Patriarch

Patriarch, ecclesiastical title, dating from the 6th century, given to the bishops of the five major episcopal sees of the Christian church: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople (present-day İstanbul) and Jerusalem. A patriarch exercises jurisdiction over and ordains metropolitans, bishops of lesser sees in his domains. The Council of Nicaea (325) had recognized three bishops with such powers, those of Rome in the West and Alexandria and Antioch in the East. The bishop of Constantinople was recognized as occupying a similar position in the Christian hierarchy in 381, and the bishop of Jerusalem was recognized at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The title patriarch for these bishops was not used officially until the time of Justinian.

At present the Orthodox churches have nine patriarchs, each with a territorial jurisdiction, who are elected by the bishops of their respective patriarchates. The patriarch of Constantinople, known as the ecumenical patriarch, has been given honorary primacy within the church hierarchy. Each of the seven Eastern Catholic patriarchs leads members of a specific rite and is elected by the bishops of that rite. The pope is called patriarch of the West (see Papacy).