The Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew II has entered into the controversy surrounding the use of the term “ecumenical” in his title, saying that this was a historical epithet.
“We will not give up on it,” he said. “We do not deny our identity. It is not up to them to tell us who are. We know who we are for centuries,” the Patriarch said according to a report carried by Greek television station ET 3.
The controversy arose earlier this week when invitations to a reception being held by the US Embassy in Ankara for a visiting Orthodox delegation, described Bartholomew as the Ecumenical Patriarch, a title that Turkey does not recognise. The Office of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter instructing all Turkish officials not to attend the reception.
Bartholomew said that they had informed the Turkish authorities at least one hundred times that they did not want to have the similar status as the Vatican, Greek television said.
“We do not want to give this title a political context. Becoming a second Vatican is not in keeping with the Orthodox Church’s principles,” he said.
The Athens News Agency reported that the Patriarch had said that he was disappointed in having none of the problems of the Orthodox Church in Turkey resolved. In the report Bartholomew said that there were still facing attacks while Turkey stands at the doorstep of the EU.
“On January 30 the Education Ministry said that there were no reasons for not activating the Heybeliada Seminary. But now we are told it is a threat to state security,” he told the agency.