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The title "Patriarch of the West" was introduced by Roman Bishop Theodore I in 642 AD to identify his own status in the Church. In the twenty-first century, the Roman Codes of Pope John Paul 11 comprise no mention of West Patriarchate, and Pope Benedict XVI excludes the title "Patriarch of the West" from the official annual Annuario Pontificio. The present article analyzes this decision from the historical, canonical and ecclesiastical point of view. It also articulates positive effects that such a decision has in strengthening the Church. For example:
- the division of the competence of primacy and the competence of patriarchate should assist the development of regional institutions;
- the extension of the role of historical pentarchy will occur through the creation of new patriarchates of both the West and the East;
- the understanding that administration is not the pontiff's responsibility and his subsequent relief from this responsibility will help the pope be the symbol of unity of the Orthodox-Catholic faith for all patriarchal Churches;
- it will become obvious that ecclesiastical legislation originates from the competence of the Collegium of Bishops, not solely from the Pope of Rome.
There are a number of factors supporting the assertion that the pontiff's renunciation of the title "Patriarch of the West" will provide the grounds to interpret the communion of Churches as unity expressed through inner experience and being the Church rather than outer hierarchal-canonical manifestation. This action, in turn, will unlock a hidden potential to reinforce the unity of the Universal Church. |
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