The concept of a '3rd Rome' in Moscow implies which of the following?

The idea of a '3rd Rome' in Moscow centers on the notion that Moscow serves as the ultimate center of religious authority in Eastern Orthodoxy, following the fall of the first Rome (the center of Catholicism) and the second Rome (Constantinople, the center of Eastern Orthodoxy until its fall to the Ottomans in 1453). This concept emerged in the context of the Orthodox Church's belief that it retained and inherited the spiritual and cultural authority originally held by Rome and Constantinople.

By declaring itself the '3rd Rome,' Moscow positioned itself as the defender and chief authority of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, claiming a unique spiritual heritage and divine mandate to lead the faith following the decline of the other two key centers. This belief contributed significantly to the unification of the Russian state and the church, bolstering the idea of Moscow as a successor to the grand history and influence of Rome and Constantinople.

While other options might touch on various aspects of Moscow's identity, none encapsulate the specific religious implication as precisely as the assertion of it being a center of religious authority within the context of Eastern Orthodoxy.