The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, the "first among equals" in the Eastern Orthodox communion. In this capacity he is first in honor among all the Orthodox bishops, presides over any council of bishops in which he takes part and serves as primary spokesman for the communion, but has no jurisdiction over the other patriarchs or the other autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. Map of Constantinople. ... First among equals is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office. ... This article treats the manner in which the Eastern Orthodox Churches are organized, rather than the doctrines, traditions, practices, or other aspects of Eastern Orthodoxy. ... Full communion is completeness of that relationship between Christian individuals and groups which is known as communion. ... Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. ... In hierarchical Christian churches, especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, autocephaly is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. ... The Vladimir Icon, one of the most venerated of Orthodox Christian icons of Mary. ...

The Ecumenical status accorded him within Eastern Orthodoxy has on occasion been a source of controversy with the Republic of Turkey, which under its laws regarding religious minorities officially recognizes him as only the "Patriarch of Fener" (Fener is the district in Istanbul where his headquarters are located). Fanar (formerly Phanar, Fener in Turkish) is a neighborhood in Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople). ...

His titular position is Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, one of the sixteen autocephalous churches and one of the five Christian centers comprising the ancient Pentarchy. In his role as head of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, he additionally holds the title Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome. He should not be confused with the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, an office that is now extinct. His official title is "His Most Divine All-Holiness the Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch". Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. ... The Orthodox Church of Constantinople is one of the fifteen autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. ... The Pentarchy, or the Five Apostolic Sees, are the 5 major Sees of the Christian Church allegedly founded by apostles. ... New Rome is a term that can be applied to a city or a country. ... The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople was one of the four Roman Catholic patriarchs of the east. He was not the same person as the Patriarch of Constantinople. Before the Great Schism in 1054, the church was ruled by five patriarchs, of Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch. ...

As Constantine the Great had made Byzantium "New Rome" in 330, it was thought appropriate that its bishop, once a suffragan of Heraclea, should become second only to the Bishop of Old Rome. For many decades Roman popes opposed this ambition, not because anyone thought of disputing their first place, but because they were unwilling to change the old order of the hierarchy. In 381, however, the First Council of Constantinople declared that: "The Bishop of Constantinople shall have the primacy of honour after the Bishop of Rome, because it is New Rome" (can. iii). Constantine. ... Byzantium was an ancient Greek city-state, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas. ... Events May 11 - Constantine I refounds Byzantium, renames it New Rome, and moves the capital of the Roman Empire there from Rome. ... Heraclea was the name of a large number of ancient cities founded by the Greeks. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Catholic Church. ... A hierarchy (in Greek hieros, sacred, and arkho, rule) is a system of ranking and organizing things or people. ... Events First Council of Constantinople - second Ecumenical council of the Christian Church: The Nicene creed is affirmed and extended, Apollinarism is declared a heresy. ... The First Council of Constantinople (second ecumenical council) was called by Theodosius I in 381 to confirm the Nicene Creed and deal with other matters of the Arian controversy . ...

Popes Damasus and Gregory the Great refused to confirm this canon, a very unusual and controversial step, as Ecumenical Councils were considered binding on all Christian churches. Nonetheless, the prestige of the office continued to grow under the patronage of the Byzantine emperor. Damasus I ( 305-383) was pope from 366 to 383. ... Pope Saint Gregory I or Gregory the Great (c. ... In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... Look up Controversy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A controversy is a contentious dispute, a disagreement in opinions over which parties are actively arguing. ... In Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, an ecumenical council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ...

The Council of Chalcedon in 451 established Constantinople as a patriarchate with jurisdiction over Asia Minor, and Thrace, appellate jurisdiction over canon law decisions by the other patriarchs; and the second place in primacy after Rome (can. xxviii). Pope Leo I refused to admit this canon, claiming it was invalid since it was made in the absence of his legates, again a controversial position. The Council of Chalcedon was an ecumenical council that took place from October 8—November 1, 451 at Chalcedon, a city of Bithynia in Asia Minor. ... Events April 7 - The Huns sack Metz June 20 - Attila, king of the Huns is defeated at Troyes by Aetius in the Battle of Chalons. ... Map of Constantinople. ... A patriarchate is the office or jurisdiction of a patriarch. ... In law, jurisdiction refers to the aspect of a any unique legal authority as being localized within boundaries. ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. ... Thrace (Greek Θρᾴκη ThrákÄ“, Bulgarian Тракия Trakija, Turkish Trakya) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe spread over southern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece, and European Turkey. ... Pope Saint Leo I, or Leo the Great, a Roman aristocrat, was Pope from 440 to 461. ... A Papal Legate -from the Latin, authentical Roman title Legatus- is a personal representative of the Pope to the nations, or rather to some part of the universal church. ...

Within Roman Catholic administration, it was not until the Roman Catholic Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 that the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople was recognized as having such status; in 1439 the Council of Florence (not recognized by the Orthodox Church as ecumenical) gave it to the Greek patriarch. The Roman Catholic Church, also called the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian body in the world. ... The Fourth Council of the Lateran was summoned by Pope Innocent III with his Bull of April 19, 1213. ... Events June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ... The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople was one of the four Roman Catholic patriarchs of the east. He was not the same person as the Patriarch of Constantinople. Before the Great Schism in 1054, the church was ruled by five patriarchs, of Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch. ... Events Battle of Grotnik, which ended the hussite movement in Poland Eric of Pomerania, King of Sweden, Denmark and Norway is declared deposed in Sweden. ... A decree of the Council of Constance (9 October 1417), sanctioned by Pope Martin V obliged the papacy to summon general councils periodically. ...

After the fall of Constantinople, the Ottoman Sultan claimed the right of appointment; the modern Turkish state requires the Patriarch to be a Turkish citizen but allows the Synod of Constantinople to elect him. The 1453 Siege of Constantinople (painted 1499) The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29, 1453. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (Ottoman Turkish for the Eternal State) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Constantinople (Ä°stanbul) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 6. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings muslim monarch ruling under the terms of shariah The title carries moral weight and religious authority, as the rulers role was defined in the Quran. ... National motto (unofficial): Peace in the Homeland, Peace in the World (Turkish: Yurtta Barış, Dünyada Barış) Official language Turkish Capital Ankara Largest city Istanbul 41°1′7″ N 28°57′53″ E Form of Government Republic Founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk President Ahmet Necdet Sezer Prime Minister Recep Tayyip... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine or administration. ...

The current Patriarch is Bartholomew I. His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (born Demetrios Archontonis on February 29, 1940) has been the Patriarch of Constantinople, and thus first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox Communion, since November 2, 1991. ...

See also

• List of Constantinople patriarchs
• Patriarch

Bishops of Byzantium (until 325) St. ... Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. ...

External links

• Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
• http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium/texts/byzpatcp.html
• http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04301a.htm
• http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11549a.htm
• http://www.hostkingdom.net/orthodox.html