First let me say that no Patriarch "fancies" himself as Supreme Pontiff of the Orthodox Church as the Orthodox Church has many jurisdictions and rightly so. This statement is ignorant, arrogant and condescending. The jurisdictions or "sees" have been in place since Apostolic times but our Catholic brothers are so unwilling to recognise this because of their original claims(historic) to supremacy over all bishops and all jurisdictions. The reason why Rome is not in communion with the rest of the ancient "sees" is because Rome not Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, or Alexandria broke away as these last four are still and have always been in communion with one another. As for the Russian's claim to the Estonian jurisdiction; Moscow is correct in it's anger at Patriarch Bartholomeos in that he ursurped Moscow's historic jurisdiction in the region because of Estonia's nationaism and pride and the Patriarch of Constantinople's continuing loss of power and authority in his own jurisdiction. He has shown to be consistent in his undermining actions. Estonia, Ukraine, Greece, etc. Before you criticize maybe you should learn the facts and speak the truth without a regard for your own special agenda.

This is so pathetic. I am Orthodox myself and when I read this I was furious at the Russian Church's inability to rise above petty politics. A few years ago Moscow and Constantinople actually were out of communion over just such a political issue. It is a disgrace for church leaders behave in this manner, to walk out or even break communion with another church at the drop of a hat. I am an American-what do I care about the Estonian church's debated status with Moscow? This kind of thing gives Catholics the perfect opportunity to say "The Orthodox Church is NOT Catholic- because of nationalism." Nationalism is the Eastern Church's Achilles Heel.

This is what happens when the head of every "church" fancies himself the Supreme Pontiff. The Orthodox would not have this problem if the returned to the Holy Catholic Church since we have just one Patriarch - The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.