Folia Canonica 5. (2002)
PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "Tra Chiesa universale e Chiesa particolare", Budapest, 2nd February 2002 - Gennadios of Sassima: The Canonical Status of the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Canonical Order of the Orthodox Churches: Nature and Extension of its Authority
272 GENNADIOS OF SASSIMA always to the injunction to serve and follow the Lord’s example. It still remains today firmly devoted to its ecumenical mission to carry on exercising its canonical power amongst the sister Orthodox churches, always in the context of the sense of service and diakonia expressed in fraternal collegiality. It is always ready to serve in every way the sister churches and to provide unity between them, in fulfillment of Orthodoxy’s worldwide mission and to the glory of Christ. The “primacies of honor”3 meant originally a preference for the witness of the mother church, which expressed its witness in the large assemblies of bishops, in synods or councils. These were convoked by the bishop of the mother church4, and through him and in him the mother church received the honor rec3 See Metropolitan Maximos of Sardes, The Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Orthodox Church, edited by the Patriarchal Institute for Patristic Studies, Thessaloniki 1976, translated from the Greek original. 4Cf. Metropolitan Maximos Arghiorgousis. Bishop of Pittsburgh, “Sister Churches” Ecclesiological Implications, in Epistimoniki Parousia Estias Theologon Halkis (Scientific Presence of the Association of Theologian of the Theological School of Halki). On the occasion of 150'b Anniversary of the Holy Theological School of Halki 1844-1994, Athens 1994, 357-360: The author writes that: The golden age of Christian Patrology gives us at least two good examples for the use of the expressions "mother" and "sister church’’ which are unequivocal and unique. They are given by two of the most prominent fathers in patristic literature, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. Basil the Great. Also, years later, we have, at least one clear example of the use of "sister" churches by the Western author, Innocent I, Pope of Rome. Mother Church : The first case involves St. Gregory of Nazianzus, regarding the expression ” Mother Church ", The expression appears three times in Gregory's letters. The first letter (XCL), dated July-September 370, is sent to the prominent clergy and laity of the church of Caesarea, Cappadocia. Its purpose is to promote the candidacy of the priest Basil to the metropolitan throne of Caesarea, because it is the central city of Cappadocia, looked upon as a kind of "mother " by the area Christian community. St. Gregory says «Caesarea is more important than any area church: for since the beginning she was the mother of almost all the churches; she continues to be this; she continues to be regarded as such; she attracts the attention of the Christian community which surrounds it with her as the center” (Letter XLI,6). The reasons for this attraction are very clear: "This role [motherhood] belongs to her not only because of the sound faith which she has always propagated to all; but also because of the onemindedness which God grants her in a very evident". The second Letter (XLIV), dating also July-September 370, is addressed to Eusebius of Samosata. The reason is also the same at the importance of Caesarea, the "mother church ” of Cappadocia : "our mother church, that is the Church of Caesarea ” (Letter XLIV). The Third Letter (L) addressed to St. Basil which is written on behalf of St. Gregory's father, Gregory senior, to assure Basil of the support of the bishop of Arianzus against the claims of Anthimus of Tyana. Anthimus claims that this new diocese of "second Cappadocia” is more important than that of St. Basil because it is larger one than old Cappadocia. Gregory answers Anthimus : "If you feel that your diocese is larger, why, than, do you try to include our town into your circumiscription? Are we too not part of this church (of Caesarea) which is truly the mother of the other
