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.[1]
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).
Patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Churches
Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch.
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- The ancient Patriarchates (which originally also included the See of Rome):
- The five junior Patriarchates created after the consolidation of the Pentarchy, in chronological order of their recognition as Patriarchates by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople:
Eastern Patriarchs out of the Orthodox Communion
Patriarchs in Oriental Orthodox Churches
HH Pope Shenouda III, 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa on the Apostolic Throne of St Mark
see: Oriental Orthodoxy
Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East
Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East
Patriarch of the Nasrani (Assyrian) Church of the East
Patriarchs of the Roman Catholic Church
Catholic Patriarchal (non cardinal) coat of arms
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.[7]
Latin Rite Patriarchs
Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches
see: Patriarchs of the East
Historical Patriarchs in the Roman Catholic Church
Catholic Patriarchs not in communion with the Church in Rome
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
References
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