Editing Exarch (section)

=== Early tradition ===
The term 'exarch' entered ecclesiastical language at first for a [[metropolitan bishop|metropolitan]] (an archbishop) with jurisdiction not only for the area that was his as a metropolitan, but also over other metropolitans within local political [[Roman diocese|diocese]]s. Since imperial [[vicarius]] (governor of a political diocese) was often called "exarch" in eastern, Greek-speaking parts of the Empire, it became customary for the metropolitans of the diocesan capitals ([[Ephesus]] in the [[Diocese of Asia]], [[Heraclea Lyncestis|Heraclea]] in the [[Diocese of Thrace]] and [[Caesarea in Cappadocia|Caesarea]] in the [[Diocese of Pontus]]) also to use the title "exarch" in order to emphasize their precedence and primatial status over other metropolitans within local political dioceses.{{sfn|Meyendorff|1989}}

The [[Council of Chalcedon]] (451), which gave special authority to the see of Constantinople as being "the residence of the emperor and the Senate", in its canons spoke of diocesan "exarchs", placing all metropolitans in dioceses of Asia, Thrace and Pontus (including metropolitans-exarchs of Ephesus, Heraclea and Caesarea) under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Constantinople. Metropolitans-exarchs of Ephesus tried to resist the supreme jurisdiction of Constantinople, but eventually failed since imperial government supported the creation of a centralized Patriarchate.{{sfn|Meyendorff|1989}}

When the proposed government of universal Christendom by five patriarchal sees (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, known as the [[pentarchy]]), under the auspices of a single universal empire, was formulated in the legislation of [[Emperor Justinian I]] (527–565), especially in his Novella 131 (De regulis ecclesiasticis etc., caput III),<ref>https://droitromain.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/Corpus/Nov131.htm ; "sancimus secundum earum [scil. a sanctis quattuor conciliis] definitiones sanctissimum senioris Romae papam primum esse omnium sacerdotum, beatissimum autem archiepiscopum Constantinopoleos Novae Romae secundum habere locum post sanctam apostolicam sedem senioris Romae, aliis autem omnibus sedibus praeponatur."; "we order that, according what decided by them [the Councils of [[First Council of Nicaea|Nicaea]], [[First Council of Constantinople|Constantinople]], [[Council of Ephesus|Ephesus]] and [[Council of Chalcedon|Chalcedon]]] the pope of Rome shall be the first of all priests, then the very blessed archbishop of Constantinople New Rome shall have the second place after the holy, senior apostolic seat of Rome, by them all other seats shall be outranked."</ref> and received formal ecclesiastical sanction at the [[Council in Trullo]] (692), the name "patriarch" became the official one for the heads of major autocephalous churches, and the title of "exarch" was further demoted by naming all metropolitans as "patriarchal exarchs" in their ecclesiastical provinces. The advance of Constantinople put an end to privileges of three older, original exarchates, which fell back to the state of ordinary metropolitan sees.<ref>A. Fortescue, ''Orthodox Eastern Church'', 21–25.</ref>

Local ecclesiastical development in some regions also included the title of exarch. Since the Church of Cyprus was declared [[autocephalous]] (431), its Primate received the title of Exarch of Cyprus. On a similar principle the [[Archbishop of Mount Sinai and Raithu]] is an exarch, though in this case, as in that of Cyprus, modern Eastern Orthodox usage generally prefers the title "Archbishop".