What is the order of the Orthodox Patriarchates?
A. The most ancient Patriarchates, in an order of seniority already established by the 5th century, comprise Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. In the 16th century, the Ecumenical Patriarch raised the Church of Moscow to the rank of Patriarchate, as occurred earlier with the Church of Serbia in the 14th century as well as later with the Churches of Romania in the 19th century and Bulgaria in the 20th century.
