EP "Spiritual Leader of 300 Million Orthodox"

[PFC Nektarios]

Thanks for you opinion guys.

In Christ
OL

[Aristokles]

The Ecumenical Patriarchate the "Spiritual Leader of more then 300 Million Orthodox Christians"

Whats with this title? Do you guys consider it to be a true statement?
Whats your guys Opinion on this?

Personally I believe it to be a lie. Since Orthodox in any jurisdiction looks to his/her own Patriarch for Spiritual Leadership.

In Christ
OL

First of all, OL, it is not a "title", not canonically speaking anyway. It is merely a news media catch-phrase showing the media's lack of effort at actually explaining the structure of the Orthodox Churches. This is not my opinion; it's a fact.
As to the rest of the posts above, you must make careful consideration of some of these genuine, if uncharitable, opinions and weigh them against what you have already learned about the Church.
The title Oecumenical Patriarch" is not an un-Orthodox invention but a rightly held title given by the Second and Fourth Councils. The honorific title "First among Equals" was canonically held by Rome until the great Schism when it went to Constantinople where it still is.
Of course, this can change in the next Council and most likely will. I do expect that the mistaken "Revised Julian Calendar" will also be discarded as the local (pan-Orthodox) councils allowing it's use has shown itself to be a rejected change and not Ecumenically received. All in good time (and sooner rather than later, I hope).
Yes, all Orthodox bishops are equal (and in my opinion there are ONLY Orthodox bishops; I don't know what non-Orthodox "bishops" are really).
But what disturbs me is the idea that the faithful of one jurisdiction (or its hiearchs, if they state this) can even lay claim to the title of Orthodox to the exclusion of all other jurisdictions when THAT has not been solved in council either. It seems to smack of the same error and sets one particular jurisdiction over another or to even deny the other(s).
You are doing well in your studies. Please don't look for arguments as I am sure they are too easy to come by. (Just watch the reaction to this post if you don't believe me

Demetri

[Makis]

Dear Aristokli/Mitso,

Gia sou re megale! very well said!!!!

In Christ,

Makis

[Justin Kissel]

The title Oecumenical Patriarch" is not an un-Orthodox invention but a rightly held title given by the Second and Fourth Councils.

It is? I agree that it is not an unOrthodox title (though Gregory the Great certainly thought it was), but I don't believe that the title was bestowed by the 2nd or 4th Ecumenical Council; I think it was given by the Byzantine Emperor much later. If you'll show me the canon or text that mentions it, though, I'd gladly retract my comment...

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

That would be fine as I know the press is often misrepresenting situtations it knows little about, and not that I am concerned if the ecumenist church considers the grand ecumenist its leader or not, BUT:

Bartholomew has said himself in at least one interview that he is "the leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians". In addition, his own website declares to the world that he is the "principal Center of Unity of all the local autocephalous or autonomous Orthodox Churches" - that may be true for the ecumenist church, but for the Orthodox the "principal center of unity" has always been the Eucharist since Christ is its head.

[Aristokles]

The title Oecumenical Patriarch" is not an un-Orthodox invention but a rightly held title given by the Second and Fourth Councils.

It is? I agree that it is not an unOrthodox title (though Gregory the Great certainly thought it was), but I don't believe that the title was bestowed by the 2nd or 4th Ecumenical Council; I think it was given by the Byzantine Emperor much later. If you'll show me the canon or text that mentions it, though, I'd gladly retract my comment...

Indeed, Paradosis, you are probably correct in that Canons III & XXVIII detail Constantinople at first being second in "honor" to Rome and then equal to it. After Rome departed 'primacy of honor' basically defaulted to Constantinople. The "oecumenical" honorific merely described St Andrew's See as being that of the Imperial Capital - hence, 'universal'. Whether the title itself was given or assumed I do not know (yet). No need for retractions and thanks for allowing a clarification.

Demetri

[Giorgos]

DEAR FRIENDS,
WHAT ABOUT A BISHOP AS BARTOLOMEW?
WITH FIDEL CASTRO!
IS A NEW SERGIUS PRAISING THE HERETICS COMMUNISTS!
OH, OH, OH!
GIORGOS