why is the patriarch of Alexandria called "Judge of the Universe"?

[AMM]

Wikipedia gives his full title as:
His Divine Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, All Egypt and All Africa, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Prelate of Prelates, the Thirteenth of the Apostles and Judge of the Ecumene

I'm curious specifically about the last two titles. A few of them sound related to his historic connection to St Peter, but what do the last two mean/refer to?

 

[TheLostCoin]

Wikipedia gives his full title as:
His Divine Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, All Egypt and All Africa, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Prelate of Prelates, the Thirteenth of the Apostles and Judge of the Ecumene

I'm curious specifically about the last two titles. A few of them sound related to his historic connection to St Peter, but what do the last two mean/refer to?

"Ecumenical" is often translated "Universal" due to the controversy that erupted over Saint Gregory the Great and Saint John the Faster, where the Papal Legate translated it into the Latin "Universalis" - as well as the fact that "Ecumenical Councils" can easily be seen as "Universal Councils."

However, "Ecumene" actually translates to the "Known World" or "Civilized World" - in reference to the Roman (Byzantine) Empire, where the Roman Empire was "Civilization" and the rest of the world were "Barbarians."

The title, in addition to being exaggerated (The 13th of the Apostles...wow), says he is a judge of the Civilized (Roman / Christian) world.

A better translation would be "Imperial" - "Judge of the Empire." There was no separation of Church and State back in those days.

 

[AMM]

"Ecumenical" is often translated "Universal" due to the controversy that erupted over Saint Gregory the Great and Saint John the Faster, where the Papal Legate translated it into the Latin "Universalis" - as well as the fact that "Ecumenical Councils" can easily be seen as "Universal Councils."

However, "Ecumene" actually translates to the "Known World" or "Civilized World" - in reference to the Roman (Byzantine) Empire, where the Roman Empire was "Civilization" and the rest of the world were "Barbarians."

The title, in addition to being exaggerated (The 13th of the Apostles...wow), says he is a judge of the Civilized (Roman / Christian) world.

A better translation would be "Imperial" - "Judge of the Empire." There was no separation of Church and State back in those days.

wouldn't that be the Ecumenical Patriarch? Why does Alexandria get the title of judge of the empire, when there was a bishop in the imperial city who had that already?

 

[buzuxi02]

wouldn't that be the Ecumenical Patriarch? Why does Alexandria get the title of judge of the empire, when there was a bishop in the imperial city who had that already?

One minor reason is for the fact that Pascha is calculated based on the Alexandrian computation, hence why St. Athanasios festal epistles gives the date of Pascha using the Egyptian months and days.
But the other reason is that Alexandria mediated a reconciliation between a Bulgarian emperor and a Patriatch of Constantinople.
Centuries later he also presided over a council in Moscow.

 

[Phronema]

.

 

[Phronema]

Wikipedia gives his full title as:
His Divine Beatitude the Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis, Ethiopia, All Egypt and All Africa, Father of Fathers, Pastor of Pastors, Prelate of Prelates, the Thirteenth of the Apostles and Judge of the Ecumene

I'm curious specifically about the last two titles. A few of them sound related to his historic connection to St Peter, but what do the last two mean/refer to?

Also I'd like to add that I really appreciate threads like this one because they ask questions that cause a person to do the deeper dives into texts that we may have, and haven't had the reason, or inclination to look into. So, good question, and thank you for asking it.

 

[ArmyMatt]

But the other reason is that Alexandria mediated a reconciliation between a Bulgarian emperor and a Patriatch of Constantinople.

this is why I heard he was granted that title.

 

[buzuxi02]

this is why I heard he was granted that title.

Why the Patriarch of Alexandria Bears the Title "Judge of the Universe" | MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER

Also to add the Moscow council of 1666 that the Patruarch of Alexandria presided over was at the summoning of the Tsar to deal with theological matters in his empire

 

[Phronema]

Why the Patriarch of Alexandria Bears the Title "Judge of the Universe" | MYSTAGOGY RESOURCE CENTER

Also to add the Moscow council of 1666 that the Patruarch of Alexandria presided over was at the summoning of the Tsar to deal with theological matters in his empire

Then I stand corrected! Thank you for correcting me.

 

[TheLostCoin]

wouldn't that be the Ecumenical Patriarch? Why does Alexandria get the title of judge of the empire, when there was a bishop in the imperial city who had that already?

I think that later posts answer the question better than I do (I just made assumptions based on what I know "Ecumene" to mean, having studied the Gregory the Great controversy with John the Faster and whether Gregory was a Papal Supremacist or not), and the Patriarch of Alexandria was still a Patriarch of the Byzantine Empire, which ruled over Alexandria until Islamic invasions forced them out.

I just assumed that because I know that's why the Ecumenical Patriarch is called that - the Ecumenical Patriarch is not the "Universal Patriarch" (it would make no sense considering he wasn't even the first ranked bishop when he got that title in the 6th century).

I do know that "Ecumene" means exactly what I think it means.

The 7 Ecumenical Councils were all called by the Emperor and all dealt with theological and disciplinary controversies of the empire. Everything decided by them became the Law of the Land in Byzantium. They were all Councils for the stability of the Empire. In fact, for this reason, they were often very political (The 4th Ecumenical Council was called, to undue what was done by the 449 Council, which tried to make Dyophysite but Orthodox theology completely illegal, after the Emperor died; The 3rd Ecumenical Council began before the Nestorians / Antiochians arrived, which ticked off Nestorius and the Antiochian bishops so much they held their own 3rd Ecumenical Council to anathematize Saint Cyril of Alexandria. The Emperor chose Saint Cyril of Alexandria's Council as the Orthodox one; the 7th Ecumenical Council was called in response to a false 7th Ecumenical Council which tried to declare iconography idolatry. The first one, called by Constantine, was called to resolve theological disputes between the various Christian communities and make the correct religion the official religion of the Empire.).

 

[AMM]

thanks all. I didn't know this history about Alexandria presiding over a dispute. Although it does ring a bell so maybe I learned it once upon a time

kinda neat/interesting that the Patriarch wears two stoles, too.