The idea came about because of the political and ecclesiastical prominence of these five sees, but the concept of their universal and exclusive authority was firmly tied to the administrative structure of the Roman Empire.
Gagasan itu timbul karena keunggulan gerejawi dan politis kelima takhta tersebut, namun konsep otoritas eksklusif dan universal mereka terkait erat dengan struktur administratif Kekaisaran Romawi.