§ 90. B) Patriarchal Councils

b) Patriarchal councils.

In his commentary on canon 2 of the Second Ecumenical Council, Balsamon writes that in the older period all the eparchial metropolitans were autocephalous and were appointed by their own particular councils (πάντες οἱ τῶν ἐπαρχιῶν μητροπολῖται αὐτοκέφαλοι ἦσαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων συνόδων ἐχειροτονοῦντο),[1] while the bishops themselves received ordination from them. For this reason, and for the sake of the other church affairs of their district, these metropolitans held their metropolitan councils at appointed times (§. 89). In the fourth and fifth centuries, when the chief church affairs began to be discussed and resolved in those cities where the leading metropolitans resided—metropolitans who counted as archbishops in the broader sense, and who, in the five chief centers of the Christian world of that time, were named patriarchs—the metropolitans of less important cities and their districts began to lose the character of autocephaly, a character which, in the course of time, only those churches which we mentioned in § 86 retained. Having lost their former autocephalous standing, the metropolitans in question retained only their former title, while the church affairs of their districts were discussed at the councils of the respective chief archbishops, or patriarchs, who elected these metropolitans at their councils and who ordained them.[2]

The patriarchal council was made up, under the presidency of the patriarch, of all the metropolitans of the given patriarchate, that is, those metropolitans who receive ordination from the patriarch (παρ’ αὐτοῦ χειροτονουμένους) and who do not have the right to ordain other bishops (μὴ ἔχοντας δίκαιον ἄλλους ἐπισκόπους χειροτονεῖν).[3] In the event that one of these metropolitans was prevented from attending the council, he could be replaced by a bishop, or he could send his opinion to the council in writing.[4] In the course of time this changed, so that the patriarchal council came to be made up, besides the aforementioned metropolitans, also of many bishops, especially those who happened to be present in the place where the council was meeting.

The council usually assembled in June or September each year, at the seat of the patriarch.[5] When this council in the course of time became permanent, then, apart from the summer months, it met twice each week.[6]

The competence of the patriarchal council was in the main the same as we have seen for the metropolitan council, as the council of one autocephalous regional church. Specifically, according to the canonical sources, the competence of the patriarchal council includes: 1. the election of the patriarch; 2. the canonical institution of a bishop to the respective eparchy; 3. the elevation of a bishopric to a higher rank; 4. the transfer of bishops; 5. cases concerning the union of two bishoprics into one; 6. cases where a new bishopric is to be founded; 7. cases where an episcopal see is to be transferred from one city to another; 8. cases where judgment must be given on some decision that the patriarch may have issued contrary to the canons; and 9. church jurisdiction in the higher instance.[7]