Patriarch of the West

One of the official titles of the Pope

"Patriarchate of the West" redirects here. For the body, see Latin Church.

Byzantine-style icon of Pope Leo I (400–461), the first pope to be called patriarch of the West.

Patriarch of the West (Latin: Patriarcha Occidentis) is one of the official titles of the Bishop of Rome, as patriarch and highest authority of the Latin Church.

## History

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The origin of the definition of the patriarch of the West is linked to the disestablishment of the ancient system based on the three apostolic centers of Rome, Antioch (both founded by Saint Peter) and Patriarchy of Alexandria (founded by Saint Mark, the disciple of Peter), and the establishment, despite papal opposition, of the new Pentarchy, with the First Council of Constantinople in 381 and the Council of Chalcedon in 451,[1] which led to the elevation of the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Jerusalem.[2][3] In this system, with the exception of Rome, the other four patriarchates fell under the authority of the Byzantine Empire and came to correspond with territorially well-defined entities. Rome, on the other hand, became the seat with authority over the territories of the Western Roman Empire.[citation needed]

In 450, Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II addressed a letter to Pope Leo I, in which he explicitly mentioned him as a patriarch for the West (this is the first mention of a pope in this capacity). After the Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476 and Justinian I extended the eastern legislation on Rome with the Pragmatic sanction of 554,[4] the imperial ecclesiastical system of the Pentarchy was fully put into effect. In 642, as the Byzantine emperors were imposing the support for Miaphysitism on the popes, Pope Theodore I formally assumed for the first time the title of patriarch of the West.[5][6][7][8]

On 22 March 2006, the Vatican released a statement explaining the omission of the title from the Annuario Pontificio on the grounds of expressing a "historical and theological reality" and of "being useful to ecumenical dialogue". The Vatican stated that the title patriarch of the West symbolized the pope's special relationship with, and jurisdiction over, the Latin Church—and that the omission of the title neither symbolizes in any way a change in this relationship, nor distorts the relationship between the Holy See and the Eastern Churches, as solemnly proclaimed by the Second Vatican Council.[9]

In 2024, Pope Francis reinstated the title, reversing Pope Benedict XVI’s 2006 renunciation of it.[10]

## References

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1. ^ "Quinisext Council". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 14 February 2010. "The Western Church and the Pope were not represented at the council. Justinian II, however, wanted the pope as well as the Eastern bishops to sign the canons. Pope Sergius I (687–701) refused to sign, and the canons were never fully accepted by the Western Church".
2. ^ Geanakoplos, Deno John (1984). Byzantium: Church, Society, and Civilization Seen Through Contemporary Eyes. University of Chicago Press. p. 203\. ISBN 978-0-226-28461-3.
3. ^ Vlasto, A. P. (2 October 1970). The Entry of the Slavs Into Christendom: An Introduction to the Medieval History of the Slavs. Cambridge University Press. p. 308\. ISBN 978-0-521-07459-9.
4. ^ J. F. Haldon, Byzantium in the seventh century (Cambridge, 2003), 17–19.
5. ^ Meyendorff, John (1983). Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes (Revised 2 ed.). New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN 9780823209675.
6. ^ Meyendorff, John (1989). Imperial unity and Christian divisions: The Church 450–680 A.D. The Church in history. Vol. 2\. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. ISBN 9780881410563.
7. ^ Ostrogorsky, George (1956). History of the Byzantine State. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
8. ^ Allen, Pauline: "Sophronius of Jerusalem and Seventh Century Heresy" Oxford University Press 2009
9. ^ "Press release regarding the suppression of the title "Patriarch of the West" in the "Annuario Pontificio" 2006". Pontifical Council for the Commission of Christian Unity. christianunity.va. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
10. ^ "Why is Pope Francis embracing the patriarchy (of the West)?". The Pillar. 10 April 2024.

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Papacy

Episcopate of the bishop of Rome

Jurisdiction|

| Holy See
(full communion)|

* Pope Leo XIV as bishop of the Diocese of Rome
* primacy
* history

| Vatican City
(index, outline)|

* Enclaved in Rome, Italy
* Lateran Treaty, 1929
* along with extraterritorial properties of the Holy See

|

Headquarters|

* Vatican City:
* Apostolic Palace
* papal apartments
* Sistine Chapel
* Italy:
* Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (cathedra)

Major basilicas|

* Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran
* St. Peter's Basilica
* Basilica of Saint Mary Major
* Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

Titles
(Papal names)|

* His Holiness
* Bishop of Rome
* Vicar of Jesus Christ
* Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
* Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church
* Patriarch of the West
* Primate of Italy
* Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province
* Sovereign of the Vatican City State
* Servant of the servants of God

Symbols|

* Coats of arms
* Coat of arms of the Holy See
* Cross
* Keys of Heaven
* Regalia and insignia
* Rota
* Umbraculum

Proclamations|

* Infallibility
* Apostolic constitution
* Bull
* list
* Encyclical
* Apostolic exhortation
* Ecclesiastical letter
* Interdict

Activities|

* Arbitration
* deposition
* Blessing
* "pontifical"
* Urbi et Orbi
* Conclave
* list
* Coronation
* Consistory
* Diplomacy
* Inauguration
* Mass
* High Mass
* Travel

Vestments|

* Camauro
* Falda
* Fanon
* Ferula
* Flabellum
* Mantle
* Mitre
* Mozzetta
* Pallium
* Ring of the Fisherman
* Shoes
* slippers
* Subcinctorium
* Tiara
* list
* Zucchetto

Transportation|

* Popemobile
* Sedia gestatoria
* Shepherd One

Household|

* Camerlengo
* Commander of the Swiss Guard
* Chaplain
* Palatinus
* papal majordomo
* Gentlemen
* Preacher
* Prefect
* Prelate of Honour
* Prince assistant
* Theologian

Staff|

* College of Cardinals
* cardinals
* list
* Roman Curia
* Apostolic Camera
* commissions
* for Vatican City State
* councils
* congregations
* dicasteries
* Synods
* Cappella Giulia
* Sistine Chapel Choir

Related|

* Antipope
* Western Schism
* Canonised popes
* Fat pope, thin pope
* Gammarelli
* Legends
* Orders, decorations, and medals
* Papabile
* Papal nobility
* "Black"
* Pontifical academy
* Pontifical colleges in Rome
* Major Seminary
* Pontifical university
* in Rome
* Popes by country
* Sexually active popes
* St. Peter's Square
* Swiss Guard

* Vatican City portal
* Catholic Church portal

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Latin Church

Patriarchates
(by order of precedence)|

| Current|

* Rome ('Patriarch of the West'): Pope Leo XIV (with cathedra in Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran)

* Jerusalem: Pierbattista Pizzaballa
* East Indies: Filipe Neri Ferrão
* Lisbon: Rui Valério
* Venice: Francesco Moraglia

|

Defunct|

* Carthage (?−1964)
* Alexandria (1276–1964)
* Antioch (1098–1964)
* Constantinople (1204–1964)
* West Indies (1524–1963)
* Aquileia (560–1751)
* Ethiopia (1555–1663)
* Grado (560–1451)

History|

* Apostolic succession
* History of the papacy
* Papal primacy
* Historical development
* First Martyrs
* Great Church
* Early African church
* Vulgate
* East–West Schism
* Scholasticism
* Crusades
* Western Schism
* Age of Discovery
* Humanism
* Protestant Reformation
* Council of Trent
* Counter-Reformation
* Vatican I
* Vatican II
* 1983 Code of Canon Law

| Apostolic sees|

* Rome
* Peter
* Paul
* Syracuse
* Peter
* Malta
* Paul
* Milan
* Barnabas
* Santiago de Compostela
* James

|

Church Fathers|

* Tertullian
* Cyprian
* Hilary of Poitiers*
* Ambrose*
* Pope Damasus I
* Jerome*
* Augustine of Hippo*
* Pope Gregory I*
* Isidore of Seville*

Language|

* Ecclesiastical Latin
* Liturgical use of Latin

Liturgical rites
Liturgical days|

| Current|

* Ambrosian Rite
* Rite of Braga
* Mozarabic Rite
* Rite of Lyon
* Roman Rite
* Mass of Paul VI (Ordinary form)
* Tridentine Mass
* Extraordinary form
* Anglican Use
* Zaire Use

| Orders|

* Benedictine Rite
* Carmelite Rite
* Carthusian Rite
* Cistercian Rite
* Dominican Rite
* Norbertine Rite

|

Defunct|

* African Rite
* Aquileian Rite
* British
* Celtic Rite
* Durham Rite
* Hereford Use
* Sarum Use
* York Use
* Gallican Rite
* Missa Nautica
* Missa sicca
* Missa Venatoria
* Pre-Tridentine Mass

See also|

* Latin cross
* Latin Church in the Middle East
* Latins
* Turkey
* Titular sees
* Eastern Catholic Churches
* Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions
* Western Rite Orthodoxy

* * also Doctors of the Church
* Category

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Patriarchates in Christianity

Traditional ecclesiastical jurisdictions of primates in Christianity, sorted according to earliest apostolic legacy and branched where multiple denominational claimants:
bold blue = Catholic Church, light blue = Eastern Orthodox Church (* unrecognized), bold/light green = Oriental Orthodoxy, italic blue = Nestorianism, bold italic blue = pre-schism

Early
Christianity
(Antiquity)
(30–325/476)|

| Pentarchy
(five
apostolic
sees)|

| Patriarch of Rome (1st cent.)|

* Holy See (since 1st cent.)

|

Patriarch of Constantinople
(451)|

* Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (since 330)
* Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople (1204–1964)
* Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (since 1461)
* Autocephalous Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate (since 1924*)

Patriarch of Antioch
(1st cent.)|

* Patriarchate of Antioch (1st cent.–518)
* Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (since 518)
* Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (since 519)
* Maronite Patriarchate (since 685)
* Latin Patriarchate of Antioch (1099–1964)
* Syriac Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch (since 1668)
* Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch (since 1724)

* Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia (since 1058)
* Patriarchate of Cilicia (since 1740)

Patriarch of Alexandria
(1st cent.)|

* Patriarchate of Alexandria (1st cent.–451)
* Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria (since 451)
* Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria (since 451)
* Latin Patriarchate of Alexandria (1219–1964)
* Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria (since 1824)

Patriarch of Jerusalem (451)|

* Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem (since 451)
* Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem (since 638)
* Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (since 1099)

Other|

| Patriarch of Carthage (2nd cent.)|

* Patriarch of Carthage (2nd cent.–1076)

|

Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon
(280)|

* Patriarch of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (280–1552)
* Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Baghdad (since 1553)
* Patriarchs of the Church of the East (Eliya line) (1558–1830)
* Patriarchs of the Church of the East (Shimun line) (1692–1830)
* Assyrian Church of the East Patriarchate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (since 1830)
* Ancient Church of the East Patriarchate of Seleucia-Ctesiphon (since 1968)

Patriarch of Armenia (301)|

* Catholicos of All Armenians (Patriarch of Etchmiadzin) (since 301)

* Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia (since 1058)
* Patriarchate of Cilicia (since 1740)

Middle Ages
(476–1517)|

* Patriarchate of Aquileia (568–1751)
* Patriarchate of Grado (725–1451)
* Patriarchate of Bulgaria (919*/927–1018)
* Patriarchate of Georgia (1010–1811)
* Patriarchate of Cyprus (1185*–1191)
* Primate of Bulgaria (1204–1235)
* Tarnovo Patriarchate of Bulgaria (1235–1394)
* Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Peć (1346*/1375–1463)
* Patriarchate of Venice (since 1451)
* Catholicate of Abkhazia (15.*/16. century–1814)

Early Modern era
(1517–1789) |

* Patriarchate of the West Indies (since 1524)
* Latin Patriarchate of Ethiopia (1555–1663)
* Patriarchate of the East Indies (since 1572)
* Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Peć (1557–1766)
* Patriarchate of Moscow (since 1589)
* Patriarchate of Lisbon (since 1716)

Late Modern era
(since 1789)|

* Patriarchate of Karlovci (1848–1920)
* Patriarchate of Georgia (since 1917*/1990)
* Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Peć (since 1920)
* Patriarchate of Romania (since 1925)
* Patriarchate of Croatia (*1942–1945)
* Patriarchate of Bulgaria (since 1953)
* Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate of Ethiopia (since 1959)
* Patriarchate of Kyiv (1992*–2018; since 2019*)
* Eritrean Orthodox Patriarchate of Eritrea (since 1994)

Related|

* Apostolic Throne
* Episcopal see

* Christianity portal

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