The Cretan Church

Founded by Saint Titus, the Cretan Church held an important position in the Orthodox hierarchy. At its head was the Bishop of Gortyn, who bore the title of Archbishop of Crete, all local dioceses being subordinate to him. The number of dioceses on the island increased over the centuries. Four Cretan bishops participated in the Third Oecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431, and six at the Fourth Council at Chalcedon in 451. In the first half of the 8^th century, Andrew of Jerusalem, Archbishop of Crete, makes mention of twelve dioceses; thirteen bishops from Crete countersigned the rulings of the Sixth Oecumenical Council in 787.