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List of Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Alexandria facts for kids

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The Greek Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria holds an important title: Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa. The word "Greek" here refers to a religious group, not an ethnic background. Many of these leaders were ethnic Greeks, but some were Egyptians who adopted Greek culture, and others were Melkite Arabs.

A Big Split in the Church

After a major church meeting called the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD, a split happened in Egypt. Some people accepted the council's decisions, and they were called Chalcedonians. Others rejected them and were known as Miaphysites.

For several decades, both groups tried to lead the Church of Alexandria. Sometimes, they even recognized the same leader. But after 536 AD, they officially created separate church branches. They have had their own leaders ever since.

The Miaphysites became the Coptic Church. This church is part of a larger group called Oriental Orthodoxy. The Chalcedonians became the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria. This church is part of the wider Eastern Orthodox Church.

To see the list of leaders before 536 AD, you can check out List of patriarchs of Alexandria.

Chalcedonian Leaders of Alexandria After 536 AD

Here are some of the Chalcedonian leaders of Alexandria after the big split in 536 AD:

  • Gainas (536)
  • Paul of Tabennesis (537-540)
  • Zoilus (540–551)
  • Apollinarius (551–569)
  • John IV (569–580)
  • Eulogius I (581–608)
  • Theodore I (608–610)
  • John V Eleemon (610–621)
  • George I (621–630)
  • Cyrus (631–641)
  • Peter IV (642–651)

After 651 AD, the Muslim invasion of Egypt caused the leadership position in Alexandria to be empty for a while.

Chalcedonian Leaders of Alexandria After the Islamic Conquest

After 727 AD, the Byzantine emperor Leo III tried again to appoint a Melkite leader in Alexandria. With permission from the Muslim rulers, the church leadership was once more headed by a patriarch.

  • Theodore II
  • Peter V
  • Peter VI
    • Theophylactus
      • Onopsus
  • Cosmas I (727–768)
  • Politianus (768–813)
  • Eustatius (813–817)
  • Christopher I (817–841)
  • Sophronius I (841–860)
  • Michael I (860–870)
  • Michael II (870–903)
    No leader (903–907)
  • Christodoulos (907–932)
  • Eutychius (932–940)
  • Sophronius II (941)
  • Isaac (941–954)
  • Job (954–960)
    No leader (960–963)
  • Elias I (963–1000)
  • Arsenius (1000–1010)
  • Theophilus (1010–1020)
  • George II (1021–1051)
  • Leontius (1052–1059)
  • Alexander II (1059–1062)
  • John VI Kodonatos (1062–1100)
    • Eulogius II (1100–1117)
  • Cyril II (1100– )
  • Sabbas (1117– )
    • Theodosius II ( –1137)
  • Sophronius III (1137–1171)
  • Elias II (1171–1175)
  • Eleutherius (1175–1180)
  • Mark III (1180–1209)
  • Nicholas I (1210–1243)
  • Gregory I (1243–1263)
  • Nicholas II (1263–1276)
  • Athanasius III (1276–1316)
  • Gregory II (1316–1354)
  • Gregory III (1354–1366)
  • Niphon (1366–1385)
  • Mark IV (1385–1389)
  • Nicholas III (1389–1398)
  • Gregory IV (1398–1412)
  • Nicholas IV (1412–1417)
  • Athanasius IV (1417–1425)
  • Mark V (1425–1435)
  • Philotheus (1435–1459)
  • Mark VI (1459–1484)
  • Gregory V (1484–1486)
  • Joachim Pany (1486–1567)
    No leader (1567–1569)
  • Silvester (1569–1590)
  • Meletius I (1590–1601)
  • Cyril III Loucaris (1601–1620)
  • Gerasimus I Spartaliotes (1620–1636)
  • Metrophanes Kritikopoulos (1636–1639)
  • Nicephorus (1639–1645)
  • Joannicius (1645–1657)
  • Paisius (1657–1678)
  • Parthenius I (1678–1688)
  • Gerasimus II Paladas (1688–1710)
  • Samuel Kapasoulis (1710–1712)
  • Cosmas II (1712–1714)
    • Samuel (restored) (1714–1723)
    • Cosmas II (restored) (1723–1736)
  • Cosmas III (1737–1746)
  • Matthew Psaltis (1746–1766)
  • Cyprian (1766–1783)
  • Gerasimus III Gimaris (1783–1788)
  • Parthenius II Pankostas (1788–1805)
  • Theophilus III Pankostas (1805–1825)
  • Hierotheus I (1825–1845)
  • Artemius (1845–1847)
  • Hierotheus II (1847–1858)
  • Callinicus (1858–1861)
  • Jacob (1861–1865)
  • Nicanor (1866–1869)
  • Nilus (1869–1870)
  • Sophronius IV (1870–1899)
  • Photius (1900–1925)
  • Meletius II Metaxakis (1926–1935)
  • Nicholas V (1936–1939)
  • Christopher II (1939–1966)
    No leader (1966–1968)
  • Nicholas VI (1968–1986)
  • Parthenius III (1986–1996)
  • Peter VII (1997–2004)
  • Theodore II (2004–present)

See also

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