Following the establishment of
Constantinople (the ancient city of
Byzantium) as the state capital of the
Roman Empire in the early part of the
fourth century, a series of significant
ecclesiastical events saw the status of
the Bishop of New Rome (as
Constantinople was then called) elevated
to its current position and privilege.
The Church of Constantinople is
traditionally regarded as being founded
by St. Andrew, the “first-called” of the
Apostles. The 3rd canon of the Second
Ecumenical Council held in
Constantinople (381) conferred upon the
bishop of this city second rank after
the Bishop of Rome. Less than a century
later, the 28th canon of the Fourth
Ecumenical Council held in Chalcedon
(451) offered Constantinople equal
ranking to Rome and special
responsibilities throughout the rest of
the world and expanding its jurisdiction
to territories hitherto unclaimed.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate holds an
honorary primacy among the
autocephalous, or ecclesiastically
independent, Churches. It enjoys the
privilege of serving as “first among
equals.” It is also known as the “Roman”
Patriarchate (hence the Turkish phrase:
Rum Patrikhanesi), recalling its
historical source as the Church of New
Rome, the new capital of the Roman
Empire, transferred in 330 from Old Rome
to Byzantium by Constantine the Great.
The first bishop of the city of
Byzantium was St. Stachys (38–54), a
disciple of the Apostle Andrew. In 330,
Byzantium was renamed Constantinople and
New Rome, while its bishopric was
elevated to an archbishopric. The
Metropolitan of Heraclea, to whom
Byzantium was formerly subject, now came
under the jurisdiction of Constantinople
and enjoyed the privileges of the
latter’s most senior see. As a title,
the phrase “Ecumenical Patriarchate”
dates from the sixth century and belongs
exclusively to the Archbishop of
Constantinople.
The Great Schism of 1054—in fact the
culmination of a gradual estrangement
over many centuries—resulted in formal
separation between the Churches of the
East and the West, granting
Constantinople sole authority and
jurisdiction over the Orthodox Churches
throughout the world. After the capture
of Constantinople by the Latins during
the Fourth Crusade (1204), the
Ecumenical Patriarchate was transferred
to Nicaea (1206), but Emperor Michael
VIII Palaeologos restored it to
Constantinople when he recaptured the
city in 1261. When Constantinople became
the capital of the Ottoman Empire in
1453, the Ecumenical Patriarch (at the
time, Gennadius II) was recognized as
Ethnarch of the Orthodox peoples, with
increased authority over the Eastern
Patriarchates and the Balkan Churches,
as well as farther afield.
From that time, the Ecumenical
Patriarchate became a symbol of unity,
rendering service and solidarity to the
Eastern Churches. In difficult periods,
the Ecumenical Patriarchate was
consulted for the resolution of
problems. Frequently, patriarchs of
other Churches would reside in
Constantinople, which was the venue for
meetings of the Holy Synod that was
chaired by the Ecumenical Patriarch.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate also
sponsored missionary growth through the
centuries, the most notable of which was
the conversion of the Kievan Rus in the
tenth century and the most recent of
which was the missionary work in
Southeast Asia in the last century. This
pastoral role and responsibility has
earned the characterization of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate as “the golden
beacon of Orthodoxy, preserving the
unwaning brilliance of Christianity.”
Currently, the Ecumenical Patriarchate
is actively engaged in diverse
ecclesiastical activities and
ministries. It has historically proved
to be a dynamic leader in the ecumenical
movement, fully participating in the
World Council of Churches from its
inception, as well as in local
ecumenical bodies instituting and
chairing bilateral theological dialogues
with non-Orthodox Christians but also
with other monotheistic faiths.
THE
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
