Last updated on Monday, November 20, 2006 A. The Ecumenical
Patriarchate is the honorary and spiritual centre of the
Orthodox Church throughout the world, tracing its history to the
Day of Pentecost and the earliest Christian communities founded
by the Apostles of Jesus Christ. A. The title "Ecumenical
Patriarch" dates from the sixth century and belongs exclusively
to the Archbishop of Constantinople. But his role was defined as
early as the 4th century. At the 4th Ecumenical Council of
Chalcedon (451), the Archbishop of Constantinople was given
"equal privileges" to the Bishop of Rome. A. In 330, the Roman
Emperor Constantine transferred the imperial capital to the
small city of Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople or "New
Rome." Due to its political and historical importance, the city
quickly assumed political and ecclesiastical prominence, with
all of the (seven) Great Councils of the early Church held
either in or near Constantinople. A. The Ecumenical Patriarch
presides in historical honor among all Ort