The Ecumenical Patriarch is the primate of the Church of Constantinople. Historically, he is considered the first of equal among the primates of all local churches. What this means and how this story has developed will be discussed a little later. Now we find out who is the Ecumenical Patriarch. So, on October 22, 1991, this title was awarded to Bartholomew I (in the world of Dimitrios Arkhodonis), he is His Divine All-Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople (the old name of the city of New Rome).
The 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 it took the second position after Rome.
By the end of the 6th century, the role and title were finally accepted in both the civil and church acts of the Byzantine Empire. But the papal throne of Rome did not accept the 28th rule. It was only in connection with the unity at the VII Ecumenical Council (1438-1445) that Rome finally put the Patriarchate of Constantinople after itself in the second role.
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 its position as the leader of the Christian world, but already existed under the Ottoman Empire. Nominally, he remained the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, but was very weakened and depleted in material terms, until the patriarchate was established in the Russian state (1589). Under the reign of Boris Godunov, as you know, Job (1589) became the first patriarch in Russia.
After World War I, the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist. In 1923, Constantinople ceases to be the capital, in 1930 it was renamed the city of Istanbul (Istanbul).
Power struggle
At the beginning of 1920, the Patriarchate of Constantinople in its ruling circles began to formulate the concept that the entire Orthodox diaspora of churches should be completely subordinate 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, henceforth has the primacy of honor and power, therefore he can intervene in any internal affairs of other churches. This concept was immediately subjected to repeated criticism and was called "Eastern Papism." However, de facto was approved by the practice of the church.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I: biography
Bartholomew is an ethnic Greek, who was born on February 29, 1940 on the Turkish island of Gokceada in the village of Zeytinli-key. After graduating from high school in Istanbul, he continued to study at the Chalcedon theological school and in 1961 was ordained a 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, he was ordained a presbyter, in which Patriarch Athenagoras I participated. In 1972, already under the patriarch Dimitry, he was appointed to the post of administrator of the Patriarchal Cabinet.
In 1973, he was consecrated bishop of Metropolitan of Philadelphia, and in 1990 became Metropolitan of Chalcedon. From 1974 until his intronization, he was a part of the Synod and a number of synodal committees as a patriarch.
In October 1991 he was elected as Ecumenical Patriarch of the Church of Constantinople. The intronization took place on November 2 of that year.
Bartholomew and the Russian Orthodox Church
After intronization, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in 1993 visited the Russian Patriarch. After the split in Russia in 1922 (when Constantinople showed sympathy for church criminals, and not the canonical church), this meant a warming in their relationship. Moreover, in the ROC there was again a split, supported by the Ukrainian authorities, then the self-proclaimed Kiev Patriarchate appeared, headed by Filaret. But at this moment Bartholomew I supported the canonical metropolitan of His Beatitude Vladimir of Kiev (Sabodan).
In 1996, there was a sharp conflict with the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church. Moscow did not recognize the canonical church structure of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Estonia. The name of Bartholomew for some time was even excluded from the diptychs of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Meetings
In 2006, a conflict situation arose in the Sourozh diocese of the MP in the British Isles. As a result, Bishop Vasily, her former administrator, was received in the bosom of the Church of Constantinople, however, he also soon retired from there at the request of marriage.
In 2008, in honor of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Russia, President of Ukraine V. Yushchenko was waiting for approval from Patriarch Bartholomew for the unification of Ukrainian churches into a single local church, but did not receive it.
In 2009, Moscow Patriarch Kirill officially visited the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople. During the negotiations, many important issues were discussed, while Bartholomew promised not to intervene in the church situation in Ukraine.
Then, in 2010, there was a return meeting in Moscow, where the topic of the Great Pan-Orthodox Council was discussed. Bartholomew also urged doubting Ukrainian believers to return to the canonical church.
Relations of Patriarch Bartholomew with the Roman Catholic Church
In 2006, Bartholomew invited Pope Benedict XVI to his place in Istanbul, and the meeting took place. The Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch mourned in conversation that the two churches had not yet joined.
In 2014, a meeting between Patriarch and Pope Francis took place in Jerusalem. She was regarded as private, the discussions were mainly ecumenical, for which he is now very much criticized.
An amazing fact of this meeting was the fact that Pope Francis kissed the patriarch as a sign of humility, who, in turn, politely and tolerantly answered with a cross-shaped kiss.
Ecumenical Patriarchs: List
Patriarchs of the latest period:
- Dorofei of Prussia (1918-1921);
- Meletius IV (1921-1923);
- Gregory VII (1923-1924);
- Konstantin VII (1924-1925);
- Vasily III (1925-1929);
- Photius II (1929-1935);
- Benjamin (1936-1946);
- Maxim V (1946-1948);
- 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 then be many different disputes and disagreements. Indeed, now the whole Orthodox brotherhood is concerned about the holding, as it is also called, of the Eighth Ecumenical Council. Although such a definition of it will be incorrect, since no church canons will be discussed on it, because everything has already been decided for a long time 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 schism, which took place in the Christian Church in 1054, after which the Western (Catholic) center in Rome and the Eastern (Orthodox) center in Constantinople were formed. After such a split, the Ecumenical Council is already a priori impossible.
But if the Catholic Church wants to unite with the Orthodox, then this will happen only if she repents and lives according to the canons of Orthodoxy, there can be no other way. This also applies to other churches, including the schismatic Kiev Patriarchate, which, for its part, is also waiting for recognition and unification.