Among the Patriarchates in the West, the Pope, as Bishop of Rome is the only truly independent Patriarch. Of the "minor Patriarchates" which Rome has always claimed to be subsidiary to the Holy See, the oldest survivor in modern times is the Patriarch of Venice, a title permitted to the Archbishop of Venice since 1451. Venice is one of the three so-called smaller Patriarchates, together with Lisbon and the Patriarch of the East Indies, based in Goa, India. 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 Aquileia in 1451. For the earlier history of this title, see Patriarch of Aquileia and List of Aquileia Bishops and patriarchs.
A large number of the men holding this office have been elected Pope. Three of these were in the 20th century alone, viz, Pope Pius X (1903), Pope John XXIII (1958) and Pope John Paul I (1978).
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