Patriarch

1 title for the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (in Istanbul and Alexandria and Moscow and Jerusalem)

2 the male head of family or tribe [syn: paterfamilias]

3 any of the early Biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race

4 a man who is older and higher in rank than yourself

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πατριάρχης (patriarches) "the founder of the tribe/family", from πατριά (patria) "generation, ancestry, descent, tribe, family" + αρχή (arkhee) "start, found, first cause, power, rule, dominion".

Noun

1. A male leader of a family, a tribe or an ethnic or religious group.
2. A founder of a political or religious movement, an organization or an enterprise.
3. Abraham, his son Isaac or his grandson Jacob. see Wikipedia
4. The highest form of bishop, generally in charge of an ethnic community, but in terms of the pope and the ecumenical patriarch, the former is the Patriarch of the West and the latter is the Patriarch of the East, a divison dating to the Emperor Constantine the Great. The cities of Antioch, Alexandria, and almost as an afterthought, Jerusalem are accorded equal historical if not ecclesial dignity. Any and all other patriarchs, particularly that of the Russian church, are inferior.
5. (Bible Dictionary) Patriarch is an ordained office in the Melchizedek Priesthood. The fathers from Adam to Jacob were all patriarchs of this kind. The word as used in the Bible seems to denote also a title of honor to early leaders of the Israelites, such as David (Acts 2:29) and the 12 sons of Jacob (Acts 7:8-9). The word is of Greek derivation and means father-ruler; the Hebrew translation simply means father.

Translations

• Dutch: patriarch
• German: Patriarch
• Greek: πατριάρχης (patriarches)
• Japanese:

  総主教 (そうしゅきょう, sōshukyō); in Orthodox Church

  総大司教 (そうだいしきょう, sōdaishikyō); in Catholic Church

• Scottish Gaelic: àrd-athair
• Spanish: patriarca
• Swedish: patriark

See also

• matriarch

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 (pater) meaning "father" and (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 is 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 is 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.

See also

• List of current Popes and Patriarchs
• Lists of Patriarchs
• Patriarchate
• Patriarchy
• Matriarchy
• List of Bishops and Archbishops
• Major archbishop
• Patriarch the Book by Colin Piper

References

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