Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Founder	Apostle Andrew
Independence	330 AD from the Metropolis of Heraclea
Recognition	Orthodox
Primate	Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
Headquarters	Church of St George, Istanbul 41°01′45″N 28°57′06″E / 41.02917°N 28.95167°E / 41.02917; 28.95167Coordinates: 41°01′45″N 28°57′06″E / 41.02917°N 28.95167°E / 41.02917; 28.95167
Territory	Istanbul, most of Turkey, Mount Athos, Crete, part of northern Greece, the Dodecanese, Greek and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in the Diaspora
Language	Greek, English, Ukrainian, French, Spanish, Turkish
Members	~3,800,000 in Greece, ~1,500,000 in diaspora
Bishops	125 (73 acting, 52 titular)
Parishes	525 in United States, 326 in Canada, 117 in Australia, 6 in Turkey,
Monastics	~1,800 (Mt. Athos)
Monasteries	20 (U.S), 32 (Mt. Athos), 8 (Australia), 6 (Meteora)
Website	ec-patr.org

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (Greek: Οικουμενικό Πατριαρχείο Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Oikoumenikó Patriarkhío Konstantinoupóleos, IPA: [ikumenikˈon patriarˈçion konstandinuˈpoleos]; Latin: Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constantinopolitanus;Turkish: Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi, "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate") is one of the fourteen churches (or "jurisdictions") that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, currently Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople.

Because of its historical location at the capital of the former Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and its role as the Mother Church of most modern Orthodox churches, the Ecumenical Patriarchate holds a special place of honor within Orthodoxy and serves as the seat for the Ecumenical Patriarch, who enjoys the status of Primus inter pares (first among equals) among the world's Eastern Orthodox prelates and is widely regarded as the representative and spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate promotes the expansion of the Christian faith and the Orthodox doctrine, and the Ecumenical Patriarchs are involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, charitable work, and the defense of Orthodox Christian traditions. Prominent issues in the Ecumenical Patriarchate's policy include the safety of the believers in the Middle East, the reconciliation of the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches, and the reopening of the Theological School of Halki which has been closed down by the Turkish authorities in 1971.