Moscow, July 26, Interfax - Statements by the Greek Foreign Ministry that the Patriarchate of Constantinople has been the head of all Orthodox believers since the 6th century and remains the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians have no historical foundation, the Russian Orthodox Church announced.

A recent joint statement by Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and the leader of the European People's Party (EPP) Wilfried Martens voices support for Patriarch Bartolomew I of Constantinople and says that he has been the head of the Orthodox Church throughout the world since the 6th century and is the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox believers worldwide.

Bakoyannis and Martens demand that Turkey recognize the international status and the succession right within Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople based in Istanbul, as well as recognize its right as a legal entity and return the church's property.

"The Russian Orthodox Church deeply regrets in connection with any unfounded restriction of freedom of belief of the Orthodox faith, wherever it happens, and never has doubted either the historical title of 'archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecuмenical Patriarchate' or the title of the '13th Apostle, Judge of the Universe' which traditionally belongs to the Patriarch of Alexandria," the Moscow Patriarchate told Interfax.

When these titles appeared, the universe meant the Byzantine Empire and the concept of "world jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople" or the affiliation to it of "300 million Orthodox Christians" was not true, because the "Patriarchate of Constantinople is one of 15 autonomous (autocephalous) local Orthodox Churches and far from the most numerous one," the Moscow Patriarchate said.

In the diptych (list containing the names of primates of Orthodox Churches), "The Patriarch of Constantinople traditionally holds the first, honorable place, but it gives no authority beyond the Constantinople Church," and in addition, it was reserved for Constantinople not since the 6th, but since the 9th century, because "before the final division between the Churches of Constantinople and Rome in 1054, the first place in the diptych, under the sacred canons, indisputably belonged to the Bishop of Rome," the Moscow Patriarchate said.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=3387