The
Patriarch of the Church of the East (
Patriarch of Babylon or
Patriarch of the East) is the
patriarch, or leader and head
bishop (sometimes referred to as
Catholicos or universal leader) of the
Church of the East. The position dates to the early centuries of
Christianity in
Persia, and the church has been known by a variety of names, including
Nestorian Church, the Persian Church, the Sassanid Church, or East Syrian. In the 16th and 17th century the Church experienced a series of splits, resulting in a series of competing patriarchs and lineages. Today, the three principal churches that emerged from these splits, the
Assyrian Church of the East,
ancient church of the east and the
Chaldean Catholic Church, each have their own patriarch, the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and the
Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, respectively.