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PATRIARCH OF VENICE
The Patriarch of Venice is one of the few Patriarchs in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church. The diocese of Venice was created in 774, but it was only in 1457 that its bishops were accorded the title of the patriarch by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, for political considerations. Venice is the oldest surviving instance of the use of such a purely honorary title in the Latin Church. When it was granted, it was considered to succeed to be the transferred older see of Grado. Venice is currently one of the four Latin sees other than Rome to be accorded the title of Patriarchate, together with Lisbon, the East Indies, and Jerusalem. Currently, the only advantage of this purely formal title is the bishop's place of honor in papal processions.
The seat of the Patriarchate was moved from Grado in 1451. For the earlier history of this title, see Patriarch of Grado and List of Aquileia Bishops and patriarchs.
By tradition, the Patriarch of Venice is created a cardinal at the consistory following his appointment, although the Pope is not bound by law to do so. A large number of the men holding this office have been elected Pope. Three of these were in the 20th century alone: Pope Pius X (1903), Pope John XXIII (1958) and Pope John Paul I (1978).
The current Patriarch of Venice is His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Scola, who himself was considered a strong contender in the 2005 Conclave that brought Pope Benedict XVI to the Chair of Saint Peter, but apparently received no votes.
List of Patriarchs of Venice
See also
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