Changes

After the [[Ascension]], the [[Apostlesapostles]] dispersed to preach [[Christianity]] to the world. They each founded different [[Patriarchatepatriarchate]]s. The Some of the most prominent disciples of [[Jesus]] founded the Patriarchates that made up the Pentarchy.

*[[Patriarchate Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]] - [[Apostle James the Just|James]] "Successor to Jesus"*[[Patriarchate Church of RomeAntioch|RomeAntioch]] - [[Apostle Peter|Peter]]*[[Church of Rome|Rome] "First among disciples"] - Peter*[[Patriarchate Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]] - [[Apostle Mark|Mark]] "Writer of the Gospel"*[[Patriarchate Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] - [[Apostle Andrew|Andrew]] "  After the First Called"*7th century Arab conquests, and the Byzantine loss of the Rome-Ravenna corridor, only Constantinople's patriarchate remained securely within the capital of the Roman Empire—the [[Pope]] at Rome was independent (see [[Patriarchate of Antioch|AntiochGregory the Great]] ), Jerusalem and Alexandria were under Muslim rule, and Antioch was on the front lines of hundreds of years of recurring border warfare between the Byzantine Empire and the Arab Caliphate. These historical- political changes, combined with the northward shift of the center of gravity of Christendom during the Middle Ages, and the fact that the majority of Christians in Muslim-ruled Egypt and Syria were [[PeterOriental Orthodox|Non-Chalcedonians]] who refused to recognize the authority of either Rome or Constantinople, meant that the original ideal of five great co-operating centers of administration of the whole Christian church grew ever more remote from practical reality.