Patriarchates and Patriarchs (2)

Once elected and enthroned, and having received ecclesiastical communion, the patriarch enjoys all the rights pertaining to his office. He is the representative of his patriarchal church for all legal matters.

Regarding Metropolitans—equivalent to Archbishops—, the patriarch must replace them in the event of a vacancy in the see and ensure certain functions that he must exercise. And regarding bishops, he is charged with transmitting the acts of the Roman Pontiff to those who fall under his jurisdiction.

In his local church, he can issue decrees to clarify the local laws. He can also address instructions to the faithful and give encyclical letters on questions concerning his particular church and rite. But for higher level matters, he must surround himself with the counsel of the synod of bishops of the patriarchal church.

The patriarch again has the duty to regularly visit eparchies (bishoprics), and even to initiate an extraordinary visit, with the consent of a permanent synod.

After consulting the Apostolic See and with the consent of the local synod, he can erect provinces and eparchies, delimit them differently, merge them, divide them, suppress them, and modify their hierarchical rank and transfer the eparchial seat. These are all provisions which are reserved to the Pope in the Latin Church.

The patriarch gives the metropolitan or the bishop the canonical provision—or recognition—and personally ordains the metropolitans, and in some patriarchates, the bishops as well. He also enthrones the metropolitans. He even judges disputes that arise between bishops.

Bishops must show honor and deference as well as obedience to their patriarch. Thus, all the bishops and the other clerics must commemorate the patriarch after the Roman Pontiff in the liturgy and in the divine praises according to the prescriptions of the liturgical books.

The patriarch must demonstrate his communion with the Roman Pontiff, and present to him a report on the state of the patriarchal church at the head of which he finds himself. He must also make ad limina apostolorum visits, though without the same frequency as Latin bishops.

The patriarch is obliged to reside at the patriarchal seat, from which he may only be absent for a canonical reason. He must ensure that the bishops faithfully fulfill their office. He must, moreover, carefully watch over the correct administration of all ecclesiastical goods.

Finally, it is up to the patriarch to convoke the synod of bishops of the patriarchal church and to preside over it.

In summary, the patriarch has a very important authority over his local church, and he carries out a number of functions which are the prerogative of the Pope in the Latin Church. Howevder, he can only make decisions of high importance with the agreement of the Roman Pontiff.

After becoming a little familiar with the concept of a patriarch, we can discuss the seven Catholic patriarchates.