www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Scripture and Patristic Writings supposed quote of St. Gregory the Dialogist (the Great)

"I say it without the least hesitation, whoever calls himself the universal bishop, or desires this title, is, by his pride, the precursor of Antichrist, because he thus attempts to raise himself above the others. The error into which he falls springs from pride equal to that of Antichrist; for as that Wicked One wished to be regarded as exalted above other men, like a god, so likewise whoever would be called sole bishop exalteth himself above others....You know it, my brother; hath not the venerable Council of Chalcedon conferred the honorary title of 'universal' upon the bishops of this Apostolic See [Rome], whereof I am, by God's will, the servant? And yet none of us hath permitted this title to be given to him; none hath assumed this bold title, lest by assuming a special distinction in the dignity of the episcopate, we should seem to refuse it to all the brethren."

Gregory denounces the title (which he misunderstands--the word "ecumenical" in this context did not mean "universal", but referred to the oikumene, or boundaries of the Roman Empire).

On a slightly different note, St. Gregory the Great also has a wonderful treatise on the duties and vocation of pastors.

I was most interested to read Stuart's post, as I found a document on the internet one day (I wish I had kept it) that made it clear the oikumene was in reference to the Emperor and the Roman world. Nothing at all to do with claiming world wide juristiction in a religious sense...

The reason the Popes never used the title "Ecumenical Pontiff" is I suspect because the Emperors in the west did not live in Rome.

The οικουμνη meant for Greek antiquity “the inhabited world,” the known world, in contrast to the unexplored desert and to the ocean which surrounded the orbis terrarum peopled by men, perhaps also in contrast to the unknown countries of the barbarians. The οικουμνη of the first centuries of the Christian era was thought of in particular as the ensemble of the countries of Greco-Latin civilization, the Mediterranean world, the territory of the Roman Empire. For this reason the adjective οικουμνικος became a designation of the Late Empire—”the ecumenical Empire.” Because the limits of the Empire coincided more or less with the expansion of the Church about the Constantinian epoch, the Church often used the term οικουμνικος. It was given as an honorific title to the bishops of the two imperial capitals, Rome and later Constantinople, the “New Rome.” It was applied above all to the general councils of the Church that gathered together the episcopate of the ecumenical empire. Thus “ecumenical” marked what covered the totality of ecclesiastical territory, in contradistinction to what only had local or provincial value (for example, a provincial council, a local cultus)... When St. Maximus, to whom ecclesiastical tradition gives the title of Confessor, replied to those who desired to force him to be in communion with the monothelites “Even if the whole world (οικουμνη) should be in communion with you, I alone should not be,” ...

Since Gregory was not reading the English translation I doubt that 'he misunderstands--the word "ecumenical" in this context.'

The Ruthenian liturgy has a petition where the Pope is called the "Ecumenical Pontiff (Highpriest)."

No, he misunderstood, whether deliberately or accidentally.He interpreted oikumenike to mean "universal", whereas (as was was clear from the context of its use in the documents to which Gregory was responding) it actually meant "within (or "of" the Empire).

Except that is not what the Slavonic recension says.

I continually wonder that you have a more exalted view of the Pope than he has of himself.

Today, only the Orthodox via Constantinople have kept the title. The Ruthenian liturgy has a petition where the Pope is called the "Ecumenical Pontiff (Highpriest)." The RDL changed this arguing that it was a wrong designation for the Pope of Rome. As the quote indicates, and as I have commented, it is a proper designation for the Pope, while also true that the Pope did not care for or use it. That others use it of him is a different matter.