See Patriarchs (Bible) for details about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible.

Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a composition of "πάτερ" (pater) meaning father and "άρχων" (archon) meaning leader, chief, ruler, king, etc.

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are referred to as the three patriarchs of Judaism, and the period in which they lived is called the Patriarchal Age.

The word has also taken on other meanings. In particular, the highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East are called patriarchs. The office and ecclesiastical conscription (comprising one or more provinces, though outside his own (arch)diocese he is often without enforceable jurisdiction, unlike the Pope of Rome) of such a patriarch is called a patriarchate. Historically, a Patriarch may often be the logical choice to act as Ethnarch, representing the

According to Mormonism, a patriarch is one who has been ordained to the office of Patriarch in the Melchizedek Priesthood. The term is considered synonymous with the term evangelist. One of the patriarch's primary responsibilities is to give Patriarchal blessings, as Jacob did to his twelve sons in the Old Testament. In the main branch of Mormonism, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Patriarchs are typically assigned in each stake and hold the title for life.

Primates of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church in order of precedence

• The Patriarch of the West, the Pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church
• The Patriarch of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarch, Pope and leader of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople
• The Patriarch of Alexandria, head of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria and has the title Patriarch and Pope of Alexandria and all Africa
• The Patriarch of Antioch, head of
  
  
  
  the Orthodox Church of Antioch
• The Patriarch of Jerusalem, head of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem

(See also Pentarchy.)

Other Patriarchs of the Holy Catholic and Orthodox Church

• The Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, head of the Russian Orthodox Church
• The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, head of the Georgian Orthodox Church
• The Patriarch of Serbia, head of the Serbian Orthodox Church
• The Patriarch of All Romania, head of the Romanian Orthodox Church
• The Patriarch of All Bulgaria, head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church

Other Patriarchs of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church

Latin Rite

• The Patriarch of the East Indies
• The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
• The Patriarch of Lisbon
• The Patriarch of Venice
• The Patriarch of the West Indies (vacant since 1963)

Eastern Rite Patriarchs

• The Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria
• The Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch
• The Melkite Catholic Patriarchs of Antioch
• The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch
• The Catholic Chaldean Patriarchs of Babylon
• The Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia

Historical Patriarchs in the Roman Catholic Church

• The Latin Patriarch of Antioch
• The Latin Patriarch of Alexandria
• The Patriarch of Aquileia
• The Latin (and in antiquity Donatist) Patriarch of Carthage
• The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople
• The Patriarch of Grado

Current Patriarchs in Oriental Orthodox Churches

• Coptic Orthodox Church: The Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria
• Syrian Orthodox Church: The Patriarch of Antioch
• Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church: The Catholicos of India
• Armenian Orthodox Church:
  • The Patriarch of Etchmiadzin and all Armenia/Armenians (the Armenian Catholicos)
  • The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem
  • The Patriarch of Cilicia and the Middle East
  • The Patriarch of Constantinople
• Indian Orthodox Church:The Catholicos-Patriarch of the East
• Tewahedo Church: The Patriarch of All Ethiopia
• Eritrean Orthodox Church: The Patriarch of All Eritrea

Patriarchs in Nestorian Churches

• Assyrian Church of the East: The Catholicos Patriarch of Babylon In India, it is known as the Chaldean Syrian Church. In the West it is often known, inaccurately, as the Nestorian Church
• Church of the East & Abroad: The Catholicos Patriarch of Jerusalem

Secular uses

• synonymous with Captain as Leader of the islanders on Pitcairn 23 January 1790 - 1832, next President etcetera

See also

• List of current patriarchs
• Patriarchate
• Patriarchy
• Matriarchy
• List of Bishops and Archbishops
• Major archbishop

Patriarcha Patriark (titel) Patriarch Patriarh Πατριάρχης Patriarche (religion) Patriarca פטריארך Patriarcha Pátriárka Patriarch 総主教 Patriark Patriarcha Patriarca Patriarh Патриарх (церковный сан) Patriarkka Patriark (kyrkligt ämbete) Патріарх (православ'я) 宗主教