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The Ecumenical Patriarchate Romania and, for a time, even Greece. Since the THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, the Ecu- menical Patriarchate has supported the restora- The Ecumenical tion of Orthodox Churches that had been sup- For more information and resources visit: pressed, for example, the Orthodox Church of Albania. The official website of The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Patriarchate Constantinople: www.ec-patr.org Additonal articles on the website of the Greek Ortho- dox Archdiocese: www.goarch.org/ourfaith Website for the 2009 Patriarchal Visit to the United States: www.usvisit2009.org The Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint George at the Phanar Website for the Religion, Science, and Environment Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has visited Symposium Restoring the Balance: The Great Missis- Muslim nations, previously never visited by Christian sippi River: www.rsesymposia.org heads of Churches, advocating religious tolerance, Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. freedom, and peace among all religions. Moreover, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America his pioneering initiatives for the preservation of THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE TODAY the natural environment have earned him the title “Green Patriarch.” He organized five environmental The Ecumenical Patriarchate is actively en- seminars in co-sponsorship with His Royal Highness gaged in diverse ecclesiastical activities and Prince Philip (1994-1998). He also established the Reli- ministries. On a day-to-day basis, it oversees the gious and Scientific Committee, which has organized Faith and Life is a new pamphlet series that pastoral life of the Orthodox community in Tur- seven international, interfaith and interdisciplinary provides an introduction to a wide range of spiritual key and those communities under its jurisdiction seaborne symposia to date: Patmos and the Mediter- and theological issues. Drawing from the beauty globally. It also maintains communication with ranean (1995), the Black Sea (1997), the Danube River and wisdom of Orthodox Christianity, the series the leadership of the autocephalous Orthodox (1999), the Adriatic Sea (2002), the Baltic Sea (2003), addresses the challenges of contemporary life and Churches. For example, since the 1960’s the Ecu- the Amazon River (2006), and the Mississippi River offers guidance to help you grow in your relationship menical Patriarchate has chaired a series of pan- and Gulf Coast (2009). with God and in your commitment to His will for Orthodox meetings to address contemporary your life. The series is a collaborative effort of the challenges facing all Orthodox Churches. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Departments of Church The Ecumenical Patriarchate is a dynamic and Society, Communications, Internet Ministries, leader in ecumenical dialogue and the reconcili- Outreach and Evangelism, Religious Education, and ation of Christians. Since the 1960’s, it has been Youth and Young Adult Ministries. in dialogue with the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, etc.), working to For additional resources, visit... heal the divisions of the oldest Christian division, FAITH.GOARCH.ORG which dates from 451. The Ecumenical Patriarch- ate has fully participated in the work of the World Council of Churches from its inception, as well as in local ecumenical bodies instituting and chair- ing bilateral theological dialogues with non-Or- 8 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075 thodox Christians and also with other monothe- His All Holiness Bartholomew istic faiths. Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Tel: (212) 570-3500 • Fax: (212) 570-3569 FAITH.GOARCH.ORG 5 6 E-mail:[email protected] • Web: www.goarch.org THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE Greece, Poland, Albania, and the Church of the Czech of Rome. The 28th canon of the Fourth Ecumenical The Ecumenical Lands and Slovakia. The Autonomous Churches in- Council held in Chalcedon (451) granted Constantino- Patriarchate clude those of Finland and of Estonia. Consequently, ple equal ranking to Rome and special responsibilities the Orthodox Churches in Europe, North and South throughout the rest of the world and expanded its ju- he Ecumenical Patriarchate of America, Australia, Asia, and Britain, which are not risdiction to territories hitherto unclaimed. The Great TConstantinople (present-day Istanbul, under the jurisdiction of the aforementioned auto- Schism of 1054—in fact the culmination of a gradual Turkey) is the highest See and holiest center cephalous Churches, are within the jurisdiction of the estrangement over many centuries—resulted in for- of the Orthodox Christian Church. Its history Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is a true sense of unity in mal separation between the Churches of the East and diversity. the West, leaving Constantinople first in honor and Synaxis of the Heads of the Orthodox Churches at the spans seventeen centuries, from the earliest Phanar in October 2008 days of Christianity, through the Byzantine and jurisdiction in the Orthodox world. Ottoman Empires, down to our present day. The As a title, the phrase “Ecumenical Patriarch” dates The Ecumenical Patriarchate also sponsored Ecumenical Patriarchate constitutes the center of from the sixth century and belongs exclusively to the missionary growth through the centuries, the all the local Orthodox Churches, heading these Archbishop of Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patri- most notable of which was the conversion of the not by administration but by virtue of its primacy archate holds an honorary primacy among the auto- Kievan Rus in the tenth century and the most re- in the ministry of Orthodox Christian unity and cephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, Church- cent of which was the missionary work in South- the coordination of the activity of the whole of es. It enjoys the privilege of serving as “first among east Asia in the last century. This pastoral role and the Orthodox Church. equals.” It is also known as the “Roman” Patriarchate responsibility has earned the characterization of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as “the golden bea- The function of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (hence the Turkish phrase: Rum Patrikhanesi), recall- ing its historical source as the Church of New Rome. con of Orthodoxy, preserving the unwaning bril- as center par excellence of the entire Orthodox liance of Christianity.” world emanates from its centuries-old ministry When Constantinople became the capital of the in the witness, protection, and outreach of the Ottoman Empire in 1453, the Ecumenical Patriarch (at The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the voice for Orthodox Christian faith. The Ecumenical Pa- The Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was the Cathedral the time, Gennadius II) was recognized as Ethnarch of the long-suffering Orthodox Christian Church, triarchate therefore possesses a trans-national of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for over one thousand years. the Orthodox peoples, with increased religious and which has survived some of the most severe and supra-regional character. From this lofty civil authority over the Eastern Patriarchates and the religious persecutions the world has witnessed consciousness and responsibility for the people HISTORY Balkan Churches, as well as farther afield. during the last century. Beginning with the twen- of Christ, regardless of race and language, were tieth century’s first decades, entire Orthodox born the new regional Churches of the East, from The Church of Constantinople is traditionally re- From that time, the Ecumenical Patriarchate be- Christian populations throughout Southeast- the Caspian to the Baltic, and from the Balkans to garded as being founded by St. Andrew, the “first- came a symbol of unity, rendering service and soli- ern Europe, Asia Minor, and Crete were extin- Central Europe. This activity today extends to the called” of the Apostles, who preached in the city of darity to the Eastern Churches. The Ecumenical Patri- guished. In addition, World War II brought the Far East, the Americas, and Australia. Byzantium in the first century of Christianity. Follow- archate was consulted for the resolution of disputes genocide of 700,000 Serbian Orthodox by the ing the establishment of Constantinople (built on the between the Churches. Frequently, patriarchs of oth- Nazis and their surrogates. Thousands of Ortho- Orthodox Christians on all continents, which site of Byzantium) as the new capital of the Roman er Churches would reside in Constantinople, which dox Christians wearing blue armbands marked do not fall under the jurisdiction of the auto- Empire in AD 330, a series of ecclesiastical events el- was the venue for meetings of the Holy Synod that with a “P” (for “Pravoslavni” or “Orthodox”) were cephalous (independent) or autonomous (semi- evated the status of the Bishop of New Rome (as Con- was chaired by the Ecumenical Patriarch. With the marched to death camps side by side with their independent) Orthodox Churches, fall under the stantinople was also called) to its current position and rise of nation-states in the Balkans and the collapse of Jewish neighbors. From the days of the Bolshe- jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The privilege. The 3rd canon of the Second Ecumenical the Ottoman Empire in the late nineteenth and early vik revolution and after World War II, the Iron autocephalous Churches are the ancient Patri- Council held in Constantinople (381) conferred upon twentieth centuries, the Patriarchate has overseen Curtain descended upon the Orthodox Church, archates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem the bishop of this city second rank after the Bishop the development of the Orthodox Churches in those which continued to be the target of a systematic (together with the Archdiocese of Mt. Sinai), the lands. campaign of repression, destruction and death Patriarchates of Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, that encompassed Russia, Albania, Bulgaria, and Georgia, as well as the Churches of Cyprus, 1 2 3 4.
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