Information about Patriarchate Of Alexandria

The Patriarch of Alexandria is the Archbishop of Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. Historically, this office has included the designation of Pope (etymologically 'Father', like Abbot etc.), and did so earlier than that of the Bishop of Rome. The first Bishop to be called Papa was the thirteenth Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria Papa Heraclas.^[1]

At first, it was an Episcopate, that was revered as one of the three most ancient Episcopates, with Rome and Antioch, a century before Jerusalem or Constantinopole became one in 381, the five came to be known as the Pentarchy. It was, de facto, elevated to an Archiepiscopal status by the local Alexandrine Council on the one hand and it was then regulated by canon law of the First Ecumenical Council stipulating that all the Egyptian episcopal and metropolitan provinces be subjected to this Metropolitan See of Alexandria, as was already the prevailing custom.

Acknowledged as a Patriarchate by the time of the Third Ecumenical Council, which was officially ratified by the Fourth Ecumenical Council. The title Pope was originally used in a capacity of an appellation rather than a title and eventually it became a title, but contrary to the Pope of Rome, the Pope of Alexandria had no distinction in his Papal/Pontifical and Patriarchal titles. They were used together in the same capacity and this dual title did not put him on a higher ecclesiastical/hierarchical level than the other Patriarchs of the Pentarchy. Also the use of the title by the Roman Bishop did not restrict it to himself or deprive it from his Alexandrian colleague.

Papa has been the specific designation for the Archbishop of Alexandria, Patriarch of Egypt, and the See of Saint Mark, whose ecclessiastic title is, Papa Abba, the Abba stands for the devotion of all monastics, from Pentapolis in the West to Constantinople in the East, to his guidance. Abba is the most powerful designation, that for all Monks in the East to volanterily follow his spiritual authority, it should be assumed he was a bearer of Christ. Historically, this office has held the title of Papa, Father in Coptic, since Papa Heracleus, 13th Alexandrine Patriarch (232-249 AD) was first to associate with the title three centuries before it was assumed by John I, the Roman Bishop (523- 526), who ratified the Alexandrian computation of the date of Easter. Bestowing the title on Rome's Pontiff did not strip it from Alexandria's, and the Roman Catholic Church recognizes this ecclesiastical fact.^[2]

According to church tradition, the Patriarchate was founded in 42 by the Apostle Saint Mark the Evangelist. All churches acknowledge the same succession of church leaders up to about the dividing Council of Chalcedon 451.

Jurisdictional claimants to the title of Patriarch of Alexandria

Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

• The Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa on the Holy See of St. Mark the Apostle leads the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, but resides in Cairo since Christodoulos moved the residence in mid eleventh century. His full title is:

Pope and Archbishop of the Great City of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa, the Holy Orthodox and Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist that is, in Egypt, Pentapolis, Libya, Nubia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and all Africa.

The Successor of St. Mark the Evangelist, Holy Apostle and Martyr, on the Holy Apostolic Throne of the Great City of Alexandria

Diocesan Bishop of Alexandria

Elder Metropolitan Archbishop of the Egyptian Province

Primate of Pentapolis, Libya, Nubia and Sudan

Patriarch of all Africa

The Pillar and Defender of the Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Orthodox Faith

The Dean of the Great Catechetical School of Theology of Alexandria

The Ecumenical (Universal) Judge (Arbitrator) of the Holy Apostolic and Catholic (Universal) Church

The Thirteenth among the Holy Apostles

Father of Fathers, Shepherd of Shepherds

Hierarch of all Hierarchs

Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria

• The Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa leads the Eastern Orthodox Church of Alexandria. During its long history of two millennia, no Diophysite or Chaledonian Patriarch could servive, even with the military protection of Byzantium. It is only relatively recently that the Ottoman Empire needed to guarantee supervision of the Christians through their Greek citizens, but it could never be but a virtual (actually non existent) office to serve few Greeks in Alexandria, until the mid sixties.

His full title is:

Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, the Pentapolis, Ethiopia and All Africa

Father of Fathers

Shepherd of Shepherds

Bishop (Archpriest) of Bishops (Archpriests)

The Thirteenth Apostle

Judge (Arbitrator) of the Universe (the Oecumene)

Eastern Catholic Churches

Coptic Catholic Church of Alexandria

• The Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, who leads the Coptic Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See, can also be bestowed the title of Cardinal Patriarch by the Pope.

Melkite Greek Catholic Church

• The Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, who leads the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See, also carries the titles of the Titular Patriarch of Alexandria of the Greek-Melkites and the Titular Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Greek-Melkites.

Roman Catholic Church

• The Latin Patriarch of Alexandria was the head of the Titular Patriarchal See of Alexandria of the Roman Catholic Church established by Pope Innocent III. The title was last held by Luca Ermenegildo Pasetto until his death in 1954 and remained vacant until its suppression in 1964.

See also

See the linked articles for lists of the primatial patriarchs of each church.

• Pentarchy

References