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

The main spiritual guide for Eastern Orthodoxy, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople — Patriarch Bartholomew — holds much less authority than the pope, for example.

From New York Times • Nov. 22, 2022

It fought for years for recognition from the ecumenical patriarch in Istanbul before finally getting its wish in 2019.

From Reuters • Jun. 30, 2022

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

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

Constantine, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, so presented to the bishops by the emperor in 754, 403; banished to Prince's Island in 766, 405; degraded in Sancta Sophia, 407; imprisoned, condemned, beheaded, and dissected, 768, 408.

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