From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
May 5, 2026 (#94)
On Patriarchs
From time to time, the secular media will report on the words or activities of the Patriarch of Moscow or the Patriarch of Constantinople. These clergymen are, respectively, the highest-ranking bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church and of the Greek Orthodox Church. Most Catholics may be less familiar with those who hold the title of “patriarch” within the communion of the Catholic Church. Given current events, the Catholic patriarch that might be best known is Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020. After the death of Pope Francis, a year ago, he was considered in some circles a likely candidate for the papacy. In official listings of all his titles, the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope himself, is also known as the “Patriarch of the West.” But most Roman Catholics may not be familiar with that title or to what it refers, theologically or historically.
The English word “patriarch” is derived from the Greek, referring to the head of a family, tribe, or clan. It is common for Old Testament figures like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be called the patriarchs of ancient Israel. In 325 AD, the bishops assembled at the Council of Nicaea recognized the Bishop of Rome, the Bishop of Antioch (Syria), and the Bishop of Alexandria (Egypt) as patriarchs of the Universal Church, with authority over the other bishops of their designated regions (even over archbishops, then and now known as “metropolitans”). At the same council, the Bishop of Rome was recognized as the first among the three of them. Today, in addition to the Bishop of Rome, the Catholic Church recognizes six patriarchs who function as heads of autonomous churches, called sui juris in canon law, that is, with their own liturgies, laws, and customs, yet who are in complete union with the Bishop of Rome. One example from this elite group is the “Maronite Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East”, who is the head of the Maronite Church, which is, of course, one in faith and thus in full communion with the Pope.
Another small group of bishops are designated as “minor patriarchs,” who do not have authority or jurisdiction over other bishops in the way that “major patriarchs” do. In these cases, the title functions as a privilege granted because of particular historical circumstances. For example, the title of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was initially granted at the time of the Crusades, in 1099. The Patriarch of Lisbon (beginning in 1716) and the Patriarch of Venice (since 1451) are also recognized among this group of “minor patriarchs.” Just as these titles may be granted by the Pope, they can also be suppressed, as happened in the case of the “Latin Patriarch of Constantinople,” a title abolished in 1964, certainly due to modern ecumenical sensitivities.
