The endangered Orthodox patriarchate of Constantinople

[ncstevem]

catholicculture.org/commentary/otn.cfm?id=698

 

[prodromos]

The Antioch Patriarchate moved from Antioch. No reason why the Ecumenical Patriarchate cannot do the same.

John

 

[JRKH]

Interesting story. I’ve no doubt that the Orthodox community will work it out.

What I did find interesting in the article was the “legal” issues involved. Something that the Western Church has avoided by virtue of it’s posession of the Vatican as an independant state. Not trying to stir up debate, just making an observation.

Peace
James

 

[ConstantineTG]

Interesting story. I’ve no doubt that the Orthodox community will work it out.

What I did find interesting in the article was the “legal” issues involved. Something that the Western Church has avoided by virtue of it’s posession of the Vatican as an independant state. Not trying to stir up debate, just making an observation.

Peace
James

It also helps that Italy is mostly Catholic, while Turkey has been overrun by Islam.

 

[Hesychios]

The Antioch Patriarchate moved from Antioch. No reason why the Ecumenical Patriarchate cannot do the same.

John

Yes, and the Papacy has left Rome in the past too, it can be done.

 

[Hesychios]

Interesting story. I’ve no doubt that the Orthodox community will work it out.

What I did find interesting in the article was the “legal” issues involved. Something that the Western Church has avoided by virtue of it’s posession of the Vatican as an independant state. Not trying to stir up debate, just making an observation.

Peace
James

The observation is fine. However, the Papacy is dependent upon an agreement with the state of Italy. It lost it’s independence once before and that could happen again (not that I am predicting such a thing).

In fact, the mother church of all the west (and the cathedra of the bishop of Rome) is still in Italy. So although we don’t think about it much, in an odd sort of way the Pope is still in a type of political exile.

It also helps that Italy is mostly Catholic, while Turkey has been overrun by Islam.

Pretty much so.

It might be more accurate to say that Turkey is a largely secular Muslim state and Italy is a largely secular Christian state. It is clear that the Papacy has a better political situation around it.

 

[John_Paul_Jones]

Interesting story. I’ve no doubt that the Orthodox community will work it out.

What I did find interesting in the article was the “legal” issues involved. Something that the Western Church has avoided by virtue of it’s posession of the Vatican as an independant state. Not trying to stir up debate, just making an observation.

Peace
James

It seems that they schemed to eliminate the patriarch.

…the Halki Orthodox seminary, which was closed by the government in 1971 and has not yet received permission to re-open, …

Yet without the seminary’s monastic community, the Orthodox have no monks and, thus, no bishops, since Eastern Orthodoxy follows the ancient tradition of electing only celibate monks and priests as bishops.

And if there are no Orthodox bishops who are from Turkey and trained in Turkey, this means that — **according to Turkish law — there can be no new ecumenical patriarch, since this office must be held by a Turkish citizen.**

 

[Nine_Two]

It seems that they schemed to eliminate the patriarch.

My understanding is that most new Patriarchs have come from the islands off the coast of Turkey, which are ethnicly Greek, but Turkish citizens. Many seem to be going to Greece for their education.

But as others have said, moving the Patriarchy may be the only answer, although the reason they don’t may be for fear for the remaining Orthodox inhabitants of the city.