noun
- The office, rank, or jurisdiction of a catholicos (a high-ranking bishop or patriarch in certain Eastern Christian churches).
Usage: ecclesiastical; chiefly used in reference to Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, and other Oriental Christian traditions
Examples
- The catholicate of the Armenian Church holds significant spiritual authority in the region.
- He was appointed to lead the catholicate after years of service in the clergy.
- The catholicate oversees multiple dioceses and their bishops.
- The ancient catholicate has maintained its traditions for centuries.