Eastern Rite - Patriarch

Today is the Feast of the Righteous Martyr Eudokia of Heliopolis.

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Patriarch (Greek: patriarches, Latin: patriarcha) is the specific title given to the primate of certain of the autocephalous Eastern Churches. The term patriarch may also refer to certain of the Old Testament fathers of the Jewish nation, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

The word Patriarch means the father or chief of a clan or family and is used biblical in a number of passages of the Old Testament: in Chronicles of the Septuagint for the chiefs of the tribes and in Hebrews and Acts of the New Testament when applied to Abraham, to David, and to the twelve sons of Jacob. The word patriarch began to be applied gradually to Christian dignitaries as technical terms of titles of honour.

Today, the patriarchal heads of Catholic autonomous churches are:

• The Bishop of Rome (Pope), as head of the Latin Catholic Church (traditionally 'Patriarch of the West)
• The Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria and head of the Coptic Catholic Church, recognised 1824
• The Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and head of the Maronite Catholic Church, recognised 685
• The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem, head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church; in his case, Antioch is the actual and sole patriarchate, Alexandria and Jerusalem are just titular (once residential) patriarchates vested in his See.
• The Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and head of the Syriac Catholic Church
• The Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, recognised 1553
• The Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians and head of the Armenian Catholic Church, recognised 1742

Minor Latin patriarchates

Minor patriarchs do not have jurisdiction over other Metropolitan bishops. The title is granted purely as an honor for various historical reasons. They take precedence after the heads of autonomous churches in full communion, whether pope, patriarch, or major archbishop.

• The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, established 1099.
• The Patriarch of the East Indies a titular patriarchal see, united to Goa and Daman, established 1886.
• The Patriarch of Lisbon, established 1716.
• The Patriarch of Venice, established 1451.

Historically there have also existed the following Latin patriarchates:

• The Patriarch of Aquileia – with rival line of succession moved to Grado - dissolved in 1752.
• The Patriarch of Grado – in 1451 merged with the Bishopric of Castello and Venice to form the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Venice (later a residential Patriarchate itself).
• The Patriarch of the West Indies – a titular patriarchal see, vacant since 1963.
• The Latin Patriarch of Antioch – title abolished in 1964.
• The titular Latin Patriarch of Alexandria – title abolished in 1964.
• The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople – title abolished in 1964.
• The Latin Patriarchate of Ethiopia – 1555 to 1663, never effective, only held by Iberian Jesuits