(Greek: pater, father; arche, rule)
(1) The father and ruler of a family, tribe, or race. It is used extensively in biblical history.
(2) Ecclesiastically, by virtue of the name, a patriarch signifies a prince of fathers. This title is one of honor only. The patriarch has no special jurisdiction except in virtue of a particular law. He enjoys precedence over primates, metropolitans, and bishops. Pope Innocent III distinguished patriarchs, which follow in the order of dignity: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Some of there are merely titular patriarchs at the present time. In the Orient there are patriarchs of different rites: e.g., Armenian, Chaldean, Melchite, and Maronite. There are minor patriarchs, e.g., of Venice, Lisbon, the West Indies, and the East Indies.