Patriarchate

Patriarchate (, UK also ; Ancient Greek: πατριαρχεῖον, patriarcheîon) is an ecclesiological term in Christianity, referring to the office and jurisdiction of a patriarch.

According to Christian tradition, three patriarchates—Rome, Antioch and Alexandria—were established by the apostles as apostolic sees in the 1st century. These were officially recognized by the First Council of Nicaea. The Patriarchate of Constantinople was added in the 4th century, and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem followed in the 5th century. These five sees were later recognized collectively as the pentarchy, by the Council of Chalcedon in 451.

Over the course of Christian history, additional patriarchates were gradually recognized by the original ancient episcopal sees. However, several of these later lost jurisdiction—primarily due to the Islamic conquests in the Middle East and North Africa—and became titular or honorary patriarchates, without real institutional authority over their historical territories.

History

As Christianity expanded throughout the Roman Empire, concentrations of believers were increasingly found in urban centers. Bishops in these cities came to hold pre-eminence in the province where their diocese was located, especially if the city was the provincial capital. Over time, some bishops attained authority beyond their province, becoming recognized as primus inter pares.