List of religious leaders in 2006
From MedBib.com - Medicine & Nature
2005 religious leaders - Events of 2006 - 2007 religious leaders - Religious leaders by year
Note: Some religions reject the idea of having any leader or leading council in such a way that they can not be listed. When possible/plausible a leading figure will be named, but in some cases this will not be possible or desirable.
Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
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Vajrayana Buddhism
Christianity
Catholicism
Catholic Churches in Communion with Rome
- Roman Catholic Church-Benedict XVI, Pope, Bishop of Rome (2005-present) and head of the Latin Rites.
- Coptic Catholic Church (Alexandrian Rite) -
- Stéphanos II Ghattas, Patriarch of Alexandria (1986-2006)
- Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria (2006-present)
- Ethiopic Catholic Church (Alexandrian rite) - Mgr Berhaneyesus Demerew, Archbishop of Addis-Ababa of Ethiopians (1999-present)
- Maronite Catholic Church (Antiochian Rite) - Nasrallah Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch (1986-present)
- Syrian Catholic Church (Antiochian rite) - Ignatius Pierre VIII, Patriarch of Antioch (2001-present)
- Syro-Malankarese Catholic Church (Antiochian rite) - Cyril Mar Baselios, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum (1995-present)
- Armenian Catholic Church (Armenian Rite) - Nerses Bedros XIX, Patriarch of the Catholic Armenians (1999-present)
- Melkite Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite) - Grégoire III Laham, Patriarch of the Melkite Catholic Church (2000-present)
- Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop of Kiev and Halych (of Lviv until 2005) (2000-present)
- Romanian Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Lucian Cardinal Muresan, Major Archbishop of Fagaras e Alba Iulia (Romania) (1994-present)
- Ruthenian Greek-Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Milan Sasik, Apostolic Administrator of Mukachevo (2002-present); Basil Myron Schott, Metropolitan of Pittsburgh (2002-present)
- Slovak Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Ján Babjak, Bishop of Prešov (2002-present)
- Italo-Albanian Church (Byzantine rite) - Mgr Ercole Lupinacci, Bishop of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi (1987-present) ; Mgr Sotìr Ferrara, Bishop of Piana degli Albanesi (1989-present)
- Croatian Greek Catholic Church - Slavomir Miklovš, Bishop of Križevci (Byzantine) (1983–present)
- Hungarian Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Szilárd Keresztes, Archbishop of Hajdúdorog (1988-present)
- Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Christo Proykov, Exarch in Sofia (Bulgaria) (1995-present)
- Chinese Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Vacant
- Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Anarghyros Printesis, Exarch in Athens (Greece) (1975-present)
- Macedonian Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) -Kiro Stojanov, Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia (2005-present)
- Russian Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Vacant
- Czech Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - ThDr Ladislav Hucko, Apostolic Exarchate of Czech Republic (2003-present)
- Turkish Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Vacant
- Albanian Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Hil Kabashi, Apostolic Administrator (1996-present)
- Belarusian Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Sergiusz Gajek, Archimandrite, Visitator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" (1993-present)
- Serbian Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - Djura Džudžar, Apostolic Exarch of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-present)
- Georgian Catholic Church (Byzantine rite) - No organised hierarchy
- Chaldean Catholic Church (Chaldean Rite) - Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church (2003-present)
- Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (Chaldean rite) - Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly (1999-present)
- Sovereign Military Order of Malta - Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie, Grand Master of the Order (1988-present)
- Teutonic Knights - Bruno Platter, Grand Master of the Order (2000-present)
Catholic Churches not currently in Communion with Rome
Mariavite groups
Liberal and Independent Catholic Churches
Traditionalist Catholicism
National or Regional movements
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern orthodox churches in Communion
- Constantinople - Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome (1991-present)
- Alexandria - Theodore II, Greek Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, All Egypt and All Africa (2004-present)
- Antioch - Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East (1979-present)
- Jerusalem - Theophilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Holy Zion (2005-present)
- Russia - Alexius II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1990-present)
- Serbia - Pavle of Serbia, Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, and Patriarch of the Serbs (1990-present)
- Romania - Teoctist I, Patriarch of All Romania, Metropolitan of Wallachia and Dobrogea, (1986-2007)
- Bulgaria - Maxim of Bulgaria, Patriarch of All Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia (1971-present)
- Georgia - Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi (1977-present)
- Cyprus -
- Greece - Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece (1998-present)
- Poland - Sawa, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland (1998-present)
- Albania - Anastasios of Albania, Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania (1992-present)
- Czechia and Slovakia -
- North America -The Orthodox Church of America-(The OCA's autocephaly is not currently recognized by all other autocephalous Orthodox Churches ) - Herman (Swaiko), Metropolitan of All America and Canada (2002–present)
Autonomous Orthodox Churches in Communion
Schismatic Orthodox Churches not currently in Communion
Old Believers not currently in Communion
- Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Russia - Oleg Ivanovich Rozanov (?-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Belarus - Pyotr Alexandrovich Orlov (2001-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Latvia - Alexy Karatayev (?-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Lithuania - Nikolay Pilnikov (2002-present)
- Chairman of the Council of the Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church in Poland - Feodosy Novichenko (1993-present)
- Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church - Leonty (Izotov) (1996-present)
- Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church - Korniliy (Titov) (2005-present)
- Russian Old-Orthodox Church - A. Alexander of Novozybkov, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (2000-present)
Oriental Eastern Orthodox
Oriental Orthodox Churches
Anglican Churches - in Communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury
Protestant churches
- Assemblies of God - Thomas E. Trask, General superintendent of the Assemblies of God (1993-present)
- United Church of Canada - Peter Short, Moderator (2003-present)
- United Church of Christ - John Thomas, President and General Minister (1999-present)
- Evangelical Anglican Church of America - the Rev. Tomkin Coleman, Moderator (2002-present)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop (2001-present)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada - Raymond Schultz, National Bishop
- Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad - Udo Petersoo, Archbishop of Canada, (1990-2006)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia - Andres Põder (2005-present)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland - Jukka Paarma, Archbishop of Turku (1998-present)
- Evangelical Church in Germany- Barbara Rinke President of the Synod (2003-present)
- Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - Gerald B. Kieschnick (2001-present)
- Lutheran World Federation - Mark Hanson, President (2003-present)
- National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. - Dr. William J. Shaw, President (2003-present)
- Church of Norway - Harald V of Norway, King of Norway (1991-present]])
- Presbyterian Church in Canada - the Rev. J. Mark Lewis, Moderator
- Salvation Army -
- General John Larsson,( 2nd Swedish General) (Sept2003-April 1 2006)
- General Shaw Clifton,(April 2 2006-present)
- Seventh-day Adventist Church - Jan Paulsen, President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (1999-present)
- Southern Baptist Convention - Bobby Welch, President of the Southern Baptist Convention (2004-present)
- Church of Sweden -
- Karl Gustav Hammar, Archbishop of Uppsala (1997-September 2006)
- Anders Wejryd, Archbishop of Uppsala (From September 2006)
- United Methodist Church - Bishop Peter D. Weaver, President of the Council of Bishops (2004-present)
- Unitarian Universalist Association - Rev. William G. Sinkford, President (2001-present)
- United Church of God - Clyde Kilough, President of the United Church of God (2005-present)
- Worldwide Church of God - Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor-General of the Worldwide Church of God (1995-present)
- Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) - Karl R. Gurgel, President (1993-present)
Other Christian
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) - Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1995-2008)
- Community of Christ - Stephen M. Veazey, President (2005-present)
- National Council of Churches USA - Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA (2000-present]])
- World Council of Churches - Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (2004-present)
- New Apostolic Church - Wilhelm Leber, Chief Apostle of the New Apostolic Church (2005-present)
- Shakers - Sister Frances Carr (acts as Eldress and Trustee if not as leader per se as the group is egalitarian) (?-present)
- Swedenborgian Church of North America - Christine Laitner, President (2003-present)
- General Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) - Rt. Rev. Thomas L. Kline, Executive Bishop (?-present)
- Christian Science -
- Board of Directors - J. Thomas Black, Walter Jones, Nathan Talbot, Chair, Mary Trammell, Victor Westberg (2005-present)
Islam
Sunni Islam
Note: It is important to mention Sunni Islam has no leaders as the term is understood in the Christian world. There is currently no caliph. Even when the caliphate was active it was not equivalent to a "Pope" or "Dalai Lama". In fact such a thing could well be deemed shirk in orthodox Sunni circles. The following people are mentioned to add Sunni content as they are leading figures.
- Al-Azhar Universityالأزهر الشريف - Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, Imam (?-present)
- Jerusalem - Sheikh Ekrima Sa'id Sabri, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (As a Grand Mufti he has a degree of legal authority in Sunni Islam without being its leader) (?-present)
- Egypt - Shaikh Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Arab Republic of Egypt (?-present)
- Pakistan - Shaikh Muhammad Rafi Usmani, Grand Mufti of Islamic Republic of Pakistan (?-present)
- Saudi Arabia - Shaikh Abdul-Azeez bin Abdullaa bin Muhammad Aal ash-Shaikh, Grand Mufti of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (?-present)
- Tunisia - Shaikh Kamal-u-Din Ja'eit, Grand Mufti of Tunisia (?-present)
- Uzbekistan - Shaikh Abdurahman Bakhromov, Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan (?-present)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina - Shaikh Mustafa Ef. Cerić, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina (?-present)
- Russia - Shaikh Ravil Gainutdin, Grand Mufti of Russian Federation (?-present)
- France - Shaikh Soheïb Bencheikh, Grand Mufti of France (?-present)
Islam: Ismaili, Ahmadiyya, Druze and others
Jainism
Judaism
Note: As with Islam these leaders may not necessarily have that much authority, it varies from group to group.
Sikhism
Other
Bahá'í
Western origin
Indian subcontinent origin
New Religions
Some of these new religions are classified as "sects" in several countries.
Eastern or Hindu derived
Christian or Christian derived
- Iglesia ni Cristo - Eraño G. Manalo (1963-present)
- Jehovah's Witnesses -
- Governing Body of the Jehovah's Witnesses - Carey Barber (1977-present), John Barr (1977-present), Samuel Herd (1999-present), Geoffrey Jackson (2005-present), Theodore Jaracz (1974-present), Steve Lett (1999-present), Gerrit Losch (1994-present), Anthony Morris (I) (2005-present), Guy Pierce (1999-present), Albert Schroeder (1974-2006), David Splane (1999-present), Daniel Sydlik (1974-2006)
- Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania - Don A. Adams, President (2000-present)
- Kimbanguist Church - Joseph Diangienda (1954-present)
- Mita Congregation - Teofilo Vargas Sein (1970-present)
- Unification Church - Sun Myung Moon (1954-present)
- Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - Edir Macedo (1979-present)
Islam or Islam derived
Speculative science derived
External links