During the Crusades The crusaders reinstated at first the Greek patriarch, then
John IV as long as the Orthodox patriarch remained there they tried to make him a Catholic instead of appointing a rival. However, when at last he fled to Constantinople they considered the see vacant.
The Patriarchate in Exile In 1342, the Greek Patriarchate transferred his seat to Damascus which grew in prominence as the city of Antioch's Christian and overall population declined. Both Latin and Greek Patriarchs continued to be appointed by the Pope and the Byzantine Emperor respectively during the following centuries. However, the Latin Patriarch was a
titular office, with its seat at the
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. It continued to play a role in helping to protect various isolated Christian communities in the Near East and eventually secured their unity with Rome. The last holder of this office was
Roberto Vicentini, who held it until his death 1953.
Suppression The seat remained vacant until the title was suppressed in January 1964, along with the titles of the
Latin Patriarchate of Alexandria and
Constantinople, it was no longer mentioned in the Vatican yearbook (rather than being announced as being abolished). This was after
Pope Paul VI met with
Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople (see
Pope Paul VI and ecumenism), showing the Latin Church by this point was more interested in reconciliation with the Eastern Church, abolishing the titular title. ==List of Latin religious heads of Antioch==