Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are honorees of the Patriarch of Constantinople, who have been selected from among the laity due to service to those portions of the Eastern Orthodox Church under his particular guidance. The Order of Saint Andrew, comprising the Archons living in America, was founded in 1966 under Patriarch Athenagoras, when Archbishop Iakovos conferred the honor upon thirty members of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The Order's first Grand Commander was Pierre De Mets. The current Grand Commander is Anthony J. Limberakis, MD who has led the Order to secure religious freedom for the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Upon induction into the "Order of St. Andrew", as the Archons of America are styled as a group, the honoree swears an oath "to defend and promote the Greek Orthodox faith and tradition".

On November 19, 1991, according to a decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the "Brotherhood of the Most Holy Lady Pammakaristos" was created and on February 22, 1992 the first administrative board was appointed. The purposes of the Brotherhood were set as the spiritual unity of the Archons of all the rest territories (except America where the Order of Saint Andrew already existed), their connection to the Ecumenical Throne and their cultural activity and cooperation as well as their activities on publishing, authorship, social contribution, the annual convention in Phanar on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, the commemoration of the Holy Patriarchs of Constantinople, the financial support of the works of the Patriarchate etc. The first major activity was the restoration of the existing Orthodox holy churches in Constantinople.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is located in Istanbul (Constantinople is the old Byzantine name of the city), in Turkey and is considered as "primus inter pares" of the world's Orthodox bishops, the Eastern Orthodox Church numbering 250 million faithful. It was founded in Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul) by the first called Apostle of Jesus Christ, St. Andrew (the older brother of St. Peter who founded the Christian Church in Rome). The current Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew is the 269th direct successor of St. Andrew. Many feel the policies of the Republic of Turkey are repressive and have worked to asphyxiate the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The government of Turkey does not recognize the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a legal entity in its own country. It has confiscated its properties. It interferes in the election of the Ecumenical Patriarch. It has forcibly closed down its only seminary to train its clergy. There is currently a worldwide effort to improve religious freedom in Turkey, especially in the context of encouraging Turkey to adopt the human rights criteria of the European Union, to which it aspires to enter.

In recent years the Order of Saint Andrew has also concerned itself strongly with the situation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate within Turkey. While it refers to itself as an "Order", it does not claim to be an order of chivalry, as such.

See also

*Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
*Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
*Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople
*History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
*Church of St George, Istanbul
*List of Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople
*Mount Athos
*Eastern Catholic Church
*Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople

External links

* [http://www.archons.org. Archons]
* [http://www.ec-patr.org/gr/offik/index.htm Archons' Brotherhood of the Most Holy Lady Pammakaristos (in Greek)]