Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Location
Country	Turkey
Information
Established	38 (founded); 451 (granted title of patriarch)
Cathedral	St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul
Language	Greek

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is a very important leader in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is the archbishop of Constantinople and is seen as the "first among equals" among the leaders of different Orthodox churches. This means he has a special place of honor, but he doesn't control other churches directly.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is considered the spiritual leader for Eastern Orthodox Christians around the world. The word ecumenical comes from an old Greek word, Ecumene, which meant the civilized world or the Roman Empire. This title shows the patriarch's historical importance.

The patriarch's main office, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, has been around for a very long time. It has played a big part in history. In ancient times, patriarchs helped spread Christianity and settled disagreements about beliefs. During the Middle Ages, they were important in church matters and helped spread Christianity to the Slavs. Today, they work to expand the Christian faith, promote understanding between different religions, do charity work, and protect Orthodox traditions.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is believed to be a successor of Andrew the Apostle. The current patriarch is Bartholomew I. He is the 270th bishop to hold this position.

Understanding the Patriarch's Role

Emblem found atop the front entrance of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is the "first among equals" for all Eastern Orthodox bishops. This means he has the highest honor. He leads meetings of Orthodox bishops or sends someone to lead for him. He also speaks for the Orthodox Church, especially when talking with other Christian groups.

He does not have direct power over other Orthodox churches. But he can call special meetings of church leaders to discuss important issues. He has called many such meetings in the last 40 years. Some people call him the "spiritual leader" of the Orthodox Church. However, this is not an official title.

The Orthodox Church is not like the Catholic Church, which has one central leader (the pope). The Orthodox Church uses a "synodical system." This means decisions are made by a group of bishops, where each bishop has one vote. The Ecumenical Patriarch's titles are about honor, not about having power over other churches.

The Ecumenical Patriarch directly manages churches for millions of Greek, Ukrainian, Rusyn, and Albanian believers. These churches are in places like North and South America, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. He also oversees some parts of Greece that are not under the Church of Greece.

His official position is the patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. This is one of the 14 main Orthodox churches. It is the most senior of the four ancient church centers. These centers, along with Rome, formed the original five main Christian centers. As the head of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, he is known as the "archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome."

The Ecumenical Patriarchate is sometimes called the Greek Patriarchate of Constantinople. This helps tell it apart from the Armenian Patriarchate. It also differs from the Latin Patriarchate, which was created after Constantinople was captured in 1204.

Early History of the Patriarchate

The church in Byzantium was first a common bishopric. It became more important when Emperor Constantine made Byzantium a second capital city in AD 330. He renamed it Constantinople. Church leaders decided that its bishop should become an archbishop.

In 381, a big church meeting in Constantinople said that the Bishop of Constantinople would have the second most important place, after the Bishop of Rome. This was because Constantinople was "New Rome." The importance of the office grew because of the support from the Byzantine Emperor. It also grew because of Constantinople's key location.

Another important meeting in 451 made Constantinople a patriarchate. This gave it church power over areas like Asia Minor and Thrace. It also gave it the right to hear appeals from other patriarchs. It was given honors equal to Rome, the first Christian center. However, Rome kept its seniority. In the 500s, the official title became "archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and ecumenical patriarch."

Mount Athos and the Patriarch

The monastic communities on Mount Athos are directly under the Ecumenical Patriarch. He is the only bishop who has power over them. Mount Athos is a self-governed area within Greece. It has 20 monasteries and many other monastic groups. The patriarch handles its religious matters.

The Patriarch's Unique Responsibilities

The Ecumenical Patriarch has a special role among Eastern Orthodox bishops. He is "first among equals," meaning he is the most senior. This special position allows him to lead pan-Orthodox meetings of bishops.

He also has the right to hear appeals when bishops have disagreements. However, there is debate about whether this right applies only to his own patriarchate or to the entire Orthodox Church. This is especially debated between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Historically, the Ecumenical Patriarch has heard such appeals. He was sometimes asked to help solve problems in other churches. For example, in 2006, he was asked to help declare the archbishop of the Church of Cyprus unable to do his job due to Alzheimer's disease. In 2005, he called a meeting of all Orthodox bishops. This meeting confirmed the removal of Patriarch Irenaios of Jerusalem.

The Ecumenical Patriarch does not have direct power outside his own patriarchate. His main job for the whole Orthodox Church is to help different churches work together. He works to promote and keep the unity of the Church.

Sometimes, the Ecumenical Patriarch is called the "spiritual leader" of the Orthodox Church. This is not an official title. It refers to his unique role in promoting unity. However, it can sometimes lead to the wrong idea that he is like an Orthodox pope. There is no Orthodox equivalent to the papacy. Orthodox churches make decisions together in a "synod" of bishops. Each bishop has one vote.

In 2007, the patriarch approved the Ravenna Document. This document, from Catholic and Orthodox leaders, said that the bishop of Rome is indeed the "first" in the Church. Future talks will discuss what this "papal primacy" means in practice.

The Patriarch and Turkey

The Throne room inside the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Gospel is on the stand; the patriarch sits on the lower throne in front.

After the Ottoman Turks took over Constantinople in 1453, the patriarchate stopped working for a short time. Sultan Mehmed II brought it back. He wanted to be seen as the heir to the Eastern Roman emperors. He gave the position to a scholar-monk named Gennadius Scholarius, who became Patriarch Gennadius II.

The patriarch was made the leader of all Orthodox Christians under Ottoman rule. This was a very difficult and dangerous job. Some patriarchs were even killed by the Ottoman authorities. For example, Patriarch Gregory V was killed in 1821 during the Greek Revolution.

In the 1800s, many Christian nations in the Balkans wanted their own independent churches. This led to the creation of several new national churches. The Ecumenical Patriarch was then left with direct control mostly over Greek Orthodox Christians in Turkey. He also oversaw Greek communities in parts of Greece and in other countries like North America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

After the Republic of Turkey was formed in 1923, the Turkish government only saw the patriarch as the spiritual leader of the Greek minority in Turkey. They call him the "Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Phanar." The patriarch must be a citizen of Turkey to hold the position. Since modern Turkey was founded, all patriarchs have been Turkish citizens of Greek background.

Human rights groups have raised concerns about the rules the Turkish government places on the patriarch. For example, the government does not officially recognize his "ecumenical" status. Also, the Theological School of Halki, a church school, was closed by the patriarchate due to state control. However, in 2004, Patriarch Bartholomew was able to change the rules so that six bishops from outside Turkey could join the Standing Synod. He also holds meetings for all bishops in his area every two years.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate has faced attacks between 1993 and 2004. These included damage to cemeteries and attacks on the patriarch himself.

See also

In Spanish: Patriarca de Constantinopla para niños

• Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Church of St. George, Istanbul
• Eastern Christianity
• Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
• History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
• List of ecumenical patriarchs of Constantinople
• Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople
• Latin Patriarchate of Constantinople