Why is Patriarch to the archbishop of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa?

Fr. Edward McNamara, Professor of Theology in Rome, explains why the Archbishop of Jerusalem is called Patriarch, currently Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, as well as the origin of the 23 Catholic churches of Eastern rite, all in full communion with the Pope.

The Catholic Church is composed of 24 churches: the Latin Church, which is in the West; and the remaining 23 churches in the East (Maronitas, Chaldeans, Copts, Siro-Malabares, Siro-Malankares, among others), all in full communion with the Pope, currently Leo XIV.

Although they share the same dogmas and doctrines, each of the oriental churches enjoys some autonomy in some matters, especially in their liturgical rites and traditions.

In an interview with Ewtn News, a professor of liturgy and sacraments at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, recalls that the apostles of Jesus, once they are sent to announce the Gospel, are founding various churches in different parts of the world, which “were developing their own way of celebrating the Eucharist, their own way of governing the Church.”

“And to have a bit of, so to speak, organization, generally the churches unified their type of liturgy and their ecclesial life around the churches that were thought had founded the apostles,” added the spiritual director of the Pontifical Colegio Maria Mater Ecclesiae, in Rome.

This was, for example “in Antioquia and Rome, both of Pedro; Alexandria in Egypt, which was believed to be founded by San Marcos; in India, the churches of Santo Tomás”, among others.

Fr. McNamara, director of the Institute Priests, points out that over time, and in some of these churches such as Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople, the bishops “received the title of Patriarch because they, in a sense, formed the center of these diverse ways of living ecclesial life.”

“When the Crusaders arrived in Jerusalem in the first crusade and conquered it, they appointed a bishop, but as the other bishops of Jerusalem were called patriarchs, they also called patriarch the Bishop (of rite) Latin of Jerusalem. And thus there are at this time several Catholic churches that have the title of Patriarch Just because they come from these ancient churches.”

In that sense, explained the member priest of the legionaries of Christ, “the Eastern patriarchs are, so to speak, the center. They are not like the Pope because they do not have the fullness of power, but they are the first and most important bishops of each of those various churches.”

The expert said that there are some “oriental churches, for example, that of Ukraine, which are governed by a figure called Archbishop, which serves as a patriarch, but that does not have that title.”

Fr. McNamara indicated that in the Church of Latin Rite, which is in the West, there is also the title of Patriarch, but in this case “it is simply honorary”, as in the case of the Patriarchs of Lisbon in Portugal, Goa in India and Venice in Italy.