Editing Apostolic succession (section)

==Apostolic founders==
{{main|Apostolic see}}
[[File:Peter_as_Pope_.png|thumb|180px|Saint Peter portrayed as a Pope in the ''[[Nuremberg Chronicle]]'']]
An early understanding of apostolic succession is represented by the traditional beliefs of various churches, as organised around important [[episcopal see]]s, to have been founded by specific apostles. On the basis of these traditions, the churches hold they have inherited specific authority, doctrines or practices on the authority of their founding apostle(s), which is understood to be continued by the bishops of the [[apostolic throne]] of the church that each founded and whose original leader he was. Thus:
* The [[Holy See|See of Rome]], the head see of the Catholic Church, states that it was founded by [[Saint Peter|Simon Peter]] (traditionally called "Prince of the Apostles" and "Chief of the Apostles") and [[Paul the Apostle]]. Although Peter also founded the See of Antioch, the See of Rome claims the full authority of Peter (who, according to Catholic doctrine, was the visible head of the church and the sole chief of the Apostles) exclusively for itself, because Peter died as the Bishop of Rome, and not of another see.
* The [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]], the primary patriarchate of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], states that [[Andrew the Apostle|Apostle Andrew]] (elder brother of Simon Peter) was its founder.
* Each [[Patriarchate of Alexandria]] (the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria]], the [[Coptic Catholic Church]], and the [[Coptic Orthodox Church]]) states that it was founded by [[Mark the Evangelist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/index.php?module=news&action=details&id=20 |title=Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria Official Website |publisher=Greekorthodox-alexandria.org |access-date=26 July 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110726131528/http://www.greekorthodox-alexandria.org/index.php?module=news&action=details&id=20| archive-date= 26 July 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/synexarion/mark.html |title=website of the Coptic Orthodox Church Network |publisher=Copticchurch.net |access-date=26 July 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110610120103/http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/synexarion/mark.html| archive-date= 10 June 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>
* Each [[Patriarchate of Antioch]] (the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch]], the [[Syriac Orthodox Church]], the [[Maronite Church]], the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]], and the [[Syriac Catholic Church]]) states that it was founded by [[Saint Peter|Simon Peter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sor.cua.edu/Intro/index.html/ |title=Syriac Orthodox Resources |publisher=sor.cua.edu |access-date=18 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130405162625/http://sor.cua.edu/Intro/index.html |archive-date=5 April 2013}}</ref>
* The [[Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem]] states that it was founded by [[James the Just]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.xii.xx.html |title="Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine" at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library |publisher=Ccel.org |date=13 July 2005 }}</ref>
* Each Armenian Church (the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]], based at [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin|Etchmiadzin]], and the [[Armenian Catholic Church]], whose patriarchal see is [[Patriarchate of Cilicia|Cilicia]] but is based at [[Beirut]]) states that it was founded by the Apostles [[Bartholomew the Apostle|Bartholomew]] and [[Jude the Apostle|Jude Thaddeus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://66.208.37.78/index.jsp?sid=1&id=2342&pid=5 |title=Official Website of the Armenian Church |publisher=66.208.37.78 |access-date=26 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705194048/http://66.208.37.78/index.jsp?sid=1&id=2342&pid=5 |archive-date=5 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The following bodies state they were founded by the [[Thomas the Apostle|Apostle Thomas]]: the [[Assyrian Church of the East]], the [[Ancient Church of the East]] and the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]], originating in or around [[Mesopotamia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smcim.org/ |title=Syro Malabar Catholic Church |publisher=Smcim.org |access-date=26 July 2011}}</ref> 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]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/ |title=Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church |publisher=malankaraorthodoxchurch.in |access-date=18 August 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110721162720/http://www.malankaraorthodoxchurch.in/| archive-date= 21 July 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> and the [[Mar Thoma Syrian Church]].
* The [[Orthodox Tewahedo|Orthodox Tewahedo churches]] (the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] and the [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]]) state that they were founded by [[Philip the Evangelist]] and [[Mark the Evangelist]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/ethiopian/prechristian.html |title=Ethiopian Orthodox Official website |publisher=Ethiopianorthodox.org |access-date=26 July 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110611103832/http://ethiopianorthodox.org/english/ethiopian/prechristian.html| archive-date= 11 June 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>
* The [[Georgian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church of Georgia]] states that the Apostles Andrew and [[Simon the Zealot]] were its founders.
* The Orthodox [[Church of Cyprus]], based at Nova Justiniana ([[Erdek]]), states that it was founded by the Apostles [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]] and [[Barnabas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/article.php?articleID=89 |title=Cyprian Orthodox Church Official Website |publisher=Churchofcyprus.org.cy |access-date=26 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723150729/http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/article.php?articleID=89 |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*The [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church]] states that it has a connection with [[Andrew the Apostle]].
* The [[Russian Orthodox Church]] states that it has a connection with the [[Andrew the Apostle|Apostle Andrew]], who is said to have visited the area where the city of [[Kyiv]] later arose.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://russian-crafts.com/customs/russian-church-history.html |title=History of the Russian Church |publisher=Russian-crafts.com |access-date=26 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715214954/http://russian-crafts.com/customs/russian-church-history.html |archive-date=15 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" sortable width="auto" style="text-align: center"
|+ Apostolic founders
|-
! Church !! [[Andrew the Apostle|Andrew]] !! [[Saint Peter|Simon Peter]] !! [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]] !! [[Barnabas]] !! [[Philip the Evangelist|Philip]]  !! [[Mark the Evangelist|Mark]] !! [[Simon the Zealot|Simon]] !! [[Thomas the Apostle|Thomas]] !! [[James the Just|James]] !! [[Jude the Apostle|Jude Thaddeus]] !! [[Bartholomew the Apostle|Bartholomew]] !! Notes
|-
| [[Latin Church]] || || x || x || || ||  || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]] || x || || || || ||  || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria]] || || || || || || x || || || || || || via [[Patriarchate of Alexandria|Alexandria]]
|-
| [[Coptic Catholic Church]] || || || || || || x || || || || || || via [[Patriarchate of Alexandria|Alexandria]]
|-
| [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] || || || || || || x || || || || || || via [[Patriarchate of Alexandria|Alexandria]]
|-
| [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch]] || || x || || || ||  || || || || || || [[Patriarchate of Antioch|via Antioch]]
|-
| [[Syriac Orthodox Church]] || || x || || || ||  || || || || || || [[Patriarchate of Antioch|via Antioch]]
|-
| [[Maronite Church]]|| || x || || || ||  || || || || || || [[Patriarchate of Antioch|via Antioch]]
|-
| [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] || || x || || || ||  || || || || || || [[Patriarchate of Antioch|via Antioch]]
|-
| [[Syriac Catholic Church]] || || x || || || ||  || || || || || || [[Patriarchate of Antioch|via Antioch]]
|-
| [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] || || || || || ||  || || || || x|| x ||
|-
|  [[Armenian Catholic Church]] || || || || || ||  || || || || x || x ||
|-
| [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]] || || || || || ||  || || x || || || ||
|-
| [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]] || || || || || ||  || || x || || || || 
|-
| [[Jacobite Syrian Christian Church]] || || || || || ||  || || x || || || ||
|-
| [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church]] || || || || || ||  || || x || || || ||
|-
| [[Assyrian Church of the East]] || || || || || ||  || || x || || || ||
|-
| [[Ancient Church of the East]] || || || || || ||  || || x || || || ||
|-
| [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] || || || || || ||  || || x || || || ||
|-
|| [[Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem]] || || || || || ||  || || || x || || ||
|-
|  [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] || || || || || x || x || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] || || || || || x || x || ||  || || || ||
|-
| [[Georgian Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church of Georgia]] || x || || || || || || x || || || || ||
|-
| [[Church of Cyprus|Orthodox Church of Cyprus]] || || || x || x || || || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church]] || x || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
| [[Russian Orthodox Church]] || x || || || || || || || || || || || via [[Kyiv]]
|-
| [[Orthodox Church of Ukraine]] || x || || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
|}