His Beatitude John X is the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. He’s been our patriarch since December 2012, when he was elected by the Holy Synod after the death of Patriarch Ignatius IV.
When you’re part of St. Michael here in Beaumont, you’re connected to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. The Patriarchate of Antioch goes back to the Apostle Peter himself. That’s not legend or pious exaggeration. Antioch is where the disciples were first called Christians, according to Acts 11:26. Peter served as the first bishop there before he went to Rome.
By the fourth century, the Bishop of Antioch held the title of Patriarch and ranked third among the ancient sees, after Rome and Alexandria. That’s the church we belong to. Not a denomination that started in the 1800s or a movement that split off during the Reformation. The same church that existed when St. John Chrysostom preached, when the great councils met, when your ancestors in the faith were being martyred under Roman persecution.
What Does the Patriarch Do?
The Patriarch isn’t like a pope. He doesn’t govern alone or claim infallibility. He presides over the Holy Synod, which is made up of all the ruling bishops of the Patriarchate. They meet twice a year to address issues facing the church, elect new bishops, and make decisions together. The Patriarch executes what the Synod decides. He’s first among equals, not a monarch.
He’s also the Metropolitan of Damascus, where the Patriarchate is now headquartered. (It moved from Antioch centuries ago after various invasions and political changes.) His role is to preserve the Orthodox faith, maintain order in the church, and shepherd the faithful scattered across the Middle East and around the world.
That “around the world” part includes us. The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America falls under the Patriarch’s jurisdiction. We’re not independent. We’re not making up our own version of Orthodoxy. Metropolitan Joseph, who oversees our archdiocese, answers to the Patriarch and the Holy Synod. When you become Orthodox at St. Michael, you’re joining a church that stretches from Beaumont to Beirut to Brisbane.
Why This Matters to You
If you’re coming from a Baptist or non-denominational background, this structure might feel strange. You’re used to congregational autonomy, where each church governs itself. Or maybe you’ve been part of a denomination with a more corporate structure, where decisions get made at conventions.
Orthodoxy works differently. We believe the church is a living organism, not an organization. The Patriarch and the bishops aren’t CEOs. They’re shepherds in apostolic succession, carrying on what was handed down from the Apostles. When Patriarch John X teaches, he’s not inventing new doctrine. He’s guarding what we’ve always believed.
The Patriarchate has survived schisms, foreign occupations, and centuries of persecution under various empires. In the 1700s, a group split off to form the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, entering communion with Rome. Others left at different times for different reasons. But the Orthodox line continued. Patriarch Ignatius IV, who served from 1979 to 2012, was known for his missionary vision and his work bringing Orthodoxy to the West. That’s why we’re here in Southeast Texas today.
Patriarch John X faces different challenges. The Syrian civil war has devastated communities that have been Christian since the first century. His own brother, a bishop, was kidnapped in 2013 and hasn’t been seen since. When we pray for our patriarch during the Divine Liturgy, we’re not just reciting a formula. We’re praying for a man carrying a heavy cross.
You’ll hear his name every Sunday. Right after we commemorate the bishop, we say, “and our father among the saints, John, Patriarch of the great city of God, Antioch, and all the East.” That’s not empty ritual. It’s a reminder that you’re part of something bigger than this parish, bigger than this country, bigger than this moment in history. You’re connected to Antioch, to Peter, to an unbroken chain of faith going back two thousand years.
If you want to understand more about how the Patriarchate works and its place in Orthodox ecclesiology, Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s book “The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy” gives good context. But the best way to understand it is just to be here, to worship with us, to hear the Patriarch’s name week after week until it sinks in that you’re part of an ancient family that spans the globe.
