Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

right|thumb|270px|Entry of the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem (from [[James Tissot)]]

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem () is the Latin Catholic ecclesiastical patriarchate in Jerusalem, officially seated in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem is the archbishop of Latin Church Catholics of the Archdiocese of Jerusalem with jurisdiction for all Latin Catholics in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus; he also holds the office of grand prior of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. It is exempt, being directly subject to the Holy See (and exceptionally its Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, which normally handles Eastern Catholics). It is not within an ecclesiastical province, and has no metropolitan functions.

The patriarchate was originally established in 1099, with the Kingdom of Jerusalem encompassing the territories in the Holy Land newly conquered by the First Crusade. From 1374 to 1847 it was a titular see, with the patriarchs of Jerusalem being based at the Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura in Rome. Pope Pius IX re-established a resident Latin patriarch in 1847.

The title of patriarch in the Latin Church is retained by only five archbishops: the patriarchs of Jerusalem, of the West (being the pope himself), of Venice, of Lisbon and of the East Indies. Until 1964, there had also been the honorary patriarchal titles of Constantinople, Alexandria and Antioch; still others were abolished earlier. Outside the Catholic Church, the title of "Patriarch of Jerusalem" is also used by the Greek Orthodox patriarch, the Armenian patriarch, and within the Catholic Church it is also used titularly by the Melkite patriarch.

History

Jerusalem (in Latin also Hierosolyma) was one of the Apostles' original bishoprics (diocese). It was renamed Aelia Capitolina in 135 AD, again Jerusalem in 325. In 451 it was promoted as patriarchal see. After 649, Pope Martin I appointed John of Philadelphia (Amman) as patriarchal vicar of Jerusalem to replace Sergius of Jaffa.

In 1054, the Great Schism split Christianity into the Catholic Church, which consisted of the pope of Rome and virtually all of Western Christianity; and the Eastern Orthodox Church—which consisted of the four Orthodox Christian patriarchs of Antioch, Jerusalem, Constantinople and Alexandria—under the stewardship of Constantinople. Apart from the Maronites, most Christians in the Holy Land came under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem

In 1099, the Western crusaders captured Jerusalem, set up the Kingdom of Jerusalem and established a Latin hierarchy under a Latin patriarch (in communion with Rome), while expelling the Orthodox patriarch. The Latin Patriarchate was divided into four archdioceses—their heads bearing the titles of archbishop of Tyre, archbishop of Caesarea, archbishop of Nazareth and archbishop of Petra—and a number of suffragan dioceses. The Latin patriarch took over control of the Latin quarter of the city of Jerusalem (the Holy Sepulchre and the immediate surroundings) as his metropolitan see, and had as his direct suffragans the bishops of Lydda-Ramla, Bethlehem, Hebron and Gaza, and the abbots of the Temple, Mount Sion and the Mount of Olives.

The Latin patriarch resided in Jerusalem from 1099 to 1187, while Orthodox patriarchs continued to be appointed, but resided in Constantinople. In 1187, the crusaders were forced to flee Jerusalem, and the Latin Patriarchate moved to Acre (Akka), while the Orthodox patriarch returned to Jerusalem. The Catholic Church continued to appoint residential Latin patriarchs. The crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem endured almost 200 years until the last vestiges of the kingdom were conquered by the Muslim Mamluks in 1291, and the Latin hierarchy was effectively eliminated in the Levant.

With the fall of Acre, the Latin patriarch moved to the Kingdom of Cyprus in 1291.

Titular Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

In 1374, the Kingdom of Cyprus underwent a severe upheaval when it was invaded by the Genoese, who conquered Famagusta and held King Peter II captive.

From that time on, the Latin patriarchs of Jerusalem ceased to reside in Cyprus. The Catholic Church continued to appoint titular patriarchs of Jerusalem, but from then on they were based at the in Rome.

In 1342, Pope Clement VI officially committed the care of the Holy Land to the Franciscans and the Franciscan Custos of the Holy Lands (the grand masters of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre) held the title ex officio under the papal bull Gratiam agimus by Clement VI, unless someone was specifically appointed to the honorary office.

In 1570, it gained territories from the suppressed Archdiocese of Nicosia and Diocese of Paphos, and in 1571 it gained more territories from the suppressed Diocese of Limassol and Diocese of Famagosta, all in former crusader Kingdom of Cyprus, which had fallen to the Ottoman Turks.

Modern Patriarchate of Jerusalem

A resident Latin patriarch was re-established in 1847 by Pius IX, However, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre has the title of cathedral of the patriarchate. The residence of the patriarch is in the Old City, near the Co-Cathedral, while the seminary, which is responsible for the liturgical education, is in Beit Jala, a town 10 km south of Jerusalem, where it has been since 1936.

In 1987, Michel Sabbah became the first native Palestinian to be appointed Latin patriarch. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is now the diocesan archbishop of Latin Catholics of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jerusalem and has jurisdiction for all Latin Church Catholics in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus.

The prerogatives of the patriarch in his relation with government authorities overlap with the prerogatives of the apostolic nuncio to Israel and the apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.

In 2008, Archbishop Fouad Twal was appointed patriarch to succeed Michel Sabbah. He exercised his mandate from June 21, 2008, until June 24, 2016, when he reached the canonical age of retirement and Pope Francis accepted his resignation. On 24 June 2016, Pope Francis nominated Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the patriarchate and appointed him titular archbishop of Verbe. On 24 October 2020, Archbishop Pizzaballa was elevated to the position of patriarch. He took possession of the see on 6 November 2020.

Pope Paul VI visited in January 1964, Pope John Paul II in March 2000, Pope Benedict XVI in May 2009 and Pope Francis in May 2014.

Organisation and territory

The patriarch is supported by bishops and non-bishop patriarchal vicars:

William Shomali, Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of Latin Patriarchate, and Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine

The proper archdiocese of the patriarchal see of Jerusalem has jurisdiction over all Latin Catholics (not Eastern Catholics) in the Holy Land (Israel, Palestine and Jordan) as well as Cyprus. In Jerusalem, the Latin Catholic community is the largest Christian community, with some 4,500 people out of an estimated Christian population of about 11,000.

Special churches

In Jerusalem, the patriarch has his cathedral archiepiscopal see, a minor basilica and World Heritage Site: the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, as well as the Co-Cathedral, also a World Heritage Site: Co-Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, and four other Minor Basilicas and World Heritage Sites: Basilica of the Agony, Basilica of St. Stephen, Dormition Abbey of the Virgin Mary and St. Anne's Church.

Other cities in the archdiocese have more minor basilicas: Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Basilica of the Transfiguration in Mount Tabor, Carmelite Monastery of Stella Maris in Haifa and St. Cleophas Church in El Qubeibeh, and two other World Heritage Sites, both in Bethlehem: Church of St. Catherine and Church of the Nativity.

List of Latin patriarchs of Jerusalem

Prior to the Great Schism, there were no separate Latin and Greek Orthodox Churches, and thus no separate patriarchs. For patriarchs of Jerusalem of the unified Church prior to the Schism, see Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Arnulf of Chocques (1099)
Dagobert of Pisa (1099–1101)
Maurice of Porto (1101–1102), ad interim
Evremar (1102–1105)
Dagobert of Pisa (restored) (1105)
William of Malines (1130–1145)
Heraclius (1180–1191)
(1193–1194)
Aymar the Monk (also known as Aimaro Monaco dei Corbizzi) (1194–1202)
Soffredo (also known as Loffredo Errico Gaetani) (1202–1204)
Albert of Vercelli (also known as Albert Avogadro) (1204–1214)
Ralph of Mérencourt (1214–1225)
Gerold of Lausanne (1225–1238)

:...

Rodrigo de Carvajal (1523–1539)
Alessandro Farnese (1539–1550)
Cristoforo Spiriti (1550–1556 Died)
Antonio Elio (Antonius Helius) (1558–1576)
Gian Antonio Facchinetti de Nuce (1576–1584), future Pope Innocent IX of Rome
Scipione Gonzaga (1585–1588)
Fabio Blondus de Montealto (Fabio Biondi) (1588–1618)
Francesco Cennini de' Salamandri (1618–1621)
Bandino Panciatichi (1689–1690)
Luigi Barlassina (1920–1947)
Auxiliary Bishop: Godric Kean (July 14, 1924 – December 1928)
Auxiliary Bishop: Francesco Fellinger (February 26, 1929 – July 22, 1940)

:*vacant (1947–1949)

:* Auxiliary Bishop: Vincent Gelat (April 30, 1948 – January 19, 1968)

Alberto Gori (1949–1970)
Vicar general: Bishop Pier Giorgio Chiappero, O.F.M. (August 31, 1959 – July 15, 1963)
Auxiliary Bishop: Hanna Kaldany (January 4, 1964 – May 14, 1996)
Auxiliary Bishop: Neemeh Simaan (September 21, 1965 – May 25, 1981)
Giacomo Giuseppe Beltritti (1970–1987)
Auxiliary Bishop: Salim Sayegh (November 26, 1981 – January 19, 2012)
Michel Sabbah (1987–2008)
Auxiliary Bishop: Kamal Hanna Bathish (April 29, 1993 – June 9, 2007)
Fouad Twal (2008–2016)
Auxiliary Bishop: Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, titular bishop of Emmaus (April 29, 1993 – August 29, 2020)
Auxiliary Bishop: William Hanna Shomali, titular bishop of Lydda (March 31, 2010 – present)

:* vacant (June 24, 2016 – November 6, 2020)

Pierbattista Pizzaballa (November 6, 2020 – present)
Auxiliary Bishop: Jamal Khader Daibes, titular bishop of Patara (March 11, 2022 – January 13, 2024),
Auxiliary Bishop: Rafic Nahra, titular bishop of Verbe (March 11, 2022 – present)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bruno Varriano, titular bishop of Astigi (January 9, 2024 – present)
Auxiliary Bishop: Iyad Twal, titular bishop of Siminina (December 17, 2024 – present)

References

Sources and external links

Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew-Speaking Catholics
Listing Latin Patriarchs of Jerusalem at GCatholic.org
Patriarchate of Jerusalem {Gerusalemme} at the Catholic Hierarchy website
Homily of John Paul II in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre