'''Primus inter pares''First among equals', or ''first among equals'' , is a Latin phrase indicating that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office. Some political examples include the Prime Minister of many Commonwealth nations Usually, the President of the European Commission, and the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Courtrole is considered a necessary inclusion in a system in which all parties are equal.

This also applies to religious figuresIn the Orthodox Church, such as the Dean [[Church of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]] (currently His All-Holiness [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]]) fulfils this role. Historically, the [[College pope|bishop of CardinalsRome]] was considered the first among equals of the [[Roman Catholic Churchpentarchy]]. The rising amount of power claimed by the pope, or along with other factors, was the [[ecclesiology|ecclesiological]] reason for the [[Ecumenical PatriarchGreat Schism]] . After the Schism, however, the role of first among equals fell to the patriarch of Constantinople. ==Equivalents==On [[Orthodox ChurchMount Athos]], the head of civil administration, styled ''protos'' (first), is elected for a limited time to govern the civil aspects of the Holy Mountain. Some political examples include the Prime Minister of many Commonwealth nations, the President of the European Commission, and the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The term was also used by [[Roman Emperor]]s Emperors as a means of reducing the appearance of dictatorship (which was , particularly important during the early [[Roman Empire]] to appease those who may have longed for a return to the old Roman Republic. This also applies to religious figures outside of the Orthodox Church. The Dean of the College of Cardinals is considered to be the primus inter pares of this College in the [[Roman RepublicCatholic Church]]. In the [[Anglican Communion]], the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]is often considered to be "first among equals". The [[Moderator of the General Assembly (Presbyterianism)|Moderator of the General Assembly]] in a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian church]] is similarly designated. The senior bishop of the seven [[diocese]]an bishops of the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]] bears the truncated title [[Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church|Primus]] from ''primus inter pares''.

The phrase "first among equals" is also used by some to describe the role of the [[Patriarch of Constantinople]], who, as the ''Ecumenical Patriarch'', is considered the first among all the Patriarchs of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]esChurches. According to those views, the title does not mean that the holder has special authority over the other [[bishop]]s; rather, it is an acknowledgement of his historic significance. This is not the view of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], which considers the pope to be [[Pope|Vicar of Christ]], successor of [[Apostle Peter|Saint Peter]], and absolute leader of the bishops, [[Apostolic succession|successors]] of the [[Apostle]]s. Because of this, the Roman Catholic Church sees the pope as holding an office senior to that of other bishops, rather than merely being the most senior bishop. This claim was one of the main causes of the Great Schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church around 1054.

This is not the view of the ==See also==*[[Roman Catholic Church]], which considers the Pope to be [[Pope|Vicar of ChristRome]], successor of *[[Saint Peter]], and leader Prerogatives of the bishops, [[Apostolic succession|successorsEcumenical Patriarchate]] of the *[[ApostlePrimacy and Unity in Orthodox Ecclesiology]]s. Because of this, the Roman Catholic Church sees the Pope as holding an office senior to that of other bishops, rather than merely being the most senior bishop. This claim was one of the main causes of the [[East-West Schism]] in the Christian church, finalized in 1054. However, the Dean of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church is generally considered to be the first among equals in the College.

In the ==Source==* [[Anglican Communion]], the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] is often considered to be "first among equals"http://en.wikipedia. The [[Moderator of the General Assembly]] in a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian church]] is similarly designatedorg/w/index. The senior bishop of the seven [[diocese]]an bishops of the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]] bears the truncated php?title [[Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church|Primus=Primus_inter_pares&oldid=67646207 Wikipedia article]] from ''primus inter pares''.

In the [[Church of SwedenCategory:Ecclesiology]], the [[Archbishop of Uppsala]] is considered primus inter pares.

==See also==* [http[ro://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primus_inter_pares Wikipedia Article]* [[Primacy and Unity in Orthodox Ecclesiology]]* [[Church of RomePrimus inter pares]]