What is the extent of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's authority to hear ecclesiastical appeals, and how does this authority relate to the ancient Autocephalous Church of Cyprus?

In this scholarly study, Ioannis E. Kastanas examines the historical, canonical, and legal foundations of the privilege of appeal (ekkliton) within the Orthodox Church. Drawing upon the Holy Canons, Ecumenical Councils, ecclesiastical precedent, and contemporary practice, the author explores one of the most significant and debated questions in Orthodox canon law.

Updated through December 2025, this volume offers a comprehensive analysis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's appellate jurisdiction and its relevance for the Church of Cyprus, providing an important contribution to contemporary Orthodox ecclesiological and canonical scholarship.

The institution of ecclesiastical appeal (ekkliton) has occupied a central place in the canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church for centuries. Yet few subjects have generated as much discussion, disagreement, and contemporary relevance as the question of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's authority to hear appeals from other Orthodox Churches.

In this comprehensive study, Ioannis E. Kastanas examines the historical, canonical, and legal foundations of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's appellate jurisdiction, tracing its development from the early centuries of the Church through the Ecumenical Councils, Byzantine legislation, and modern ecclesiastical practice. Particular attention is given to the relationship between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Cyprus, one of the most ancient and distinguished autocephalous Churches of Orthodoxy.

Drawing upon the Holy Canons, ecclesiastical legal precedent, historical sources, and contemporary cases, the author offers a detailed analysis of the privilege of appeal and its significance within the life of the Orthodox Church today. Special consideration is given to the modern application of this institution in both the Churches of Cyprus and Greece, as well as to the broader questions of primacy, autocephaly, ecclesiastical governance, and canonical order.

This revised English edition incorporates developments through December 2025, including recent landmark cases that have renewed scholarly and ecclesiastical interest in the nature and scope of appellate authority within the Orthodox world.

A valuable resource for clergy, canonists, theologians, historians, and students of Orthodox ecclesiology, this volume contributes meaningfully to one of the most important canonical discussions of our time.