Why are we talking to Constantinople instead of Moscow?

[SFH]

that’s very true we should step up efforts with Russia but Bartholomew is the Patriarch of Constantinople therefore the Ecumenical Patriarch and the spiritual leader of all orthodox now that’s a scary thought


David

Not so fast – Gregory the Great never acceded to the title “Ecumenical Patriarch”, and we should avoid it when refering to the Patriarch of Constantinople. (If you read Pope St. Gregory the Great’s letters, you’ll find that the use of this title really rankled him.) Plus, the conciliar attempts to elevate the Patriarch of Constantinople to a rank behind Rome are questionable given the Pope’s refusal to approve the canon advancing the Patriarch of Constantinople. If the Greek Orthodox followed the Fathers of the Church, he should be behind the Patriarch of Antioch and the Patriarch of Alexandria and the Pope.

 

[malphono]

Not so fast – … Plus, the conciliar attempts to elevate the Patriarch of Constantinople to a rank behind Rome are questionable given the Pope’s refusal to approve the canon advancing the Patriarch of Constantinople. If the Greek Orthodox followed the Fathers of the Church, he should be behind the Patriarch of Antioch and the Patriarch of Alexandria and the Pope.

Yes, but…

No argument about the elevation of Constantinople in the first place, but it is a fait accompli if mainly for Imperial political considerations at the time, and despite PP S Leo I’s refusal to ratify canon XXVIII of Chalcedon. Be that as it may, though, Constantinople was really the last see to be raised to the rank of Patriarchate, and it was simply because Constantinople was “New Rome” that it achieved that status. And, despite the official protest of canon XXVIII, Rome came to accept it de facto, again due to Imperial political considerations. That last, it seems to me, means there’s little room for dispute about the matter of Constantinople’s rank.

Now, as to whether Constantinople has any jurisdiction over Antioch and Alexandria, I will only that that, IMHO it does not for a variety of reasons that I will not go into in this forum.