# Apostolic throne

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{{Short description|Quality of some ancient Christian jurisdictions}}
{{Original research|date=June 2025|reason=There is a lack of reference to sources in general and to secondary sources in particular.}}
In [Christianity](/source/Christianity), the concept of an '''apostolic throne''' refers to one of the historic [patriarchates](/source/patriarchates) that was associated with a specific [apostle](/source/Apostles_in_the_New_Testament). Not all of the apostles are associated with specific "thrones"; in general, the phrase applies to apostles who presided over a specific geographic church. Notably, there is no apostolic throne associated with [St. Paul](/source/St._Paul), who along with St. Peter was present, at different times, in both [Antioch](/source/Antioch) and [Rome](/source/Rome) (where both Peter and Paul were [crucified](/source/Crucifixion)). The phrase is also somewhat interchangeable with an "[apostolic see](/source/apostolic_see)".

==Apostolic thrones==
*[Saint James the Just](/source/Saint_James_the_Just) is associated with the apostolic throne of [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem).<ref>[http://www.armenianpatriarchateofjerusalem.com/news/enthronement-in-st-james.html Enthronement In St. James | Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate Of Jerusalem, Holy See Of St. James<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714171711/http://www.armenianpatriarchateofjerusalem.com/news/enthronement-in-st-james.html |date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref> 
*Both the [pope](/source/pope) and the [patriarchs](/source/Patriarch_of_Antioch) of [Antioch](/source/Antioch) are considered to occupy the apostolic throne of [St. Peter](/source/St._Peter), as Peter presided over the early church from those locations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sor.cua.edu/Ecumenism/rc.html|title=Ecumenical Relations: With Roman Catholic Church|website=sor.cua.edu|access-date=2013-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112010342/http://sor.cua.edu/Ecumenism/RC.html|archive-date=2018-01-12|url-status=dead}}</ref>
**The pope occupies the apostolic throne of St. Peter in Rome
**Eastern churches occupy the apostolic throne of St. Peter in Antioch. These include the patriarchs of the [Syriac Orthodox Church](/source/Syriac_Orthodox_Church) and the [Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch](/source/Greek_Orthodox_Church_of_Antioch)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church Europe |url=https://www.msoc-europe.com/throne.php |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.msoc-europe.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Apostolic Succession |url=https://www.saintgeorgekearney.com/apostolic_succession.html |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=St. George Orthodox Christian Church}}</ref>
*The [Coptic](/source/Coptic_Orthodox_Church_of_Alexandria) and [Greek Orthodox](/source/Greek_Orthodox_Church_of_Alexandria) [patriarchs of Alexandria](/source/Patriarch_of_Alexandria) (also known as the Pope of Alexandria) consider themselves as occupying the throne of [St. Mark the Evangelist](/source/St._Mark_the_Evangelist),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.copticchurch.net/synaxarium/5_2.html|title=Lives of Saints :: Toba 2|website=www.copticchurch.net}}</ref> who founded the Alexandrian church.
*The historical [Church of the East](/source/Church_of_the_East) and consequently the Catholicos of the [Assyrian Church of the East](/source/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East) and recently the Patriarch of the [Ancient Church of the East](/source/Ancient_Church_of_the_East) consider themselves also as successors of [St.Thomas](/source/Thomas_the_Apostle),<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Holy Apostolic and Catholic Assyrian Church of the East |url=http://www.thechurchoftheeast.org/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.thechurchoftheeast.org}}</ref> a belief that was previously held by the [Maphrain](/source/Maphrian) of the [Syriac orthodox church](/source/Syriac_Orthodox_Church).<ref>{{Cite web |last=rekkared2 |date=2020-10-14 |title=The Catholicate and the Maphrianate: their origins and progress |url=https://malankararesearch.org/2020/10/14/the-catholicate-and-the-maphrianate-their-origins-and-progress/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=Malankara Research |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Patriarch Zakka I: The SOC At a Glance |url=https://syriacorthodoxresources.org/Pub/PZakka1/SOCAtAGlance.html |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=syriacorthodoxresources.org}}</ref> {{Verify source|date=June 2025}}
*Both the primates of [Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church](/source/Catholicos_of_the_East_and_Malankara_Metropolitan) and the [Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church](/source/Marthoma_Metropolitans) consider themselves to occupy the throne of St. [Thomas the apostle](/source/Thomas_the_apostle)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mosc.in/the_church/the-throne-of-st-thomas|url-access= |title=The throne of St. Thomas|last1=Gregorios|first1=Paulos|author-link1=Paulos Gregorios|last2=Aprem|first2=Zacharias|author-link2=Zacharias Aprem|year=2015|orig-date=1974|website=[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church](/source/Malankara_Orthodox_Syrian_Church) (MOSC)|language=en-in|access-date=2024-12-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Overview – Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church |url=https://marthoma.in/the-church/overview/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |language=en-US}}</ref>
*The [Catholicos of All Armenians](/source/Catholicos_of_All_Armenians) of the [Armenian Apostolic Church](/source/Armenian_Apostolic_Church) and consequently also the [Armenian Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia](/source/Armenian_Catholicosate_of_the_Great_House_of_Cilicia) (Holy See of Cilicia) and the [Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholic Church](/source/Armenian_Catholic_Church) all consider themselves as occupying the throne of both St. [Jude the Apostle](/source/Jude_the_Apostle) (also known as St. Thaddaeus) and St. [Bartholomew](/source/Apostle_Bartholomew).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://66.208.37.78/index.jsp?sid=1&id=2342&pid=5 |title=Official Website of the Armenian Church |publisher=66.208.37.78 |accessdate=26 July 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705194048/http://66.208.37.78/index.jsp?sid=1&id=2342&pid=5 |archivedate=5 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Apostolic Succession - |url=http://www.stgregoryarmenian.org/the-armenian-church/apostolic-succession/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120124055/http://www.stgregoryarmenian.org/the-armenian-church/apostolic-succession/ |archive-date=2018-01-20}}</ref>
*[Saint John](/source/John_the_Apostle) was himself associated with the apostolic throne of [Ephesus](/source/Ephesus),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250103.htm|title=CHURCH FATHERS: Church History, Book III (Eusebius)|website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref> although this apostolic see has been canonically vacant since 1922.

==Other thrones==
The See of Milan claimed the apostle Barnabas as its founder, but this was disputed. Nonetheless, this apostolic throne was later occupied by the important bishop [Ambrose](/source/Ambrose), who was the mentor of [Augustine of Hippo](/source/Augustine_of_Hippo).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01383c.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Ambrose|website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref>

The [archbishop of Canterbury](/source/archbishop_of_Canterbury) is installed in St. Augustine's Chair, referring to the first holder of that office, [Augustine of Canterbury](/source/Augustine_of_Canterbury), not to be confused with the earlier theologian and bishop Augustine of Hippo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2009/05/st-augustine-on-love.html|title=St Augustine on Love|first=Fr Dwight|last=Longenecker|date=May 7, 2009}}</ref>

==See also==
*[Patriarchate](/source/Patriarchate)
*[Episcopal See](/source/Episcopal_See)

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Church patriarchs
Category:Catholic Church
Category:Eastern Orthodoxy
Category:Coptic Orthodox Church
Category:Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
Category:Mar Thoma Syrian Church

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Apostolic throne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_throne) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_throne?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.