Reformer or removed

There were a few artichles about the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch. They may be a little confusing because the situation is a very confusing, chaotic. Bottom line is that primate of Turkish Orthodox Church is posing and acting as Ecumenical (global) Patriarch, probably without having proper authorization. There are only fifteen thousand or less Orthodox in Turkiye. It is below the fiftieth place in number of adherents. Russia which is in first place has more than a hundred million Orthodox.

Event hough Patriarch of Constantinople is the leader of so few Orthodox, he is posing as the Ecumenical Patriarch and the leader of all Orthodox Christians. How has this insanity happened? We do not know the historical details but we can guess. Byzantine Empire was initially the center of Orthodoxy. Patriarch of Constantinople was the primate of Byzantine Orthodox Church by Byzantine laws.

Byzantines spread Orthodoxy to other areas outside their Empire. Probably, initially Orthodox outside Byzantium were under the jurisdiction of Constantinople's Patriarch. So Patriarch of Constantinople was correctly Ecumenical. In 1448 AD, Russian Church declared autocephaly. When this happened, Patriarch of Constantinople stopped being Ecumenical.

In order to remain Ecumenical, he would need authorization from Russian and any other autocephalus Church. There are two possibilities. One is that he got that authorization. The other is that he retained the title of Ecumenical without authorization. Perhaps Russian or any other autocephalus Church did not bother to dispute the title because it was only a title. He was not acting as Ecumenical but only as Patriarch of Byzantine Empire.

A few years later, in 1453 AD, the fall of Constantinople occurred. Patriarch of Constantinople became administrative and religious leader of all Orthodox in Ottoman Empire by Ottoman laws. Even if Russian Church and any other autocephalous Church had given the Patriarch of Constantinople authorization to be Ecumenical, during Byzantine era, it was not valid anymore.

In order to be Ecumenical, he would need again authorization from all autocephalus Churches. There are two possibilities. Patriarch of Constantinople may have received that authorization or just kept the title of Ecumenical without proper authorization. Perhaps other autocephalus Churches did not bother to dispute the title because it was only a title. He was only acting as the leader of Orthodox in Ottoman Empire.

After the break up of Ottoman Empire, Patriarch of Constantinople became the head of Orthodox in Turkiye by Turkish laws. In order to be Ecumenical, he would need proper authorization from all autocephalus Orhodox Churches at that time. In addition, he would need authorization from any other Churches that became autocephalus subsequently. It is really doubtful that he has those authorizations.

Currently, there are eighteen more autocephalous Churches; Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Moscow, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania, Czech Lands and Slovakia, America, Ukraine, Macedonian (North), Montenegrin, Belarusian. Bathrolomew would need authorization from them to act as Ecumenical. Otherwise he can be prosecuted. Even if there is authorization, something really doubtful, there are valid reasons to cancel it.

We should make a clarification. Approximately 80% of Orthodox are Eastern and the rest Oriental. Ethiopia, Erithrea, Armenia are Orthodox but Monophysites or Miaphysites. Oriental Orthodoxy is in other countries as well. In Eastern Europe, it is Eastern Orthodoxy. In Ethiopia, there are more than fifty million adherents. Among all Orthodox, Ethiopia has the second largest number of followers, after Russia. We do not know if Eastern and Oriental can form one Orthodox Church because there are differences in beliefs. This is a religious matter.

Probably, Patriarch of Constantinople retained the Ecumenical title and the other autocephalus Churches did not dispute that because it was only a title. Greeks and Cypriots foolishly accepted the head of Turkish Orthodox Church as Ecumenical. Not only that, they placed Greek diaspora under the jurisdiction of Constantinople's Patriarchate, for their own foolish reasons. These people are unbelievable! It is not strange that they have big problems but that they do not have many more problems with all the stupidities they do. 

So Patriarch of Constantinople was Ecumenical, for Greeks and Cypriots only. During communist era in Eastern Europe, Greeks, Cypriots and Greek diaspora where the only active Orthodox in the world. Bartholomew became Patriarch in 1991, at around the same time that communism ended in Eastern Europe. He has been posing and acting as the leader of all Orthodox in the world and he is widely accepted so.

The fact that a) Patriarchs of Constantinople retained the title of Ecumenical with out proper authorization b) during communist era they may have been Ecumenical, does not give Bartholomew the right to act as the leader of all Orthodox Christians. The situation is very messy and has to change. They would have to figure out the procedures and formalities in Patriarchate of Constantinople.

We suggested that Ecumenical Patriarchate should move to an Orthodox country. Temporary it could be Salonika. Obviously, the seat of Turkish Orthodox Church must remain in Constantinople. There can be an extension of Constantinople's Patriarchate in Salonica that will deal with Ecumenical matters. Alternatively, the extension can be in another Greek city closer to Constantinople, like Alexandroupoli.

Another option is to split Ecumenical Patriarchate and Turkish Orthodox Church. Some one else can be elected as the primate of Turkish Orthodox Church and Bathrolomew be Ecumenical. They can do whatever they want because they do not have anyone above them. If they are in Turkiye, they must oblige to Turkish laws. Also Turkish Orthodox Church must be under Turkish laws.

But Turkish laws do not forbid them to separate Ecumenical Patriarchate from Turkish Orthodox Church or make an extension in Greece that will deal with Ecumenical matters. They have lawyers that can tell them what to do. And if they can't figure it out, Anti-NWO can tell them what to do. There should be some way to get out of this mess. 

We stated that Bartholomew is not really Ecumenical. So if he makes reforms like the ones suggested above, how valid would they be? Their validity can be disputed as any action Bartholomew takes as Ecumenical. Nevertheless, if the changes are in the right direction, no Orthodox Church would dispute them. And when the new Patriarch is elected among clergy men from all Orthodox Churches, he will be undisputable.

Another option would be if Bathrolomew renounces Ecumenical authority. In this case, a real Ecumenical can be elected. The same will happen if Orthodox Churches renounce this authority. If Bartholomew does it, he will make things easier. Bartholomew could be mentioned in history as an important reformer or someone who was removed and even prosecuted. Obviously, if he has common sense, he would prefer the first.