PATRIARCH (Gr. patriarekes, the head of a tribe) is the name given to the heads of the families in the antediluvian period of Scripture history, and is still more familiar as the designation in Jewish history of the three progenitors of the Jewish people, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In the later of the Jews, too, after the destruction of Jerusa lem, the none was used to designate the heads of the sanhedrim, one of whom. the patriarch of the west, resided at Tiberias, in Galilee, and the other, the patriarch of the eastern Jews, at Babylon. The most familiar use of the word, however, is in die history of the Christian church. It is the name given to the bishops of cerLain great metropoh tan (q.v.) sees, who not only held rank beyond other metropolitans, but also enjoyed a jurisdiction almost identical with that of the metropolitan in his own province over all the metropolitans themselves (with their provinces) included in their district, which was called a PATRIARCHATE. The name patriarch originally seems to have been given com monly to bishops, or at least was certainly given in a less special sense than what it eventually assumed; nor can the date at which the title first assumed its now received use be exactly determined. It is certain, however, that the name and the office were both recognized before the council of Nice, at which time, as we learn from the sixth canon, the patriarchal sees, acknowledged by "ancient custom," were three in number, Rome, Antioch, alio Alexandria. After the translation of the seat of empire to Byzan tium, thenceforward called Constantinople, that see, originally subject to the metropoli tan of Hernelea, obtained, first metropolitan, and afterward patriarchal rank; and event ually established a precedency over the patriarchs of Antioch and Alexandria, being second only to Rome. The contests between the patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople were among the chief causes of the GREEK SCHISM (q.v.). To these four patriarchates was ;aided a fifth, in the year 451, that of Jerusalem, which was formed out of the ancient patriarchate of Antioch. The limits of these five patriarchates can only be loosely assigned. The authority of a patriarch was, in the main, that of a metropolitan, but extended over the metropolitans themselves. He had a right to consecrate the met.
ropolitans, and to preside over the councils of his patriarchate. After the Greek schism, and particularly after the establishment of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem, Latin prel ate; were appointed with the title and rank of patriarch iu the four great eastern sees. It was hoped that the union of the churches, effected at the council of Florence, w6uld have put an end to the contest thus created; but that union proved transitory, and the d mble series of patriarchs has been continued to the present day. The Nestorian and Eutychian sections of the eastern churches, too, have each their own patriarch, and the head of that portion of the former which in the 16th c. was reconciled with the Roman see, although known by the title of Catiwlicos, has the rank and authority of patriarch. After the separation of the Russian church from that of Constantinople, the name and authority of the metropolitan in the end was transformed into that of patriarch. But the office was suppressed by Peter the great.
Besides these, which are called the greater patriarchates, there have been others in the western church known by the name of minor patriarchates. Of these the most ancient were those of Aquileia and Grado. The latter was transferred to Venice in the former was suppressed by Benedict XIV. France also had a patriarch of Bourges; Spain, for her colonial inission0 a patriarch of the Indies; and Portugal a patriarch of Lisbon. These titles, however, are little more than honorary.
In the non-united Greek church, the ancient system of the three patriarchates of Con stantinople, Antioch, and Jerusalem is nominally maintained, and the authority of the patriarchs is recognized by their own communion. But the jurisdiction-limits of the patriarch of Constantinople, who is acknowledged as the head, have been much modi fied. The Russo-Greek church withdrew from him partially in the 17th, and finally in the 18th century. That of Greece proper has been practically separated since the inde pendence of the kingdom of Greece; and sonic years since it formally declared its inde pendence. The patriarchs of Jerusalem and Antioch have few followers of their own rite.