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The '''Church of Constantinople''' is one of the fourteen or fifteen [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] churches, also referred to as the '''Ecumenical [[Patriarchate]]'''. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch, who has the status of ''[[primus inter pares]]'' ("first among equals") among the world's Orthodox [[bishop]]s. The local churches of the Ecumenical Patriarchate consist of five archdioceses, three churches, thirteen metropolises, and one diocese, each of which reports directly to the Patriarch of Constantinople with no intervening authority. In addition, three of the five archdioceses have internal metropolises (16 in all), which are part of their respective archdioceses rather than distinct administrative entities, unlike the other metropolises.

The local churches of the current Ecumenical Patriarchate consist of five archdioceses, three churches, thirteen metropolises, and one diocese, each of which reports directly to the Patriarch is His All-Holiness [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople with no intervening authority. In addition|Bartholomew I]], three Archbishop of the five archdioceses have internal metropolises (16 in all), which are part of their respective archdioceses rather than distinct administrative entities, unlike the other metropolisesConstantinople.

== Structure Metropolitanates of the Patriarchate Constantinople==:<small> ''See article on the </small> Main Article'' '''[[Church of Constantinople Structure]]'''</small>

The [[Church of Constantinople]] is headed by the [[Patriarch of Constantinople]] and is split into a number of Metropolitanates as listed below.[[Image:Byzantine-Constantinople.jpg|left|thumb|Map of Byzantine Constantinople.]]{| width="100%" align= Hierarchical Succession "center" cellpadding="2" border=0| align="left" valign="top"|*The current Ecumenical Patriarch is His All-Holiness '''[[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) Archdiocese of Constantinople]]'''**[[District of Stavrodromion]]**[[District of Tatavla]]**[[District of the Bosphorous]]**[[District of Hypsomatheia]]**[[District of the Phanar and the Keratius gulf]] | align="left" valign="top"|*'''Sacred Metropolitanates within Turkey:'''**[[Metropolis of Chalcedon]]**[[Metropolis of Derkoi]]**[[Metropolis of the Imbros and Tenedos|Bartholomew IMetropolis of Gokceada and Bozcaada (Imbros and Tenedos)]], Archbishop **[[Metropolis of Constantinople.the Prince Islands]]| align="left" valign="top"||}

:<small>''See also:</small> [[List == Places of Patriarchs Pilgrimage ==Some sites of Constantinople]]''pilgrimage are no longer owned by the Church nor function as orthodox centres but are historically connected and of great significance to Orthodoxy.

== The Holy and Sacred Synod ==* Church of [[Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)|Hagia Sophia ]]:<small> ''See Main Article:</small> * [[Church of the Holy Synod of Apostles (Constantinople)]]''

The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is presided over by His All-Holiness [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]], Archbishop of Constantinople and is comprised of XX Metropolitans<gallery>Image:ChristChora.JPGImage:Christ03.JPG</gallery>

:''Main article: [[Prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate]]'' 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 Patriarchate#Canonical claims|canonical grounds]] by certain other Orthodox churches, particularly the [[Church of Russia]]. [[Image:Ecumenical Patriarchate.jpg|left|frame|The entrance to the headquarters of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the [[Phanar]] in Constantinople]]

== External links ==* [http://www.ec-patr.org/default.php?lang=en/ Official website of the Patriarchate of Constantinople]* [http://www.ecupatria.org Official website of the Permanent Representation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to the World Council of Churches] * [http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg-us.aspx?eccpageID=13&IndexView=toc Eastern Christian Churches: Patriarchate of Constantinople] by Ronald Roberson, a Roman Catholic priest and scholar*[http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8148.asp The Origins and Authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church], by [[Demetrios Constantelos|Demetrios J. Constantelos]]

 *Prof. Thomas Mathews. [http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/fineart/html/Byzantine/ The Byzantine Churches of Constantinople]. New York University (Institute of fine Arts).*[http://www.byzantium1200.com/ Byzantium 1200] (Byzantium 1200 is a project aimed at creating computer reconstructions of the Byzantine Monuments located in Istanbul, TURKEY as of year 1200 AD). * [http://www.patriarchate.org/ecumenical_patriarchate/timeline.swf Timeline]* [http://www.patriarchate.org/media/vrtour_patriarchate.php Virtual tour]* [http://www.archons.patriarchate.org/patriarchate/ History]* [http://realserver.goarch.org/ram/en/lightstillbright.ram History - video]* [http://orthodoxinfo.com/ecumenism/ea_patriarch.aspx Articles Critical of Actions of Positions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate]*[http://www.ortodoksi.net/index.php/The_Legal_Status_of_the_Ecumenical_Patriarchate The Legal Status of the Ecumenical Patriarchate] by Jaakko Husa, Professor of Constitutional Law and General Jurisprudence at the University of Joensuu (Finland) / Ortodoksi.net 

[[ar:بطريركية القسطنطينية]][[el:Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο]]