Coat of Arms of the Western Catholic Church.
The Western Catholic Church, sometimes referred to as the Basque Catholic Church, is a sui iuris particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal-Patriarch of the Western Church. The See of this Church is the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Tudela, Navarre.
It originated as a schismatic branch of the Catholic Church in the Kingdom of Navarre after the Aragonese Schism, under the leadership of Cardinal Federico Goikoetxea, who proclaimed himself Pope Leo X. During this period, the Western Church started to use the Basque language in their rites. In 1317, the Western Church reconciled with Pope Saint Gregory XI and received the position of sui iuris. Federico Goikoetxea abandoned the title of pope and was declared Cardinal-Patriarch by Gregory XI. Federico was canonised in 1388 by Pope Clement VI.
List of Western Patriarchs[]
| Name | Term as Patriarch | Lifetime | Notability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federico Goikoetxea | 1317-1323 | 1256-1323 | First Western Patriarch, assassinated during the conquest of Navarre by Hispania, canonised in 1388 by Pope Clement VI. | |
| Loren Velásquez | 1324-1363 | 1280-1363 | ||
| Mikel Mendoza | 1363-1371 | 1297-1371 | ||
| Lluis Urrutia | 1371-1398 | 1321-1398 | ||
| Diego Castro y Echeverría | 1398-1406 | 1342-1406 | ||
| Markel Mendoza | 1406-1429 | 1352-1429 | ||
| Juan Goicoechea | 1429-1439 | 1373-1439 | ||
| Fernando Estigarribia | 1439-1461 | 1389-1461 | ||
| Eneko Etcheverry | 1461-1470 | 1405-1470 | ||
| Federico Fernández | 1470-1498 | 1425-1498 | ||
| Iñigo Ramírez y Mendoza | 1498-1517 | 1450-1517 | Head of the Association of Missionaries and Preachers/Association for the Propagation of Faith from 1504. | |
| Roberto Aroztegi | 1517-1537 | 1471-1537 | ||
| Francis Xavier, S.J. | 1537-1550 | 1506- | Jesuit, elected Pope Leo XII in 1550. | |
| Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. | 1550- | 1491- | Jesuit. |