The Holy Emperor Constantine founded on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium and inaugurated with great fanfare on May 11, 330, Constantinople – “New Rome” became the imperial capital and the center of the Orthodox world. Phanar district of Istanbul hosts 16-17 centuries, administrative headquarters and Patriarchal Cathedral “St. George the Great Martyr.” His Holiness Bartholomew, 1991, Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch.

Old Byzantium keep the tradition of preaching Christianity in the first century by St. Andrew, whom he appointed St. Stachys (31 October) the first bishop of the city. At the time of founding of Constantinople, the city at the Bosporus retrieve see of Byzantium, from the jurisdiction of Metropolitan of Heraclea Thrace, the ecclesiastical center of the area located less than 100 km. Importance of New Rome church suddenly increased prestige Capital.

Ordination of Constantinople as the spiritual center of the Christian world through the organization of the 2nd Ecumenical Council in 381 resulted in the recognition of its importance in diptychs. By Canon 3rd, Fathers gathered in Constantinople decided that “after the bishop of Rome, the primacy of honor to have Bishop of Constantinople, New Rome because it is”. Synod 4th Ecumenical (Chalcedon, 451), through its Canon 28, the judgment of the “150 bishops beloved of God” in Constantinople in 381, who “gave primacy equal too the Holy See of Rome’s new thinking to be right, as the city that was true to the kingdom and the senate and gained primacy both equal of ancient Rome royal, just like that to make high and things the church is the second after that ” . Further, the canon states Archbishop of Constantinople jurisdiction over the dioceses of Pontus, Asia and Thrace, as well as the bishops’ dioceses in the barbarian lands called before. ” St. Justinian the Great (527-565) by Novela 131, ratified in Roman law diptychs place seat in Constantinople, as was decided by the Ecumenical Councils: “In accordance with these synods, command that Grace Bishop of Old Rome to ranks first among the bishops, but blessed Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome, will rank second only to the Apostolic See of Rome, taking precedence over all other seats. ” Since the 6th century, Archbishop of Constantinople added to the title “ecumenical patriarch”.

As regards the external form of worship, the Holy Emperor Constantine, founder of the new imperial cities, founded the Church of the Holy Apostles with the thought of her venerable relics deposited in the immediate disciples of Jesus. In 337, the emperor’s death, the recess was not completed. Two centuries later, St. Justinian built a new cathedral dedicated to the Holy Apostles, blessed with great pomp on 28 June 550.

Flagship Church of Constantinople remains however Cathedral “St. Sofia” place with a similar history: the site of a founders of St. Constantine, Justinian the Great Binecredinciosul high epitome of Byzantine architecture. Placed under the protection of Jesus Christ – the incarnate Logos, the history of “Saint Sophia” blends harmoniously with the history of the Byzantine Empire since 916 years since the inauguration of the 537 until the fall of Constantinople on 29 May 1453, when it became a mosque. From 1 February 1935 testimony chiseled in stone museum and the Byzantine symphony.

In the 11th century, relations between Christian East and West have deteriorated. On 16 July 1054, Cardinal Humbert deposited on the Shrine of Sofia a papal bull of excommunication of the Ecumenical Patriarch Michael Cerularius, although the papal chair was vacant since April after the death of Leo XI, to be held until April 1055, the election of Victor II. On 20 July 1054, Patriarch Michael presides over a council in which he excommunicates members of the papal delegation. The break was not radical, and relations between the Churches continued, however, despite attempts by centuries of patriarchs, popes and kings that followed, the Christian Church remains divided. After 1054, ranks first in the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church diptychs, being numitprimus peer ( “first among equals”) in relation to the other Primates of the Orthodox Churches. In 1204, Latinos turn in the 4th Crusade occupied Constantinople, the administration refuge at Nicaea. In 1261, Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus recaptured Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch returned to his seat. It is the only time in history when the Ecumenical Patriarchate left the city on the Bosphorus. Diversion from the true purpose of the 4th Crusade, followed by repeated attempts to “unify” the Latins were forced initiated escalated this state of separation between Church.

Following the fall of the Byzantine Empire under the Turks, the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church remained the only authority recognized by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who granted him the Ecumenical Patriarch Gennady II Scholarios title “etnarh”. Church of the Holy Apostles, the necropolis Byzantine emperors, became Patriarch Gennady department, but after just three years, the Ottomans seized it. It was demolished in 1461 because its place to raise Fatih Mosque. The church “St. George the Great Martyr” in the Phanar district of Istanbul (Turkey) is chronologically the fifth Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate since the years 1600-1601.

Ottoman rule marked a profound instability on the throne of Constantinople, held between 1453 and 1923 by 102 fathers, some with two or more comebacks in the chair. Compared to the other 1,500 years of existence, Byzantium and Constantinople hierarchs served 168. In the context of the Ottoman Empire’s expansion in traditional Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople became a refuge for the bishops of the apostolic seat (Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem) or local Churches speaking Greek, Slavic or Romanian.

On 7 December 1965 Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras read in Constantinople, Catholic-Orthodox Joint Declaration of lifting the anathemas issued in 1054, simultaneously with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican. The historic event was the fruit of long and approaches is an essential step in restoring the unity of the Christian Church.

In diptychs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, spanning two millennia, we find more than twenty important holy name Christian Church: St. Ap. Andrei (November 30th); St. Ap. Stachys (31 October); St. Jer. Alexander (30 August); St. Jer. Gregory the Theologian (25 January); St. Jer. John Chrysostom (November 13th); St. Jer. Flavian (16 February); St. Jer. Tarasie (25 February); St. Jer. Nichifor the Confessor (2 June); St. Jer. Photios (6 February); St. Jer. Niphon (11 August); St. Jer. Athanasius patellar (2nd). Since the 9th century century Orthodoxy celebrates the Saturday of the fifth week of Lent celebration anthem unsettled holy Virgin, who saved marvelously city of Constantinople siege of Avars (626), Persians (677), Arabs (717) , Varangians (860).

Due Byzantine church-state symphony in the imperial city of Constantinople could be called three of the seven Ecumenical Councils second (381), fifth (553) and sixth (680-681). In preparation for almost a century the Holy and Great Orthodox Council met in those days, the contribution of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was one essential.

Elected in October 1991, His Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch is the 270th successor of St. Andrew the Apostle founder and protector of honest seat as Constantinople. Ecumenical Patriarch presides Permanent Synod of Constantinople lead Archdiocese. Under the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is still two Autonomous Churches (Church of Finland and the Orthodox Church of Estonia) and four metropolises in Turkey; 9 dioceses of Crete; 5 Metropolises of the Dodecanese Archipelago; 8 metropolises in the US; 19 dioceses in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America and Asia; 36 in the New Territories Metropolises in Greece. The Patriarchate of Constantinople is the whole diaspora Greek language and the monasteries of Mount Athos, the patriarchal exarchate of Patmos and the monasteries-stavropigial patriarchal in Halkidiki, Thessaloniki (Greece), Essex (England), Alabama and Astoria, New York ( US).

Institutions between the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Diaspora, an important place Orthodox Centre of Chambésy (Geneva, Switzerland), which hosts the Secretariat for the preparation of the Holy and Great Orthodox Council. According to the Regulation approved Chambésy on 27 January 2016, “convened the Synod is announced through letters patriarchal issued by the Ecumenical Patriarch and sent to all the Primates of autocephalous Local” (art. 2) and “The Presidency Council is exercised by the Ecumenical Patriarch” (art. 4).

source: ziarullumina.ro