Relation To The Republic of Turkey
With the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923, the authority of the Ottoman Empire over the Patriarch was transferred to the Republic. The Turkish state only recognizes the Patriarch as the spiritual leader of the Greek minority in Turkey, and officially refers to him as the "Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Phanar" (Turkish: Fener Rum Ortodoks Patriği) (Phanar is the neighbourhood in Istanbul where the patriarchate is located). According to Turkish law, still in force today, he is subject to the authority of the Republic of Turkey; however, Turkey allows the Standing Synod of Metropolitan Bishops to elect the Patriarch. To be electable, Turkish law requires the candidates to be Turkish citizens by birth. Since the establishment of modern Turkey, the position of the Ecumenical Patriarch has been filled by Turkish-born citizens of Greek ethnicity. As nearly all Greek Orthodox have left Turkey (see Population exchange between Greece and Turkey and Istanbul Pogrom), this considerably narrows the field of candidates for succession.
Human rights groups and Christian governments have long protested against conditions placed by the secular government of Turkey on the Ecumenical Patriarch, a religious office. For example, the ecumenical status accorded him traditionally within Eastern Orthodoxy, and recognized previously by the Ottoman governments, has on occasion been a source of controversy within the Republic of Turkey. This policy results in problems in the function of the Patriarchate, since clergy coming from abroad are not eligible to apply for residence and work permits. In its early days the Turkish state promoted a rival Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate, whose congregation, however, has remained limited.
Expropriation of Church property and the conditions of state control imposed on the Orthodox Theological School of Halki that have led to its closure by the Patriarchate, are also cited by human rights groups. Lewis D. Eigen and others have, however, observed that the conditions were aimed by the Turkish secular state at Muslim radicals, who, they believe, would preach hate and terror if allowed to control their own religious seminaries; the Christians were caught in the "crossfire." However, in 2004 Patriarch Bartholomew, with the help of the Turkish government, succeeded, after eighty years, in altering the composition of the twelve-member Standing Synod of Metropolitan Bishops in Constantinople so that it can include six bishops from outside Turkey. He has also been convening biennially in Constantinople convocations of all bishops in his jurisdiction.
It is claimed that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has been the target of attacks on occasion from 1993 to 2004, including desecration of patriarchal cemeteries and personal assaults against the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Read more about this topic: Ecumenical Patriarch Of Constantinople
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