on the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1fEkAQAAIAAJ|year=2002|location=Rome|publisher=Oriental Institute Press|isbn=9788872103364 }}
* {{Cite book|last=Pheidas|first=Blasios I.|chapter=Papal Primacy and Patriarchal Pentarchy in the Orthodox Tradition|title=The Petrine Ministry: Catholics and Orthodox in Dialogue|year=2005|location=New York|publisher=The Newman Press|isbn=9780809143344 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3mxbj99yRaQC}}
* {{Cite book|last=Runciman|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Runciman|title=The Great Church in captivity: A study of the Patriarchate of Constantinople from the eve of the Turkish conquest to the Greek War of Independence|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1985|isbn=9780521313100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vm5OGIBgoHMC}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{CathEncy|wstitle=Patriarch and Patriarchate |volume= 11 |last= Fortescue |first= Adrian |author-link= Adrian Fortescue |short=1 }}

{{Patriarchates in Christianity}}
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[[Category:Church patriarchs| ]]