Bartholomew I.

[Moros]

http://www.patriarchate.org/visit/html/biography.html

BIOGRAPHY OF BARTHOLOMEW
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, NEW ROME
AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the 270th successor to the Apostle Andrew and spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.

1. What is "New Rome?"
2. I read on this forum that Bartholomew I is not, in fact, spiritual leader to all the world's Orthodox Christians. Why do they perpetuate this on the patriarchate.org website? Confused.

More later.

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

I believe Constantinople is called the New Rome because St. Constantine believed Rome was too stained with paganism to be the centre of Christendom, so he called Constantinople the New Rome.

Maybe the site calls him the leader of more than 300 million Orthodox Christians because he's considered to be the first among equals? I may be wrong though.

 

[Oblio]

Good question about the spiritual leader bit !

I thought Moscow was the Third "New Rome". Maybe when Moscow fell tho the Bolcheviks, Constantinople reclaimed the title.

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

Good question about the spiritual leader bit !

I thought Moscow was the Third "New Rome". Maybe when Moscow fell tho the Bolcheviks, Constantinople reclaimed the title.

It was never an offcial title for Moscow.

 

[Oblio]

I believe Constantinople is called the New Rome because St. Constantine believed Rome was too stained with paganism to be the centre of Christendom, so he called Constantinople the New Rome.

I thought it was because the power center of the Roman empire moved to Constantinople. Church history (heck any history) is NOT my strong suit, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Oblio]

It was never an offcial title for Moscow.

Kinda like the Greeks being the source of all words and advances in civilization in MyBigFatGW

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

I thought it was because the power center of the Roman empire moved to Constantinople. Church history (heck any history) is NOT my strong suit, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

No, no you're right. I was just mentioning the more religious reason for the title. But your reason is also very true.

 

[Orthodox Andrew]

Kinda like the Greeks being the source of all words and advances in civilization in MyBigFatGW

*ROLLS UP SLEEVES* It's on now!

 

[nikephoros_spatharios]

When Constantine founded Constantinople he didn't name it "Constantinople" but he named it Nova Roma, or New Rome. That was the official name of the city. Of course, the city became known to people as "Constantine's City", because the people knew that a great city was founded by Constantine => Konstantinou polis = Konstantinoupolis.

The old name of Byzantium, the new name of New Rome and the unofficial name of Constantinople were all used by different people to refer to the same entity, i.e., the capital of the Roman Empire.

 

[Reader Nilus]

The term czar means Ceasar, so I guess the Russians wanted to be the third Rome, and at least in Orthodoxy the Moscow Patriarch has the most Orthodox in his flock, so if anyone is a spiritual head of Orthodoxy it would be His Holiness Patriarch ALEXIS II.
Jeff the Finn

 

[Cary.Melvin]

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the 270th successor to the Apostle Andrew

Is this true? Is the Patriarch of Constantanople really the sucessor of the Apostle Andrew? If so, are there any other direct sucessors of the Apostles?

 

[Iacobus]

Is this true? Is the Patriarch of Constantanople really the sucessor of the Apostle Andrew? If so, are there any other direct sucessors of the Apostles?

Alexandria -- the Apostle Mark

Antioch -- the Apostle Peter

Jerusalem -- James, the Brother of the Lord

Moscow -- the Apostle Andrew, through Constantinople

James

 

[Michael G]

I thought it was because the power center of the Roman empire moved to Constantinople. Church history (heck any history) is NOT my strong suit, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

The capital of the Roman Empire was moved from Rome to Byzantium (which St. Constantine renamed Constantinople, and then Renamed Istanbul when the Turks took it over) by the Emperor Constantine in the Early 4th C. AD. That is the reason why it is called "New Rome." Moscow, not to be outdone by anyone, has claimed the Title of Third Rome, but it was never officially given to the Moscow Patriarchate.

 

[Michael G]

The term czar means Ceasar, so I guess the Russians wanted to be the third Rome, and at least in Orthodoxy the Moscow Patriarch has the most Orthodox in his flock, so if anyone is a spiritual head of Orthodoxy it would be His Holiness Patriarch ALEXIS II.
Jeff the Finn

Umm, for that matter the German Emperor's title Kaiser is the Germanicization of Ceasar. Good thing there is no German Patriarch, he would want to be the head of the world's Orthodox as well (thank God there isn't one).

 

[nikephoros_spatharios]

The Patriarchate of Constantinople has the primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches. The Ecumenical Patriarch is first among equals, but does not have jurisdiction over other Patriarchates, nor does he have a power to dictate to other Patriarchates. The Orthodox Church is organized in a conciliar, not in a dictatorial manner.