WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The church has no central doctrinal or governmental authority analogous to the head of the Catholic Church-the pope-but the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is recognized by them as primus inter pares ("first among equals").

Detailed explanation-2: -Since the 14th century the patriarch has resided in Damascus, Syria, whereas the ancient city of Antioch, situated on Turkish territory, has remained a small city. Since 1899 the patriarch and all of his bishops have been Arabs.

Detailed explanation-3: -Bartholomew thus became the spiritual leader-“first among equals”-of all the self-governing Eastern Orthodox churches throughout the world.

Detailed explanation-4: -Sometimes the Orthodox Church is also called the Eastern Orthodox Church, or the Oriental Church, or the Christian Church of the East, or the Orthodox Catholic Church, or the Graeco-Russian Church. But once more, these are all different names for the same Church.