Bartholomew ( el, Βαρθολομαῖος, ; tr, Bartholomeos; born 29 February 1940) is the 270th
Archbishop of Constantinople and
Ecumenical Patriarch
The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of th ...
, since 2 November 1991. In accordance with his title, he is regarded as the ''
primus inter pares
''Primus inter pares'' is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their sen ...
'' (first among equals) in the
Eastern Orthodox Church, and as the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide.
Bartholomew was born as Dimitrios Arhondonis ( el, Δημήτριος Αρχοντώνης, ''Dimítrios Archontónis''), in the village of
Agios Theodoros (officially called Zeytinliköy) on the island of
Imbros (later renamed Gökçeada by the Turkish government). After his graduation, he held a position at the
Patriarchal Theological Seminary of Halki, where he was ordained a priest. Later, he served as metropolitan of Philadelphia and Chalcedon and he became a member of the
Holy Synod as well as other committees, prior to his enthronement as ecumenical patriarch.
Bartholomew's tenure has been characterized by intra-Orthodox cooperation, intra-Christian and
inter-religious dialogue, such as formal visits to
Roman Catholic,
Old Catholic,
Oriental Orthodox
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent o ...
and
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
leaders previously visited by an ecumenical patriarch. He has exchanged numerous invitations with church and state dignitaries. His efforts to promote
religious freedom and
human rights, his initiatives to advance
religious tolerance among the world's religions, as well as his efforts to promote
ecology and the
protection of the environment, have been widely noted, and these endeavors have earned him the title "The Green Patriarch". Among his many international positions, he currently sits on the Board of World Religious Leaders for the
Elijah Interfaith Institute. In 2018 the
Moscow Patriarchate
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, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
broke communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a result of disputes over his decision to grant
autocephaly
Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern O ...
to the
Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
Early life and background
Dimitrios Arhondonis was born in the village of
Agioi Theodoroi on the island of
Imbros (now Gökçeada, Turkey), son of Christos and Meropi Archodónis (née Skarlatos), both of
Greek descent. He was the fourth and last child and as a boy helped his father in his coffee shop that also doubled as a barber's.
Bartholomew was the target of an assassination plot which was planned to take place on 29 May 2013. One suspect was arrested and there is an ongoing search for two others.
Ordinations and ecclesiastical appointments
*13 August 1961,
Diaconate – receiving the