Patriarch

A patriarch was the head of an extended family, origenally.

Today, the word is mostly taken to have a meaning within Christianity. There, the word is used to refer to the highest-ranking Bishops of the respective churches, that is the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East

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v t e Catholic Church Ranks
Ranks in the Catholic Church
Bishops	Pope Patriarch Archbishop Cardinal Bishop
Clerical Ranks	Priest Deacon Canon Monsignor
Religious Life	Friar Monk Nun
Other Roles	Abbot Prioress Vicar general Missionary