In history and in [[canons (law)|canonical literature]] (i.e. the Church's canons and traditional commentaries on them), the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been granted certain prerogatives (''[[presbeia]]'') which other autocephalous Orthodox churches do not have. Not all of these prerogatives are today universally acknowledged, though all do have precedents in history and canonical references. The nature of these prerogatives or even their very existence is hotly contested on [[Prerogatives_of_the_Ecumenical_PatriarchatePrerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate#Canonical_claimsCanonical claims|canonical grounds]] by certain other Orthodox churches, particularly the [[Church of Russia]].