Presiding in Love: Redefining Primacy for a Unified Christendom

At the 27th International Congress of the Society for the Law of the Eastern Churches in Budapest, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offered a profound theological reframing of the relationship between East and West. Rather than viewing Roman primacy as a hierarchical demand, he emphasized its historical roots in service. Citing Joseph Ratzinger, the Patriarch noted that “Rome cannot demand from the East more of a doctrine of primacy than what was formulated and lived in the first millennium.” This perspective shifts the dialogue from legalistic disputes to spiritual cooperation, grounded in the early church’s shared experience.

Central to this vision is the concept of the Pope as “the one presiding in love,” a phrase attributed to Patriarch Athenagoras. Bartholomew clarified that Orthodox tradition understands this role as a form of loving service exercised “within, and never above, the communion of sister Churches.” By inaugurating the “Fanarion” dialogue centre, the Patriarchate seeks to create a “true workshop of ‘juridical ecumenism,'” where law serves unity rather than division. The recent restoration of the title “Patriarch of the West” is seen not as a political victory, but as “a small but far from insignificant step” toward restoring the complete Pentarchy and achieving full communion.