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What rank did the First Council of Constantinople give to the bishop of Constantinople?
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Theodosius I
Theodosius I, portrait on a gold coin from Mediolanum, Italy 378–383.
The First Council of Constantinople (381), which was summoned by Emperor Theodosius I, established that the bishop of Constantinople should hold precedence of honor directly after the bishop of Rome.21
The council justified this ranking by declaring that Constantinople was the "New Rome". While this canon was eventually accepted in both the East and the West, it was initially met with resistance from the Roman papacy, which did not formally recognize this precedence until the 13th century.2