Apostolic succession

Apostolic succession

• The See of Rome claims to have been founded by Simon Peter, traditionally called the "Chief of the Apostles".
• The Patriarchate of Constantinople, the primary patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, claims the Apostle Andrew (brother of Simon Peter) as its founder.
• The Patriarch of Alexandria (Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria) claims to have been founded by Mark the Evangelist.
• The Patriarchate of Antioch (Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, Syriac Orthodox Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant) claims to have been founded by Simon Peter.
• The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem claims to have been founded by James the Just.
• The Armenian Apostolic Church, based at Etchmiadzin, claims to have been founded by the Apostles Bartholomew and Jude Thaddeus.
• The following bodies claim to have been founded by the Apostle Thomas: the Assyrian Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church, originating in or around Mesopotamia, and churches based in Kerala, India having Syriac roots and generically known as the Saint Thomas Christians: the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church.
• The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church claims founding by Philip the Evangelist.
• The Orthodox Church of Georgia claims the Apostles Andrew and Simon the Zealot as its founders.
• The Orthodox Church of Cyprus, based at New Justiana (Erdek), claims to have been founded by the Apostles Paul and Barnabas.
• The Russian Orthodox Church claims a connection with the Apostle Andrew, who is said to have visited the area where the city of Kiev later arose.