What is a Patriarchate?
A patriarchate is the area or group governed by a patriarch. A patriarch is a senior religious leader in some Christian churches, and a patriarchate is the territory or church jurisdiction he oversees.
Key ideas
- Patriarch = a high-ranking bishop or leader.
- Patriarchate = the office, authority, and geographic area of that leader.
- In ancient and some modern churches, several major sees were organized as separate patriarchates.
Religious context
In the early Christian Church, five major patriarchates formed a pentarchy: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Today, Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches still use the term for their major jurisdictions (for example, the Patriarchate of Constantinople or the Patriarchate of Moscow).
Difference from similar terms
A patriarchate is the jurisdiction or office; a patriarch is the person who leads it.
Other uses
Outside religion, the word can describe a society or family structure historically ruled by a male elder (though in sociology the term patriarchy is more common).