Athos became a field of confrontation between the Moscow and Constantinople patriarchates. A list of shrines forbidden for Russians has been published after the break with Constantinople How the situation with the schism will affect believers in Ukraine

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has repeatedly visited Russia. But in 2018, Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople was severed. What is the Church of the New Rome - the Ecumenical Patriarchate?

A few words about the historical role of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and its position in the contemporary Orthodox world.

The historical role of the Patriarchate of Constantinople

The creation of a Christian community and an episcopal see in Constantinople (before 330 AD - Byzantium) dates back to apostolic times. It is inextricably linked with the activities of the holy apostles Andrew the First-Called and Stachy (the latter, according to legend, became the first bishop of the city, whose Εκκλησία continuously increased in the first three centuries of Christianity). However, the flourishing of the Church of Constantinople and its acquisition of world-historical significance are connected with the conversion to Christ of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine the Great (305-337) and the creation by him shortly after the First Ecumenical (Nicene) Council (325) of the second capital of the Christianizing empire - New Rome, which later received the name of its sovereign founder.

A little more than 50 years later, at the Second Ecumenical Council (381), the bishop of New Rome received second place in diptychs among all the bishops of the Christian world, yielding since then in the primacy of honor only to the bishop of Ancient Rome (canon 3 of the aforementioned Council). It is worth noting that the Primate of the Church of Constantinople during the period of the Council was one of the greatest fathers and teachers of the Church - St. Gregory the Theologian.

Soon after the final division of the Roman Empire into the Western and Eastern parts in Constantinople, another equally angelic father and teacher of the Church shone with an unfading light - St. John Chrysostom, who occupied the chair of the archbishop in 397-404. In his writings, this great ecumenical teacher and saint outlined the true, enduring ideals of the life of Christian society and formed the unchanging foundations of the social activity of the Orthodox Church.

Unfortunately, in the first half of the 5th century, the Church of New Rome was desecrated by the Heretic Patriarch of Constantinople Nestorius (428-431), who was overthrown and anathematized at the Third Ecumenical (Ephesus) Council (431). However, already the Fourth Ecumenical (Chalcedon) Council restored and expanded the rights and advantages of the Church of Constantinople. By its 28th canon, this Council formed the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which included the dioceses of Thrace, Asia and Pontus (that is, most of the territory of Asia Minor and the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula). In the middle of the 6th century, under the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Justinian the Great (527-565), the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553) was held in Constantinople. At the end of the 6th century, under the eminent canonist, Saint John IV the Faster (582-595), the primates of Constantinople for the first time began to use the title of "Ecumenical (Οικουμενικός) Patriarch" (at the same time, historically, their status as bishops of the capital of the Christian empire was considered the basis for such a title - ecumene).

In the 7th century, the see of Constantinople, through the efforts of the crafty enemy of our salvation, again became a source of heresy and church troubles. Patriarch Sergius I (610-638) became the founder of the heresy of Monothelitism, and his heretical successors staged a real persecution of the defenders of Orthodoxy - Saint Martin the Pope of Rome and Saint Maximus the Confessor, who were eventually martyred by heretics. By the grace of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, the Sixth Ecumenical Council (680-681) convened in Constantinople under the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine IV Pogonates (668-685) destroyed the Monothelite heresy, condemned, excommunicated and anathematized Patriarch Sergius and all his followers (including the Patriarchs of Constantinople Pyrrhus and Paul II, as well as Pope Honorius I).

Saint Maxim the Confessor

Territories of the Patriarchate of Constantinople

In the 8th century, the patriarchal throne of Constantinople was occupied for a long time by supporters of the iconoclastic heresy, forcibly implanted by the emperors of the Isaurian dynasty. It was only through the efforts of the holy Patriarch Tarasius of Constantinople (784-806) that the Seventh Ecumenical Council was able to stop the heresy of iconoclasm and anathematize its founders, the Byzantine emperors Leo the Isaurian (717-741) and Constantine Copronymus (741-775). It is also worth noting that in the 8th century the western part of the Balkan Peninsula (dioceses of Illyricum) was included in the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In the 9th century, the most prominent patriarch of Constantinople was the "new Chrysostom", St. Photius the Great (858-867, 877-886). It was under him that the Orthodox Church for the first time condemned the most important errors of the heresy of papism: the doctrine of the descent of the Holy Spirit not only from the Father, but also from the Son (the doctrine of the “filioque”), which changes the Creed, and the doctrine of the sole primacy of the Roman pope in the Church and of primacy ( superiority) of the pope over church councils.

The time of the patriarchate of St. Photius was the time of the most active Orthodox Church mission in the history of Byzantium, which resulted not only in the baptism and conversion to Orthodoxy of the peoples of Bulgaria, the Serbian lands and the Great Moravian state (the latter covered the territories of modern Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary), but also the first ( the so-called "Askold's") the baptism of Russia (which took place shortly after 861) and the formation of the beginnings of the Russian Church. It was the representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople - the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles missionaries, enlighteners of the Slavs Cyril and Methodius - who defeated the so-called "trilingual heresy" (the supporter of which claimed that there were some "sacred" languages, in which only one should pray to God).

Finally, like St. John Chrysostom, St. Photius in his writings actively preached the social ideal of Orthodox Christian society (and even compiled for the empire a code of laws imbued with Christian values, the Epanagoge). It is not surprising that, like John Chrysostom, Saint Photius was persecuted. However, if the ideas of St. John Chrysostom, despite persecution during his lifetime, after his death were nevertheless officially recognized by the imperial authorities, then the ideas of St. Photius, which were disseminated during his lifetime, were rejected shortly after his death (thus, accepted shortly before the death of St. Epanagoge and not entered into force).

In the 10th century, the Asia Minor region of Isauria (924) was included in the canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, after which the entire territory of Asia Minor (except Cilicia) entered the canonical jurisdiction of New Rome. At the same time, in 919-927, after the establishment of the patriarchate in Bulgaria, under the omophorion of the latter, almost the entire northern part of the Balkans (the modern territories of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, part of the territory of Romania, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina). However, the most important event in the church history of the 10th century, without a doubt, was the second Baptism of Russia, carried out in 988 by the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir (978-1015). Representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Church, which until 1448 was in the closest canonical connection with the Tsaregrad Patriarchal Throne.

In 1054, with the separation of the Western (Roman) Church from the fullness of Orthodoxy, the Patriarch of Constantinople becomes the first in honor among all Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches. At the same time, with the beginning of the era of the Crusades at the end of the 11th century and the temporary expulsion from their thrones of the Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch and Jerusalem, the bishop of New Rome began to acquire an exclusive church status for himself, striving to establish certain forms of canonical superiority of Constantinople over other autocephalous Churches and even to the abolition of some of them (in particular, the Bulgarian one). However, the fall in 1204 under the blows of the Crusaders of the capital of Byzantium and the forced relocation of the patriarchal residence to Nicaea (where the patriarchs resided from 1207 to 1261) prompted the Ecumenical Patriarchate to agree to the restoration of the autocephaly of the Bulgarian Church and the granting of autocephaly to the Serbian Church.

The recapture of Constantinople from the crusaders (1261) did not, in fact, improve, but rather worsened, the real situation of the Church of Constantinople. Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259-1282) headed for union with Rome, with the help of anti-canonical measures, he handed over the reins of power in the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the Uniates and perpetrated cruel persecution of supporters of Orthodoxy, unprecedented since the bloody iconoclastic repressions. In particular, with the sanction of the Uniate Patriarch John XI Vekka (1275 - 1282), there was an unparalleled defeat by the Byzantine Christian (!) Army of the monasteries of Mount Athos (during which a considerable number of Athos monks, refusing to accept the union, beamed in the feat of martyrdom). After the death of the anathematized Michael Palaiologos at the Blachernae Council in 1285, the Church of Constantinople unanimously condemned both the union and the dogma of the “filioque” (adopted 11 years earlier by the Western Church at the Council in Lyon).

In the middle of the 14th century, at the “Palamite Councils” held in Constantinople, the Orthodox dogmas on the difference between the essence and energy of the Godhead were officially confirmed, which are the pinnacles of truly Christian knowledge of God. It is to the Patriarchate of Constantinople that the entire Orthodox world owes the rooting in our Church of these saving pillars of the Orthodox Faith. However, soon after the triumphant establishment of Palamism, the flock of the Ecumenical Patriarchate again faced the danger of a union with heretics. Carried away by the addition of a foreign flock (at the end of the XIV century, the autocephaly of the Bulgarian Church was again liquidated), the hierarchs of the Church of Constantinople at the same time exposed their own flock to great spiritual danger. The weakening imperial government of the Byzantine Empire, which was dying under the blows of the Ottomans, in the first half of the 15th century again tried to impose subordination to the Pope of Rome on the Orthodox Church. At the Ferrara-Florence Council (1438-1445), all the clergy and laity of the Patriarchate of Constantinople invited to its meetings (except for the unshakable fighter against the heresy of St. Mark of Ephesus) signed an act of union with Rome. Under these conditions, the Russian Orthodox Church, in pursuance of Canon 15 of the Holy Twofold Council, broke off its canonical connection with the Patriarchal See of Constantinople and became an autocephalous Local Church, independently electing its Primate.

Saint Mark of Ephesus

In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople and the end of the existence of the Byzantine Empire (which papal Rome never provided the help promised against the Ottomans), the Church of Constantinople, headed by the holy Patriarch Gennadius Scholarius (1453-1456, 1458, 1462, 1463-1464) she threw off the bonds of the union imposed by heretics. Moreover, soon after that, the Patriarch of Constantinople became the civil head (“millet-bashi”) of all Orthodox Christians living in the territory of the Ottoman Empire. According to the words of contemporaries of the events described, “The patriarch sat down like a Caesar on the throne of the Basils” (that is, the Byzantine emperors). From the beginning of the 16th century, other Eastern patriarchs (Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem), in accordance with Ottoman laws, fell into a subordinate position for four long centuries to persons occupying the Patriarchal Throne of Constantinople. Taking advantage of this kind of situation, many of the latter allowed tragic abuses of their power for the Church. Thus, Patriarch Cyril I Lucaris (1620-1623, 1623-1633, 1633-1634, 1634-1635, 1635-1638), as part of a polemic with papal Rome, tried to impose the Protestant doctrine on the Orthodox Church, and Patriarch Cyril V (1748-1751 , 1752-1757) by his decision changed the practice of accepting Roman Catholics into Orthodoxy, departing from the requirements established for this practice by the Council of 1484. In addition, in the middle of the 18th century, at the initiative of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Ottomans liquidated the Pech (Serbian) Patriarchate and the Orchid Autocephalous Archdiocese that provided care for the Macedonian flock (created back in the time of St. Justinian the Great).

However, one should not at all think that the life of the Primates of the Church of Constantinople - the ethnarchs of all Eastern Christians - was "truly royal" under Ottoman domination. For many of them, she was truly a confessor, and even a martyr. Appointed and dismissed at the arbitrariness of the sultan and his hangers-on, the patriarchs, not only by their position, but also by their lives, were responsible for the obedience of the oppressed, oppressed, robbed, humiliated and destroyed Orthodox population of the Ottoman Empire. So, after the start of the Greek uprising of 1821, on the orders of the Sultan's government, fanatics belonging to non-Christian Abrahamic religions, on Easter Day, 76-year-old elder Patriarch Gregory V (1797 - 1798, 1806 -1808, 1818 - 1821) were brutally murdered. , who became not just a holy martyr, but also a martyr for the people (εθνομάρτυς).

Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Russian Orthodox Church

Oppressed by the Ottoman sultans (who also bore the title of “caliph of all Muslims”), the Church of Constantinople sought support primarily from the “Third Rome”, that is, from the Russian state and the Russian Church (it was precisely the desire to gain such support that caused the consent of Patriarch Jeremiah II of Constantinople to establish in 1589 the Patriarchate in Russia). However, soon after the aforementioned martyrdom of Hieromartyr Gregory (Angelopoulos), the hierarchs of Constantinople made an attempt to rely on the Orthodox peoples of the Balkan Peninsula as well. It was at that time that the District Council Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs of 1848, the Orthodox people (whose representatives were integrated into the highest bodies of church administration of all the Eastern Patriarchates during the Ottoman period) was solemnly proclaimed the guardian of truth in the Church. At the same time, the Church of Greece liberated from the Ottoman yoke (the Greek Church) received autocephaly. However, already in the second half of the 19th century, the hierarchs of Constantinople refused to recognize the restoration of the autocephaly of the Bulgarian Church (having come to terms with it only in the middle of the 20th century). Similar problems with recognition from Constantinople were also experienced by the Orthodox Patriarchates of Georgia and Romania. However, in fairness, it should be noted that the restoration of a single autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church at the end of the second decade of the last century did not meet with any objections from Constantinople.

A new, first in the 20th century, dramatic page in the history of the Church of Constantinople was associated with the stay on Her Patriarchal Throne of Meletios IV(Metaksakis), who occupied the chair of the Ecumenical Patriarch in 1921-1923. In 1922, he abolished the autonomy of the Greek Archdiocese in the United States, which provoked a division in both American and Greek Orthodoxy, and in 1923, by convening a "Pan-Orthodox Congress" (from representatives of only five Local Orthodox Churches), he led through this unforeseen the canonical structure of the Orthodox Church, the organ decided to change the liturgical style, which provoked church turmoil, which subsequently gave rise to the so-called. "Old Style" split. Finally, in the same year, he received schismatic anti-church groups in Estonia under the omophorion of Constantinople. But the most fatal mistake of Meletius IV there was support for the slogans of "militant Hellenism", that after Turkey's victory in the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-1922. and the conclusion of the Lausanne Peace Treaty of 1923 became one of the additional arguments for justifying the expulsion from the territory of Asia Minor of the almost two million Greek-speaking flock of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

As a result of all this, after the departure of Meletios from the see, almost a hundred thousand Orthodox Greek community of Constantinople (Istanbul) became almost the only support of the Ecumenical Patriarchal Throne on its canonical territory. However, the anti-Greek pogroms of the 1950s led to the fact that the Orthodox flock of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey, as a result of mass emigration to date, with a few exceptions, has been reduced to several thousand Greeks living in the Phanar quarter of Constantinople, as well as on the Princes' Islands in the Sea of ​​​​Marmara and on the islands of Imvros and Tenedos in the Turkish Aegean. Under these conditions, Patriarch Athenagoras I (1949-1972) turned for help and support to Western countries, on whose lands, mainly in the United States, the vast majority of the almost seven million (at that time) flock of the Church of Constantinople already lived. Among the measures taken to gain this support was the lifting of the anathemas imposed on the representatives of the Western Church who broke away from Orthodoxy in 1054 by Patriarch Michael I Kirularius (1033-1058). These measures (which, however, did not mean the cancellation of conciliar decisions to condemn the heretical errors of Western Christians), however, could not alleviate the situation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which was dealt a new blow by the decision taken by the Turkish authorities in 1971 to close the Theological Academy on the island of Halki. Shortly after the implementation of this decision by Turkey, Patriarch Athenagoras I died.

Primate of the Church of Constantinople - Patriarch Bartholomew

The current Primate of the Church of Constantinople, His Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, was born in 1940 on the island of Imvros, was consecrated bishop in 1973, and ascended the Patriarchal throne on November 2, 1991. The canonical territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople during the period of its administration of the Church essentially did not change and still includes the territory of almost all of Asia Minor, Eastern Thrace, Crete (where a semi-autonomous Cretan Church exists under the omophorion of Constantinople), the Dodecanese Islands, Mount Athos (also enjoying certain ecclesiastical independence), as well as Finland (the small Orthodox Church in this country enjoys canonical autonomy). In addition, the Church of Constantinople also claims certain canonical rights in the administration of the so-called "new territories" - the dioceses of Northern Greece, annexed to the main territory of the country after the Balkan wars of 1912-1913. and transferred by Constantinople in 1928 to the control of the Greek Church. Such claims (as well as the claims of the Church of Constantinople that have no canonical grounds at all for the canonical subordination of the entire Orthodox diaspora to it), of course, do not find the positive response expected by some Constantinople hierarchs from other Orthodox Local Churches. However, they can be understood on the basis that the vast majority of the flock of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is precisely the flock of the diaspora (which, however, still constitutes a minority among the Orthodox diaspora as a whole). The latter also to a certain extent explains the breadth of the ecumenical activity of Patriarch Bartholomew I, who seeks to objectify new, non-trivial areas of inter-Christian and, more broadly, inter-religious dialogue in the rapidly globalizing modern world.

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople

The certificate was prepared by Balytnikov Vadim Vladimirovich

Some historical (including hagiographic and iconographic data) testify to the veneration of this emperor in Byzantium along with Constantine the Great, who was named after him.

Interestingly, it was this heretic patriarch who, with his “canonical answers” ​​(about the inadmissibility of Christians drinking koumiss, etc.), actually thwarted all the efforts of the Russian Church to carry out a Christian mission among the nomadic peoples of the Golden Horde.

As a result, almost all Orthodox episcopal sees in Turkey became titular, and the participation of the laity in the implementation of church administration at the level of the Patriarchate of Constantinople ceased.

Similarly, attempts to extend its ecclesiastical jurisdiction to a number of states (China, Ukraine, Estonia) that are currently part of the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate do not find support outside the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Reference: In September 2018, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressed the Synax with a statement about the interference of the Russian Church in the affairs of the Kyiv Metropolis. In response to this, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church at an extraordinary meeting decided: “1. Suspend the prayer commemoration of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople at the service. 2. Suspend concelebration with the hierarchs of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. 3. Suspend the participation of the Russian Orthodox Church in all Episcopal assemblies, theological dialogues, multilateral commissions and other structures chaired or co-chaired by representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. 4. To accept the statement of the Holy Synod in connection with the anti-canonical actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine.” The Russian Orthodox Church has severed Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Former Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral, later a mosque, now a museum

We offer a look at the history of the Patriarchate of Constantinople over the past centuries and understand the very logic of the Phanar's actions. And not only in connection with the Ukrainian Tomos.

Today in Ukraine, the eyes of many both ecclesiastical and near-church people are turned to Constantinople.
Everyone is guessing: they will give Tomos - they will not give Tomos, they will restore the Kyiv Metropolis or not. publications on this topic often boast of their “100% reliable” sources among the Bishops of Constantinople, claiming that they allegedly know not only the date of signing the Tomos, but also its text and even the authors. The truth in such publications borders on fantasy, and often very violent. Such statements can either be refuted or agreed with, but what is really interesting is to look at the history of the Patriarchate of Constantinople over the past few centuries and try to understand the very logic of the Phanar's actions. And not only in connection with the Ukrainian Tomos.

The Byzantine Empire ceased to exist on May 29, 1453, when Constantinople was captured by the Turks under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II. But already several centuries before that, the once great and powerful empire, which embraced the entire civilized world of that time, shrank down to the territory of Constantinople itself with its suburbs, as well as several Greek islands off the coast of Asia Minor and was completely surrounded by Turkish possessions.

The territory of the Byzantine Empire in the middle of the XV century

The last desperate attempt to save the capital of the Byzantine Empire was the Union of Florence in 1439, concluded by the Bishops of Constantinople in the hope of obtaining military assistance from the Vatican and Western European rulers. Ironically, the Greeks, having sold the Orthodox faith, bought a “donut hole”, because. neither the Vatican nor Europe had the desire or the ability to provide any tangible assistance to the Byzantine emperor in the confrontation with the mighty Ottoman Empire.

At that time, the union was not supported by either the clergy or the people, and only brought the end of Constantinople closer. In addition, for many centuries it seriously discredited the Church of Constantinople in the eyes of the entire Orthodox world. Until now, the hierarchs of Constantinople are looked upon with apprehension: "won't they give up Orthodoxy again for the sake of the current political moment."

Having taken Constantinople, Mehmed II immediately attended to the arrangement of church affairs. Despite the fact that Christians in the Ottoman Empire were significantly infringed in their rights and were considered second-class people, Sultan Mehmed pursued a policy of religious tolerance and took care of all his subjects. On his instructions, the surviving bishops elected Gennady Scholarius as Patriarch. At the appointment of the Patriarch, Mehmed uttered the words that later became the formula for establishing the Patriarch in office: “Be a Patriarch, may good luck accompany you, and be sure of our disposition, have all the privileges that the Patriarchs used before you.”

Sultan Mehmet II presents Patriarch Gennady with a firman with confirmation of patriarchal privileges

Since the main church of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, was immediately turned into a mosque, the Patriarch was given a very large, but by that time already quite dilapidated, church of the Twelve Apostles as a cathedral church. But even here the Patriarchate did not stay long. Due to the fact that many Turks settled in the area, as well as the impossibility of repairing the temple, Patriarch Gennady was forced to take away all the shrines and move to the Pammakaristos monastery in the Phanar region inhabited by Greeks. The name of this district subsequently became associated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself.

However, in In 1486 Pammakaristos church was also turned into a mosque. The current residence of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Church of St. George, was built in 1601 with the money of the Moscow Tsar Theodore Ioannovich, son of Ivan the Terrible.

Church of St. George in Istanbul

In the Ottoman Empire, the Orthodox Patriarch received much more substantial power than in the Byzantine Empire. But this power was not only spiritual, but also secular, which could not but have a negative impact on the moral character of the higher clergy. The Patriarch of Constantinople became the head of the Miles, the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire. He was made responsible to the Sultan for the loyalty of the Miletus to the Turkish authorities, for their law-abidingness, and also for the collection of taxes. The higher clergy received wide judicial powers, the right to collect taxes for the Church and other privileges.

If, before the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, practically all the metropolises of the Ecumenical Patriarchate were located in other states and, therefore, were highly dependent on their rulers, then after 1453, under the rule of the sultan, not only these metropolises, which belonged to the jurisdiction of Constantinople, but also the canonical territories of the ancient Eastern Churches were united: Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria.

And since the Christian population of these territories also made up the "rum milet", then its head in the eyes of the Turkish authorities was also the Patriarch of Constantinople. And although the Phanariots never attempted to subjugate these Churches canonically, in fact these ancient primatial sees were governed from Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarch presented to the Sultan candidates for the episcopal sees of these Churches, as well as the Church of Constantinople. He could also initiate their removal from their positions. From this order of things, which has existed for more than half a millennium, the policy of affirming the Patriarchate of Constantinople as the “Mother Church” for all the rest follows. From this stems the desire of today's Constantinople hierarchs to approve certain exclusive powers for the Phanar, including the right to grant autocephaly and the right to administer the supreme court in case of conflicts between the Local Churches.

The Ecumenical Patriarch presented to the Sultan candidates for the episcopal sees of the ancient Eastern Churches, as well as the Church of Constantinople. He could also initiate their removal from their positions. From this order of things, which has existed for more than half a millennium, the policy of affirming the Patriarchate of Constantinople as the “Mother Church” for all the rest follows.

The patriarchs of Constantinople were confirmed in their position by the sultans by issuing special letters - firmans, confirming their patriarchal powers. For the firman, the sultans demanded considerable sums from candidates for the throne, which the Patriarchs subsequently collected from their bishops, also demanding money from them for placing them on the cathedra. Over time, the Turkish authorities discovered for themselves a very good source of additional income in issuing firmans and therefore overthrew the Patriarchs from the cathedra at every opportunity, in order to immediately install a new one and take money from him. Any denunciation and any slander, which, as a rule, came from other candidates for the patriarchate, could become a pretext for overthrowing the Patriarchs.

The first Patriarch under the Turks, Gennady Scholary, despite his high authority, based on high learning, prayerful mood, non-possessiveness and firmness in the Orthodox faith, was forced to abdicate the throne in 1457.

Janissaries were created by Sultan Murad I

The reason was the accusations that he allowed young people under the age of 12 to marry. It really was contrary to the canons, but it did not come from a good life. The fact is that a married boy could no longer be taken into the corps of the Janissaries and converted to Islam. The Janissaries were the most devoted to the Sultan and the most ruthless warriors in the Turkish army. The historical memory of very many peoples has preserved legends about their cruelty. The fact that Patriarch Gennady saved such boys from the fate of turning from Christians into bloodthirsty beasts was not of interest to his opponents, the main thing was to clear his way to the patriarchal chair.

Corruption is probably the greatest evil that began to penetrate the environment of the higher clergy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople immediately after the beginning of the era of Turkish rule. The fact is that the entire system of power built in the Ottoman Sultanate was based on corruption and bribery. And the Patriarchate, which became part of this administrative system, inevitably inherited all its vices. For example, let us cite the history of the occupation of the patriarchal throne by the immediate successors of Gennady Scholariy.

After the first abdication of the throne in 1457, Gennady retired first to Athos, and then to the monastery of St. John in Serah. He was succeeded by Isidore II, who died in 1462. After Isidore, Joasaph became Patriarch, who had a dispute with the famous scientist George Amirutsis, who was held in high esteem by the Sultan for his learning. Amirutsis wanted to marry the widow of the Duke of Athens, while his own wife was still alive. Patriarch Joasaph refused to give his blessing to such a marriage, and such intrigues began to weave against him, as a result of which he even tried to commit suicide, but was saved.

In such circumstances, Patriarch Gennady was summoned from his monastic seclusion and in 1464 took up the chair for several months in order to restore at least some order in the Patriarchate. After him, Mark Xylokaravis became Patriarch in early 1465. But the election of Mark was very dissatisfied with another contender for this place, Metropolitan Simeon of Trebizond. In a year he collected 2,000 gold coins (half of which was a loan) and bribed the ministers of the Turkish government, who ordered the Synod of Constantinople to depose Mark and enthrone Simeon. Upon learning of this, the stepmother of Sultan Mehmed, named Maria, who was a Christian, intervened in the matter. She also collected 2,000 gold pieces and demanded to depose both Patriarchs: both Mark and Simeon, and to appoint her protege Dionysius as the Patriarch, which was done.

A few years later, Simeon collected another 2,000 gold pieces - an amount that has already turned into a conditional price for the patriarchal throne. In 1471, he accused Dionysius of allegedly being captured by the Turks as a child and being converted to Islam. Dionysius provided the Synod with undeniable evidence of the falsity of the accusation, but the Synod was not interested in evidence, but in money. Dionysius was deposed and Simeon was put in his place again. But even this Patriarch could not sit long on the throne. Just three years later, another candidate appeared, Rafail, who was of Serbian origin. This bishop proposed to pay 2,000 gold coins annually for the patriarchal seat. The Synod obediently removed Simeon again and made Raphael Patriarch. And three years later, in 1477, the sultan ordered the removal of Raphael and the appointment of another protege of his stepmother, Maxim III Manassis.

Approximately in the same style, the patriarchal throne was engaged in all subsequent centuries. During the existence of the Ottoman Empire, the See of Constantinople was occupied by 159 Patriarchs, of which 109 were deposed from the throne, 27 abdicated themselves, 6 were killed, and only 21 Patriarchs died a natural death while in the see. There were cases when the Patriarch was on the throne for a few days and then was overthrown. The famous Patriarch of the 17th century Cyril Loukaris occupied the See of Constantinople seven times!

During the existence of the Ottoman Empire, the See of Constantinople was occupied by 159 Patriarchs, of which 109 were deposed from the throne, 27 abdicated themselves, 6 were killed, and only 21 Patriarchs died a natural death while in the see.

Another factor directly related to the corruption of the Constantinople hierarchy was the excessive participation of lay persons in the management of the affairs of the Patriarchate. The Greeks quickly adapted to life under the rule of the Turks and adopted the established rules. In addition to integrating into the administrative system of the Ottoman Empire, they quite successfully integrated into its economic system. Traditionally, the Turks were not inclined towards entrepreneurship and trade and left these activities to subject peoples: primarily the Greeks, but also the Jews, Armenians and Syrians.

The Greeks found themselves in a very advantageous position: they had always been skilled navigators and therefore soon began to control almost all maritime trade in Turkish possessions. This was facilitated by the fact that the Turks, fearing the strengthening of Genoa and Venice, ousted their merchants from this profitable market. Already a hundred years after the conquest of Constantinople, very rich merchant families began to form among the Greek population of the Empire. The Kantakouzenes, Ghika, Rosetti, Mavrokordato, Chrysoskulises, Ypsilanti and other families that rose during this period will influence both the policy of the state and the policy of the Church for centuries.

These people, who earned their capital on trade, began to call themselves "archons" (i.e. chiefs - ed.) of the Greek people. And since the Church of Constantinople was a symbol of the national unity of Miletus, proximity to the highest hierarchy was considered an indispensable attribute of the high social and financial position of such families. Therefore, the archons tried to build their houses on Phanar and as close as possible to the residence of the Patriarch, as well as appoint their sons to positions in the Patriarchal office.

Members of these families soon began to be called "phanariots" - a term that today has somewhat lost its original meaning and refers more to the clergy who serve in the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Initially, these were wealthy lay people who lived in the Phanar region near the Patriarch. Given the need to pay huge sums for any appointment in the Patriarchate, up to the patriarchal throne, applicants from among the clergy usually borrowed the necessary funds from these wealthy families, thus becoming financially dependent on them.

But the dominance of wealthy laity in managing the affairs of the Patriarchate also had positive aspects. The archons could intercede for the clergy and the Church as a whole before the Turkish authorities, pay for the maintenance and repair of churches, help Greek schools, and so on. For several centuries, their activities have prepared the necessary basis for the struggle of the Greeks for independence and their own state.

Today, the tradition of wide participation of the laity in the governance of the Church is especially evident in the American Archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the main metropolis of this Church. Here, the rights of the laity are even enshrined in the charter of the Archdiocese, and, despite the fact that the hierarchs of Constantinople are very dissatisfied with this state of affairs, they are unable to do anything about it.

The next disaster for the Church of Constantinople under the Turks was the catastrophic situation with spiritual education, as, indeed, with education in general.

Higher educational institutions in Constantinople, Thessalonica, Mistra and Trebizond were doomed to disappear after the capture of these cities by the Turks. The only higher school that escaped extinction was the Patriarchal Academy. But it was also in decline due to the lack of qualified teachers. Almost all scientists and professors left for Italy and other countries, where they felt more secure than under the rule of the Turks, and where their work was paid much higher. Venice and Padua became the center of Greek learning, where many Greeks studied and taught. But here a different kind of danger awaited them - the temptation of Catholicism. The transition to this religion opened up very wide opportunities for Greek scientists, and many Greeks in Venice and in general in the West made a good career at the cost of renouncing the faith of their fathers. And in 1577, Pope Gregory XIII founded in Rome, especially for the Greeks, the College of Sts. Athanasius, where they were taught scholasticism and Catholic theology.

To the credit of the Greeks, it should be noted that not all of them converted to Catholicism. Often, studying in Latin high schools gave them the opportunity to defend the Orthodox faith, using the methods and techniques that they learned in these schools. Such Orthodox theologians wrote various treatises against the Latins and Protestants and argued with them in the language of scholasticism and logical reflection that they understood. But there was another, very hidden, danger. The theology was Orthodox, but it was expounded according to Latin patterns, using Latin presentation schemes, Latin conceptual apparatus and Latin argumentation. Orthodox patristic theology faded into the background, if not completely unfamiliar to Orthodox scholars of that time. This dependence of Orthodox theology on Latin schemes and conceptual apparatus was later recognized as a "Latin captivity" of Orthodox theology, but has not been eliminated to this day.

The state of decline in the education of the Greek clergy was eloquently described in 1555 by Martin Kraus, a teacher of the Greek language in Tübingen, who was associated with the Greek intelligentsia: “In all of Greece, science does not flourish anywhere. They have no public academies and professors, except for the very primary schools, in which boys learn to read the Book of Hours, the Octoechos, the Psalter, and other liturgical books. But among priests and monks, people who really understand these books are truly few.”

The decline of education among the Greeks naturally opened up opportunities for Catholic missionary work in the Ottoman Empire. The Latins, and especially the Jesuits, opened their own schools on the territory of the empire, the tuition fees in which were very affordable even for the poor. In 1635, the Latins even managed to open a school on Mount Athos, which, however, existed there for only 6 years and was transferred to Thessaloniki under pressure from the Turkish authorities.

However, despite all the painful and sometimes tragic circumstances of the existence of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople under the Turkish yoke, she was able to accomplish her main feat - to survive! Despite all the temptations of Latinism, she was able to preserve the Orthodox faith. Despite the decline of education, she was able to maintain Orthodox theology. Despite corruption and bribery, she was able to maintain the system of church organization and government. Despite harassment by the Turkish authorities, she was able to keep her flock from converting to Islam.

And the main merit of this feat of survival belongs to the Greek people, the parish clergy and monasteries. Priests preferred to remain illiterate than to go to the West for education. People who were somehow educated preferred not to read books at all, than to study those writings of Latin and Protestant authors that were then in use. The Greeks preferred to pay huge taxes and wear special second-class clothes (to distinguish them from the Turks) than to accept Islam. The main merit in the preservation of the Church belongs to the simple Greek peasants, who, for all their illiteracy, poverty and lack of rights, stubbornly adhered to the faith of the fathers. The Greek people in the Ottoman period revealed many saints, among them: St. Cosmas of Aetolia (1714-1779) - figure of Greek education, St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountaineer (1749-1809) - Athos monk and theologian, St. Nectarios of Aegina (1846-1920) and many others.

St. Cosmas of Aetolia St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountaineer St. Nectarios of Aegina

As a result of the national liberation war of 1821-1829. The Greek state was formed independent of the Ottoman Empire. During the Greek uprising, the Ecumenical Patriarchate found itself in a very ambiguous position. On the one hand, liberation from the Turkish yoke was the centuries-old aspiration of the entire Greek people and could not but find sympathy among the higher clergy. On the other hand, the Patriarch and the Synod were Turkish officials responsible for the loyalty of the Greeks to the Turkish authorities. Gregory V, who occupied the patriarchal chair at that time, could not bring himself to condemn the rebels and was hanged along with two metropolitans and twelve bishops.

Execution of Patriarch Gregory V

Since that time, the situation of both the Church of Constantinople and the Greek population of Turkey has deteriorated significantly. The Turks suspected them of sympathy for the neighboring Greek state and oppressed them in every possible way. In 1850, Ecumenical Patriarch Anfim IV recognized the autocephaly of the Greek Orthodox Church.

The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War led to its collapse. On October 29, 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed, headed by Kemal Ataturk. In the same year, an exchange of population took place between Turkey and Greece. One and a half million people were displaced to Greece. Thus, the Patriarchate of Constantinople lost almost all of its flock in Turkey. And despite the fact that Istanbul was excluded from the population exchange agreement and the Greeks living there were allowed to stay, their numbers in the former capital of the Byzantine Empire also decreased significantly. As of 2006, less than 3,000 Orthodox Greeks lived in Istanbul, and only 250 children studied in a Greek school, many of whom had little knowledge of the Greek language.

The policy of the authorities towards the Patriarchate of Constantinople has changed significantly compared to the Ottoman period. The patriarch was no longer the head of the milet (in fact, the milet was also practically non-existent) and did not perform any administrative functions. The Turkish authorities do not recognize his ecumenical status and consider him the spiritual leader of a small group of Orthodox in Turkey. At the same time, throughout the history of the Turkish Republic, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been persistently made to understand that it is superfluous here. So, in 1955, with the connivance of the Turkish administration, the so-called Istanbul pogrom took place, during which 16 Greeks (including two priests) were killed, some of the few remaining churches were destroyed, dwellings and other buildings were burned.

In 1996, in the main temple of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Church of St. George, the bomb was detonated. In 1971, the Turks closed the only theological school on the island of Halka. As the current Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has repeatedly stated: “Turkey is waging a psychological war against the Ecumenical Patriarchate.”

Phanar area, modern view

Today, the main flock of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is made up of the Greek diasporas in America, Australia and Western Europe. The Phanar has a special relationship with the American Archdiocese in the USA. As a result of several waves of Greek migration to this country in the 20th century, a very large diaspora was formed there. For several decades, American Greeks have managed to develop their business in the United States, acquire (or increase) significant capital.

It can be said that it is in the United States that today's "archons" live, who, as in the Ottoman period, manage significant financial resources and, just as then, seek to influence the clergy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Greek diaspora in the United States also has significant political influence, as many successful Greeks today hold prominent positions in the American administration and state apparatus. On the one hand, this allows them to protect the Patriarchate of Constantinople before the Turkish authorities and finance its existence. However, on the other hand, it gives the American political circles the opportunity to influence the decisions that are made in the Phanar.

What conclusion can be drawn from this small digression into history?

As in the history of any other Church, in the history of the Patriarchate of Constantinople one can find both examples of the holiness of the ascetics of the Church, and cases of unworthy behavior of its individual hierarchs.

Stephen Runciman, an English historian of the last century, wrote: “The Greeks themselves, as a rule, neglect the history of their ancestors under Turkish rule. They are wrong about this; Of course, there are many things here that it is unpleasant for a Greek to remember, but this story testifies to the courage and indestructible vitality of the Greek people and the spiritual strength of the Holy Orthodox Church.

Does this history give the Patriarchate of Constantinople the privilege of primacy among the rest of the Local Churches today? Does it give them the right to decide their internal issues?
Everyone will answer for himself.

From the editors of the "Church Gazette":

We offer readers an article by the servant of God Eugene, who lives in Athens and is a parishioner of the True Orthodox Church of Greece under the leadership of Archbishop Chrysostom II of Athens and All Hellas. Being a spiritual child of the fathers of the monastery Esfigmenu on Mount Athos, the author tells about the history of the monastery and its current situation. The article was written for "Church Gazette".

Esfigmenu Monastery is located on the eastern ridge of Athos next to the Serbian monastery of Hilandar and is one of the ten largest cenobitic monasteries (Laurus) of St. Athos. It was recognized and approved by Kinot in the 10th century, but built much earlier, in the 5th century, by Emperor Theodosius II with the foundation of his sister Pulcheria. A few hundred meters from the current monastery, the ruins of another, "old" Esfigmenu have been preserved; archaeologists date them to the 4th century BC. (!) after R.Kh. In the XVI century. the monastery was destroyed twice by pirates and rebuilt again. In the XIV century. The future Saint Gregory Palamas was the rector of Esfigmenu. In the XIX-XX centuries. the Russian presence was strongly felt here: with the support of the Russian Tsars, a new Church of the Ascension of the Savior and several paraekklesias, small churches located inside the square surrounding the monastery courtyard, were built. If you walk around the monastery, you can see the old Russian art of icon painting, wall paintings, ancient icons, icon cases. Almost all the old vestibules-paraecclesias of the monastery are of both Byzantine and Russian origin.

The deep meaning of the fact that today Esfigmenu is a model of fidelity to Christ the Savior is especially significant for Russia, for the father of Russian monasticism, St. Anthony of the Kiev Caves (+1073, Comm. 10/23 July), took monastic vows and labored in this monastery, from where he brought to the Russian Land the Rule of Faith and the image of true piety. His cell with a church built over it in the name of St. Anthony rises on the slope of one of the rocks next to the monastery. The Esphigmenites greatly revere St. Anthony, carefully keep his cell clean, keeping intact the ascetic bed of the Monk - the boards between the vaults of the cave. Icons of the Mother of God and St. Anthony hang on the walls, and an inextinguishable lamp is burning. The Church of St. Anthony is also active, with icons of Russian origin.

The Cathedral of the Esfigmenu Monastery is celebrated on the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord (the patronal feast of the monastery). There are frescoes of 1806 here. In the library of the monastery there is a huge number of ancient church manuscripts. Many relics of the Saints are also carefully preserved, for example, the foot of Mary Magdalene. There are valuable relics, such as the cross of Pulcheria and the mosaic icon of the Savior of the 7th century. The monastery is under the jurisdiction of the Old Calendar Synod of the TOC (G.O.Kh.) of Greece, under the omophorion of the current Archbishop G.O.Kh. of All Hellas His Eminence Chrysostomos (Kiusis). Today, about 110 monks labor in the monastery, led by the hegumen of the monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Fr. Methodius.

Hegumen Esfigmenu Schemaarchim. Methodius with elderly monks

For a long time Mount Athos was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. During the War of Independence of 1821, the Esphigmenite monks refused to hand over the rebel leader Emmanuel Pappas, who had taken refuge in Esphigmena, to the Turkish governor of Mount Athos, despite all the persuasion of nineteen other monasteries that collaborated with the Turkish ruler. After the heroic liberation struggle of the Greeks, with the participation of the Russian Empire, Athos received international status for a short time, but then its territory fell under the rule of Greece. Moreover, the Patriarch of Constantinople, whose representative office is located in the capital of Athos - Kareia, still retains leadership over the monasteries. The Greek government (in the person of the Freemason President E. Venizelos) became a very noticeable factor of influence in the life of the Athos monasteries, and in 1920, the apostasy activity of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which adopted a new, Gregorian, calendar in 1923 and tried to impose it on Athos, was added to this . After the First World War, the church hierarchy was very weak both financially and, alas, spiritually, and could not resist the powerful pressure of secular leaders and their ideas. The Russian Empire fell, and Greek politicians placed their hopes on England. In 1924, the Vatopedi Monastery was the first to adopt the new calendar, while other monasteries, in protest against the new style, refused to commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch. In 1927, under great pressure, a certain "compromise" was reached between the patriarchy and the monasteries of Athos, who agreed to commemorate the patriarch. The agreement was reached in a very crafty way: the Patriarchate convinced the Brotherhood of Athos to keep the old calendar, but at the same time begin to commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch, leaving the decision on the calendar to the discretion of the future Pan-Orthodox Council. This calmed the inhabitants of Athos, although all the monasteries agreed with this decision, but not all the monks. From that time on, the division between the Athonites into zealous zealots (the Greek word "zilotis" means "zealot") and liberals, who are in solidarity with the apostasy, gradually turning into an ecumenical, policy of Constantinople, begins.

Today, documents are widely known, according to the publications of the Greek Masonic magazine "Tektonas", where it is shown in photographs and on real events that the Patriarchs of Constantinople, starting from Meletios Metaxakis, become active members of Masonic lodges and even receive high degrees of initiation (degrees of leadership) in Freemasonry. Patriarch Meletios Metaksakis, upon taking office, stated: "I devote myself to the service of the Church from its first throne, developing, as far as possible, closer and more friendly relations with the non-Orthodox churches of East and West, and intensifying the work of uniting between us." Subsequently, in 1923, a similar speech at the inauguration of the Archbishop of Athens was made by a friend and like-minded Meletios Chrysostomos (Papadopoulos), who introduced a new style in the Greek Church: “For such cooperation [with non-Orthodox] it is not necessary to have dogmatic unity, it is enough to have unity of Christian love ". The patriarchs of Constantinople to this day, ending with Bartholomew Archondonis, are studying theology in the Vatican. Moreover, it is reliably known that every neophyte entering the papal academy accepts Catholicism, in accordance with the set of Rules of the Vatican. Apparently, then the false patriarchs "accepted" Orthodoxy again.

Joint Ecumenical Services of Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople and Pope Paul VI

The first crack in the relationship between the Esfigmenou Monastery and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople arose in the early 1960s, when the Pope of Rome met with Patriarch Athenagoras (Spyrou) of Constantinople and the Ecumenical for a joint ecumenistic liturgy. In response to this, the zealots of Esphigmenou in their Appeal openly and fearlessly before all Athos accused the Patriarchate of ties with the Vatican and ecumenism. Many monasteries then expressed solidarity with the position of Esphigmenos, and, despite the fact that ecumenism was not yet officially anathematized as a terrible heresy in the council, the Athonites did not perceive such pernicious "innovation" of Constantinople and open betrayal of the patristic canons. A dialogue began between zealots and liberals, many monks stopped commemorating the Ecumenical Patriarch. The patience of the people of Athos ran out in 1965, when anathemas were lifted from the Roman Catholics by Patriarch Athenagoras. Monasteries one after another began to refuse to commemorate the patriarch.

On November 13, 1971, the Holy Assembly ("Hiera Synaxis") of Mount Athos - the governing body, consisting of representatives of all the monasteries of the Holy Mountain in Karyes - decided: "On the issue of resuming the commemoration of the Ecumenical Patriarch, each monastery, as a self-governing one, must be free in choosing a course of action according to conscience." After the death of Patriarch Athenagoras and the election of Patriarch Demetrius Pandopoulos, who not only continued the policy of his predecessor, but even promised to start an ecumenical dialogue with Islam, Esfigmenou decided to remain true to the 1971 resolution. Paul and Xenphont. As a result, they were removed from their positions as abbots of monasteries.

In 1972, Esfigmenu refused to pray together with the inhabitants of other monasteries in which the patriarch was commemorated, and was expelled from the representative bodies of Athos in Kareia. In the same year, his monks tried to be expelled from the monastery by force. The monks locked themselves in the monastery, hanging a flag with the inscription: "Orthodoxy or death." The abbot of Esfigmenu, hegumen Athanasius, announced to those who stormed the monastery that the monastery was mined. The besiegers decided that in this way the brethren of Esfigmenu let know about their intention to blow up the monastery, and retreated. Despite the fact that since 1971 Esfigmenou no longer had representatives in the governing bodies of the Holy Mountain, the Athos brotherhood tried to interfere in the self-government of the monastery, thereby violating the decision of the "Hiera Synaxis" of 1971.

In 1974, the Athos Assembly (brotherhood) in Karyes nevertheless agreed to the unlawful decision of the Ecumenical Patriarch to expel the abbot Esfigmenu Athanasius, as well as two members of the Council of the monastery and his secretary. For the second time, the Patriarchate Committee for the Athos Brotherhood ordered the expulsion of Abbot Esfigmenu, Hegumen Euthymius, and two monks in 1979. them for the common struggle for Holy Orthodoxy. Now the authorities are trying to question the legality of the appointment of the current abbot of the monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Methodius, as hegumen.

Joint Ecumenical Liturgies of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Benedict VI

Last year, 2002, the inhabitants of Esfigmenu received a lawsuit accusing them of the following violations: a) refusal to commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch; b) failure to comply with the decisions of the Patriarchate Committee on Athos in 1974 and 1979. about the expulsion of members of the brethren; c) refusal to participate in the Athos brotherhood through representatives.

In the September-October 2002 issue of the printed organ of the monastery "Agios Agafangelos", the Esfigmene Fathers object to accusations based on a false interpretation of the Charter, the main law of the monastic organization of Athos. Absolutely absurd is the new requirement for the monks of Esfigmen, namely, to replace the old antimensions they have with those consecrated by the current Patriarchs of Constantinople. In fact, most Athos monasteries use antimensions consecrated before 1920 (the year the Gregorian calendar was adopted), and newer antimensions consecrated by Orthodox bishops are also used. No other monastery, except Esfigmenu, was required to replace the antimensions!

The Athonite rules not only do not provide for the procedure for persecuting an individual monastery, but even forbid in correspondence to discuss an “objectionable” monastery; an individual monk cannot be demanded for trial; only the monastery in which he labors has power over him.

For its part, the monastery never violated the Athonite Charter, it sent notifications on the election of new abbots in a timely manner, and maintains the required documentation.

The monks tonsured in Esphigmena are not included by the official church authorities in the general list of monks of Athos ("monachologion") - thus, it is as if they are not among the Athos inhabitants at all, including among the Esphigmenites - they are not monks at all! If the persecutors are consistent, the monastery of Esfigmenou may gradually be "annulled" and expelled from the Brotherhood of Athos "due to the complete disappearance of the brethren."

On the main and highest tower of the Esfigmenu Monastery, for more than thirty years, a black flag with white letters "ORTHODOXY OR DEATH" has been fluttering. Despite the fact that today all the monasteries of Athos commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew, the zealot monks of Esfigmenou continue to confess their allegiance to Christ, the Holy Canons, their Synod of the TOC, commemorating its head, the Archbishop of the TOC of All Hellas, His Eminence Chrysostomos (Kiusis), on St. Proskomedia.

Holy Synod of the TOC of Greece chaired by Archbishop Chrysostomos II

For this, Patriarch Bartholomew, using his influence on the Greek government, gradually isolated them from the world. The monastery was surrounded by armed police more than once. The central telephone exchange in Karey cut off the monastery telephone, the post office delayed his correspondence, all means of communication - whether land or sea - were blocked, and the besieged monks could not even leave the gates of the monastery to work in the garden. Doctors invited to assist elderly monks are still not allowed into the monastery, and yet in the monastery there are elders aged 100 years or more, sick and bedridden. Once on Greek television they showed a program about Esfigmenu (the plot of which especially touched the hearts of many people), in which the correspondent asks an elderly sick monk, bedridden: "How can you do it? You need a doctor!" And the elder, smiling with an unusually kind smile, answers: “The doctor cannot come to me, they won’t let him in. But I have the Mother of God. She will heal me.” Deceased monks are buried without a death certificate issued by a doctor, as required by law, since they are not allowed to call a doctor from Karea.

Two, now deceased, monks, who never waited for a doctor

In 2002, when the police were trying to seize the monastery's only tractor, a young 25-year-old monk Tryphon tried to save him by driving him to safety at night. In the dark, the car overturned. Tryphon's body was found in the morning, crushed by a tractor. The fingers of his right hand were clenched with three fingers, apparently, the monk crossed himself before his death. So already in our time the monastery found another new martyr.

In the end, the monks were given an ultimatum: they were ordered to surrender the monastery's seal, relics and other property, including their own personal documents, and leave the monastery until January 28, 2003. The monks rejected the ultimatum and turned to Greece's highest administrative court, the Council of State, for help, which declared two years later that it had no authority to resolve the issue.

On November 24, 2005, the Patriarchate of Constantinople organized a daring attack on Konaki (an external monastery - the representation of Esfigmenu in Kareya) by mercenaries dressed in cassocks. False monks, led by a certain Gabriel, armed with crowbars and sledgehammers, broke down the doors of Konaki, burst inside and severely beat the Esfigmenites who had locked themselves in the skete. Four Esphigmenian monks were hospitalized that day, and two of them ended up in intensive care with severe injuries. However, the court declared true Orthodox monks guilty of violating the peace in Karei and sentenced them to two years in prison. Of the nine convicted monks, six filed an appeal, and the Court of Appeal of Thessalonica found them not guilty on November 20.

True Orthodox monks themselves were not present at the hearings, their interests were represented in court by a lawyer.

The skete, meanwhile, captured Gabriel with mercenaries, declaring himself "the legitimate brethren of Esfigmen." Later, Bartholomew himself arrived and, "laying his stone", blessed the new "legitimate" representation of Esfigmenu in Karyes. In an attempt to cover up their violent actions against the Esfigmenou monastery, the patriarch and his enforcers in the Greek government began transferring all the mail, bank accounts and real estate belonging to the monastery to the name of a new front brotherhood, which they control. Assistance from the European Union is now coming to all monasteries, comfortable hotels for pilgrims are being built everywhere, investments are being made for the restoration of ancient monastic buildings. Financial assistance for Esfigmenu from the European Union goes to the false brotherhood. However, as the esfigmenites themselves say: it is for the best, so as not to be debtors of the European Union.

On August 14, 2006, the monks of the monastery received summons to the Greek court in Thessaloniki on a strange criminal charge of "schism and heresy." A hearing was scheduled for 29 September 2006 at the Greek State Criminal Court in Thessaloniki. The court of the monks acquitted.

The "cooperation" of Patriarch Bartholomew and the Greek government (represented by Dora Bakkoyani, who is the authorized representative of the Greek state apparatus on Mount Athos) continues. It was under her control and power that the monks were cut off from food, medicine, fuel for heating, and from medical care. There is evidence of the death of five elderly monks who did not wait for a doctor. Vassilis Floridis, the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Thessaloniki, regularly calls for "the violent arrest and expulsion of the Zealots from Esfigmenu".

Blockade of Esfigmenu by the Greek police

The persecution of the monastery intensified even more after a letter to the Patriarchate of Constantinople from the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the MP, Metropolitan Kirill (Gundyaev), who condemned the forcible expulsion, in his words, even of "schismatics" from Athos. Another event added fuel to the fire: the abbot of the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery unexpectedly began to commemorate the Patriarch of Moscow Alexy II at the service, for which he later received a severe reprimand from Bartholomew in Karey. They learned about it in Moscow. Thus, the political confrontation between the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow played a useful role for Esfigmenu.

Prosecutor Floridis through the newspaper "Simera" (May 24-25, 2008) burst into anger at the Zealot monks, calling them schismatic fanatics, seeing in their actions "an example of breaking the unity of the monasteries of Athos" and almost "a threat to the national security of the country "! At the same time, he noted that "Russian fanatic monks have already followed this example." The Russophobic policy and "raiding" of Patriarch Bartholomew has been known since 1992, when seven zealot monks, headed by the head of the skete, Archimandrite Fr. Seraphim. The monks were not even allowed to take personal belongings and passports: they simply put everyone on a boat and took them beyond Athos, to Ouranoupolis. The skete was under the jurisdiction of the ROCOR, all the monks were American citizens, so there was no connection with the MP, just the brethren pleasing to Bartholomew occupied the skete, appropriating all the values, relics and property of the skete (we note in passing that St. of the Russian Church Abroad, was seized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople precisely because the Russian zealot monks did not commemorate the heretical Patriarch of Constantinople; this seizure, by all indications, was carried out not without the influence of the Moscow Patriarchate, which a few years later seized the ROCOR monastery on St. earth, - ed. TsV).

In the summer of 2008, Patriarch Bartholomew again gathers in Karyes the Sacred Assembly "Hieras Synaxis" of abbots and representatives of all monasteries, raising the question "point-blank": the expulsion of the Esphigmenites from the monastery and generally from Athos. Realizing that his actions have become public in Greece and abroad, Bartholomew is trying to convince the assembly to voluntarily take his side and by a common decision (in order to divert responsibility from himself personally), expel the recalcitrant zealots, settling in the monastery the false brethren he had already prepared, headed by false abbot Chrysostomos Katsulieris ("militants" of Gabriel, who had already captured Konaki in Kareya). But of the ten largest monasteries of Athos (which, according to the Athos Charter, have the right to the main vote), five abbots refused to support Bartholomew, speaking openly about his "ecumenistic anti-Orthodox policy and brotherly love with the Pope of Rome." Moreover, two of them threatened "with the termination of the commemoration if he does not leave Esfigmena alone and does not stop kissing with the pope."

Thus, the climate on Athos in relation to the monastery of Esfigmenu, which was not broken by enemies, improved somewhat. Although the unofficial blockade continues: medicines do not arrive, there is no electricity, the telephone is turned off, mail is not brought, etc. And pilgrims and tourists who want to see the Holy Mount Athos and apply for permission to visit Esfigmena are told that "the monastery does not receive guests." As a result, tourists go on a trip to other monasteries, although in reality Esfigmenu can host up to 400 pilgrims.

But, despite this (according to my personal testimony), the pilgrims who came to this monastery are unusually cordially received by the Esfigmenu brethren, regardless of jurisdiction or nationality, the food in the refectory is very tasty (products and everything you need are usually brought secretly at night). The monks catch fish themselves from the pier with a fishing rod, because. the authorities took away the boat and do not allow them to go fishing in the sea. In Esfigmena, the pilgrim really feels himself under the Omophorion of the Most Pure Mother of God, which, according to the words of the hegumen of the monastery, Schema-Archimandrite Fr. Methodius, has helped and continues to help them survive in these difficult apostasy times.

Eugene the Zealot, Athens,
parishioner of the CPI of Greece,
January 16, 2009

Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, Secretary for Inter-Orthodox Relations of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, commented on the situation with the pilgrimage to Athos after the decision of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 15 to break the Eucharistic communion with the Patriarchate of Constantinople to RIA Novosti correspondent Sergei Stefanov:

Father Igor, has there been any reaction from Athos to the actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Ukraine? The reactions of their governing body, the Holy Kinot, or some individual monasteries?

– The Orthodox world does not live at the speed that modernity imposes on it. On Athos, many people do not use the Internet at all, cellular communications, therefore they do not even know about the decisions that were made in Istanbul and Minsk. But over time, I think they will find out, and there will be some kind of reaction. The pilgrims tell the Athosites something about what is happening.

Of course, this decision creates completely understandable difficulties for the Russian inhabitants of Athos, who traditionally commemorated both the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Moscow. And all of them come from the Russian Orthodox Church. How their existence on Athos will be settled in the future is a question that needs to be resolved.

As for ordinary pilgrims, I think that they should all understand that, with all the love for Athos, with all the respect that the Russian Orthodox Church has long since, from time immemorial, to the Holy Mountain, to the "lot of the Mother of God", there is also the concept of a church disciplines. And if there is no blessing on something, then it does not exist.

Regarding specifically the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Athos, it also belongs to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It turns out that we have now broken off communication with them, and you can’t come and take communion there either?

— You can’t take communion, but I think you can come, just to pray. Just the other day in our Russian Panteleimon Monastery there was a patronal feast, because one of the churches of this monastery is dedicated to the feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God, and three hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church participated in these celebrations. They did not serve, but prayed at the service.

And in the light of the latest decisions of the Synod, now, when the service is going on, can the laity go into the temple and pray with everyone? Or can you only come in to pray when there is no service? Or is it possible to pray at the divine service, but simply not to receive communion?

– It is better to say that, given all these difficult circumstances that are developing, now is the time to refrain from the pilgrimage to Athos and from participation in worship in any form. But if this happened, well, at least not to take communion.

Can now some shrines be brought to Russia from Athos, or from Turkey and other canonical territories of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, or is all this now also suspended?

– It is somehow strange to expect during such a serious aggravation of our relations that someone from the territory of the Patriarchate of Constantinople will bring shrines to us. But if there is such an initiative, we will consider it. As is usually done on a case-by-case basis.

And what will happen to our compatriots - parishioners of Orthodox churches in Turkey or in other places where there are no other churches, except for those belonging to the Patriarchate of Constantinople?

This is indeed a problem that has been confronting us since October 15, since the de facto Patriarchate of Constantinople went into schism, accepting schismatics into communion. It turns out that our compatriots in Turkey are left without pastoral care. The same applies to people from our Fatherland who live on the islands of the Dodecanese, including the largest of them - Rhodes, Crete, and, of course, we will think about how to provide them with pastoral care. Very little time has passed, but in any case, this task is worth it, we are working on it.

In general, there are parishes of the Patriarchate of Constantinople all over the world, except for Africa and Antarctica, but there is an alternative for believers there - there are temples of other Local Churches. It is not now only in Turkey and on those Greek islands that I have named.

The Secretary of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Abbot Nikon, said that the Russian Orthodox Church would be forced to suspend communion with all Churches that would support the decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to grant autocephaly to the church in Ukraine. Can you comment on this statement?

I think this is a very premature comment. Firstly, there is still no final decision regarding the granting of autocephaly to the church in Ukraine, there is no Tomos, and when it will be is completely unknown. And even more so, it is premature now to talk about the reaction of the Local Churches to what will happen after the hypothetical granting of the Tomos.

Christianity in Asia Minor spread thanks to the evangelistic works of the apostles Andrew the First-Called, Paul, Philip, John the Theologian and others.

However, the actual history of the Patriarchate of Constantinople begins in 330, when the city of Constantinople was founded on the site of the ancient settlement of Byzantium (Byzantion). Since this city became the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the importance of the See of Constantinople constantly increased, and over time it became the first in honor among other Orthodox Churches, although it was inferior in antiquity to some of them.

The cathedra of Constantinople was occupied by such great saints and ecumenical teachers as Saints Gregory the Theologian (+389) and John Chrysostom (+407), whose works are an inexhaustible source of theological wisdom and church teaching for all ages.

The canonical territory is Turkey (6 dioceses, 10 monasteries and 30 theological schools) and Greece. The jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople also extends to a number of dioceses in the countries of Western Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Mount Athos; The Finnish Autonomous Orthodox Church also belongs to the jurisdiction of Constantinople (the canonical territory is Finland; Primate: Leo, His Eminence Archbishop of Karelia and all Finland; the residence of the Primate is in Kuopio).

Heading now the Church of Constantinople

232nd Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew (Archondonis)
was born on the island of Imvros (Turkey) on March 12, 1940. On December 25, 1973, he was consecrated bishop with the title of Metropolitan of Philadelphia. For 18 years he was the head of the Patriarchal Cabinet.

The election of His Holiness Bartholomew as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople took place on October 22, 1991, and the rite of enthronement took place on November 2 of the same year.

Title of Primate: "His Holiness Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch."

The patriarchal residence is located in Phanar (region of Constantinople).

Dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople

The Church of Constantinople has a complex and branched structure. Part of it is located in its canonical territory - in Turkey and partly in Greece, but a much larger part is scattered outside this country. There are currently about 3,000 Orthodox Christians left in Turkey, mostly Greeks of the older generation.

Bishops in Turkey:

The Archdiocese of Constantinople, which includes Istanbul and its environs, is headed by Patriarch Bartholomew

Diocese of Chalcedon:
Metropolitan Joachim

Diocese of Imvre and Teneda:
Metropolitan Photius

Diocese of Prinkiponnis:
Metropolitan Simeon

Diocese of Derkia:
Metropolitan Konstantin

Bishops and patriarchal institutions outside Turkey:

The Ecumenical Patriarchate claims a special role among the Churches of the Diaspora. As a basis, as a rule, the 28th canon of the Council of Chalcedon is given. Let's quote it in full:

“Following in everything the definitions of the holy fathers, and recognizing the canon now being read of one hundred and fifty most God-loving bishops who were in the Cathedral in the days of the pious memory of Theodosius, in the reigning city of Constantinople, the new Rome, we also determine and decide the same thing about the advantages of the most holy Church of the same Constantinople, new Rome. For the throne of old Rome, the fathers decently gave advantages: because it was a reigning city. Following the same impulse, one hundred and fifty God-loving bishops presented equal advantages to the most holy throne of the new Rome, righteously judging that the city, which received the honor of being the city of the king and the synclite, and having equal advantages with the old royal Rome, will be exalted in church affairs like that, and will be the second one. Therefore, only the metropolitans of the regions of Pontus, Assia, and Thrace, as well as the bishops of the foreigners of the above-mentioned regions, are supplied from the above-mentioned most holy throne of the most holy Church of Constantinople: each metropolitan of the above-mentioned regions, with the bishops of the region, must appoint diocesan bishops, as prescribed by Divine rules. And the very metropolitans of the aforementioned regions should be appointed, as it is said, by the Archbishop of Constantinople, according to the command of the consonant, according to the custom of election, and on the presentation of an onago to him.

It follows from the highlighted part of the rule that the Archbishop of Constantinople is granted the right to appoint metropolitans of the three metropolitanates neighboring Constantinople: Pontic, Nicomedia and Thracian, as well as bishops "from foreigners of the above regions."

Meanwhile, in the Greek text of the rule, the comma is not after the phrase “of the above regions”, but after “and so are bishops among foreigners” (See: Rallis-Potlis, Syntagma of Divine and Sacred Rules (in Greek), vol. 2 , Athens, 1852-1859. 169-170.)

Thus, it turns out that the bishop of Constantinople has the right to appoint bishops from foreigners (in barbarian lands) not only of the three dioceses mentioned, but in general. Meanwhile, such an interpretation of the text (namely, we can talk about the interpretation of the publishers in this case, because, as you know, the texts of the canons were written in an era when there were no punctuation marks yet) contradicts the structure of the phrase, which turns into the following nonsense: “Therefore, only the metropolitans of the regions of Pontus, Assia and Thrace of the above-mentioned regions are supplied from the above-mentioned most holy throne of the most holy Church of Constantinople.

But even if we accept such an interpretation of the text of the canon and agree that the Patriarch of Constantinople had the right to Churches outside the Byzantine Empire, this still does not give him the right to claim the same role in the Churches of the Diaspora in modern conditions, because the rights granted to the Constantinople to the bishop by the Fathers of the Council, were due to the political significance of the capital of Byzantium: “... the throne of the old Rome, the fathers decently gave advantages: because it was a reigning city. Following the same impulse, one hundred and fifty God-loving bishops presented equal advantages to the most holy throne of the new Rome, righteously judging that the city, which received the honor of being the city of the king and the synclite, and having equal advantages with the old royal Rome, will be exalted in church affairs like that, and will be the second after him.

Consequently, from the moment when Constantinople ceased to be “the city of the king and the synclite”, the Archbishop of Constantinople also lost many of his rights, including, if such is allowed, the right to Churches in the “barbarian lands”.

Thus, the Patriarchate of Constantinople has no special rights over the Churches in Diaspora. It has the same rights to the dioceses of the Diaspora as other Local Churches.

Some Churches outside Turkey, which are part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, belong to it traditionally, and not due to the spread of the Greek diaspora throughout the world. These are mainly the Churches on the territory of modern Greece, which only in 1850 received a recognized Autocephalous Church. Prior to that, all the dioceses here were under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople.

The power of the Patriarchate extends to those territories in Greece that entered this state at a later time, in particular after the formation of the Greek Church. Since, prior to joining Greece, they belonged jurisdictionally to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, by agreement both with the government of the country and with the Greek Church, they remained in the ecclesiastical subordination of the Patriarchate. These include the following churches:

1. The churches of the so-called "new territories" that became part of the Greek state after the Balkan wars at the beginning of the twentieth century. They essentially have a dual subordination - to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Church of Greece, which is regulated by the relevant agreements dating back to 1928. To date, the subordination of these dioceses to Constantinople is rather formal. In fact, the status of these bishops almost does not differ from the status of other dioceses of the Greek Church. The dioceses of the "new territories" include the following metropolias:

Cassandrian,
Thessalonian,
Dramskaya,
Sidirokastrian,
Lankadasskaya,
Polianian,
Sisanian,
Philippskaya,
Neokrinskaya,
Naples,
Zinkhia,
Maronian,
Alexandrupolskaya,
Paramythian,
Yanninska,
Grevenskaya,
Chios,
Nikopolskaya,
Ierissos,
Serres,
Mifimskaya,
Elevferupolskaya,
Edesskaya,
Kitrskaya,
Didimotihskaya,
Mityle,
Limnskaya,
Gumenisskaya,
Verean,
Dryinupolskaya,
xanthian,
Elassonskaya,
Samos,
Kastorian,
Servian,
Florinskaya.

2. Dioceses of the Dodecanese archipelago, which became part of Greece after the Second World War. Among them are the metropolises of the islands:

Rhodes (Metropolitan Apostle),
Kos (Metropolitan Emilian),
Leros, Kalymnos and Astypalea (Metropolitan Nektary),
Karpathos and Kasos (Metropolitan Ambrose).

3. The Archdiocese of Crete, which has the status of a semi-autonomous Church. The head is Archbishop Irenaeus. The Cretan Church has its own Synod, consisting of all the bishops of the Church.

Address: Archbishopric of Crete Kyrillou Loukareos str. 1 71201 Herakleion, Crete, tel.: (30-81) 282632, fax: (30-81) 289817. URL: http://www.iak.gr

In addition to the Archdiocese of Crete, located in the capital of the island of Heraklion, the Church also includes seven dioceses:

Metropolia of Gortyna and Arcadia (Metropolitan Kirill)
Metropolis of Rethymna and Avlopotamus (Metropolitan Anfim)
Metropolis of Kydonia and Apokorona ()
Metropolis of Lamba and Sfakia ()
Metropolis of Ierapitna and Sitia (Metropolitan Eugene)
Metropolis of Petra (Metropolitan Nectarios)
Metropolis of Kisama and Selina ()

There are several ecclesiastical educational institutions in Crete. The official periodical publication of the Cretan Church is the journal Titus the Apostle.

4. Exarchy of Patmos

The Exarchy is directly subordinate to the Patriarch. In addition to the island of Patmos, it includes a number of nearby islands: Lips, Agathonissos and Arkia.

The core of the exarchy is the stauropegial monastery of St. John the Evangelist. The patriarchal exarch of Patmos is the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Antipas (Nikitaras).

The Exarchy also includes the Cave of Revelation, in which St. Evangelist John the Theologian c. A.D. 95 revelation was given. Hieromonk Isidore is responsible for the Cave. Tel.: (30-247) 31234.

There is also a church school on Patmos, founded in 1713 by St. Macarius Kalogeras.

5. Holy Mount Athos

Athos monastic "republic" jurisdictionally belongs to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Despite this, it has virtually complete administrative independence from the throne of Constantinople and strictly preserves its internal independence. The patriarchal authority on Mount Athos is represented by the vicar bishop, currently Chrysostomos of Rodopol (he can be written to: Megisti Laura, 63086, Karyai, Mount Athos).

Since the Holy Mountain is part of the Hellenic Republic, it has a special representative from the state. The supreme body of self-government of the Holy Mountain is the Holy Kinot, consisting of representatives of all 20 monasteries of Athos, who are elected every year by their monasteries.

Administrative-canonical divisions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in dispersion

American archdiocese

The American Archdiocese constitutes the most important part of the Church of Constantinople, being, so to speak, its economic and political stronghold. It is also the largest part of the Patriarchy in terms of numbers.

The archdiocese was founded on May 11, 1922, although the Greek parishes in America included in it appeared as early as the sixties of the nineteenth century. In the life of the American Archdiocese, as in all the Greek Churches of the Diaspora, the Greek communities play a very important role. Representatives of these communities have a wide participation in the management of the Church at all levels - from the ordinary parish to the Archdiocese itself.

The American Archdiocese is headed by an archbishop elected by the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul. Its current head is Archbishop Demetrius. The archbishop heads the Synod, which is made up of all the bishops of the Church.

Archdiocese Address: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 10 East 79th Street, New York, N.Y. 10021 USA. Tel.: (1-212) 5703500. Fax: (1-212) 5703569, e-mail: [email protected]. URL: http://www.goarch.org

The Archdiocese consists of the following dioceses: Chicago (Metropolitan Jacob with the title of Krinsky), San Francisco (Metropolitan Anthony with the title of Dardanelles), Pittsburgh (Metropolitan Maxim with the title of Ensky), Boston (Metropolitan Methodius with the title of Aneisky), Denver (Metropolitan Isaiah with the title Prikonissky), Atlanta (Bishop Alexy), Detroit (Bishop Nicholas), the Archdiocese also has one vicar bishop - Demetrius with the title of Xanthos.

The Archdiocese has its own educational institutions and every two weeks publishes a leaflet called The Orthodox Observer.

Australian archdiocese

As in the case of other parts of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Australian Church was founded with the aim of spiritually nourishing the Greek communities formed on this mainland as a result of the resettlement of Orthodox Greeks here from Asia Minor and other regions of the former Ottoman Empire.

In 1924, the Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand was founded for this purpose. In 1959, the metropolis was transferred to the status of an archdiocese, which in the modern Greek canonical tradition is an increase, since an archdiocese can include several metropolitanates.

In 1970, New Zealand was removed from the jurisdiction of the Australian archdiocese and received its own metropolis. The seat of the Australian Archdiocese is Sydney. Its current head is Archbishop Stylian. It has three vicar bishops: Bishop Ezekiel of Derva, Bishop Joseph of Arianz, Bishop Seraphim of Apollonia.

Address: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia 242 Cleveland St., Redfern, Sydney, NSW 2016, Australia. Tel.: (61-2) 6985066. Fax: (61-2) 6985368.

The archdiocese has its own higher theological educational institution and a number of monasteries.

Archdiocese of Thyatira

It includes the UK, the Republic of Ireland, and Malta. In addition, the Archbishop of Thyatira is the Exarch of Western Europe. Until 1837, the Greek community of London was fed by the Russian embassy church. Then she was allowed to build her temple, which became the beginning of the Greek diocese, which, as the Metropolis of Thyatira, was established in 1922.

In 1954, it received the status of an Archdiocese. Then, in 1962, she lost this status, being divided into four metropolises. In 1968, the position of the Archdiocese was again returned to her. Currently, it is headed by Archbishop Gregory.

The archbishop has six vicar bishops: Aristarchus of Zinupol, Chrysostom of Kian, Christopher of Telmisos, Kallistos of Dioclia, Athanasius of Tropea, Theodoret of Nazianzus.

Archdiocese Address: Thyateira House 5 Craven Hill. London W2 3EN, England. Tel.: (44-20) 77234787. Fax: (44-20) 72249301.

The official printed organ of the Archdiocese is the Pravoslavny Vestnik magazine. The archdiocese has a number of general education and catechetical schools, as well as a school of Byzantine music.

There are also a number of monastic communities in the UK.

Metropolia of France

In addition to France, it includes Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands. The metropolis was founded in 1963, with a chair in Paris. The head of the Church is Metropolitan Jeremiah.

Address: Metropole grec-orthodoxe de France, Exarchat du Patriarcat œcuménique. 7 Rue Georges Bizet 75116 France Tel: (33-1) 47208235, (33-1) 47021822, Fax: (33-1) 46830568, (33-1) 47208315.

The Metropolia is a member of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of France. It is headed by Metropolitan Jeremiah. In addition to him, this Assembly includes: Archbishop Sergius of Eucarpia (Ecumenical Patriarchate - Exarchate of Western Europe for the Orthodox Russian tradition), Bishop Gabriel of Palmyra (Patriarchate of Antioch), Bishop Innokenty (Russian Church), Bishop Luka (Serbian Church), Archbishop Joseph ( Romanian Church), Bishop Pavel of Trachia (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Bishop Michael of Claudioupol (Ecumenical Patriarchate).

There are several monasteries in the metropolis.

Archdiocese of Germany

The metropolis was founded in 1963, with a chair in Bonn. Its jurisdiction extends to Germany. The German Metropolitan is also Exarch of Central Europe. Currently, the chair is occupied by Metropolitan Augustine. It has four vicar bishops: Basil with the title of Aristian and staying in Stuttgart, Chrysostom with the title of Pamphylian and staying in Hanover, Demetrius with the title of Fermsky and staying in Munich, Eumenius with the title of Leukia and staying in Aachen.

Address: Griechisch-Orthodoxe Metropolie von Deutsland und Exarchat von Zentraleuropa. Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Str. 2
D-53227 Bonn-Beuel Postfach 300555, D-53185 Bonn Tel: (49-228) 462041 Fax: (49-228) 464989 URL: www.orthodoxie.net .

The Metropolia publishes its own magazine, The Orthodox Presence.

Archdiocese of Austria

It was founded in 1963 and recognized by the state in 1967. Includes the parishes of Austria and Hungary. The Metropolitan of Austria - currently Michael - is also the Exarch of Central Europe.

Address: Griech. Orient. Metropolis von Austria. Fleischmatkt 13, 1010 Wien, Austria, tel. and fax: (43-1) 5333889.
The Metropolis has its own periodical, Stachys.

Archdiocese of Belgium

Founded in 1969 and recognized by the state in 1985. In addition to Belgium, it also includes the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The chair, which is currently occupied by Metropolitan Panteleimon, is located in Brussels.

The Metropolitan has two vicar bishops: Maximus with the title of Eumenian and Emmanuel with the title of Rhegian.

Metropolia Address: Archevêché Orthodoxe Grec. Avenue Gharbo 71-1030 Bruxelles Belgique Tel: (32-2) 7365278 Fax: (32-2) 7353264

The representation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to the European Council operates in Brussels, headed by Bishop Emmanuel of Riga. Representation address: Place de Jamblinne de Meux, 40-1030 Bruxelles, tel.: (32-2) 7348987, 7324422, fax: (32-2) 7349072.

The Orthodox chapel of St. George operates at the Brussels airport. It is located in a new building, above the passport check room (room no. 2427). Archim. is responsible for the chapel. Athenagoras Peckstadt. Tel. and fax: (32-2) 7536882.

Archdiocese of Sweden and all Scandinavia

Includes Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The Metropolis was established in 1969. At the moment it is headed by Metropolitan Pavel.

Metropolia Address: Grekisk Ortodoxa Metropolitdömet. Birger Jarlsgatan 92, 111420 Stockholm, tel.: (46-8) 6123481.

The Metropolia periodically publishes a "Bulletin".

Archdiocese of New Zealand

The Metropolis was founded in 1970. Her see, currently occupied by Metropolitan Dionysius, is located in Wellington.

Metropolia address (shared with the Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called): 365 Broadway, Miramar, Wellington. Tel.: (64-4) 3881194. Fax: (64-4) 3881486.

The New Zealand Metropolis also includes the Exarchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in South Korea, which is headed by the vicar bishop of the Metropolis, who bears the title of Zilsky, Sotiry.

Unlike many other dioceses of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the South Korean Exarchy sees its main service not in nourishing the Greek communities, but in missionary work, spreading the Gospel and Orthodoxy among the local residents. This Church is governed by a council of priests who gather around the bishop.

Address: CPO Box 1473 Seoul. Tel.: (82-2) 3653744. Fax: (82-2) 3927322.

Archdiocese of Switzerland

The Metropolis was founded in 1982, including the parishes of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Her cathedra, which is now occupied by Metropolitan Damaskino, is located in Geneva. The Metropolitan is also Exarch of Europe. He has one vicar bishop, Macarius of Lampsaki.

The Metropolis of Switzerland plays one of the key roles in the Patriarchate of Constantinople, thanks mainly to the Orthodox center in Chambesy, a village near Geneva, which also houses the residence of the metropolitan. This center was founded under Patriarch Athenagoras in case the Patriarch of Constantinople had to leave Istanbul.

It also became the center of the ecumenical activity of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, also due to the fact that the World Council of Churches is located in Geneva.

The general address of all listed institutions is Archevêché de Suisse. 282, rte de Lausanne CH-1292 Chambésy, tel.: (41-22) 7581833, 7581788, 7581851, fax: (41-22) 7582416.

Archdiocese of Italy

The Greek community in Italy appeared a long time ago - back in 1498 - after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. However, the metropolis was established only in 1991, and in 1998 it was recognized by the Italian authorities. The cathedra, which is also the exarchate of Southern Europe, is occupied by Metropolitan Gennady. It is located in Venice, both because the Greek community in that city has a long history, and because the Vatican does not allow the presence of the chair of an Orthodox bishop in Rome.

Address: Sacra Arcidiocesi Ortodossa d'Italia e Esarcato per l'Europa Meridionale. Castello 3422, Campo dei Greci, 30122 Venezia, Italia Tel: (39-41) 5239569 Fax: (39-41) 5227016 URL: http://www.ortodossia.it

The Metropolia publishes the journal "Orthodox Life" twice a month.

Archdiocese of Toronto

The Metropolis of Toronto until 1996 was part of the American Archdiocese, in 1996 it became a separate metropolia that included all of Canada. It is headed by Metropolitan Sotiry, who also has a vicar bishop Christopher with the title of Andide. The metropolitan see is located in Toronto.

Address: His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios. 1 Patriarch Bartholomew Way (former 86 Overlea Blvd.) Toronto, Ontario, M4H 1C6, Tel: (1-416) 4295757, Fax: (1-416) 4294588.

Archdiocese of Buenos Aires

Founded in 1996. It was formerly part of the American Archdiocese. It includes: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay. Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. The metropolitan - now Gennady - is the exarch of South America. His pulpit is in Buenos Aires. He has a vicar bishop with the title of Assky - Jacob.

Address:
Av. Fiqueroa Alcorta 3187, 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
tel.: (54-11) 48023204

Archdiocese of Panama

This metropolis, like the previous ones, was originally part of the American Archdiocese, and in 1996 became a separate diocese. It includes all the countries of Central America: Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Andorra, El Salvador, Belize, as well as Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The Metropolitan Center is located in Mexico City, Mexico. Its head is Metropolitan Athenagoras.

Address: Sacro Arzobispado Ortodoxo Griego, Agua Caliente esq. Saratoga, Col. Lomas, Hipodromo, Naucalpan, Edo de Mexico C.P. 53900 Mexico. Tel: (52-5) 2944460. Fax: (52-5) 2942678.

Archdiocese of Hong Kong

Formed in 1996. It is headed by Metropolitan Nikita, who is also Exarch of Southeast Asia.

Address: 704 Universal Trade Center, 3 Arbuthnot Rd, Hong Kong, e-mail: [email protected], URL: http://www.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/hkmetropolis.htmlwww.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/hkmetropolis.htmlwww.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/ hkmetropolis.htmlwww.cs.ust.hk/faculty/dimitris/metro/hkmetropolis.html

The Metropolia publishes The Censer monthly.

The metropolis includes the following exarchies:
India, centered on Kolkata
Indonesia
Philippines

There are also communities in Singapore and Thailand.

Ukrainian parishes of the Patriarchate of Constantinople

Although the Ukrainian communities in the Americas and Europe do not have their own dioceses, they do have their own bishops who are subordinate to the higher ecclesiastical authorities of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. So, for example, in America and Canada it is the American Archdiocese.

In America and Canada:

Metropolitan Konstantin, with residence in Chicago, heads the Ukrainian communities in the United States.

Metropolitan Yuriy, heads the Ukrainian communities in Canada, with residence in Winnipeg, residence in Winnipeg
Archbishop Anthony, based in New York, USA.
Bishop Paisios is retired in the USA.
Bishop Andrew
Bishop Hilarion
Bishop Daniel

In Brazil:
Bishop Jeremiah.

In Europe:
Archbishop John is the head of Ukrainian parishes in Western Europe. His residence is in Belgium.

Exarchate of Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe

Exarchat des paroisses de tradition russe en Europe Occidentale

These parishes for the most part constituted that part of the Russian Orthodox Church which, together with Metropolitan Evlogii, came under the omophorion of the Patriarch of Constantinople. The Patriarchal Exarch for these parishes is Bishop Gabriel of Comania (de Weylder). Elected May 1, 2003.

Address:
12 Rue Daru, 75008 Paris
Tel. and fax: (33-1) 46226761
Fax: (33-1) 46222857

An archbishop has two vicar bishops:
Paul with the title of Tracheian
Michael with the title of Claudioupol

The Exarchate includes the famous Theological Institute of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

Based on materials pravoslavie.ru, patriarchy.ru