The Ecumenical Patriarch is the title of the Primate of the Constantinople Orthodox Church.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Primate of the Church of Constantinople. Historically, he is considered the first of equal among the priests of all the local churches. What this means and how this story happened, we'll talk a little later. Now we know who is the Ecumenical Patriarch. So, on October 22, 1991, this title was awarded to Bartholomew I (in the world Dimitrios Arhodonis), he is His Divine Blessedness Archbishop of Constantinople (the old name of the city of New Rome).

Patriarch

This title was formed when the city of Constantinople became the capital in the Byzantine Empire . The first Ecumenical Patriarch, Akaki (472-489), was titled after the Fourth Ecumenical Council (451, Chalcedon). Then in rules 9, 17 and 28 the general imperial jurisdiction of the bishop of New Rome was proclaimed, in importance took the second position after Rome.

By the end of the VI century, the role and title are taken conclusively in both civil and ecclesiastical acts of the Byzantine Empire. But the papal throne of Rome did not accept the 28th rule. This is only in connection with the union at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (1438-1445), Rome finally put on its second role the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Patriarchate in Russia

But in 1453 Byzantium fell after the siege of Constantinople by Turkish troops. At the same time, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople was able to maintain his position as the leader of the Christian world, but already existed under the Ottoman Empire. Nominally, he remained head of the Russian Orthodox Church, but was very weakened and exhausted in material terms, until the patriarchate was established in the Russian state (1589). Under the rule of Boris Godunov, as is known, the first patriarch in Russia was Job (1589).

After the First World War, the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist. In 1923, Constantinople ceases to be the capital, in 1930 it was renamed the city of Istanbul (Istanbul).

The struggle for power

In early 1920, the Patriarchate of Constantinople in its ruling circles begins to formulate the concept that the entire Orthodox diaspora of churches should completely submit to the Patriarch of Constantinople. Since it is he who, in the opinion of the meeting of the Greek elite of the so-called Fanariots, now has the primacy of honor and power, therefore can interfere in any internal affairs of other churches. This concept was immediately subjected to repeated criticism and was called "eastern papism." However, the de facto was approved by the practice of the church.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I: Biography

Bartholomew by ethnic origin is a Greek who was born on February 29, 1940 on the Turkish island of Hecheada in the village of Zeytinli-keyu. After graduating from high school in Istanbul, he continued to study at the Chalcedonian theological school and in 1961 was ordained deacon. Then he served two years in the Turkish army.

From 1963 to 1968 he studied at the Pontifical Oriental Institute of Rome, then studied at the University of Switzerland and Munich. Then he taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he received a doctorate in theology.

In 1968, the ordination to the presbyters took place, in which Patriarch Athenagoras participated. In 1972, already under the patriarch of Dimitry, he was appointed to the post of patriarchal cabinet administrator.

In 1973 he was consecrated bishop of Metropolitan Philadelphia, and in 1990 became Metropolitan of Chalcedon. From 1974 until his enthronement as a patriarch, he was a member of the Synod and a number of synodal committees.

In October 1991 he was elected as the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Church of Constantinople. The enthronement was on November 2 of the same year.

Bartholomew and the ROC

After enthronement, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I visited the Russian Patriarch in 1993. After the split in Russia in 1922 (when Constantinople had its sympathies for church criminals, and not for the canonical church), this meant a warming in their relations. Moreover, in the ROC there was again a split supported by the Ukrainian authorities, then a self-proclaimed Kyiv Patriarchate headed by Filaret appeared. But in this moment Bartholomew I supported the canonical metropolitan of Kiev's Beatitude Vladimir (Sabodan).

In 1996, there was a sharp conflict with the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church. Did not recognize the canonical Moscow church structure of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Estonia. The name Bartholomew for a while was even excluded from the diptychs of the ROC.

Meetings

In 2006, the conflict situation arose in the Sourozh diocese of the MP in the British Isles. As a result, Bishop Basil, formerly its manager, was accepted into the bosom of the Church of Constantinople, but as soon therefrom retired at will to marry.

In 2008, in honor of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Rus, the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, waited for Patriarch Bartholomew to approve the unification of Ukrainian churches into a single local church, but did not receive it.

In 2009, the Moscow Patriarch Kirill officially visited the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople. During the talks, many important issues were discussed, while Bartholomew promised not to interfere in the church situation that had been created in Ukraine.

Then, in 2010, there was a return meeting in Moscow, where the theme of the Great All-Orthodox Cathedral was discussed. Bartholomew also called on the doubting faithful of Ukraine to return to the canonical church.

Attitude of Patriarch Bartholomew to the Roman Catholic Church

In 2006, Bartholomew invited Pope Benedict XVI to his home in Istanbul , and the meeting was held. The Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church lamented in conversation that the two churches have not yet joined.

In 2014, the meeting between the Patriarch and Pope Francis took place in Jerusalem. It was regarded as private, the conversations were mostly conducted in an ecumenical orientation, for which it is now very heavily criticized.

The surprising fact of this meeting was also the fact that Pope Francis, in a sign of humility, kissed the hand of the patriarch, who, in turn, responded politely and tolerantly with a cross-like kiss.

Ecumenical Patriarchs: List

Patriarchs of the newest period:

• Dorofei Prussian (1918-1921 gg.);
• Meleti IV (1921-1923 gg.);
• Gregory VII (1923-1924 gg.);
• Constantine VII (1924-1925);
• Vasily III (1925-1929);
• Photius II (1929-1935);
• Veniamin (1936-1946);
• Maxim V (1946-1948 gg.);
• Athenagoras (1948-1972);
• Demetrius I (1972-1991);
• Bartholomew I (1991).

Conclusion

Soon, in June 2016, the Great Pan-Orthodox Council will be held, where one of the important issues will be discussed - the attitude of the Orthodox Church to other Christian churches. There can be many different disputes and disagreements. After all, now the entire Orthodox brethren are concerned about the holding, as it is also called, of the Eighth Ecumenical Council. Although such a definition would be wrong, since no church canons will be discussed on it, because everything has been decided long ago and in no case is subject to change.

The last Ecumenical Council was held in 787 in Nicaea. And then there was still no Catholic split, which occurred in the Christian Church in 1054, after which the Western (Catholic) center was formed in Rome and the Eastern (Orthodox) center in Constantinople. After such a split, the Ecumenical Council is no longer a priori.

But if the Catholic Church wants to unite with the Orthodox, it will happen only if it repents and lives according to the canons of Orthodoxy, and there can not be any other. This applies to other churches, including the schismatic Kyiv Patriarchate, which, for its part, awaits recognition and unification.