At times during the history of the Byzantine Empire, the emperor used his de facto right of appointment when it came to the choice of the patriarch of Constantinople. During such periods, nobody could become patriarch against the emperor’s will or remain so for long.
Vairākkārt Bizantijas impērijas pastāvēšanas laikā imperatori izmantoja tiesības iecelt Konstantinopoles patriarhu — neviens nevarēja kļūt par patriarhu vai ilgi palikt patriarha amatā pret imperatora gribu.