Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (Greek: ¿¿¿¿¿µe¿¿¿¿ ¿at¿¿a¿¿e¿¿ ¿¿¿sta¿t¿¿¿¿p¿¿e¿¿ Oikoumenikó Patriarkheío Konstantinoupóleos, Turkish: Rum Ortodoks Patrikhanesi- "Greek Orthodox Patriarchate", in Turkey it is also unofficially referred to as Fener Rum Patrikhanesi - "Greek Patriarchate of the Phanar") is one of the fourteen autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch, who has the status of "first among equals" among the world's Eastern Orthodox bishops. According to tradition, it has its roots in the preaching of the ¿ Apostle Andrew in ¿ Constantinople (then Byzantium) in AD 38. Its current leader is Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.