In the
Eastern Christian denominations (
Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox and
Eastern Catholic), the term
exarch has three distinct uses: a
metropolitan who holds the office of exarch is the deputy of a
patriarch and holds authority over bishops of the designated ecclesiastical region (thus, a position between that of patriarch and regular metropolitan); or an auxiliary or titular bishop appointed to be exarch over a group of the faithful not yet large enough or organized enough to be constituted an eparchy or diocese (thus the equivalent of a
vicar apostolic); or a priest or deacon who is appointed by a bishop as his executive representative in various fields of diocesan administration (in the Byzantine Empire, executive exarchs were usually collecting diocesan revenues for local bishops).
Early tradition The term 'exarch' entered ecclesiastical language at first for a
metropolitan (an archbishop) with jurisdiction not only for the area that was his as a metropolitan, but also over other metropolitans within local political
dioceses. Since imperial
vicarius (governor of a political diocese) was often called "exarch" in eastern, Greek-speaking parts of the Empire, it became customary for the metropolitans of the diocesan capitals (
Ephesus in the
Diocese of Asia,
Heraclea in the
Diocese of Thrace and
Caesarea in the
Diocese of Pontus) also to use the title "exarch" in order to emphasize their precedence and primatial status over other metropolitans within local political dioceses. The
Council of Chalcedon (451), which gave special authority to the see of Constantinople as being "the residence of the emperor and the Senate", in its canons spoke of diocesan "exarchs", placing all metropolitans in dioceses of Asia, Thrace and Pontus (including metropolitans-exarchs of Ephesus, Heraclea and Caesarea) under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Constantinople. Metropolitans-exarchs of Ephesus tried to resist the supreme jurisdiction of Constantinople, but eventually failed since imperial government supported the creation of a centralized Patriarchate. When the proposed government of universal Christendom by five patriarchal sees (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, known as the
pentarchy), under the auspices of a single universal empire, was formulated in the legislation of
Emperor Justinian I (527–565), especially in his Novella 131 (, chapter III), and received formal ecclesiastical sanction at the
Council in Trullo (692), the name "patriarch" became the official one for the heads of major autocephalous churches, and the title of "exarch" was further demoted by naming all metropolitans as "patriarchal exarchs" in their ecclesiastical provinces. The advance of Constantinople put an end to privileges of three older, original exarchates, which fell back to the state of ordinary metropolitan sees. Local ecclesiastical development in some regions also included the title of exarch. Since the Church of Cyprus was declared
autocephalous (431), its Primate received the title of Exarch of Cyprus. On a similar principle the
Archbishop of Mount Sinai and Raithu is an exarch, though in this case, as in that of Cyprus, modern Eastern Orthodox usage generally prefers the title "Archbishop".
Eastern Orthodox Churches , last Exarch of Georgia (1915–1917) and first Exarch of Caucasus (1917–1918) (1870–1913) In modern ecclesiastical practice of the
Eastern Orthodox Church, the title of exarch was often used to designate the highest hierarchical office under the rank of patriarch. When Russian
Patriarch Adrian of Moscow died in 1700, Emperor
Peter the Great abolished the patriarchal office and appointed Metropolitan
Stefan Yavorsky as exarch and head of the
Most Holy Synod of the
Russian Orthodox Church. After Imperial Russia
annexed Georgia (the eastern part in 1801, and the western part in 1810), the ancient
Georgian Orthodox Church (autocephalous since 750, whose head was since 1008 styled Catholicos-Patriarchs) was reorganized into the
Georgian Exarchate, and the newly appointed
Exarch of Georgia (since 1817 always an ethnic Russian) sat in the Russian Holy Synod at St. Petersburg. Since the entire region of the
Caucasus fell under Russian rule, the jurisdiction of the Georgian Exarchate was expanded, encompassing the territories of modern-day
Georgia,
Armenia and
Azerbaijan. On 7 April 1917, the Georgian Patriarchate was restored for the Archbishops of Mtsheta and Tbilisi, with the style Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, and the title
Exarch of Georgia was extinguished, but only for the Georgian part of the Exarchate. The Russian Orthodox Church and its exarch
Platon (Rozhdestvensky) kept their jurisdiction over non-Georgian parts of the Caucasian region, and for those territories the
Caucasian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church was created in the summer of 1917, with metropolitan Platon as Exarch of the Caucasus. In the spring of 1918, he was succeeded by metropolitan Cyril (Smirnov) as new Exarch of the Caucasus, but after his transfer to another post in the spring of 1920 no new exarch was appointed. On 28 February 1870 the twenty-year-old struggle between Greeks and Bulgarians for control of the Orthodox Church in Bulgaria culminated when the Ottoman Sultan
Abdulaziz created an independent Bulgarian ecclesiastical organization, known as the
Bulgarian Exarchate. The Orthodox Church in
Bulgaria had now become independent of the Greek-dominated
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Bulgarian Exarch, who resided in Constantinople, became the most famous bearer of the title of exarch; his adherents throughout region were called
exarchists, as opposed to the Greek
patriarchists. The ensuing struggle, waged especially in
Macedonia, was not only religious but had a conspicuous political dimension of a contention between competing Greek and Bulgarian national aims. For more information see
Bulgarian Exarchate and
Bulgarian Orthodox Church. In 1921, eparchies of the Russian Orthodox Church in
Ukraine were reorganized as the
Ukrainian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by the patriarchal exarch with his seat in Kiev (Kyiv). The Ukrainian Exarchate existed until 1990 when it was granted a higher degree of ecclesiastical autonomy within the Moscow Patriarchate. In 1989, an autonomous
Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church was formed, with jurisdiction over eparchies in
Belarus. During the 20th century, the pentarchy-number principle, already abandoned in the case of
Bulgaria (10th century),
Serbia (14th century) and
Russia (16th century), gave way to the desire of the now politically independent Orthodox nations to see their sovereignty reflected in ecclesiastical autonomy – autocephaly – and the symbolic title to crown it: a 'national' Patriarch. For example,
Bulgarian Exarchate was raised to the rank of Patriarchate in 1953. In the
Eastern Orthodox Church, the office of exarch can be also given to a special deputy of a
Patriarch, with jurisdiction over a community outside the home territory of the Patriarchate. Thus, in the United States there are Exarchs representing, among others, the Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian and Jerusalem Patriarchs. The style of the Exarchs of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem is "Exarch of the Holy Sepulcher". The Mexican Orthodox parishes in five deaneries (Mexico City, D.F., State of Mexico, State of Jalisco, State of Veracruz and State of Chiapas) of the
Orthodox Church in America are governed as the "Exarchate of Mexico", currently under the leadership of Bishop Alejo of Mexico City. The third officer of the court of the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who examines marriage cases (analogous to the Catholic
defensor matrimonii), is called the Exarch.
Oriental Orthodox Churches The
Oriental Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch currently has under his authority an Exarch in India, known by the ancient title
Maphrian, although he is popularly referred to as
Catholicos. This is not to be confused with the autocephalous
Catholicate of the East, which is also located in India.
Latin Church Historically, there have been a very few cases of the civil title of Exarch granted by the civil authority to prelates of the
Latin Church, as when
Emperor Frederick I named the
Archbishop of Lyon as Exarch of
Burgundy in 1157. However, the ecclesiastical title of Exarch has disappeared in the Western Catholic Church, being replaced by the terms "
Primate" (ranking above metropolitan archbishop) and "
Apostolic Vicar" (ranking below suffragan bishop).
Modern Eastern Catholic Churches In
Eastern Catholic Churches (of Eastern tradition but in full
communion with the Bishop of Rome, the
Pope), the ecclesiastical title of Exarch is in common use, just as with its Orthodox counterparts. These Churches are, in general, not identified with a particular liturgical rite. Thus, no fewer than fourteen of them use the same
Byzantine Rite, mostly in one or other of only two languages, Greek and
Church Slavonic, but they maintain their distinct identities. Because of population shifts, half or so of these Churches have not just exarchates but full-scale
eparchies (bishoprics) or even archeparchies (archdioceses) outside their original territory.
Apostolic exarchs Apostolic exarch is usually a consecrated bishop of a
titular see to whom the Pope, as Bishop of the Roman See of the Apostle
Peter, has entrusted the pastoral care of the faithful of an autonomous Eastern Catholic
particular Church sui iuris in an area, not raised to the rank of eparchy (diocese), that is situated outside the home territory of an Eastern Catholic Church. The office of
apostolic exarch thus corresponds to what in the
Latin Church is called an
apostolic vicar. Apostolic exarchates are generally exempt (immediately subject to the Holy See), with limited oversight by the
patriarch,
major archbishop or
metropolitan in chief of the particular Eastern Church. If there is no metropolitan in a particular Eastern Catholic church, apostolic exarchates in their territories are directly subjected to Rome. For example, the
Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia belongs to the
Byzantine Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia, but since there is no metropolitan in that church, the Apostolic Exarch of Serbia is directly subjected to the Holy See.
Patriarchal exarchs A
patriarchal exarch is appointed in those Eastern Catholic churches whose head is styled as patriarch. This office is often (not always) given to a consecrated bishop of a titular see. Their appointments are limited to the traditional territory of their church, with main task of governing the region not yet raised to the rank of eparchy (diocese). They may be suffragan to an archdiocese or archeparchy of the Eastern Catholic Church, or be immediately subject to the Patriarch.
Archiepiscopal exarchs Archiepiscopal exarch is appointed in those Eastern Catholic churches whose head is styled as
Major Archbishop. The office of
archiepiscopal exarch is also usually given to a consecrated bishop of a titular see. Appointment of archiepiscopal exarchs is limited to the traditional territory of their particular church. They also may be suffragans to an archdiocese or archeparchy of their Eastern Catholic Church, or be immediately subject to the Major Archbishop.
Coadjutor exarchs In particular cases, usually because of illness or some other problem, an exarch of any rank can be assisted by the appointment of a colleague who is called
coadjutor exarch. The position of coadjutor exarch towards his superior exarch is similar to the position of Latin
coadjutor bishop towards his superior diocesan bishop. Coadjutor exarchs are appointed with rights of succession. For example, in 1993 titular Bishop
Christo Proykov of Briula was appointed Coadjutor to Apostolic Exarch of Sofia,
Methodius Stratiev, and when the latter died in 1995 the coadjutor exarch succeeded him as the new Apostolic Exarch.
Auxiliary exarchs In practice, exarch of any rank can be additionally assisted by an
auxiliary exarch, who is appointed in order to help the exarch in administration of his exarchate. Position of auxiliary exarch towards his superior exarch is similar to position of Latin
auxiliary bishop towards his superior
diocesan bishop. Auxiliary exarchs are appointed without the rights of succession.
List of Eastern Catholic exarchates The following Eastern Catholic exarchates can be found in the 2006
Annuario Pontificio and newer sources. The Apostolic Exarchates are exempt, i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See, rather than to their Patriarch or other head of the particular Church
Byzantine Rite •
Greek Byzantine Catholic Church: •
Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Greece in Athens •
Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul (alias Constantinople; Turkey) •
Melkite (Greek) Catholic Church: •
Melkite Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Argentina •
Melkite Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Venezuela •
Russian Greek Catholic Church: •
Russian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin (China) •
Russian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Russia •
Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church: •
Ruthenian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Czech Republic •
Exarchate of Saints Cyril and Methodius of Toronto (since 2022) •
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Germany and Scandinavia for Germany and Scandinavia (Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Italy Antiochian Rite •
Maronite Church: •
Maronite Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Colombia •
Syriac (Syrian) Catholic Church : •
Syrian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate for Canada •
Syriac Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Venezuela Armenian Rite •
Armenian Catholic Church: •
Armenian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Latin America and Mexico Patriarchal Exarchates Armenian Rite •
Armenian Catholic Church: •
Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Damascus (Syria) •
Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem and Amman (Palestine, Israel and Jordan)
Byzantine Rite •
Melkite (Greek) Catholic Church: •
Melkite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Iraq •
Melkite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Istanbul (Turkey) •
Melkite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Kuwait Antiochian Rite •
Maronite Church: •
Maronite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem and Palestine (Palestine, Israel) •
Maronite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jordan •
Syriac (Syrian) Catholic Church: •
Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Bassorah and the Gulf (Iraq, Kuwait etc.) •
Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (Palestine, Israel and Jordan) •
Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Turkey Archiepiscopal Exarchates Byzantine Rite •
Ukrainian (Greek) Catholic Church, in Ukraine: •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Donetsk •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Kharkiv •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Lutsk •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Odesa •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Krym (Crimea), on the Russian-annexed Crimea, with cathedral see at Simferopol
Former Eastern Catholic Exarchates (probably still incomplete) Former Eastern Catholic Exarchates in the Old World '''
in Europe – Byzantine Rite''' •
Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia (1926–2019, elevated to Eparchy in 2019) •
Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Turkey of Europe (now of Istanbul) •
Hungarian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Miskolc (Hungary; promoted to eparchy) •
Apostolic Exarchate of Łemkowszczyzna •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Donetsk-Kharkiv (Ukraine; split in both named cities) •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Lutsk-Volyn (Ukraine; split in ?) •
Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Odesa-Crimea (Ukraine; split in both named parts) •
Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2013) •
Byzantine Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Serbia (2013–2018, elevated as Eparchy in 2018) •
Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia (2001–2018, elevated as an Eparchy in 2018) '''
in Asia – Armenian Rite''' •
Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (Palestine, Israel and Jordan, now 'Jerusalem and Amman') •
Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Syria (suppressed) '''
in Asia – Antiochian Rite''' •
Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Lebanon (national; suppressed) •
Syro-Malankara Catholic Exarchate in the United States (USA; promoted Eparchy of St. Mary, Queen of Peace, of the United States of America and Canada) '''
in Asia – Syro-Oriental Rite''' •
Syro-Malabar Apostolic Exarchate of Chanda (India; promoted eparchy) '''
in Africa – Alexandrian Rite''' •
Apostolic Exarchate of Addis Abbeba (Ethiopic Catholic; promoted Metropolitanate sui iuris) •
Apostolic Exarchate of Asmara (Eritrean Catholic)
in Africa – Antiochian Rite •
Maronite Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Western and Central Africa Former Eastern Catholic Exarchates in the New World '''
in the Americas – Antiochian Rite''' •
Maronite Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the USA '''
in the Americas – Armenian Rite''' •
Armenian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Latin America and Mexico •
Armenian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the USA and Canada '''
in the Americas – Byzantine Rite''' •
Romanian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the USA (US and Canada) •
Ruthenian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the USA •
Melkite Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the USA •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Canada •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Central Canada •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Eastern Canada •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Edmonton (Canada) •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Manitoba (Canada) •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Saskatoon (Canada) •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Stamford (US) •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Toronto (Canada) •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the USA •
Ukrainian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Western Canada '''
in the Americas –
Syro-Oriental Rite''' •
Chaldean Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of the USA •
Syro-Malabar Catholic Church: •
Syro-Malabar Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Canada == References ==