Annex 1
The Primates of the ancient Local Orthodox Churches have very extensive titles that developed in the first centuries of Christianity. Currently, in the practice of communication and correspondence, a shorter form is usually used, although knowledge of the full titles of the First Hierarchs of the Local Churches remains necessary for everyone who, by profession, actively participates in inter-Orthodox contacts.
| English | Ελληνικά | Russian (extended) | Russian (brief) |
| His Holiness BARTHOLOMEW I Archbishop of Constantinopole – New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Your Holiness! | ? “Ρώμης καί Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης κυριος κύριος ΒΑΡΘΟΛΟΜΑΙΟΣ Παναγι ώτατε! | His Divine All-Holiness, Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr. Bartholomew I Your All-Holiness! | His Holiness, His Holiness BARTHOLOMEI I, Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Your Holiness! |
| His Beatitude THEODOROS II Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Your Beatitude! | ? ?? ??? ίτος καί δέκατος τών Αποστόλων καί Κριτής τής Οικουμένης κύριος κύριο ς ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΣ Β" Μακαριότατε ! | His Divine Beatitude, Most Beatitude Pope and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, Libya, Pentategos, Ethiopia, and all Egypt, and all Africa, father of fathers, shepherd of shepherds, bishop of bishops, thirteenth of the Apostles and judge of the Universe, Mr. THEODORUS II Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, Your Beatitude Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Your Beatitude! |
| His Beatitude IGNATIUS IV Patriarch of the Great Antioch and All the East Your Beatitude! | ? ιόχειας, Συρίας, Αραβίας, Κιλικίας, Ίβηρίας τε καί Μεσοποταμίας καί πάσης Αν ατολής κύριος κύριος ΙΓΝΑΤΙΟΣ Δ" Μακαριότατε! | His Divine Beatitude, Most Beatitude Patriarch of the Great City of God of Antioch, Syria, Arabia, Cilicia, Iberia, Mesopotamia and the whole East, Mr. IGNATIUS IV Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, Your Beatitude IGNATIUS IV, Patriarch of Great Antioch and the whole East Your Beatitude! |
| His Beatitude THEOPHILUS Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine Your Beatitude! | ? καί πάσης Παλαιστίνης, Συρίας, Αραβίας, Πέραν τού Ίορδανοϋ, Κανά τής Γαλιλα ίας καί Αγίας Σιών κύριος κύριος ΘΕΟΦΙΛΟΣ Μακαριότατε! | His Divine Beatitude, His Beatitude Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, Syria, Arabia, all Transjordan, Cana of Galilee and Holy Zion, Mr. THEOPHILOS Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, Your Beatitude THEOPHILIUS, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine Your Beatitude! |
| His Holines ALEXY II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Your Holiness! | Ή ?? ΛΕΞΙΟΣ ό Β" Μακαριότατε! | His Holiness, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', Mr. ALEXIY II Your Holiness! | His Holiness, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' ALEXIY II Your Holiness! |
| His Holiness and Beati¬tude ILIA II Catholicos Patriarch Off All Georgia Archbishop of Mtskheta And Tbilisi Your Holiness! | Ή ?? ς Μετσχέτης καί Τυφλίδος κύριος κύριος ΗΛΙΑΝ ό Β" Μακαριώτατε! | His Holiness and Beatitude, His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheti and Tbilisi, Mr. ILIA II Your Holiness! | His Holiness and Beatitude, His Holiness and Beatitude ILIA II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi Your Holiness! |
| His Holiness PAVLE Archbishop of Pec Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci Patriarch of Serbia Your Beatitude! | ? οπολίτης Βελιγραδι¬ού καί Καρλοβίκίου κύριος κύριος ΠΑΥΛΟΣ Μακαριώτατε ! | His Holiness, His Holiness the Patriarch of Serbia, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovec, Mr. PAUL Your Holiness! | His Holiness, His Holiness Paul, Archbishop of Pecs, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovac, Patriarch of Serbia Your Holiness! |
| His Beatitude THEOCTIST Archbishop of Bucharest Metropolitan of Munteniei and Dobrogei Patriarch of Romania Your Beatitude! | ? ντένία καί Δοβρουτσάς, Πατριάρχης πάσης «Ρουμανίας κύριος κύριος ΘΕΟΚΤΙ ΣΤΟΣ Μακαριώτατε! | His Beatitude, His Beatitude the Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja, Patriarch of All Romania, Mr. FEOCTIST Your Holiness! | His Beatitude, His Beatitude the Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudja, Patriarch of All Romania, Mr. FEOCTIST Your Holiness! |
| His Holiness MAXIM Patriarch of Bulgaria Your Holiness! | ? ύριος ΜΑΞΙΜΟΣ Μακαριώτατε! | His Holiness, His Holiness the Patriarch of Bulgaria, Metropolitan of Sofia, Mr. MAXIM Your Holiness! | His Holiness, His Holiness MAXIM, Patriarch of Bulgaria Your Holiness! |
| His Beatitude CHRYSOSTOMOS Archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus Your Beatitude! | ? υ κύριος κύριος ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΣ Μακαριώτατε! | His Beatitude, Most Beatitude Archbishop of New Justiniana and all Cyprus, Mr. CHRYSOSTOM Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, Most Beatitude CHRISOSTOMOS, Archbishop of New Justiniana and all Cyprus Your Beatitude! |
| His Beatitude CHRYSTODOULOS Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Your Beatitude! | ? ύριος ΧΡΙΣΤΟΔΟΥΛΟΣ Μακαριώτατε! | His Beatitude, Your Beatitude, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. CHRISTODULUS Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, Most Beatitude CHRISTODULUS, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Your Beatitude! |
| His Beatitude ANASTASIUS Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania Your Beatitude! | Ή ?? ολίτης Τιράνων, Δυρραχίου καί Έλβασάν κύριος κύριος ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΟΣ Μακαριω τατε! | His Beatitude, His Beatitude Archbishop of Tirana and all Albania, Metropolitan of Tirana, Durahi and Elvasan, Mr. ANASTASIUS Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, Your Beatitude ANASTASIUS, Archbishop of Tirana and all Albania Your Beatitude! |
| His Beatitude SAWA Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland Your Beatitude! | ? ς κύριος ΣΑΒΒΑΣ Μακαριωτατε! | His Beatitude, His Beatitude Metropolitan of all the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Mr. CHRISTOPHER Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, Your Beatitude CHRISTOPHER, Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia Your Beatitude! |
| His Beatitude HERMAN Archbishop of Washington Metropolitan of All America and Canada Your Beatitude! | ? Oh my God! | His Beatitude, His Beatitude the Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada, Mr. HERMAN Your Beatitude! | His Beatitude, His Beatitude HERMAN, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada Your Beatitude! |
| His Eminence DAMIAN Archbishop of Sinai, Pharan and Raitho Your Eminence! | ? ος ΔΑΜΙΑΝΟΣ Σεβασμιώτατε! | His Eminence, Your Eminence Archbishop of Sinai, Paran and Raifa, Mr. DAMIAN Your Eminence! | His Eminence, Your Eminence DAMIAN, Archbishop of Sinai, Parano and Raifa Your Eminence! |
| His Eminence LEO Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland Your Eminence! | Ή ?? ιος κύριος ΛΕΩΝ Σεβασμιώτατε! | His Eminence, Your Eminence the Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland, Mr. LEV Your Eminence! | His Eminence, Your Eminence LEO, Archbishop of Karelian and All Finland Your Eminence! |
| His Eminence DANIEL Archbishop of Tokyo Metropolitan of All Japan Your Eminence! | ? πωνίας κύριος κύριος ΔΑΝΙΗΛ Σεβασμιώτατε! | His Eminence, Your Eminence the Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan, Mr. DANIEL Your Eminence! | His Eminence, Your Eminence DANIEL, Archbishop of Tokyo, Metropolitan of All Japan Your Eminence! |
Note.
The title of Primates of Churches in Russian is not a literal translation of the Greek title, but reflects the practice that has developed in the implementation of inter-church relations in the Russian Orthodox Church, where, for example, when addressing the Patriarchs of the Georgian, Serbian and Bulgarian Churches, the title “Holiness” is traditionally used (as well as when addressing the High Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church). In the Greek-speaking Local Orthodox Churches, in these cases the title “Blessed” is used. In the same Churches, Archbishop Herman of Washington is titled as the ruling diocesan bishop, since the Patriarchate of Constantinople considers the American Autocephalous Church as a metropolitanate of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Church in the Balkans
On the night of December 27, 2022, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the law “On freedom of religion and belief and the legal status of religious communities,” providing for the confiscation of church property from the SOC. 45 deputies out of 45 present voted in support of the law; the document was considered after the police detained all opposition deputies. On December 28, the law was signed by Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. After this, parishioners of the SOC held mass protests in Montenegro, Serbia and the Republika Srpska (as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina) against the oppression of the Serbian Church in Montenegro.
The meeting of primates and delegations of local churches called on the Montenegrin authorities to respect the church’s right to property. “With regard to Montenegro: the meeting participants call on the relevant authorities to respect and protect the fundamental right to property, including the right of the church,” is written in its final document.
In addition, the delegations participating in the meeting insist that the issue of church schism in North Macedonia “must be resolved through dialogue with the Serbian Orthodox Church and with pan-Orthodox support.” The split in the country lies in the fact that the Macedonian Church, which previously broke away from the Serbian Church and does not have prayerful communication with recognized local Orthodox churches, considers North Macedonia its canonical territory. At the same time, the Serbian Church considers the MOC schismatic, and the territory of North Macedonia as canonically its own.
Participants in the establishment of the patriarchate in Russia
Probably, the initiator of the creation of the title of Russian patriarch was Boris Godunov, who had no difficulty developing vigorous activity in this direction, of course, on behalf of the tsar. Metropolitan Job was chosen as a candidate, who was completely devoted to Godunov, his old patron - it was Godunov who at one time secured the title of metropolitan for Job. As the events of the Time of Troubles showed, Job, even after the death of Boris Godunov, remained faithful to him, for which he paid, being sent into exile by the impostor False Dmitry, who got himself another patriarch in his place.
The most important participant in the establishment of the patriarchate in Russia was Jeremiah II, the Ecumenical (that is, Constantinople) Patriarch, who specially arrived in Moscow in 1588 for negotiations. It was he who appointed Metropolitan Job as Russian Patriarch, although this decision was met negatively by many representatives of the Eastern Orthodox churches.
Under which king was the patriarchate established?
The Russian patriarchate was established under Fyodor I Ioannovich, who ascended the throne after the death of Ivan the Terrible. Contemporaries described Fedor I as a pious and blessed man, created for a monastery cell, and not for ruling a state. However, he himself did not seek to manage state affairs, entrusting them to his associates. Fyodor Ioannovich did not leave any heirs behind him, and after his death the Moscow Rurikovich dynasty came to an end completely.
Church dialogue format
During the meeting, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk shared with journalists his opinion that there is currently no alternative to the “Amman” format of dialogue between Orthodox jurisdictions. “We hope that if the process of these inter-Orthodox consultations continues, more and more churches will join it, because there is no alternative process now,” he said, expressing hope for the continuation of meetings.
The final communiqué of the meeting in Amman assumes that the next meeting of its participants will be held before the end of 2022. “The delegations decided that they should gather as brothers, preferably before the end of this year, to strengthen the bonds of cooperation through prayer and dialogue. The participants hope that His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, with his inherent primacy of honor, will join the dialogue together with other brother patriarchs,” the document says. After this, the head of the DECR told reporters that meetings on the “Amman” scheme would continue regardless of whether Patriarch Bartholomew would participate in them or not.
In addition, the six churches participating in the negotiations agreed to hold a joint prayer in Jerusalem. “The delegations accepted the call of their brother Patriarch Theophilus III to pray for peace, an end to wars, disease and suffering, for all Christians, and especially for the unity of Orthodoxy. This prayer will take place in the mother church, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, in front of the tomb of Jesus Christ, from which he rose and proclaimed peace to the world,” the communiqué reads. According to Metropolitan Hilarion, this invitation extends to all generally recognized local Orthodox churches.
The press service of Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem told TASS that the joint prayer will not take place immediately after the meeting in Amman.
