List of current Christian leaders
Encyclopedia
The following list is a current list of the highest ranking Christian
leaders in major Christian churches or Christian denominations. The churches or denominations represented are those considered historically orthodox
based on acceptance of the Nicene Creed
, which is the oldest catholic creed of Christianity. The list is in descending order based on the number of congregants which the leader oversees, guides, and/or spiritually leads.
Numbers of adherents do not necessarily reflect those who are actually practicing the faith, but the statistics are based on actual church membership.
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Pope
Benedict XVI is the spiritual leader of over one billion Christians worldwide.
As Bishop
of Rome
the Pope is the Supreme Pontiff and earthly head of the Catholic Church and all other Churches in union with the Holy See. He is one of two Christian leaders to also reign ex officio as the head of a state, his is the Vatican City State with the other leader being Queen Elizabeth II. The Pope is believed by Catholics to be the successor of Saint Peter
, who is considered by Catholics to be the first Pope
; by virtue of this role he is called the Vicar of Christ
by Catholics.
The Patriarch of Constantinople
Bartholomew I is the spiritual leader and bishop of well over 250-300 million Orthodox Christians. Though the Ecumenical Patriarch is not considered to be the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church
, his position does carry authorities that places him as the leader de facto
of the Church, although his position is not equivalent to that of the Pope of Roman Catholicism. His official rank is primus inter pares (first among equals). The title "Ecumenical Patriarch" is a title that is exclusive and specific to the Patriarch of Constantinople and distinguishes the position, role, and responsibility of the office within the broad family of the fourteen autocephalous or self-governing Orthodox Churches around the world.
He presides in person or through a delegate over any council of Orthodox primates and/or bishops in which he takes part and serves as primary spokesman for the Orthodox communion, especially in ecumenical contacts with other Christian denominations. He has no direct jurisdiction over the other patriarchs or the other autocephalous Orthodox churches, but he alone among his fellow-primates enjoys the right of convening extraordinary synods consisting of them and/or their delegates to deal with ad hoc situations. His chief function as leader is as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the protector of orthodoxy in church.
Additionally, because of his work and the work of his predecessor, Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios, who established September 1 as the day for the protection of the environment, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has also been called the "Green Patriarch" by media around the world and government leaders including Vice President Al Gore. Thus, the person of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and by extension the position of the Ecumenical Patriarch is now being broadly viewed as the foremost religious spokesperson on environmental issues and "green" spiritual leader in the world.
Patriarch Theodore II
has the title Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Africans since 2004. The church is one of the autocephalous
Orthodox churches, ranking second in order of seniority after Constantinople.
has the title Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of the Antiochian Orthodox Church since 1979. His see is based in Damascus. The church is one of the autocephalous
Orthodox churches, ranking third in order of seniority after the two churches listed above.
has the title Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion
, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox in the Levant
since 2005. The church is one of the autocephalous
Orthodox churches, ranking fourth in order of seniority after the three churches listed above.
The Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill I of Moscow is the spiritual leader and bishop of well over 100 million Christians. As patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church
, the largest autocephalous Christian church of Eastern Orthodoxy and the second largest after the Roman Catholic Church, the Patriarch of Moscow has direct leadership of the largest church in Asia and the Eastern World. The Church is one of the autocephalous
Orthodox churches, ranking fifth in order of seniority after the four churches listed above.
, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Georgians
since 1977. The church is one of the autocephalous
Orthodox churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after the five churches listed above.
is the 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Serbs
, since 22 January 2010. His full title is His Holiness
the Archbishop
of Peć
, Metropolitan
of Belgrade
and Karlovci
, Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Between 1975 and 2010, he served as the Bishop
of Niš
.
The church is one of the autocephalous
Orthodox churches, ranking seventh in order of seniority after the six churches listed above. It is the second oldest Slavic
Orthodox Church in the world (after the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
), as well as the westernmost Eastern church
in Europe
.
It exercises jurisdiction over Orthodox Christians in Serbia
and surrounding Slavic and other lands, as well as exarch
ates and patriarchal representation churches around the world. The Patriarch of Serbia
serves as first among equals in his church.
the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
, Patriarch Daniel
, is the bishop and leader of nearly 19 million Christians.
The Romanian Orthodox Church is the second largest autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church after the Russian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch of Romania is responsible for oversight of the entire territory of Romania for the Eastern Orthodox communion along with surrounding territories such as Moldova
and Hungary
.
As Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
, Abune Paulos
is the bishop and leader of nearly 40 million Christians.
The church of Ethiopia is the largest church in Africa, the largest of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the second largest Eastern church (after the church of Russia), and the third largest autocephalous church in the world. The Patriarch of the Church is the Archbishop of Axum
whom presides over the see of Tekle Haymanot
.
Abune Paulos, as of 2006 is one of the seven serving presidents of the World Council of Churches
.
is the 117th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. He also holds the title Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist and is the spiritual leader of more than 16 million Copt
s.
is the 91th Catholicos of the East
in the lineage of Apostle Thomas in the Indian Orthodox Church
; 8th Catholicos after its reinstatement in India and 20th Malankara Metropolitan. His highness Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II is currently seated in the honorary Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas as the Catholicos of the East.
is Mar Dinkha IV.
After the assassination of Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII, the Church of the East had an urgent need to restore its leadership. In 1976, the prelates of the church convened in London to elect a new Catholicos Patriarch and chose Dinkha as the most qualified candidate to fill the post. Once consecrated, Mar Dinkha IV became the 106th successor to the Apostolic See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. The Patriarchate is currently in exile in Chicago, Illinois
.
which places her as the titular leader of approximately 13 million Christians. She is one of two Christian leaders to be a head of state
with the other being the Pope. British Monarchs
have been head of the Church of England since 1534 when Henry VIII
broke England away from the Catholic Church.
The Archbishop of Canterbury
, Rowan Williams
is the principal leader of the Anglican Communion
which places him a spiritual leader of about 77 million Christians. In most contexts however, the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered just the spiritual leader of the Church of England
, with about 13 million.
As Primate
of the Church of England and the bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the see
that churches must be in communion with in order to be a part of the Anglican Communion, he is the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Also known as First Among Equals, he leads through example and persuasion but has no legal jurisdiction outside of England.
Bishop Munib Younan
oversees the Federation which consists of approximately 66 million Christians.
Although the president does not have any jurisdiction outside of his own regional church, as president of the LWF he oversees the meetings of the leaders of other regional churches. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
leaders in major Christian churches or Christian denominations. The churches or denominations represented are those considered historically orthodox
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
based on acceptance of the Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
, which is the oldest catholic creed of Christianity. The list is in descending order based on the number of congregants which the leader oversees, guides, and/or spiritually leads.
Numbers of adherents do not necessarily reflect those who are actually practicing the faith, but the statistics are based on actual church membership.
Pope of the Catholic Church
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Benedict XVI is the spiritual leader of over one billion Christians worldwide.
As Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Rome
Diocese of Rome
The Diocese of Rome is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. The bishop of Rome is the Pope, who is the Supreme Pontiff and leader of the Catholic Church...
the Pope is the Supreme Pontiff and earthly head of the Catholic Church and all other Churches in union with the Holy See. He is one of two Christian leaders to also reign ex officio as the head of a state, his is the Vatican City State with the other leader being Queen Elizabeth II. The Pope is believed by Catholics to be the successor of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, who is considered by Catholics to be the first Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
; by virtue of this role he is called the Vicar of Christ
Vicar of Christ
Vicar of Christ is a term used in different ways, with different theological connotations throughout history...
by Catholics.
Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
Bartholomew I is the spiritual leader and bishop of well over 250-300 million Orthodox Christians. Though the Ecumenical Patriarch is not considered to be the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, his position does carry authorities that places him as the leader de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
of the Church, although his position is not equivalent to that of the Pope of Roman Catholicism. His official rank is primus inter pares (first among equals). The title "Ecumenical Patriarch" is a title that is exclusive and specific to the Patriarch of Constantinople and distinguishes the position, role, and responsibility of the office within the broad family of the fourteen autocephalous or self-governing Orthodox Churches around the world.
He presides in person or through a delegate over any council of Orthodox primates and/or bishops in which he takes part and serves as primary spokesman for the Orthodox communion, especially in ecumenical contacts with other Christian denominations. He has no direct jurisdiction over the other patriarchs or the other autocephalous Orthodox churches, but he alone among his fellow-primates enjoys the right of convening extraordinary synods consisting of them and/or their delegates to deal with ad hoc situations. His chief function as leader is as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the protector of orthodoxy in church.
Additionally, because of his work and the work of his predecessor, Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios, who established September 1 as the day for the protection of the environment, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has also been called the "Green Patriarch" by media around the world and government leaders including Vice President Al Gore. Thus, the person of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and by extension the position of the Ecumenical Patriarch is now being broadly viewed as the foremost religious spokesperson on environmental issues and "green" spiritual leader in the world.
Patriarch of the Alexandria Orthodox Church
Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria
Theodore II is the current Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa...
has the title Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Africans since 2004. The church is one of the autocephalous
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
Orthodox churches, ranking second in order of seniority after Constantinople.
Patriarch of the Antioch Orthodox Church
Patriarch Ignatius IVIgnatius IV of Antioch
Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch and All The East is the current primate of the "Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East".-Life:...
has the title Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of the Antiochian Orthodox Church since 1979. His see is based in Damascus. The church is one of the autocephalous
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
Orthodox churches, ranking third in order of seniority after the two churches listed above.
Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
Patriarch Theophilos IIIPatriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem
Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem is the current Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem...
has the title Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...
, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox in the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
since 2005. The church is one of the autocephalous
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
Orthodox churches, ranking fourth in order of seniority after the three churches listed above.
Patriarch of Moscow of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, the largest autocephalous Christian church of Eastern Orthodoxy and the second largest after the Roman Catholic Church, the Patriarch of Moscow has direct leadership of the largest church in Asia and the Eastern World. The Church is one of the autocephalous
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
Orthodox churches, ranking fifth in order of seniority after the four churches listed above.
Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church
Patriarch Ilia II has the title Greek Orthodox Catholicos-Patriarch of All GeorgiaCatholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
Catholicos–Patriarch has been the title of the heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1010. The first Catholicos–Patriarch of All Georgia was Melkisedek I...
, and as such, has been the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Georgians
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
since 1977. The church is one of the autocephalous
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
Orthodox churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after the five churches listed above.
Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Patriarch IrinejPatriarch Irinej of Serbia
Patriarch Irinej is the 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Serbs, since 22 January 2010. His full title is His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch Irinej...
is the 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, since 22 January 2010. His full title is His Holiness
His Holiness
His Holiness is the official style or manner of address in reference to the leaders of certain religious groups. In Christianity, specifically the Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Roman Catholic...
the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
, Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, situated on the bank of the river Danube, 8 km from Novi Sad...
, Serbian Patriarch Irinej. Between 1975 and 2010, he served as the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
.
The church is one of the autocephalous
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
Orthodox churches, ranking seventh in order of seniority after the six churches listed above. It is the second oldest Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
Orthodox Church in the world (after the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia...
), as well as the westernmost Eastern church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
It exercises jurisdiction over Orthodox Christians in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and surrounding Slavic and other lands, as well as exarch
Exarch
In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
ates and patriarchal representation churches around the world. The Patriarch of Serbia
Patriarch of Serbia
This is a list of the Archbishops and Patriarchs of Peć and the Serbs from the creation of the church as an archdiocese in 1219 to today's Patriarchate. The list includes all the Archbishops and Patriarchs that led the Serbian Orthodox community under Patriarchate of Peć...
serves as first among equals in his church.
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
As Archbishop of BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
, Patriarch Daniel
Patriarch Daniel of Romania
Daniel, born Dan Ilie Ciobotea is the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The elections took place on September 12, 2007. Daniel won with a majority of 95 votes out of 161. He was officially enthroned on September 30, 2007 in the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest...
, is the bishop and leader of nearly 19 million Christians.
The Romanian Orthodox Church is the second largest autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church after the Russian Orthodox Church. The Patriarch of Romania is responsible for oversight of the entire territory of Romania for the Eastern Orthodox communion along with surrounding territories such as Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the predominant Oriental Orthodox Christian church in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church was administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All...
, Abune Paulos
Abune Paulos
Abune Paulos is Abuna and Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church . His full title is "His Holiness Abuna Paulos, Fifth Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Ichege of the See of St...
is the bishop and leader of nearly 40 million Christians.
The church of Ethiopia is the largest church in Africa, the largest of the Oriental Orthodox churches, the second largest Eastern church (after the church of Russia), and the third largest autocephalous church in the world. The Patriarch of the Church is the Archbishop of Axum
Axum
Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...
whom presides over the see of Tekle Haymanot
Tekle Haymanot
Tekle Haymanot or Takla Haymanot was an Ethiopian monk who founded a major monastery in his native province of Shewa...
.
Abune Paulos, as of 2006 is one of the seven serving presidents of the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
Pope Shenouda III of AlexandriaPope Shenouda III of Alexandria
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria is the 117th Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria...
is the 117th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. He also holds the title Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist and is the spiritual leader of more than 16 million Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s.
Catholicos of the Indian Orthodox Church
Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose IIBaselios Mar Thoma Paulose II
Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II is the 91st reigning Catholicos of the East and 21st reigning Malankara Metropolitan and as such, Supreme Head of the Indian Orthodox Church. He was enthroned Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on 1 November 2010...
is the 91th Catholicos of the East
Catholicos of the East
Catholicos of the East is an ecclesiastical title used historically by the Church of the East and the Syriac Orthodox Church, and now used in successor churches. The title Catholicos, or "universal leader", is used in several Eastern Christian churches and implies a degree of sovereignty and...
in the lineage of Apostle Thomas in the Indian Orthodox Church
Indian Orthodox Church
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church centred in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the churches of India's Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas...
; 8th Catholicos after its reinstatement in India and 20th Malankara Metropolitan. His highness Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose II is currently seated in the honorary Apostolic Throne of St. Thomas as the Catholicos of the East.
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians
His Holiness Karekin II is the 132nd Catholicos of the Armenian Church, he is the head of the entire Armenian Apostolic Holy Church. Karekin II was elected as Catholicos of All Armenians at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in 1999, succeeding His Holiness, Karekin I.Church of the East
Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East
The current Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the EastAssyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
is Mar Dinkha IV.
After the assassination of Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII, the Church of the East had an urgent need to restore its leadership. In 1976, the prelates of the church convened in London to elect a new Catholicos Patriarch and chose Dinkha as the most qualified candidate to fill the post. Once consecrated, Mar Dinkha IV became the 106th successor to the Apostolic See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. The Patriarchate is currently in exile in Chicago, Illinois
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Supreme Governor
The Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II is the Supreme Governor of the Church of EnglandSupreme Governor of the Church of England
The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Although the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
which places her as the titular leader of approximately 13 million Christians. She is one of two Christian leaders to be a head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
with the other being the Pope. British Monarchs
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
have been head of the Church of England since 1534 when Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
broke England away from the Catholic Church.
Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
is the principal leader of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
which places him a spiritual leader of about 77 million Christians. In most contexts however, the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered just the spiritual leader of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, with about 13 million.
As Primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
of the Church of England and the bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
that churches must be in communion with in order to be a part of the Anglican Communion, he is the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Also known as First Among Equals, he leads through example and persuasion but has no legal jurisdiction outside of England.
President of the Lutheran World Federation
President of the Lutheran World FederationLutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
Bishop Munib Younan
Munib Younan
Munib Younan is the elected president of the Lutheran World Federation since 2010 and the Evangelical Lutheran Church Bishop of Palestine and Jordan in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land since 1998.- Education :...
oversees the Federation which consists of approximately 66 million Christians.
Although the president does not have any jurisdiction outside of his own regional church, as president of the LWF he oversees the meetings of the leaders of other regional churches. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work.