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John Binns writes that, after the fall and destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, the natural leading centres of the Church were Antioch and Alexandria. Alexandria had been assisted by Mark <ref>John Binns, ''An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches'', Cambridge University Press, UK, 2002, p144</ref>, one of the [[Seventy Apostles]]. Antioch had attracted Peter and Paul and Barnabas, plus others of the Seventy. Antioch was the base from which Paul made his missionary journeys to the pagans. <ref>Acts 11:19-26, Acts 12:24-25, Acts 13:1-3, Acts 14:24-28, Acts 15:1-2, Acts 15:22-40, Acts 18:22-23, Acts 19:21-22, Gal 2:11-14</ref>. The [[Church of Antioch]] sent the apostles Peter and Paul to Rome to assist the fledgling church there in its growth, and because Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire. Antioch regarded Peter as its first bishop <ref>John Binns, ''An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches'', Cambridge University Press, UK, 2002, p144</ref>.
Will Durant writes that, after Jerusalem, the church of Rome naturally became the primary church, the capital of Christianity.<ref name="CC">Durant, Will. ''Caesar and Christ''. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1972</ref> Rome had an early and significant Christian population.<ref name="CC"/> It was closely identified with the [[Apostle Paul|Paul of Tarsus]], who preached and was [[martyr]]ed there, and the [[Apostle Peter]], who was a martyr there as well. The Eastern Orthodox liturgy calls Peter and Paul "the wisest Apostles and their princes" and "the radiant ornaments of Rome".<ref>[http://www.anastasis.org.uk/29_june.htm Great Vespers of 29 June]</ref><ref>[http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/menaia.htm#_Toc102863625 Menaion, 29 June]</ref> Peter is seen as founder of the Church in Rome,<ref>[http://www.pittsburgh.goarch.org/illuminator/illum-2004-dec.pdf The Illuminator, The Newspaper of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, Oct.-Dec. 2004, p.7]</ref> and the bishops of Rome as his successors.<ref>[http://www.orthodox.net/saints/70apostles.html "Linus was bishop of Rome after the holy apostle Peter"]</ref><ref>Pope [[Pope Benedict XVI]] is "the 265th successor of the St Peter" ([http://www.archons.org/pdf/2007/2007_Annual_Archon_Report.pdf Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, 2007 Annual Report to His All Holiness Bartholomew]</ref> While the Eastern cities of Alexandria and Antioch produced theological works, the bishops of Rome focused on what Romans admittedly did best: administration.<ref name="CC"/>
Leading Orthodox theologian, Father [[Thomas Hopko]] has written: "The church of Rome held a special place of honor among the earliest Christian churches. It was first among the communities that recognized each other as catholic churches holding the orthodox faith concerning God's Gospel in Jesus. According to St Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch who died a martyr's death in Rome around the year 110, 'the church which presides in the territories of the Romans' was 'a church worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of felicitation, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and presiding in love, maintaining the law of Christ, bearer of the Father's name.' The Roman church held this place of honor and exercised a 'presidency in love' among the first Christian churches for two reasons. It was founded on the teaching and blood of the foremost Christian apostles Peter and Paul. And it was the church of the capital city of the Roman empire that then constituted the 'civilized world (oikoumene)'."<ref>[http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles6/HopkoPope.php Roman Presidency and Christian Unity in our Time]</ref>
