{{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, the concept of an '''apostolic throne''' refers to one of the historic patriarchates that was associated with a specific apostle. 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, who along with St. Peter was present, at different times, in both Antioch and Rome (where both Peter and Paul were crucified). The phrase is also somewhat interchangeable with an "apostolic see".
==Apostolic thrones== *Saint James the Just is associated with the apostolic throne of 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 and the patriarchs of Antioch are considered to occupy the apostolic throne of 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 and the 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 and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Alexandria (also known as the Pope of Alexandria) consider themselves as occupying the throne of 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 and consequently the Catholicos of the Assyrian Church of the East and recently the Patriarch of the Ancient Church of the East consider themselves also as successors of St.Thomas,<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 of the 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 and the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church consider themselves to occupy the throne of St. 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 (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 of the Armenian Apostolic Church and consequently also the Armenian Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia (Holy See of Cilicia) and the Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholic Church all consider themselves as occupying the throne of both St. Jude the Apostle (also known as St. Thaddaeus) and St. 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 was himself associated with the apostolic throne of 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, who was the mentor of 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 is installed in St. Augustine's Chair, referring to the first holder of that office, 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 *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