Posted by Leo
on 6/22/2009, 8:35 pm
I was just reminded in something I read, of the proverbial tradition in the Orthodox Empire of the Romans that the Emperor at Constantinople served as "bishop [or perhaps overseer] of those outside the Empire;" hence his coordination and even initiation of "missions" not only diplomatic but evangelistic, his serving as Baptismal godfather for a foreign ruler converting to (Byzantine) Christianity, etc.
Now, I've never heard anyone argue like this before, but is it possible something like this, at least in part, is going through the minds, even subconsciously, of pro-C'opolitans when they draft Canon 28 of the 4th Ecumenical Synod (Chalcedon) into the service of their claims to universal jurisdiction "among the Barbarians / outside [what they recognize as] the existing canonical boundaries of Orthodox Churches"? IOW, the "Ecumenical" Patriarch as successor to the Emperor of the Romans, even Rum Millet bashi, and therefore now also "Patriarch of those outside"?
Not that I wanna help them or anything, just trying to get at a comprehension of a claim made so incredibly....
--Leo
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