ecumenical patriarch

American  

noun

1. the patriarch of Constantinople, regarded as the highest dignitary of the Greek Orthodox Church.

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Other Word Forms

• ecumenical patriarchate
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ecumenical patriarch

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Large portions of the communion are in national churches that are independently governed, with the ecumenical patriarch having only symbolic prominence, though he does directly oversee Greek Orthodox and some other jurisdictions.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2021

It brings together Christian leaders, including the pope, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Orthodox ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew, as well as representatives of Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Jainism.

From Reuters • Oct. 3, 2021

Fellow church leaders, such as the Orthodox leader, ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew, and the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, politicians and other public figures flock to meet him.

From The Guardian • Feb. 17, 2018

The French Orthodox association is instead loyal to the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, a rival church leadership in Istanbul that has provided a haven for many of Mr. Putin’s churchgoing foes.

From New York Times • Sep. 13, 2016

Justinian never broke from that acknowledgment, but he termed his own bishop ecumenical patriarch in his laws: and every Byzantine bishop clung to the title given by an absolute sovereign.

From The Formation of Christendom, Volume VII by Allies, Thomas W.