The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constantinopolitanus; tr, Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi, İstanbul Ekümenik Patrikhanesi, "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate") is one of the fifteen to seventeen
autocephalous
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 Ort ...
churches (or "jurisdictions") that together compose the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
. It is headed by the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
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 ...
, currently
Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople.
Because of its historical location as the capital of the former
Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
and its role as the
mother church of most modern Orthodox churches,
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
holds a special place of honor within Orthodoxy and serves as the seat for the Ecumenical Patriarch, who enjoys the status of ''
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) among the world's Eastern Orthodox prelates and is regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians.
The status of Ecumenical Patriarchate is not officially recognized by the Republic of Turkey; Turkey only recognises the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate over the
Greek minority in Istanbul,
Bozcaada and
Gökçeada
Imbros or İmroz Adası, officially Gökçeada (lit. ''Heavenly Island'') since 29 July 1970,Alexis Alexandris, "The Identity Issue of The Minorities in Greece And Turkey", in Hirschon, Renée (ed.), ''Crossing the Aegean: An Appraisal of the 1 ...
.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate promotes the expansion of the Christian faith and
Eastern Orthodox doctrine, and the Ecumenical Patriarchs are involved in
ecumenism
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
and
interfaith dialogue, charitable work, and the defense of Orthodox Christian traditions. Prominent issues for the Ecumenical Patriarchate's policy in the 21st century include the safety of the believers in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, reconciliation of the Eastern Orthodox and
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
churches, and the reopening of the
Theological School of Halki
The Halki seminary, formally the Theological School of Halki ( el, Θεολογική Σχολή Χάλκης and tr, Ortodoks Ruhban Okulu), was founded on 1 October 1844 on the island of Halki ( Turkish: Heybeliada), the second-largest of the ...
, which was closed down by the Turkish authorities in 1971.
History
The Great Church of Christ
![Hagia Irene2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Hagia_Irene2.jpg)
Christianity in the Greek city of
Byzantium
Byzantium () or Byzantion ( grc, Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' cont ...
was brought by
Apostle Andrew himself who visited Byzantium, founded the See of Byzantium in 38 AD and appointed the bishop
Stachys the Apostle
Stachys the Apostle (Greek: Στάχυς "ear-spike"; died 54) was the second bishop of Byzantium, from AD 38 to AD 54. He seemed to be closely connected to Andrew and Paul. Eusebius quotes Origen as saying that Andrew had preached in Asia Minor ...
who remained until 54 AD. Therefore, the Greek Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople claims its legitimate appointment from Apostle Andrew from whom the subsequent
ordination of ministries claim legitimate inheritance through the sacrament of Holy Orders.
In the year 330 the
Roman Emperor Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
moved his residence to the town renaming it ''
Nova Roma
Nova Roma (Latin for 'New Rome") is an international Roman revivalist and reconstructionist organizationStrmiska, Michael: ''Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives'', pp. 335-36. ABC-CLIO, 2005 created in 1998 by Joseph Blo ...
'' (), or "New Rome." Thenceforth, the importance of the church there grew, along with the influence of its bishop.
Prior to the moving of the imperial capital, the bishop of Byzantium had been under the authority of the
metropolitan
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
of
Heraclea, but from the 4th century on, he grew to become independent in his own right and even to exercise authority throughout what is now
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
,
Pontus, and
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
. With the development of the hierarchical structure of the Church, the bishop of Constantinople came to be styled as
exarch
An exarch (;
from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'', meaning “leader”) was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
In the late Roman Empire and ea ...
(a position superior to metropolitan). Constantinople was recognized as the fourth
patriarchate at the
First Council of Constantinople in 381, after
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
,
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, and
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. The patriarch was usually appointed by Antioch.
Because of the importance of the position of Constantinople's church at the center of the Roman Empire, affairs involving the various churches outside Constantinople's direct authority came to be discussed in the capital, particularly where the intervention of the emperor was desired. The patriarch naturally became a liaison between the emperor and bishops traveling to the capital, thus establishing the position of the patriarch as one involving the unity of the whole Church, particularly in the East.
In turn, the affairs of the Constantinopolitan church were overseen not just by the patriarch, but also by
synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
s held including visiting bishops. This pan-Orthodox synod came to be referred to as the (, "
resident synod
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the endemic synod or ( gr, ἐνδημοῦσα σύνοδος) was the permanent standing synod of bishops of the Patriarchate of Constantinople that met frequently but irregularly to deal with issues of disciplin ...
"). The resident synod not only governed the business of the patriarchate but also examined questions pertinent to the whole Church as well as the eastern half of the old empire.
The patriarch thus came to have the title of ''Ecumenical'', which referenced not a universal episcopacy over other bishops but rather the position of the patriarch as at the center of the , the "household" of the empire.
As the Roman Empire stabilized and grew, so did the influence of the patriarchate at its capital. This influence came to be enshrined in Orthodox
canon law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
, to such an extent that it was elevated even beyond more ancient patriarchates: Canon 3 of the
First Council of Constantinople (381) stated that the bishop of that city "shall have primacy of honor after the Bishop of Rome because Constantinople is the New Rome."
![Aya Sofya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Aya_Sofya.jpg)
In its disputed 28th Canon, the
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bith ...
in 451 recognized an expansion of the boundaries of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and of its authority over bishops of dioceses "among the barbarians", which has been variously interpreted as referring either to areas outside the Byzantine Empire or to non-Greeks. The council resulted in a schism with the Patriarchate of Alexandria.
In any case, for almost a thousand years the Patriarch of Constantinople presided over the church in the
Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
and its missionary activity that brought the Christian faith in its Byzantine form to many peoples north of the imperial borders. The cathedral church of Constantinople,
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
(Holy Wisdom), was the center of religious life in the eastern Christian world.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate came to be called the "Great Church of Christ" and it was the touchstone and reference point for ecclesiastical affairs in the East, whether in terms of church government, relations with the state, or liturgical matters.
Prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
In history and in canonical literature (i.e. the Church's canons and traditional commentaries on them), the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been granted certain prerogatives () that other autocephalous Orthodox churches do not have. Not all of these prerogatives are today universally acknowledged, though all do have precedents in history and canonical references. The following is a (non-exhaustive) list of these prerogatives and their reference points:
* Equal prerogatives to Old Rome (Canon 28 of the
Fourth Ecumenical Council
The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bithy ...
, Canon 36 of the
Quinisext Council
The Quinisext Council (Latin: ''Concilium Quinisextum''; Koine Greek: , ''Penthékti Sýnodos''), i.e. the Fifth-Sixth Council, often called the Council ''in Trullo'', Trullan Council, or the Penthekte Synod, was a church council held in 692 at ...
);
* The right to hear appeals, if invited, regarding disputes between clergy (Canons 9 and 17 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council);
* The right to ordain bishops for areas outside defined canonical boundaries (Canon 28 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council);
* The right to establish
stavropegial
A stauropegion, also spelled stavropegion (from el, σταυροπήγιον from σταυρός ''stauros'' "cross" and πήγνυμι ''pegnumi'' "to affirm"), is a monastery or a parish which depends directly on the primate or on the Holy Syn ...
monasteries even in the territories of other patriarchates (the
Epanagoge, commentaries of
Matthew Blastares
Matthew Blastares ( el, Ματθαῖος Βλαστάρης or Βλάσταρις, Matthaios Blastares/Blastaris; ) was a 14th-century Byzantine Greek monk in Thessalonica and early scholarly opponent of reconciliation with Rome. He was also the w ...
and
Theodore Balsamon)
Iconoclast controversy
In the eighth and ninth centuries the
iconoclast movement caused serious political unrest throughout the Empire. The emperor
Leo III Leo III, Leon III, or Levon III may refer to:
; People
* Leo III the Isaurian (685-741), Byzantine emperor 717-741
* Pope Leo III (d. 816), Pope 795-816
* Leon III of Abkhazia, King of Abkhazia 960–969
* Leo II, King of Armenia (c. 1236–1289), ...
issued a decree in 726 against images and ordered the destruction of an image of Christ over one of the doors of the Chalke, an act which was fiercely resisted by the citizens.
Constantine V convoked a
church council in 754, which condemned the worship of images, after which many treasures were broken, burned, or painted over with depictions of trees, birds or animals: one source refers to the
church of the Holy Virgin at Blachernae as having been transformed into a "fruit store and aviary". Following the death of his son Leo IV in 780, the empress Irene restored the veneration of images through the agency of the
Second Council of Nicaea
The Second Council of Nicaea is recognized as the last of the first seven ecumenical councils by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In addition, it is also recognized as such by the Old Catholics, the Anglican Communion, and ...
in 787.
The iconoclast controversy returned in the early 9th century, only to be resolved once more in 843 during the regency of Empress Theodora, who restored the icons.
Great Schism of 1054
The relations between the papacy and the Byzantine court were good in the years leading up to 1054. The emperor
Constantine IX and the
Pope Leo IX
Pope Leo IX (21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historically ...
were allied through the mediation of the Lombard
catepan of Italy
The Catepanate (or Catapanate) of Italy ( el, ''Katepaníkion Italías'') was a province of the Byzantine Empire from 965 until 1071. At its greatest extent, it comprised mainland Italy south of a line drawn from Monte Gargano to the Gulf of S ...
,
Argyrus, who had spent years in Constantinople, originally as a political prisoner.
Patriarch
Michael I Cerularius ordered a letter to be written to John, the
Bishop of Trani
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie ( la, Archidioecesis Tranensis-Barolensis-Vigiliensis (-Nazarensis)) is a Latin rite archbishopric in the administrative province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, in the southeastern Italian regi ...
in which he attacked the "Judaistic" practices of the West, namely the use of unleavened bread. The letter was to be sent by John to all the bishops of the West, including the Pope. John promptly complied and the letter was passed to
Humbert of Mourmoutiers
Humbert of Silva Candida, O.S.B., also known as Humbert of Moyenmoutier (between 1000 and 1015 – 5 May 1061), was a French Benedictine abbot and later a cardinal. It was his act of excommunicating the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael I Cer ...
, the
cardinal-bishop of Silva Candida
A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...
, who translated the letter into Latin and brought it to the Pope, who ordered a reply to be made to each charge and a defence of papal supremacy to be laid out in a response.
Although he was hot-headed, Michael was convinced to cool the debate and thus attempt to prevent the impending breach. However, Humbert and the pope made no concessions and the former was sent with legatine powers to the imperial capital to solve the questions raised once and for all. Humbert,
Frederick of Lorraine, and Peter,
Archbishop of Amalfi, arrived in April 1054 and were met with a hostile reception; they stormed out of the palace, leaving the papal response with Michael, who in turn was even more angered by their actions. The patriarch refused to recognise their authority or, practically, their existence. When Pope Leo died on April 19, 1054, the legates' authority legally ceased, but they effectively ignored this technicality.
[Norwich, John J. (1992). ''Byzantium, The Apogee''. pp.320–321.]
In response to Michael's refusal to address the issues at hand, the legatine mission took the extreme measure of entering the church of the
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
during the Divine Liturgy and placing a bull of excommunication on the altar.
The events of the East-West Schism are generally dated from the acts of 1054. However, these events only triggered the beginning of the schism. The full schism was not actually consummated by the seemingly mutual excommunications. The New Catholic Encyclopedia reports that the legates had been careful not to intimate that the bull of excommunication implied a general excommunication of the Byzantine Church. The bull excommunicated only Cerularius, Leo of Achrida, and their adherents. Thus, the New Catholic Encyclopedia argues that the dispute need not have produced a permanent schism any more than excommunication of any "contumacious bishop". The schism began to develop when all the other Eastern patriarchs supported Cerularius. According to the New Catholic Encyclopedia, it was the support of Emperor
Michael VI Stratiotikos
Michael VI Bringas ( el, Μιχαήλ Βρίγγας), called Stratiotikos or Stratioticus ("the Military One", "the Warlike", or "the Bellicose") or Gerontas ("the Old"), reigned as Byzantine emperor from 1056 to 1057.
Career
Apparently a ...
that impelled them to support Cerularius. Some have questioned the validity of the bull on the grounds that Pope Leo IX had died at that time and so the authority of the legates to issue such a bull is unclear.
The legates left for Rome two days after issuing the bull of excommunication, leaving behind a city near riot. The patriarch had the immense support of the people against the emperor, who had supported the legates to his own detriment. To assuage popular anger, the bull was burnt, and the legates were
anathematised. Only the legates were anathematised and, in this case too, there was no explicit indication that the entire Western church was being anathematised.
In the bull of excommunication issued against Patriarch Michael I Cerularius by the papal legates, one of the reasons cited was the alleged deletion by the Eastern Church of the "Filioque" from the original Nicene Creed. In fact, it was precisely the opposite: the Eastern Church had not deleted anything; it was the Western Church that had added this phrase to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.
As Bishop
Kallistos Ware writes, "Even after 1054 friendly relations between East and West continued. The two parts of Christendom were not yet conscious of a great gulf of separation between them.
The dispute remained something of which ordinary Christians in East and West were largely unaware". In fact, efforts were made in subsequent centuries by Popes and Patriarchs to heal the rift between the churches. However, a number of factors and historical events worked to widen the separation over time.
Fall of Constantinople in 1204 and the exile in Nicaea
![Ayasofya Iznik 903](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Ayasofya_Iznik_903.jpg)
The
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
in exchange for promised funds attempted to help the deposed emperor
Alexius IV
Alexios IV Angelos or Alexius IV Angelus ( el, Ἀλέξιος Ἄγγελος) (c. 1182 – February 1204) was Byzantine Emperor from August 1203 to January 1204. He was the son of Emperor Isaac II Angelos and his first wife, an unknown Palai ...
regain his throne. After taking Constantinople, returning Alexius IV to the throne, the revolt against and murder of Alexius IV left the Crusaders without payment. On 12 April 1204, the crusaders inflicted a severe sacking on Constantinople for three days, during which many ancient and medieval Roman and Greek works were either stolen or destroyed. Despite their oaths and the threat of excommunication, the Crusaders ruthlessly and systematically violated the city's holy sanctuaries, destroying, defiling, or stealing all they could lay hands on; nothing was spared. It was said that the total amount looted from Constantinople was about 900,000 silver marks. The Venetians received 150,000 silver marks that was their due, while the Crusaders received 50,000 silver marks. A further 100,000 silver marks were divided evenly up between the Crusaders and Venetians. The remaining 500,000 silver marks were secretly kept back by many Crusader knights.
Nicetas Choniates gives a vivid account of the sack of Constantinople by the Frankish and Venetian Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade:
:
The Latin soldiery subjected the greatest city in Europe to an indescribable sack. For three days they murdered, raped, looted and destroyed on a scale which even the ancient Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The ...
and Goths
The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...
would have found unbelievable. Constantinople had become a veritable museum of ancient and Byzantine art, an emporium of such incredible wealth that the Latins were astounded at the riches they found. Though the Venetians had an appreciation for the art which they discovered (they were themselves semi-Byzantines) and saved much of it, the French and others destroyed indiscriminately, halting to refresh themselves with wine, violation of nuns, and murder of Orthodox clerics. The Crusaders vented their hatred for the Greeks most spectacularly in the desecration of the greatest Church in Christendom. They smashed the silver iconostasis, the icons and the holy books of Hagia Sophia, and seated upon the patriarchal throne a whore who sang coarse songs as they drank wine from the Church's holy vessels. The estrangement of East and West, which had proceeded over the centuries, culminated in the horrible massacre that accompanied the conquest of Constantinople. The Greeks were convinced that even the Turks, had they taken the city, would not have been as cruel as the Latin Christians. The defeat of Byzantium, already in a state of decline, accelerated political degeneration so that the Byzantines eventually became an easy prey to the Turks. The Crusading movement thus resulted, ultimately, in the victory of Islam, a result which was of course the exact opposite of its original intention.
Meanwhile, the
Latin Empire of Constantinople was established, and Byzantine refugees founded their own successor states, the most notable of these being the
Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea or the Nicene Empire is the conventional historiographic name for the largest of the three Byzantine Greek''A Short history of Greece from early times to 1964'' by W. A. Heurtley, H. C. Darby, C. W. Crawley, C. M. Woodhouse ...
under
Theodore Lascaris (a relative of
Alexius III), the
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, or Trapezuntine Empire, was a monarchy and one of three successor rump states of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Despotate of the Morea and the Principality of Theodoro, that flourished during the 13th through to t ...
, and the
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate of Epirus ( gkm, Δεσποτᾶτον τῆς Ἠπείρου) was one of the Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire established in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by a branch of the Angelos dynasty. It claim ...
.
The new seat of the Patriarchate was established in the city of
Nicaea
Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...
until in 1261, when Constantinople was reconquered by the Byzantine Emperor
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...
.
Fall of Constantinople in 1453 and Ottoman period
![Gennadios II and Mehmed II](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Gennadios_II_and_Mehmed_II.jpg)
In accordance with the traditional custom at the time, Sultan
Mehmed II
Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...
allowed his troops and his entourage three full days of unbridled pillage and looting in the city shortly after it was captured. Once the three days passed, he would then claim its remaining contents for himself.
However, by the end of the first day, he proclaimed that the looting should cease as he felt profound sadness when he toured the looted and enslaved city.
Hagia Sophia was not exempted from the pillage and looting and specifically became its focal point as the invaders believed it to contain the greatest treasures and valuables of the city.
[Nicol. ''The End of the Byzantine Empire'', p. 90.] Shortly after the defence of the
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople ( el, Τείχη της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως) are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul in Turkey) since its founding as the ...
collapsed and the Ottoman troops entered the city victoriously, the pillagers and looters made their way to the Hagia Sophia and battered down its doors before storming in.
Throughout the period of the
siege of Constantinople, the trapped worshippers of the city participated in the
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of C ...
and the Prayer of the Hours at the
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
and the church formed a safe-haven and a refuge for many of those who were unable to contribute to the city's defence, which comprised women, children, elderly, the sick and the wounded.
[Runciman. ''The Fall of Constantinople'', pp. 133–34.][Nicol, Donald M. ''The Last Centuries of Byzantium 1261–1453''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1972, p. 389.] Being trapped in the church, the many congregants and yet more refugees inside became spoils-of-war to be divided amongst the triumphant invaders. The building was desecrated and looted, with the helpless occupants who sought shelter within the church being enslaved.
While most of the elderly and the infirm/wounded and sick were killed, and the remainder (mainly teenage males and young boys) were chained up and sold into slavery.
The women of Constantinople also suffered from rape at the hands of Ottoman forces.
According to Barbaro, "all through the day the Turks made a great slaughter of Christians through the city". According to historian
Philip Mansel
Philip Mansel (born 1951) is a historian of courts and cities, and the author of a number of books about the history of France and the Ottoman Empire. He was born in London in 1951 and educated at Eton College, Balliol College, Oxford, and obtain ...
, widespread persecution of the city's civilian inhabitants took place, resulting in thousands of murders and rapes, and 30,000 civilians being enslaved or forcibly deported.
George Sphrantzes says that people of both genders were raped inside
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
.
After
Constantinople was overrun by the
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
in 1453, the Patriarchate came to care more directly for all the Orthodox living in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. Mehmed II appointed
Gennadios II Scholarios
Gennadius II (Greek Γεννάδιος Βʹ; lay name Γεώργιος Κουρτέσιος Σχολάριος, ''Georgios Kourtesios Scholarios''; c. 1400 – c. 1473) was a Byzantine Greek philosopher and theologian, and Ecumenical Patriarch o ...
as the Patriarch in 1454 and designated him as the spiritual leader as well as the
ethnarch or, in Turkish, ''
milletbashi'' of all the Orthodox Christians in the Empire, regardless of ethnic origin; not only Greeks, but also
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
,
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
,
Albanians
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
,
Wallachians,
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
ns,
Croatis,
Syrians
Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...
, orthodox
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
,
Georgians
The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
and
Lazs
The Laz people, or Lazi ( lzz, ლაზი ''Lazi''; ka, ლაზი, ''lazi''; or ჭანი, ''ch'ani''; tr, Laz), are an indigenous ethnic group who mainly live in Black Sea coastal regions of Turkey and Georgia. They traditionally spea ...
came under the spiritual, administrative,
[Jelavich, Barbara, “History of the Balkans, 18th and 19th Centuries” (1983), p.52] fiscal, cultural and legal
jurisdiction of the Patriarchate. Some of the other patriarchs came at various points to live permanently in Constantinople and function as part of the local church government. This situation, according to some of the Orientalists and historians, shows the ''
Pax Ottomana
In historiography, the ''Pax Ottomana'' (literally "the Ottoman Peace") or ''Pax Ottomanica''
is a term used to describe the economic and social stability attained in the conquered provinces of the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power duri ...
'' (or ''Pax Ottomanica'', literally "the Ottoman Peace").
![Meister der Predigten des Mönchs Johannes Kokkinobaphos 002](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Meister_der_Predigten_des_M%C3%B6nchs_Johannes_Kokkinobaphos_002.jpg)
The
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
, which for centuries had been a diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
declared its independence in 1448 shortly before Constantinople fell owing to its protest over the
Council of Florence
The Council of Florence is the seventeenth ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church, held between 1431 and 1449. It was convoked as the Council of Basel by Pope Martin V shortly before his death in February 1431 and took place in ...
, in which representatives of the patriarchate had signed onto union with
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, trading doctrinal concessions for military aid against the encroaching Ottomans. The military aid never came and those concessions were subsequently repudiated by the patriarchate but, from 1448, the Russian church came to function independently. Within decades after the Fall of
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
to
Mehmed II
Mehmed II ( ota, محمد ثانى, translit=Meḥmed-i s̱ānī; tr, II. Mehmed, ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror ( ota, ابو الفتح, Ebū'l-fetḥ, lit=the Father of Conquest, links=no; tr, Fâtih Su ...
of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
on 29 May 1453, some were nominating
Moscow as the "Third Rome", or the "New Rome". In 1589, 141 years later, Constantinople came to recognize Russia's independence and led the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
in declaring
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
also to be a
patriarchate, numbering Moscow's bishop as fifth in rank behind the ancient
patriarchates
Patriarchate ( grc, πατριαρχεῖον, ''patriarcheîon'') is an ecclesiological term in Christianity, designating the office and jurisdiction of an ecclesiastical patriarch.
According to Christian tradition three patriarchates were esta ...
. The
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
became the largest of the
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
churches in the world.
As Ottoman rule weakened, various parts of the Orthodox Church that had been under the direct influence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate came to be independent. These churches at first usually declared their independence without universal approval, which came after Constantinople gave its blessing. The rate at which these new
autocephalous
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 Ort ...
("self-headed") churches came into being increased in the 19th century, particularly with the independence of Greece.
![Saint Peter Gate 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Saint_Peter_Gate_01.jpg)
In 1833, the
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
declared its autocephaly, which was subsequently recognized by the patriarchate in 1850. In 1865, the
Romanian Orthodox Church, against the protests of Constantinople, declared its independence, which was acknowledged in 1885. A year before Greece's autocephaly was self-proclaimed, the
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
was named autocephalous by the local secular government but Constantinople refused recognition until 1879. In 1860 the
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
seceded from the Ecumenical Patriarchate; in 1870 the Bulgarian church was politically recognized as autonomous under the name
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate ( bg, Българска екзархия, Balgarska ekzarhiya; tr, Bulgar Eksarhlığı) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and th ...
by the Sultan's firman, but it was not until 1945 that it was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 1922, the
Albanian Orthodox Church
The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania ( sq, Kisha Ortodokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë), commonly known as the Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autoce ...
declared its autocephaly, being granted recognition of it in 1937.
In addition to these churches, whose territory had been agreed upon by all as within Constantinople's jurisdiction, several other disputed areas' Eastern Orthodox churches have had recognition by the Ecumenical Patriarchate as either
autocephalous
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 Ort ...
or
autonomous, including the
Finnish Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen ortodoksinen kirkko, lit=Finnish Orthodox Church; sv, Ortodoxa kyrkan i Finland, lit=Orthodox Church in Finland; ) is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Consta ...
and
Estonian Orthodox Church in 1923, the
Polish Orthodox Church
The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church ( pl, Polski Autokefaliczny Kościół Prawosławny), commonly known as the Polish Orthodox Church, or Orthodox Church of Poland, is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches in full communion. Th ...
in 1924, and the
Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia ( cs, Pravoslavná církev v Českých zemích a na Slovensku; sk, Pravoslávna cirkev v českých krajinách a na Slovensku) is a self-governing body of the Eastern Orthodox Church that territ ...
in 1998. The majority of these disputes are a result of the expansion of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, which often included a subjugation of the Orthodox churches in conquered lands to the Moscow Patriarchate. Due to this, the Moscow Patriarchate often disputes the Ecumenical Patriarch's role as prime representative and spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, citing that it represents the numerically largest Orthodox community.
Ecclesiastical buildings in Ottoman cities
As a ruling institution, the Ottoman Empire brought regulations on how the cities would be built (quality reassurances) and how the architecture (structural integrity, social needs, etc.) should be shaped. Special restrictions were imposed concerning the construction, renovation, size and usage of bells in churches. For example, in a town a church should not be larger in size than the largest mosque. Some churches were destroyed (e.g. the
Church of the Holy Apostles), many were converted into mosques (among them the
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...
and
Chora Church in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, and the
Rotunda and
Hagios Demetrios
The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios ( el, Άγιος Δημήτριος), is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki (in Central Macedonia, Greece), dating from a time when it was the sec ...
in
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
) or served for other uses (e.g.
Hagia Irene in Constantinople, which became an armory for the Janissaries, and the
Gül Mosque
Gül Mosque ( tr, Gül Camii, meaning Rose Mosque' in English) is a former Byzantine church in Istanbul, Turkey, converted into a mosque by the Ottomans.
It is in Vakıf Mektebi Sokak in the district of Fatih, Istanbul, in the neighbourhood of ...
agia Theodosia or Christ Euergetes Agia, ayia, aghia, hagia, haghia or AGIA may refer to:
*''Agia'', feminine form of ''Agios'', 'saint'
Geography
* Agia, Cyprus
* Agia, Chania, a town in Chania (regional unit), Crete, Greece
*Agia, Larissa, Greece
*Agia (Meteora), a rock in Thessa ...
also in Constantinople, which after the Conquest served for a while as a naval dockyard). Such rules, however, although very strict in the beginning, with time and the increasing importance in the Ottoman Empire of the
Rûm
Rūm ( ar, روم , collective; singulative: Rūmī ; plural: Arwām ; fa, روم Rum or Rumiyān, singular Rumi; tr, Rûm or , singular ), also romanized as ''Roum'', is a derivative of the Aramaic (''rhπmÈ'') and Parthian (''frwm'') te ...
Millet
Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...
were more and more disregarded, so that in the 19th century in Istanbul there was a veritable building boom of Orthodox churches, many among them having high bell towers and brick domes, both of which had previously been strictly prohibited.
Patriarchate under the secular Republic of Turkey
![Bartolomew I](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Bartolomew_I.jpg)
Since 1586 the Ecumenical Patriarchate has had its headquarters in the relatively modest
Church of St George in the
Fener
Fener (; Greek: Φανάρι, ''Phanári''; in English also: Phanar) is a quarter midway up the Golden Horn in the district of Fatih in Istanbul, Turkey. Its name is a Turkish transliteration of the word "phanarion" (Medieval Greek: Φανάρι ...
(Phanar) district of Istanbul. The current territory of the Patriarchate is significantly reduced from what it was at its height. Its canonical territory currently includes most of modern
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, northern Greece and
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
, the
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese (, ; el, Δωδεκάνησα, ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Turkey's Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. ...
and
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
. By its interpretation of Canon 28 of Chalcedon, Constantinople also claims jurisdiction over all areas outside the canonically defined territories of other Orthodox churches, which includes the entire
Western hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the term We ...
,
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
,
Northeast Asia,
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. This claim is disputed by other autocephalous churches with dioceses in those areas, as well as the Turkish government.
The Orthodox presence in Turkey itself is small; however the majority of Orthodox in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
(about two-thirds) are under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, primarily in the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
Archbishop
On May 11, 2019, the church's Hol ...
. The Patriarchate also enjoys an even greater majority in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. Furthermore, the Albanian,
Rusyn
Rusyn may refer to:
* Rusyns, Rusyn people, an East Slavic people
** Pannonian Rusyns, Pannonian Rusyn people, a branch of Rusyn people
** Lemkos, a branch of Rusyn (or Ukrainian) people
** Boykos, a branch of Rusyn (or Ukrainian) people
* Rusyn l ...
and Ukrainian jurisdictions in America are also part of the Patriarchate.
Most of the Patriarchate's funding does not come directly from its member churches but rather from the government of Greece, due to an arrangement whereby the Patriarchate had transferred property it had owned to Greece. In exchange, the employees, including the clergy, of the Patriarchate are remunerated by the Greek government. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America provides substantial support through an annual contribution, known as the ''logia'', and its institutions, including the American-based Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society and the
Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are honorees of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who have been selected from among the laity due to service to those portions of the Eastern Orthodox Church under his particular guidance.
The Order of ...
, usually important laymen who make large donations for the upkeep of the Patriarchate. In turn, they are granted honorary titles which once belonged to members of the Patriarchal staff in centuries past.
The Patriarchate acts in the capacity of being an intermediary and facilitator between the Orthodox churches and also in relations with other Christians and religions. This role sometimes brings the Patriarchate into conflict with other Orthodox churches, as its role in the church is debated. The question centers around whether the Ecumenical Patriarchate is simply the most honored among the Orthodox churches or whether it has any real authority or prerogatives () that differ from the other autocephalous churches. This dispute is often between Constantinople and Moscow, the largest Orthodox church in terms of population, especially as expressed in
the Third Rome theory which places Moscow in the place of Constantinople as the center of world Orthodoxy. Such disputes sometimes result in temporary breaks in
full communion
Full communion is a communion or relationship of full agreement among different Christian denominations that share certain essential principles of Christian theology. Views vary among denominations on exactly what constitutes full communion, but ...
, though usually not for very long.
The relationship between Constantinople and the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
was frequently bitter, due in no small part to the privilege given to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
. In the secular Republic of
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, tensions are still constant. Turkey requires by law that the Patriarch be a Turkish citizen by birth, which all Patriarchs have been since 1923—all
ethnic Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, other ...
from the minuscule and steadily decreasing
Greek minority of Turkey, which is causing a shortage of priests and consequently potential candidates for the post of Ecumenical Patriarch. The state's expropriation of church property and the closing of the Orthodox
Theological School of Halki
The Halki seminary, formally the Theological School of Halki ( el, Θεολογική Σχολή Χάλκης and tr, Ortodoks Ruhban Okulu), was founded on 1 October 1844 on the island of Halki ( Turkish: Heybeliada), the second-largest of the ...
are also difficulties faced by the Patriarchate.
Administration and structure
Holy Synod
The affairs of the patriarchate are conducted by the
Holy Synod, presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarch. The synod has existed since some time prior to the fourth century and assists the patriarch in determining the affairs of the possessions under his jurisdiction. The synod first developed from what was referred to as the ''resident synod'', composed of the patriarch, local bishops, and any Orthodox bishops who were visiting in the imperial capital of Constantinople. After the
fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...
, the synod's membership became limited to bishops of the patriarchate.
The Holy and Sacred Synod, presided over by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, is composed of twelve hierarchs, each serving a year-long term, with half of the synod's members changing every six months in March and September.
The current members of the Holy and Sacred Synod serving from March 1, 2021 – August 31, 2021, are as follows:
* Emmanuel of Chalcedon
* Dimitrios of Metres and Athyra
* Ambrosios of Karpathos and Kasos
* Apostolos of Miletus
* Alexios of Atlanta
* Joseph of Prokonnesos
* Meliton of Philadelphia
* Joseph of Buenos Aires
* Cleopas of Sweden and all Scandinavia
* Maximos of Silyvria
* Makarios of Australia
* Cyril of Imbros and Tenedos
Notable hierarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are the popular writer
Kallistos (Timothy) Ware, an assistant-bishop in the Archdiocese of Thyateira and author of ''The Orthodox Church'', the best-known introduction to the Orthodox Church in English, and
John Zizioulas
John Zizioulas ( el, Ιωάννης Ζηζιούλας; born 10 January 1931) is a Greek Orthodox prelate and the current titular Metropolitan bishop of Pergamon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is one of the most influential ...
, Metropolitan of
Pergamon, a well-known professor of Systematic Theology.
The right of non-Turkish members of the synod (from Northern Greece, the Dodecanese, America and Western Europe) to convene appears to be threatened by a recent declaration from the Istanbul Governor reported in the Freiburg archdiocesan magazine.
Structure
Head of the Patriarchate of
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
and of the Holy Synod is the Archbishop of
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
,
New Rome
New Rome (Greek: Νέα Ῥώμη, ''Nea Rhomē''; ; Latin: ''Nova Roma''; ) was the original name given by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330 CE to his new imperial capital, which was built as an expansion of the city of Byzantium o ...
and Ecumenical Patriarch and who since 1991 has been
Bartholomew I (). The
local churches of the Ecumenical Patriarchate consist of six
archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
s, 66
metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
es, 2
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
s and one
exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
, each of which reports directly to the Patriarch of Constantinople with no intervening authority.
Archdioceses and Archbishops
*
Archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
of
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
and
New Rome
New Rome (Greek: Νέα Ῥώμη, ''Nea Rhomē''; ; Latin: ''Nova Roma''; ) was the original name given by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great in 330 CE to his new imperial capital, which was built as an expansion of the city of Byzantium o ...
(Patriarchal archdiocese):
**
Metropolis of Chalcedon: Emmanuel Adamakis (2021–)
**
Metropolis of Derkoi: Apostolos Daniilidis (2011–)
**Metropolis of
Imbros and
Tenedos
Tenedos (, ''Tenedhos'', ), or Bozcaada in Turkish language, Turkish, is an island of Turkey in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively, the island constitutes the Bozcaada, Çanakkale, Bozcaada district of Çanakkale Provinc ...
: Cyril Dragounis (2002–2020), Cyril Sykis (2020–)
**Metropolis of the
Prince's Islands
The Princes' Islands ( tr, Prens Adaları; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes", el, Πριγκηπονήσια, ''Pringiponisia''), officially just Adalar ( en, Islands); alternatively the Princes' Arch ...
: Dimitrios Kommatas (2018–)
**Metropolis of
Pisidia:
Sotirios Trambas (2008–)
**Metropolis of
Prusa: Ioakeim Billis (2021–)
**
Metropolis of Smyrna
The Metropolis of Smyrna ( el, Μητρόπολη Σμύρνης) is an ecclesiastical territory (diocese) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, modern Turkey. The Christian community of Smyrna was one of the Seven Churches of Asia, m ...
: Bartholomew Samaras (2016–)
**Metropolis of
Adrianopolis
Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...
: Amfilochios of Adrianoupolis
**
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
of
Karpathos
Karpathos ( el, Κάρπαθος, ), also Carpathos, is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Together with the neighboring smaller Saria Island it forms the municipality of Karpathos, which is part o ...
and
Kasos
Kasos (; el, Κάσος, ), also Casos, is a Greek island municipality in the Dodecanese. It is the southernmost island in the Aegean Sea, and is part of the Karpathos regional unit. The capital of the island is Fri. , its population was 1,22 ...
: Ambrosios Panagiotidis (1983–)
**Metropolis of
Kos and
Nisyros
Nisyros also spelled Nisiros ( el, Νίσυρος, Nísiros) is a volcanic Greek island and municipality located in the Aegean Sea. It is part of the Dodecanese group of islands, situated between the islands of Kos and Tilos.
Its shape is appro ...
: Nathaniel II (Philippos) Diakopanagiotis (2009–)
**Metropolis of
Leros
Leros ( el, Λέρος) is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies (171 nautical miles) from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 9-hour ferry ride or by a 45-minute flight fr ...
,
Kalymnos
Kalymnos ( el, Κάλυμνος) is a Greek island and municipality in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It belongs to the Dodecanese island chain, between the islands of Kos (south, at a distance of ) and Leros (north, at a distance of less than ): t ...
and
Astypalaia
Astypalaia (Greek: Αστυπάλαια, ), is a Greek island with 1,334 residents (2011 census). It belongs to the Dodecanese, an archipelago of fifteen major islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea.
The island is long, wide at the most, and ...
and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of the
Southern Sporades: Païsios (Panagiotis) Aravantinos (2005–)
**
Metropolis of Rhodes
The Metropolis of Rhodes ( el, Ιερά Μητρόπολις Ρόδου) is the Greek Orthodox metropolitan see covering the island of Rhodes in the Dodecanese island group in Greece. It belongs to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical ...
: Cyril II (Konstantinos) Kogerakis (2004–)
**Metropolis of
Syme: Chrysostomos (Ioannis) Dimitriadis (2004–)
**
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of
Patmos
Patmos ( el, Πάτμος, ) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It is famous as the location where John of Patmos received the visions found in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament, and where the book was written.
One of the northernmos ...
: Archimandrite Cyril Pentes
**Exarchate of
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
: Metropolitan
Kyrillos Katerelos
Kyrillos Katerelos (His Eminence Kyrillos, Metropolitan of Krini; Greek: Ο Σεβασμιώτατος Μητροπολίτης Κρήνης Κύριλλος; French: Cyrille; Russian: Кирилл; Born Evangelos Katerelos Greek: Κατερ ...
(2021–)
Spiritually assigned to the Ecumenical Patriarchate by the Patriarchal and Synodic Act of 4 September 1928:
**
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
of
Alexandroupolis Anthimos Koukouridis (2004–)
**Metropolis of
Chios
Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...
,
Psara
Psara ( el, Ψαρά, , ; known in ancient times as /, /) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Together with the small island of Antipsara (Population 4) it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of the Chios regional unit, which is part of ...
and
Inousses
Oinousses ( el, Οινούσσες, alternative forms: ''Aignousa'' (Αιγνούσα) or ''Egnousa'' (Εγνούσα)) is a barren cluster of 1 larger and 8 smaller islands some off the north-east coast of the Greek island of Chios and west of ...
: Markos Basilakis (2011–)
**Metropolis of
Didymoteichon
Didymoteicho ( el, Διδυμότειχο, Didymóteicho ) is a city located on the eastern edge of the Evros regional unit of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in northeastern Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town ...
and
Orestias
Orestias ( el, Ὀρεστιάς) was an ancient Greek settlement next to the Maritsa (or Evros) river, near or at the site of present-day Edirne, and close to the current border between Turkey and Greece.
Legends claim that Orestias was founded ...
: Damaskinos (Minas) Karpathakis (2009–)
**Metropolis of
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
: Paulos (Alexandros) Apostolidis (2005–)
**Metropolis of
Dryinoupolis,
Pogoniani
Pogoniani ( el, Πωγωνιανή, pronounced , before 1928: Βοστίνα, ''Vostina''; sq, Voshtinë) is a village and a former community in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the ...
and
Konitsa
Konitsa ( el, Κόνιτσα; see also names in other languages) is a town of Ioannina in Epirus, Greece. It is located north of the capital Ioannina and near the Albanian border. Northeast of Konitsa lies a group of villages known as the Zagoro ...
: Andreas Trempelas (1995–)
**Metropolis of
Edessa
Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Osroene ...
,
Pella and
Almopia
Almopia ( el, Αλμωπία), or Enotia, also known in the Middle Ages as Moglena (Greek: Μογλενά, Macedonian and Bulgarian: Меглен or Мъглен), is a municipality and a former province (επαρχία) of the Pella regional uni ...
: Joel (Panagiotis) Phrankakos (2002–)
**Metropolis of
Elassona: Hariton Toumbas(2014-)
**Metropolis of
Eleftheroupolis
Eleftheroupoli ( el, Ελευθερούπολη, katharevousa: Ελευθερούπολις - ''Eleftheroupolis'', until 1929 Πράβι - ''Pravi'', bg, Правище; tr, Pravişte) is a town and a former municipality in the Kavala regional u ...
: Chrysostomos Abagianos (2004–)
**Metropolis of
Florina,
Prespes and
Eordaia
Eordaia ( el, Εορδαία) is a municipality in the Kozani regional unit, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Ptolemaida. The municipality has an area of 708.807 km2. The population was 45,592 in 2011.
Municipality
The munici ...
: Theoklitos (Thomas) Passalis (2000–)
**Metropolis of
Goumenissa,
Axioupoli
Axioupoli ( el, Αξιούπολη), known until 1927 as Boymitsa (Боймица, Μποέμιτσα), is a small town and a former municipality in the former Paionia Province of Kilkis regional unit, Greek Macedonia. Since the 2011 local gover ...
and
Polykastro: Dimitrios Bekiaris (1989–)
**Metropolis of
Grevena: David Tzioumakas (2014-)
**Metropolis of
Ierissos,
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...
and
Ardameri Ardameri ( el, Αρδαμέρι) is a village in the regional unit of Thessaloniki of Greece, at the foot of Mount Chortiatis, on the site of the medieval settlement of Ardamerion (Αρδαμέριον).
History
Ardamerium itself was destroyed d ...
: Theoklitos Athanasopoulos (2012–)
**Metropolis of
Ioannina
Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...
:Maximos Papagiannis(2014-)
**Metropolis of
Kassandria: Nikodemos (Konstatinos) Korakis (2001–)
**Metropolis of
Kastoria: Kallinikos Georgatos(2021-)
**Metropolis of
Kitros
Kitros ( el, Κίτρος) is a village of the Pydna-Kolindros municipality. Before the 2011 local government reform it was part of the municipality of Pydna, of which it was the seat. The 2011 census recorded 1,172 inhabitants in the village. Ki ...
,
Katerini
Katerini ( el, Κατερίνη, ''Kateríni'', ) is a city and municipality in northern Greece, the capital city of Pieria regional unit in Central Macedonia, Greece. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, ...
and
Platamonas: Georgios Chrysostomou(2014-)
**Metropolis of
Langadas,
Liti and
Rentina: Platon Crikris(2021-)
**Metropolis of
Lemnos and
Agios Efstratios: Hierotheos Calogeropoulos(2019–)
**Metropolis of
Maronia
Maroneia ( el, Μαρώνεια) is a village and a former municipality in Rhodope regional unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Maroneia-Sapes, of which it is a munic ...
and
Komotini
Komotini ( el, Κομοτηνή, tr, Gümülcine, bg, Комотини) is a city in the region of East Macedonia and Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Rhodope. It was the administrative centre of the Rhodope-Evros super-pr ...
: Panteleimon Moutafis(2013-)
**Metropolis of
Mithymna: Chrysostomos Kalamatianos (1984–)
**Metropolis of
Mytilini
Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of ...
,
Eresos and
Plomari: Iakobos Frantzes(1988–)
**Metropolis of
Neapolis and
Stavroupolis: Barnabas Tyris (2004–)
**Metropolis of
Nea Krini
Nea Krini (Greek: Νέα Κρήνη, literally New Fountain) is a district of the municipality of Kalamaria, Thessaloniki regional unit, Greece. It was originally founded by Greek refugees from the city of Çeşme in Asia Minor. Historically, mo ...
and
Kalamaria: Ioustinos Bardakas(2015-)
**Metropolis of
Nea Zichni
Nea Zichni ( el, Νέα Ζίχνη) is a municipality in the Serres regional unit, of Central Macedonia region, Greece. Population 12,397 (2011). Nea Zichni is also the name of the administrative seat of the municipality, population 2,530 (2011). ...
and
Nevrokopion: Hierotheos (Dimitrios) Tsoliakos (2003–)
**Metropolis of
Nicopolis and
Preveza
Preveza ( el, Πρέβεζα, ) is a city in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located on the northern peninsula at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epiru ...
:
Meletios Kalamaras
Meletios Kalamaras, (28 September 1933 – 21 June 2012) was an Orthodox bishop. He served as Metropolitan of Nicopolis & Preveza for 32 years. He was appointed on 26 February 1980 and held the office until his death, 21 June 2012.
Short biogra ...
(1980–2012), Chrysostom Tsirigas (2012-)
**Metropolis of
Paramythia
Paramythia ( el, Παραμυθιά) is a town and a former municipality in Thesprotia, Epirus (region), Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Souli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Th ...
,
Filiates,
Giromeri and
Parga
Parga ( el, Πάργα ) is a town and municipality located in the northwestern part of the regional unit of Preveza in Epirus, northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Kanallaki. Parga lies on the Ionian coast between the ...
: Titos (Sotirios) Papanakos (1974–)
**Metropolis of
Philippi
Philippi (; grc-gre, Φίλιπποι, ''Philippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides ( grc-gre, Κρηνῖδες, ''Krenides'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colon ...
,
Neapolis and
Thasos
Thasos or Thassos ( el, Θάσος, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area.
The island has an area of and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate re ...
: Prokopios Tsakoumakas (1974–2017), Stefanos Tolios(2017-)
**Metropolis of
Polyani and
Kilkis: Emmanuel Sigalas (2009–2021),Vartholomeos Antoniou-Triantafyllides(2021-)
**Metropolis of
Samos
Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate ...
and
Ikaria: Eusebios (Evangelos) Pistolis (1995–)
**Metropolis of
Serres and
Nigrita: Theologos (Ioannis) Apostolidis (2001–)
**Metropolis of
Servia and
Kozani: Paulos Papalexiou (2004–)
**Metropolis of
Siderokastron
Siderokastron ( el, Σιδηρόκαστρον) was a medieval fortified settlement on Mount Oeta in Central Greece.
Siderokastron is first mentioned in the 13th century. Some scholars have identified it with a place on Mount Knemis ( Buchon), Del ...
: Makarios (Sotirios) Philotheou (2001–)
**Metropolis of
Sisanion and
Siatista: Paulos (2006–2019), Athanasios Giannousas (2019-)
**Metropolis of
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
: Anthimos (Dionysios) Roussas (1974–)
**Metropolis of
Veria and
Naousa: Panteleimon (Ioannis) Kalpakidis (1994–)
**Metropolis of
Xanthi
Xanthi ( el, Ξάνθη, ''Xánthi'', ) is a city in the region of Western Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi (regional unit), Xanthi regional unit of the modern regions of Greece, region of East Macedonia and Thrace.
A ...
and
Peritheorion
Anastasiopolis-Peritheorion is an archaeological site located in northern Greece, southeast of the village of Amaxades in the Rhodope regional unit in Western Thrace. Parts of the fortification walls of the ancient city of Anastasiopolis (5th – ...
: Panteleimon (Mikhael) Kalaphatis (1995–)
*
Archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
of
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
(
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...
): Eirinaios Athanasiadis (2006–2021), Evgenios Antonopoulos(2022-)
**Metropolis of
Gortyna and
Arkadia
Arcadia ( el, Αρκαδία, ''Arkadía'' ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythol ...
and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Middle
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
: Makarios Douloufakis (2005–)
**Metropolis of
Rethymnon
Rethymno ( el, Ρέθυμνο, , also ''Rethimno'', ''Rethymnon'', ''Réthymnon'', and ''Rhíthymnos'') is a city in Greece on the island of Crete. It is the capital of Rethymno regional unit, and has a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants ( ...
and
Avlopotamos and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Upper
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
: Prodromos Xenakes(2022); former bishop of the
Diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of
Knossos
Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city.
Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...
**Metropolis of
Kydonia and
Apokoronos: Damaskinos Papagiannakis (2006–)
**Metropolis of
Lampi
Lampi ( el, Λάμπη) is a former municipality in the Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Agios Vasileios, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an are ...
,
Syvritos
Sivritos ( el, Σίβριτος, also Σύβριτος - ''Syvritos'') is a former municipality in the Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Amari, of which it is a municipal ...
, and
Sfakia: Eirinaios (Nikolaos) Mesarchakis (1990–)
**Metropolis of
Ierapytna and
Siteia
Sitia ( el, Σητεία) is a port town and a municipality in Lasithi, Crete, Greece. The town has 9,912 inhabitants (2011) and the municipality has 18,318 (2011). It lies east of Agios Nikolaos and northeast of Ierapetra. Sitia port is on the ...
and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Eastern
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
: Cyrillos Diamantakes(2016-)
**Metropolis of
Petra
Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...
and
Cherronisos: Nektarios Papadakis (1990–2015), Gerasimos Marmatakes(2015–)
**Metropolis of
Kissamos
Kissamos ( el, Κίσσαμος) is a town and a municipality in the west of the island of Crete, Greece. It is part of the Chania regional unit and of the former Kissamos Province which covers the northwest corner of the island. The town of Kissam ...
and
Selino: Amphilochios Andronikakis (2005–)
**Metropolis of
Arkalochori
Arkalochori ( el, Αρκαλοχώρι) is a town and a former municipality in the Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Minoa Pediada, of which it is a municipal unit. The mu ...
on,
Kasteli
Kastelli ( el, Καστέλλι, ''Kastélli''; also Καστέλι, ''Kastéli''), often called Kastelli Pediadas (Greek: Καστέλλι Πεδιάδας) to differentiate it from Kissamos (also occasionally called Kastelli-Kissamos) is a villa ...
on and
Viannos
Viannos ( el, Βιάννος) is a municipality in the Heraklion regional unit, Crete, Greece. The municipality has an area of . Population 5,563 (2011). The seat of the municipality is in Ano Viannos.
In September 1943, German occupation forces ...
: Andreas Nanakis (2001–)
*
Archdiocese of Canada and Exarchate of the Arctic (
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
): Sotirios Athanasoulas (1979–)
*
Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate of
Southern Europe
Southern Europe is the southern regions of Europe, region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countrie ...
(
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
): Polycarpos Stavropoulos (2021–)
*
Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain (
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, includes the
UK,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and the
Crown dependencies):
Nikitas Loulias
Archbishop Nikitas (Lulias) of Thyateira and Great Britain is the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Great Britain under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, elected by the Sacred and Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 12 June 2019.
...
(2019
*
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, Archdiocese of Australia and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
:
Makarios Griniezakis
Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis (Greek: Μακάριος Γρινιεζάκης; born 15 March 1973) is the current archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church of Australia and the primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, succeeding Ar ...
(2019–)
**Archdiocesan District of
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
and the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
**Archdiocesan District of
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
and
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
**Archdiocesan District of
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
,
southern New South Wales
New South Wales wine is Australian wine produced in New South Wales, Australia. New South Wales is Australia's most populous state and its wine consumption far outpaces the region's wine production. The Hunter Valley, located north of Sydney, ...
and
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
**Archdiocesan District of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and
Victoria
**Archdiocesan District of
Northcote
**Archdiocesan District of
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
and
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
**Archdiocesan District of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
*
Archdiocese of America and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of the
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
and
Pacific Oceans (headquartered in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
):
Elpidoforos Lampriniadis (2019–)
**
Metropolis of Chicago
The Metropolis of Chicago is a metropolis of the Greek Orthodox Church, part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, in the North-Central Midwest, United States, with its see city of Chicago. The mother church of the Metropolis is Annu ...
: Nathanael Symeonides (2018–)
**Metropolis of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
: Vacant (Administrator: Archbishop Elpidophoros of America)
**Metropolis of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
: Alexios Panagiotopoulos (1999–)
**Metropolis of
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
: Isaiah Chronopoulos (1992–)
**Metropolis of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
:
Savas Zembillas (2012–)
**
Metropolis of Boston
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston (formerly the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Boston) is an ecclesiastical territory or metropolis of the Greek Orthodox Church in the New England region of the United States. It is led by a metropolitan bishop and ...
:
Methodios (Georgios) Tournas (1984–)
**Metropolis of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
: Nicholas Pissaris (1999–)
**
Metropolis of San Francisco:
Gerasimos Michaleas
Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco (born Gerasimos Michaleas; August 2, 1945) is a Greek Eastern Orthodox prelate who has served as the Metropolitan of San Francisco in the Greek Orthodox Church since 2005.
His spiritual flock comprises 6 ...
(2005–)
Metropolises and Metropolitans
*Metropolis of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and Exarchate of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and Middle Europe (
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
): Arsenios Kardamakis (2011–)
*Metropolis of Belgium,
(
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
): Athenagoras (Yves) Peckstadt (2013–)
*Metropolis of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
(
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
): Dimitrios Ploumes (2021-)
*Metropolis of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
(
Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...
): Augustinos Labardakis (1980–)
*Metropolis of
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and all
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of the
Northern Countries (
Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
): Cleopas Strongylis (2014–)
*Metropolis of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
(Madrid): Visarion Comzias (2021-)
*Metropolis of Switzerland (Chambésy, Geneva): Maximos Pothos (2018-)
*Metropolis of Buenos Aires and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All South America: Joseph Bosch (2019-)
*Metropolis of Mexico and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All Central America and the Caribbean: Athenagoras (Georgios) Anastasiadis (1996–)
*Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, Metropolis of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia and Exarchate of the Philippines: Nektarios (Tsilis) (2008–)
*Korean Orthodox Church, Metropolis of Korea and Exarchate of All the Upper East (Seoul): Ambrosios Zografos, Ambrosios (Aristotelis) Zografos (2008–)
*Metropolis of New Zealand and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...
(Wellington): Myron Ktistakis (2018–)
*Eastern Orthodox Metropolitanate of Singapore and South Asia, Metropolis of Singapore and South Asia: Konstantinos Tsilis (2011–)
*Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Central Canada, Metropolis of Winnipeg and Central Canada (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada): vacant (acting: Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton)
**Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Eastern Canada, Diocese of Toronto and Eastern Canada: Andrew (Peshko) of Toronto) (2021-)
**Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Western Canada, Diocese of Edmonton and Western Canada: Hilarion (Rudnyk) (2008–)
*Metropolis of
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
(Ukrainian Orthodox Church): John Derevianka (1991–)
*Metropolis of Eastern Eparchy (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA): Antonios Scharba (1995–)
**Diocese of Western Eparchy (Chicago): Pamphylos Daniel Zelinsky (2009–)
Dioceses and Bishops
*Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America, Diocese of America (Albanian Orthodox church): Philomelion Elias Katre (2002–)
*American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, Diocese of North America (American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox church): Nyssa Gregory (Tatsis) (2012–)
Titular archdioceses
*
Archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
of Comana (Cappadocia), Komana and All Cappadocia: Michael Anisenko(2020-)
*Archdiocese of Hierapolis: Antonios Sarba (1995–present)
*Archdiocese of Thyatira: Nikitas Loulias (2019–present)
Titular metropolises
*
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
of Kayseri, Caesarea: Vacant
*Metropolis of Ephesus: Vacant
*Metropolis of
Heraclea and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
: Vacant
*Metropolis of Cyzicus: Vacant
*Metropolis of Nicomedia: Joachim (Elias) Nerantzoulis (2008–); former metropolitan of Chalcedon
*Metropolis of Nicaea and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Bithynia: John V Rinne (2001–2010; former archbishop of Karelia and all Finland); Constantinos Charisiadis (2011–2021)
*Metropolis of Enez, Aenos: Vacant
*Metropolis of Amasya and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All Black Sea, Euxinous Pontus: Vacant
*Metropolis of Edirne, Hadrianopolis: Damaskinos Papandreou (2003-2014); former metropolitan of Switzerland; Amphilochios Stergiou (2014–)
*Metropolis of Söke, Anea: Makarios Pavlidis (2018-)
*Metropolis of Ankara, Ankyra and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All Galatia: Ieremias Kalligiorgis (2018-)
*Metropolis of Sülümenli, Augustopolis: Vacant
*Metropolis of Gümüşhane, Chaldia, Şiran, Cheriana and Giresun, Kerasous and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Helenopontus: Vacant
*Metropolis of Çeşme, Crine and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Ionia: Kyrillos Katerelos(2021-)
*Metropolis of Ayvalık, Cydonies: Athenagoras Hrysanes(2012-)
*Metropolis of the Dardanelles and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All Hellespontus (province), Hellespontus:Vacant
*Metropolis of Eucarpia: Bishop Ierotheos Zaharis (2017-)
*Metropolis of Euchaita: Vacant
*Metropolis of Eudoxias: Bishop Amvrosios Horozides (2019-)
*Metropolis of Şarköy, Ganos and Şarköy, Chora and All the Thrace, Thracian Coast: Amphilochios Tsoukos (2018– )
*Metropolis of Aydın, Helioupolis and Tire, Turkey, Theira and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All Caria: Chrysostomos Mavroyiannopoulos (2019 –died+2022),
*Metropolis of Helenopolis, Bithynia, Helenopolis: Vacant
*Metropolis of Şebinkarahisar, Kolonia: Athanasios Theoharous (2021-)
*Metropolis of Iconium and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Lycaonia: Theoleptos (Jacob) Fenerlis (2000–)
*Metropolis of Gelibolu, Kallipolis and Eceabat, Madytos: Stephanos Ntinides (2011–)
*Metropolis of Laodicea on the Lycus, Laodicea and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Phrygia: Theodoritos Polyzoyopoulos(2018-)
*Metropolis of Ivaylovgrad, Lititsa: Vacant
*Metropolis of Lystra: Vacant
*Metropolis of Çatalca, Metres and Büyükçekmece, Athyra: Dimitrios Grollios (2020-)
*Metropolis of Melitene:Bishop Maximos Pafilis (2018-)
*Metropolis of Miletus: Apostolos Voulgaris (1990–)
*Metropolis of Cunda Island, Moschonisia and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Aeolis: Cyril Dragounis (2020-)
*Metropolis of Myra: Chrysostomos Kalaitzis (1995–)
*Metropolis of Mürefte, Myriophyton and Şarköy, Peristasis: Irinaios Ioannidis (2000–)
*Metropolis of Niksar, Neocaesaria and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Pontus Polemoniacus: Vacant
*Metropolis of Pergamon, Metropolis of Pergamon and Adramyttion: John Zizioulas, John II Zizioulas (1986–)
*Metropolis of Perge and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Pamphylia: Vacant
*Metropolis of Philadelphia, Metropolis of Philadelphia and Exarchate of Lydia: Meliton (Dimitrios) Karras (1990–)
*Metropolis of
Pisidia and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Side, Turkey, Side, Myra and Antalya, Attalia:
Sotirios Trambas (2008–); former metropolitan of Korea and Japan
*Metropolis of Marmara Island, Prokonnesos and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All Sea of Marmara, Propontis: Joseph (Emmanuel) Charkiolakis (2008–); former metropolitan of New Zealand
*Metropolis of Bursa, Prousa:Ioakeim Billis (2021-)
*Metropolis of Vartsikhe, Rhodopolis: Tarasios Antonopoulos (2019-)
*Metropolis of Kırklareli, Saranta Ecclesies: Andreas Sofianopoulos(2021-)
*Metropolis of Sardis: Evangelos Courounis (2021-)
*Metropolis of Sasima and Cappadocia Secunda: Gennadios Lymouris (1997–)
*Metropolis of Sebasteia and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of All Paphlagonia: Seraphim Ginis (2019–)
*Metropolis of Seleucia (Pamphylia), Seleucia and Pamphylia: Vacant
*Metropolis of Silivri, Silyvria: Maximos Vgenopoulos (2014–)
*Metropolis of Smyrna, Metropolis of Smyrna and Exarchate of All Asia Minor: Bartholomeos Samaras (2016–)
*Metropolis of Traianopolis (Phrygia), Traianopolis: Germanos Haviaropoulos (1987–2022)
*Metropolis of Trabzon, Trapezous and
Exarchate
An exarchate is any territorial jurisdiction, either secular or ecclesiastical, whose ruler is called an exarch. The term originates from the Greek word ''arkhos'', meaning a leader, ruler, or chief. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I created the firs ...
of Egrisi, Lazica: Vacant
*Metropolis of Dardania (Troas), Troas:Bishop Petros Bozinis (2015-)
*Metropolis of Tyana: Vacant
*Metropolis of Çorlu, Tyroloi and Serention: Vacant
*Metropolis of Vize, Bizye and Kiyikoy, Medea: Vacant
*Metropolis of Urla, İzmir, Vryoula and Erythrae: Panteleimon Sklavos (2018-)
Titular dioceses
*
Diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of Abydos (Hellespont), Abydos: Gregorios Tsoutsoules (2022-)
*Diocese of Amorium, Amorion: Nikiforos Psihloudes (2014-)
*Diocese of Andidon:Vacant
*Diocese of Apamea, Syria, Apamea: Païsios Larentzakis (2018-)
*Diocese of Arianzum, Arianzos: Vartholomeos (Ioannis) Kessidis (2004–)
*Diocese of Zagori, Ariste: Vasileios Tsiopanas (1976–)
*Diocese of Aspendos: Jeremy Ferens (1995–)
*Diocese of Bolu, Claudiopolis: Iakovos Savva (2021-)
*Diocese of Kavala, Christoupolis: Emmanuel Sfiatkos (2020-)
*Diocese of Cyneae: Elpidios Karelis (2020–)
*Diocese of Dervis: Ezekiel Kefalas (1977–)
*Diocese of Dioclea (Phrygia), Dioclea:
Kallistos Ware (1982–)
*Diocese of Dorylaeum: Damaskenos Lionakis (2019-)
*Diocese of Çivril, Eumeneia: Maximos (Ioannis) Mastihis (1977–2015), Irinaeos Verykakis (2019-)
*Diocese of Halicarnassus: Adrianos Sergakis (2015-)
*Diocese of Irenopolis, Cilicia, Irenopolis: Nikandros Palyvos (2019-)
*Diocese of Honorias, Kratea: Vacant
*Diocese of Lampsacus: Vacant
*Diocese of Lefki, Lasithi, Lefki: Eumenios Tamiolakis (1994–)
*Diocese of Meloa: Aimilianos Coutouzes (2019–)
*Diocese of Kırşehir, Mokissos: Demetrios Kantzavelos (2006–)
*Diocese of Dio-Olympos, Olympos: Anthimos Drakonakis (1992-2015+),Kyrillos Papanthimou(2017-)
*Diocese of Pamphylia, Pamphylos: Daniel Zelinsky (2008–)
*Diocese of Mount Parnassus, Parnassus: John Derevianka (1995–)
*Diocese of Phasians, Phasiane: Antonios Paropoulos (2002–)
*Diocese of Akşehir, Philomelion: Elias Katre (2002–)
*Diocese of Sinop, Turkey, Sinope: Silouan Fotineas (2020–)
*Diocese of Synnada in Phrygia, Synnada: Dionysios (Charalampos) Sakatis (1996–2021)
*Diocese of Telmessos: Ilarion (Roman) Rudnyk (2008–)
*Diocese of Antioch, Theoupolis: Vacant
*Diocese of Alexandria Troas, Troas: Petros Bozines (2015-)
*Diocese of Tropaia, Tropaeon: Vacant
*Diocese of Zelon: Sevastianos Skordallos (2012–)
Historical Archdioceses
*
Archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
of Syracuse, Sicily, Syracuse
*Archdiocese of Russian Orthodox churches in Western Europe—Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe (
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
) (disestablished 2018)
Historical Metropolises
*Metropolis of Pomorie, Anchialos
*Metropolis of Balgrad, one of founding archdioceses of
Romanian Orthodox Church
*
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
of Calabria
*Metropolis of Debar and Veles, Metropolis of Devròn and Velissus, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1767 to 1920
*Metropolitanate of Gothia, Metropolis of Gothia and Caffa (liquidated by the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
in 1779, see Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire)
*Metropolis of Kamianets (Podolia Eyalet)
*Metropolis of Kolonjë District, Kolonia
*Metropolitanate of Kyiv, Metropolis of Kyiv (988–2019)
*Metropolis of Halych (1303–1347), succeeded and reintegrated back into Metropolis of Kyiv
*Metropolis of Lithuania (1317–1435), succeeded and reintegrated back into Metropolis of Kyiv
*Metropolis of Miletopolis: Iakovos Tsigounis (2011–)
*Metropolis of Melnik, Bulgaria, Melenikon
*Metropolis of Moldo-Wallachia (Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina), one of founding archdioceses of
Romanian Orthodox Church
*Metropolis of Bitola, Monastirion and Pelagonia, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1767 to 1920
*Metropolis of Gotse Delchev (town), Nevrokopion
*Metropolis of Plovdiv, Philippopolis
*Metropolis of Prespa, Prèspes and Ohrid, Achrida, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1767 to 1920
* (Ottoman Ukraine)
*Metropolis of Raška and Prizren, Metropolis of Raskopresrèna, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1766 to 1920
*Metropolis of Riga and All Latvia
*Metropolitanate of Skopje, Metropolis of Skopia, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1766 to 1920
*Metropolis of Sozopolis (and later Ahtopol, Sozoagathopolis)
*Metropolis of Strumica, Stromnitsa, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1767 to 1920
*Metropolis of Ugro-Wallachia (Metropolis of Muntenia and Dobrudja), one of founding archdioceses of
Romanian Orthodox Church
*Metropolis of Banja Luka, Metropolis of Vanialuka, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1900 to 1920
*Metropolis of Varna, Bulgaria, Varna
*Eparchy of Belgrade, Metropolis of Vellègradon, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1766 to 1879
*Metropolis of Niš, Metropolis of Nissa, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1766 to 1879
*Metropolis of Bosnia, Metropolis of Vosna, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1766 to 1920
*Metropolis of Zvornik, Metropolis of Svornikion, under jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from 1766 to 1920
Historical Dioceses
*Diocese of Agia, Larissa, Agia and Nessonas, Sykourion
*Diocese of Agrafa (municipality), Agrafa and Litza
*Diocese of Amphipolis
*Diocese of Amylcae
*Diocese of Filiatra, Christianoupolis
*Diocese of Comana Pontica, Angon
*Diocese of Gümüşhane, Argyropolis
*Diocese of Ahtopol, Agathopolis
*Diocese of Agathonicea
*Diocese of Catania, Katania
*Diocese of Constanţa, Konstantia
*Diocese of Daphnusia
*Diocese of Dodona
*Diocese of Elaea (Aeolis), Elaea
*Diocese of Campania, Kampania
*Diocese of Meloe
*Diocese of Messina, Messene
*Diocese of Myrina (Mysia), Myrina
*Diocese of Nyssa (Cappadocia), Nyssa
*Diocese of Petra, Pieria, Petra
*Diocese of Platamon and Kato Olympos, Lykostomion
*Diocese of Ravenna
*Diocese of Skopelos
*Diocese of Atalanti, Talantion
*Diocese of Kythnos, Thermia and Kea (island), Kea
*Diocese of Cilicia Trachaea, Trachaea
*Diocese of Vilnius, Vilna
Stauropegions
*Stauropegion of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine, Stauropegion of St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv: Bishop Michael (Anischenko) (2019–)
*Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (1589–1686)
*Lviv Dormition Brotherhood (1589–1709)
*Kyiv Epiphany Brotherhood (1620–1686)
*Manyava Skete (1620–1785)
*Exaltation of the Cross Lutsk Brotherhood (1623–????)
*Mezhyhirya Monastery (1609–1703)
Present-day autocephalous churches previously under the Ecumenical Patriarchate
![Unification council of Orthodox Church in Ukraine 138](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Unification_council_of_Orthodox_Church_in_Ukraine_138.jpg)
*Armenian Apostolic Church; autocephaly granted in 554.
*Bulgarian Orthodox Church; autocephaly granted in 870; autocephaly re-recognised in 1235 and 1945.
*
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
; autocephaly recognized in 1589.
*
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
(Archdiocese of Athens and All
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
); autocephaly recognised in 1850.
*
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches.
The majori ...
; autocephaly granted in 1219; abolished in 1463 and 1766, re-recognized in 1557 and 1879.
*
Romanian Orthodox Church; autocephaly recognized in 1885.
*Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church; autocephaly recognised in 1924 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and in 1948 by the Russian Orthodox Church.
*Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania (Archdiocese of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania); autocephaly recognised in 1937.
*Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia (Metropolis of Prague, Czech Lands and Slovakia); autocephaly recognised in 1951 by the Russian Orthodox Church and in 1998 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
*Orthodox Church of Ukraine; intention to grant autocephaly announced in 2018.
"Ukraine hails Church independence move as ‘blow’ to Moscow", ''The Guardian'', 12 October 2018
(Retrieved 13 October 2018) 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism, Rejected by the Russian Orthodox Church, the Polish Orthodox Church, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. The Ecumenical Patriarchate Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, granted autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on 5 January 2019.
References
Citations
Sources
This article incorporates text from several articles on OrthodoxWiki:
* OrthodoxWiki:Byzantine response to OCA autocephaly
* OrthodoxWiki:Church of Constantinople
* OrthodoxWiki:Mount Athos
* OrthodoxWiki:Prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Literature
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External links
Official website
Patriarchs of Constantinople
Article on the Ecumenical Patriarchate by Ronald Roberson on the website of CNEWA, a papal agency for humanitarian and pastoral support
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecumenical Patriarchate Of Constantinople
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople,
Dioceses established in the 1st century