Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Opel (Greek Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ) has a dual role within the Orthodox Church: On the one hand he is the head of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople Opel, on the other it is the bishops of the entire Orthodox Christianity as first among equals ago. Its headquarters is located in the Phanar in Istanbul. According to Turkish law, the Patriarch of Turkish citizens must be (the only exception after 1923: Athinagoras; 1948-72 ). His official title is Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Opel Oekumenischer Patriarch (Greek Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Νέας Ρώμης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως καὶ Οἰκουμενικὸς Πατριάρχης ).
Since 1991, the Office His All Holiness Bartholomew I has held.
Head of the Church of Constantinople Opel
The patriarch is the head of the autocephalous Church of Constantinople Opel. In spiritual matters he also has referral rights within the autonomous Greek Mount Athos.
Symbolic head of the entire Orthodox Christianity
As the Bishop of Rome sees itself in the wake of the Apostle Peter, the Bishop of Constantinople Opel in the Apostle Andrew, who is venerated as the first bishop of this city. Since the Second Ecumenical Council ( Constantinople 381 Opel ) is the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Opel front of the patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, has thus held the first chair Patriarch of Orthodox Christianity. Since 1589 the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Opel Metropolitan of Moscow was awarded the title of patriarch, there is a fifth patriarch chair ( Moscow and All Russia). Thus, the Ecumenical Patriarch is among the patriarchs first among equals of the entire Orthodox Christianity. This is expressed by the title of ecumenical (which here has no interdenominational but an intra- denominational meaning). The Ecumenical Patriarch has, unlike the Pope in the Catholic Church, no transfer authority over the other autocephalous Churches and places there is also a no bishops.
The Turkish Government recognizes the Patriarch only in his capacity as head of the Greek Orthodox in Turkey, but not as an honorary head of world Orthodoxy. As more than half of all Orthodox Christian is a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, during the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Opel only a few thousand members in Turkey has the meaning of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia has increased.
Succession
Given the small number of remaining Orthodox in Turkey the choice of a qualified head of the Church is increasingly difficult. To make matters worse, that the training of priests is not currently possible in Turkey. The only remaining Greek Orthodox seminary in Turkey, on the Prince Island of Heybeliada ( Halki in Greek ) in the Sea of Marmara in 1971, when Turkey nationalized all private universities closed by the state. The reason was that the Turkish government demanded a formal connection of the seminary to the religious school of the University of Istanbul, but patriarchy insisted on independence. A reopening was promised by the Turkish government again, this has not been implemented to date in the act. Priests and theologians are therefore dependent to study abroad.