Some
preliminary clarifications
"Orthodoxy"
means "right belief" or "right opinion" as opposed to
heresy, i.e. to the "wrong" or "false belief". The term
"Orthodoxy" combines the adjective "orthos", which
signifies "right", "true" or "correct", and the
noun "doxa" which is derived from the verb "doxazo", which
means to "hold an opinion", or "to believe". Thus,
Orthodoxy indicates "correct doctrine". An early Greek Father,
Anastasius the Sinaite, describes Orthodoxy as the true conception about God,
beings and Creation.1 The term "Orthodoxy" also indicates right
glorification, since the verb "doxazo" also means "to
glorify"; in this sense the term "Orthodoxy", more accurately,
means right glorification encompassing both sound doctrine and the right way of
expressing it.2
Within the Christian context and understanding
of the term, "Orthodoxy" is related to Eastern Christendom. The term
is used especially to indicate those Churches which are in communion with the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and share a common faith and
ecclesial life. These Churches constitute one family or one body and are even
from ancient times described as "the one holy, orthodox, catholic and
apostolic Church".
When describing Orthodoxy as a family of
Churches, we are not implying that Orthodoxy forms a static or a monolithic
bloc, an inflexible so to speak body, but rather a global and living Christian
fellowship, embracing people from all the continents and from different
historical and cultural environments.3
The
Orthodox Faith
The Orthodox Church is founded on the mystery
of God's Word. As the Father has sent me, I also send you (John 20: 21). It is
a fundamental conviction of the Orthodox believer that the Church has been sent
into the world to live and bear witness to the loving vocation, with which God
enfolds humankind from the beginning of its existence, through the presence
within herself of God's Word,. "For God so loved the word that he gave his
only begotten Son... God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3: 16-17).
According to the Orthodox point of view, the
vocation and responsibility of the Church is to hold to the truths, which are
revealed by the historical appearance of Jesus Christ, and preserve them, under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as a living tradition within the ecclesial
body. The Church is described in the Bible as the pillar and ground of the
truth (I Tim. 3: 15). This means that every perfect gift and every truth
revealed in Christ is kept intact in the Church and transmitted as a dynamic
tradition and a life giving reality in every historic now» The very being of
the Church is understood as Orthodox communion.
The issue of tradition is of capital
importance for the understanding of the faith, work and life of the Orthodox
Church. Tradition is not simply the transmission of an abstract teaching, but
rather the maintenance of the eternal truth of the Gospel. Tradition is lived
in time and history. This means that the Church has received the faith of the
Apostles, maintains it and lives this faith as a divine heritage and dynamic
process. Thus, the Orthodox Faith, once delivered to the Apostles and the
Saints, is preserved as a living inheritance in specific situations; it has,
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a historic continuity and actuality.
Orthodox the Church of the Seven Ecumenical
Councils. The life of the Orthodox Church is marked by the teaching of the
Seven Ecumenical Councils. These Councils were formal gatherings of the bishops
of the whole Church in order to regulate doctrinal issues and define the
Orthodox teaching upon the basic themes of the Christian faith, mainly the
Trinity and the Incarnatlon.4 For the Orthodox, the content of the Christian
faith is expressed in the definitions and the regulation of the Ecumenical
Councils. The work of the Ecumenical Councils was not abstract speculation.
When the bishops of the Councils drew up definitions their intention was to
protect the people of God and exclude false teachings and deviations leading to
error and heresy, and consequently making salvation impossible. It is for
precisely this reason that the definitions of the Ecumenical Councils are held
to possess the highest authority which the Orthodox Church can exercise. Thus,
with a deep consciousness of the perfect continuity with the preaching of the
Apostles, the Orthodox Church acknowledges the following as Ecumenical
Councils:
•
The Ist Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea in 325, which formulated the First
Part of the Creed defining the divinity of Christ, the Son of God
•
The 2nd Ecumenical Council, held in Constantinople in 381, which formulated the
Second Part of the Creed defining the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
•
The 3rd Ecumenical Council, held in Ephesus in 431, which defined Christ as the
Incarnate Word of God and His Mother as Theotokos.
•
The 4th Ecumenical Council, held in Chalcedon in 451, which defined Christ as
perfect God and perfect Man in one Person. It stressed that the two natures were
united in the hypostasis of the Word "without confusion, change, division
or separation»
•
The 5th Ecumenical Council, held in Constantinople in 553, which reconfirmed
the doctrines concerning the Holy Trinity and the Person of Christ.
•
The 6th Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople in 681, which affirmed the
true humanity of Jesus Christ, by clarifying that Christ has two natures and
consequently two wills and actions, the divine and the human.
•
The 7th Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea in 787, which affirmed that Holy
Icons are authentic expression of the Orthodox faith.
The
Trinity
The Orthodox Christian considers that God's
glory is revealed to hurnan kind as knowledge about the Holy Trinity. God is
one in essence (nature) and Triune in persons. In our ecclesial prayer and life
we the Orthodox, confess and glorify God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity,
without confusing the persons or dividing the nature of God All Orthodox
theology, all ecclesiology and Christian ethos is based on and oriented towards
this triune mystery. The blessed Trinity is the solid basis for every
Theological investigation, for all spiritual experience and life, for all piety
and ecclesial action.
The creation of the entire cosmos is the work
in time of the Holy Trinity. The world is never considered as self-created; its
existence is the product of the love, the wisdom and the creative power of the
All-Holy Trinity.
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition the
contemplation of the mystery of the Holy Trinity take place in an attitude,
spirit and language of glorification and thanksgiving. This spiritual
atmosphere is clearly expressed in the liturgical life of the Orthodox Church.
A characteristic example is the ancient hymn which is still used today, during
the feast of Pentecost: "Come, you people, worship the Godhead in three
persons, the Father in the Son with the Holy Spirit. For the Father from all
eternity begets a co-eternal Son, reigning with Him and the Holy Spirit is in
the Father, glorified with the Son - one only power, one only substance, one
only Godhead; Him do we worship, repeating together: Holy God, who created all
things through the Son with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit; holy Strong
One, through whom we have known the Father and through whom the Holy Spirit
came into the world; holy Deathless One, Spirit of Consolation, who proceeds
from the Father and rests in the Son: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee»5.
Christ
In the Orthodox Church we confess that Jesus
Christ is truly God, the only-begotten Son of the Father; not created of
another essence but begotten of the very essence of the Father before all ages.
He is co-essential (consubstantial) with the Father, according to His divinity.
Through His incarnation, He also became truly man, like us in every respect
with the exception of sin. Thus, He is of the same essence with us all,
according to His humanity. The two natures of Christ remain distinct, but
nevertheless being united in the one Person of Christ, without being
transformed into one another, they interpenetrate one another.
The mystery of the two natures in the one
Person of Christ, the incarnate Word of God, constitutes the foundation and the
pledge for the restoration and the salvation of human beings. Through Christ
the human person has immense potentiality: he-she has the possibility to
overcome his-her individuality and isolation and be in communion with God The
Fathers of the Church constantly and repeatedly declare that, Christ became
what we are so that we might become what He is.
The Holy Spirit the Church and deification
In the theology of the Eastern Orthodox
Church, the divinity which is common to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
is communicated by the Holy Spirit to human beings within the Church, making
them partakers of divine life6 This does not mean that humans partake of God's
essence, which is absolutely unapproachable for created beings, but rather that
they partake of His energies. Thus, the deification of the human person is
based on the fact that the Holy Spirit interpenetrates and influences his or
her entire being. This means that participation in the divine life of the Holy
Trinity is realized and perfected through the presence and the operation of the
Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy
Trinity, is distinct from the Father and the Son, but nevertheless He is in
every respect perfect God, coessential, coequal and coeternal with the Father
and the Son. Gift of the Father, source of life and freedom, the Holy Spirit is
called "the Spirit of God" "the Spirit of Christ" "the
Mind of Christ" "the Spirit of the Lord" and Lord Himself; He is
also called Spirit of Truth, of Wisdom, of Adoption, of Liberty; The Holy
Spirit is the "Heavenly King" the "Comforter",
"Treasury of goodness and Giver of Life".
The Holy Spirit grants the divine gifts to
human persons: "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord"
(Is. II: 2). The Holy Spirit, as the source of the uncreated and infinite divine
gifts, was sent into the Church and the world in order to communicate divine
grace to humans. This is indeed what we call in the Orthodox tradition
deification or "divinization" ("theosis"). Through the
transforming light of the Holy Spirit the human person becomes a vehicle and
receptacle of divinity. The human being transcends his corporeal limitations,
or rather enriches his earthly life with heavenly gifts7 for, as St. Gregory
the Theologian says: He is the source of light and life, and he makes a temple
of me, he deifies me, he perfects me, he is before baptism and is sought after
baptism. Whatever God does, it is the Spirit who does it. He multiplies himself
in tongues of fire and adds gift to gift"7.
For Orthodox theology the Church, founded by
Jesus Christ for the salvation of human beings, is filled by the Holy Spirit.
The Church is the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. I: 23). The Church
is described by Paul as fullness in the sense that the Spirit dwells within her
body and guides her to fulfill her mission. St. Irenaeus explicitly declares
that "where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; where the Spirit of
God is, there is the Church and every kind of grace8. Thus, the Church, through
the uninterrupted presence of the Holy Spirit, becomes a holy institution. In
the Creed of Nicaea-Constantinople the Church is described as: "One in so
far as Jesus Christ is the only Lord who founded not many churches but one
Church. "Holy because her Head, Christ, is the incarnation of holiness and
because she is guided by the Holy Spirit. "Catholic» because she
transcends every local and cultural limitation. "Apostolic" since she
was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief corner-stone» (Eph. 2:20).
The ecclesial life is a profoundly spiritual
and mystical way. It is an attitude which is based on and expresses the
doctrinal tradition of Orthodoxy; it is a way of being closely related with
what is known as sacramental life. The Orthodox recognize the Sacraments of
Baptism, Chrism or Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Confession of sins, Ordination
to Priesthood, Marriage and Holy Unction as channels leading to a dynamic
rather than a static Christian life.
More precisely, the mystical and at the same
time communal character and attitude of Orthodoxy is expressed in the
eucharistic gathering. In this gathering, around the table of the Lord, all
division and individuality is abolished and all are united with the bishop, the
living image of Christ, who offers the bread and wine in all and for all The
communion by all believers of the bread and wine, the body and the blood of
Christi is the realization of the unity both with Christ and with all the
members of the Church. Thus, through the Eucharistic communion our human nature
is elevated to the divine level, being united with the divine in the Person of
the incarnate Word of God.
It is within the context of eucharistic
theology that one can understand the teaching of the Orthodox Church concerning
death and the life to come. The Eucharist is a foretaste of the perfect
co-celestial communion, which will be a communion penetrated by the uncreated
divine light. The resurrected bodies of the friends of God will be glorious,
like the glorified body of Christ which the disciples beheld on the day of His
Transfiguration.
Orthodoxy,
the Cosmos and Ecology
From another perspective, Eucharistic theology
reveals that, according to the Orthodox approach, there is a deep and
indissoluble bond between the Church and the created world. In fact, in the
Eucharist elements of the created world, the bread and the wine, are taken and
transformed. They are offered to God by the worshipping community: "We
offer to Thee Thine own from Thine own". Thus, the created word is related
to God through this eucharistic action of offering and transformation. This
means that the human being is not an owner of creation, but a bond or link
between it and the Creator.
Orthodoxy refuses to ascribe to the created
universe a self determinate reality or a natural sufficiency. The created
universe does not have ontological foundation in itself, but is a gift of God;
through the creative word of God a passage from non-being into being is
realized The fact that the created world has the free will and the creative
wisdom of God as the unique foundation of its existence is of paramount
importance for an understanding of Nature and of the cosmos in general. The
point is that the created world has a spiritual significance and orientation.
Being created by God "ex nihilo the natural world is the manifestation of
divine wisdom and harmony. This means that, when trying to understand and
examine the inner reason of created beings, we finally face divine knowledge
and the wisdom of God, the causal principle of the harmonious existence of
created beings.
Bearing in mind this brief theological
approach, we easily come to the conclusion that ecological evil is the
consequence of a mentality which considers creation as desacralized material.
The ecological crisis is connected with the loss of the sense of the divine in
Nature. Talking of "the divine in Nature" we do not intend to support
the pagan approach that the natural world is permeated by divine presence, but
rather to stress that Nature, created by God out of love, is associated with
God. This means that it has been created by God and also that the human being
exists as the organic link between God and creation. In the final analysis the
ecological problem is the consequence of the loss of what is described as
spiritual equilibrium» between man and Nature9. Thus, the world is considered
as something which can be used unconditionally, dominated, manipulated and
consumed for our economic and scientific interests. In other words desanctified
Nature is the result of the dehumanized human being.
The Orthodox Church is very sensitive towards
such an egotistic attitude and utilitarian understanding of Nature. It is for
precisely this reason that the spiritual center of the Orthodox Church, the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, decided to dedicate the 1st of
September each year as the Feast Day of Creation. On this occasion the
Ecumenical Patriarchate calls all Orthodox Churches to hold worship services
and distributes Patriarchal messages stressing the responsibility of all
Christian world for the protection of the creation. On the other hand the
annual Symposium, concerning environmental issues, is also recognized as a
constructive project encouraging and enabling people to take responsibilities
and initiatives and to care for creation and the environment.
The
Orthodox Communion
Among the Orthodox there is a strong
conviction that the Orthodox communion has an unbroken, direct descent from the
apostolic Church. The unity of Orthodoxy is expressed, first by the fidelity to
the faith of the apostles and to the heritage of the Early Church, and
secondly, equally important, by the visible unity and fellowship of all the
venerable Orthodox Churches.
Structurally, the Eastern Orthodox Church is
composed; firstly, from the four out of the five ancient Patriarchates which,
together with Rome, formed the system of "Pentarchy and secondly by a
number of other autocephalous Churches, which elect their own primate, without
reference to another autocephalous Church, and which are responsible for the
government of their Church, through their own Synod. Orthodoxy also includes
autonomous or semi-autonomous Churches. These particular Churches organize
their own internal life, but they have reference to and are under the aegis of
one of the autocephalous Churches. Thus, the Orthodox Church is a family of
self-governing Churches, which are held together by their unity in faith, their
communion in the sacramental life and their spiritual relationship with the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The
Four Ancient Patriarchates
(The
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The Patriarchate of Alexandria, The
Patriarchate of Antioch and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem).
Like Rome, these Churches are called Apostolic
Seats, because they have apostolic origin, founded in the 1st century. The
ancient system of Pentarchy, whereby the five apostolic seats were held in
particular honor and order of seniority was established among them (Rome,
Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem), came at a decisive moment in
1054, when the see of Rome was separated from the other four Apostolic
Churches. The year 1054 is commonly considered as the official date of the
schism between East and West. But nevertheless, the process leading to this
separation was long and complicated. Christian East and West developed their
own understanding about the Church and ministry. To a great extent they
experienced a different way of life and theology. The estrangement between East
and West was broadened by Western scholastic theological development and the
doctrine of the Papal authority and infallibility. However, in recent times the
atmosphere has changed considerably, due to the ecumenical movement and the
theological dialogue between the Roman-Catholic Church and the Orthodox
Churches.
Since the separation from the Christian West,
all the Orthodox Churches continued their life, recognizing the seniority of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which holds a particular primacy
of honor in the Orthodox Church.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The
Ecumenical Patriarchate is the ecclesiastical center of the Orthodox world.
According to the order of the ancient system of "pentarchy which was
established by the Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 381), the see of
Constantinople was second to Rome. Thus, following the great separation,
dividing Rome and the Eastern Patriarchates (1054), the Patriarch of
Constantinople became first in the ecclesiastical order of the Orthodox
Churches, holding a primacy of honor in the hierarchy of the Orthodox Churches.
The seniority and primacy of honor (First among equals) entails the right of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate to call and preside at the Pan-Orthodox
Conferences, and also to coordinate Orthodox activities and hear appeals (under
certain conditions) from all parts of the Orthodox world. Evidently, this
ecclesiastical primacy does not impair the equality of all Orthodox bishops and
their divine right to preside in their local Church, to perform the sacraments
and to teach the people of God, as those divinely appointed for this mission.
The apostolic origin of the Church of
Constantinople is testified in the Orthodox tradition. Byzantium is believed to
have been founded by the Apostle Andrew, the brother of Peter. When
Constantinople was founded upon Byzantium and became the capital of the Eastern
Roman Empire, the status of the Bishop of Constantinople was elevated through a
series of ecclesiastical decisions. Thus, by the 3rd canon of the Second
Ecumenical Council (Constantinople, 381) the Bishop of Constantinople was
placed second in the ecclesiastical order. The Bishop of Constantinople shall
have the prerogatives of honor after the bishop of Rome, because Constantinople
is New Rome The 28th canon of Chalcedon (451) reconfirmed the 3rd canon of the
Council of Constantinople, attributing again to New Rome the place of honor
next to Old Rome. Later, in the year 587, a Synod held in Constantinople
officially ascribed to Patriarch John the VI the title "Ecumenical"
due to the fact that Constantinople was the center of the "ecumenical
empire".
Over the years the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople was occupied by many outstanding Patriarchs. Among them one
could mention St. Gregory the Theologian (329-389), St. John Chrysostom
(347-407), Photius the Great (810895), and others.
During its long history the Ecumenical Throne
developed remarkable missionary work. This missionary work covers a long
period7 from the conversion of the Slaves, Czechs, Moravians and Poles by St.
Cyril and Methodius (9th century), who devised the Cyrillic alphabet and
script, to South Korea and the Far East in our own century.
In our time, the Ecumenical Patriarchate
continues its mission serving the unity of the Orthodox world Thus, the primacy
of honor» is in practice primacy of service (diakonia) and never a primacy of
authority over the other Orthodox Churches. The service and the spiritual and
ecclesiastical leadership of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is shown today in many
diverse activities. In Pan-Orthodox Conferences, in the various theological
dialogues, in theological education, in the Ecumenical movement, and above all
in its pastoral care for Orthodox Christians of different national origin
dispersed worldwide. Today the Ecumenical Patriarchate has jurisdiction in
Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The Patriarchate of Alexandria
The
Alexandrian Church was founded by St. Mark the Evangelist, in the year 64, and
played a very considerable role in the life of the early Church. Its
theological contribution was very important in the defense of Orthodoxy,
especially during the Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea (325) and Ephesus (431).
Alexandrian theology, very much influenced by Platonic tradition, was developed
by the Apologists, Clement Alexandrinus, Origen, and later by St. Athanasius
and St. Cyril of Alexandria. In their exegetical work the theologians of
Alexandria were inclining towards mystical and alegorical exposition.
At the time of Reformation the Patriarchate of
Alexandria was served by the outstanding Patriarchs Meletios I Pegas, Cyril
Loukaris and Metrophanis Kritopoulos, who wrote an important and well known
Confession of Faith» (1625).
In our century the Patriarchate of Alexandria
has developed important missionary activity in several African countries, where
it has organized schools, hospitals and a Theological Seminary in Nairobi
(Kenya). The Alexandrian Patriarchate includes Greeks, Africans and Arab
Christians amongst its flock. One of the main concerns of the Church of
Alexandria today is to present the Christian Gospel in a way that is relevant
to African cultural pluralism, at the same time maintaining its integrity.
The Patriarchate of Antioch
It was in the ancient city of Antioch that
"the disciples were first call Christians (Acts 11: 26). The theological
contribution of Antioch to the life of the Church of the first Christian
centuries is great without doubt. This can be seen from the times of St.
Ignatius (35-107), bishop and martyr, who emphasized the episcopal shape of the
post apostolic Church in his epistles, up to St. John of Damascus who
summarized patristic theology in his treaties. The Antiochean theology of the
early Church was to a great extent opposed to Alexandrian theology. Its
direction was historical and Aristotelian, while Alexandria s was mystical and
Platonic. In their exegesis the theologians of Antioch followed the literal and
historical method.
The Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch now resides
in Damascus and his current jurisdiction covers Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran.
In the 2Oth century a considerable arabic speaking diaspora appeared in North
and South America, Europe and Australia The Patriarchate of Antioch has a long
experience of coexistence with the islamic world.
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem
After the dispersion of the twelve disciples
of Christ, St. James the Lord's brother (Gal. I: 19) presided over the local
Church of Jerusalem. The see of Jerusalem became important after the visit of
St. Helena, the mother of emperor Constantine, when the fashion for venerating
the holy places were the Lord lived and suffered became popular. Thus, the
first Church dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ was built around 335.
During the first centuries of Christianity the see of Jerusalem was under the
metropolitan see of Caesarea It was at the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon
(451) that the diocese was elevated to patriarchal dignity. One of the greatest
theologians of the Church of Jerusalem was St. Cyril of Jerusalem, whose
Mystagogical Cathecheses are very famous.
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem suffered through
several occupations and from proselytism. For centuries its main task was, and
still is, the protection of the churches of the Holy Land: the Holy Sepulchre,
Calvary, the Nativity, the Ascension, the Transfiguration, and others. The
rights of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the holy places are
recognized by international treatise. Today, the jurisdiction of the
Patriarchate covers Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
Orthodox
Autocephalous, Autonomous and Semi-autonomus Churches
In addition to the four ancient Patriarchates,
the Orthodox family includes a number of autocephalous, autonomous and
semi-autonomous Churches. These Churches are, according to their order of rank:
The Orthodox Church of Russia
The
Orthodox Church of Russia is the largest of all the Orthodox Churches.
Christianity was established in Russia in 988, when the Emperor Vladimir was
baptised and recognized it as the official religion in his dominion. The
Russian Church was proclaimed autocephalous in 1448. In the year 1589 the
elevation of the Church of Russia to the rank of a Patriarchate was decided by
the Great Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, presided by
the Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremias II.
The Orthodox Church of Serbia
The patron of the Serbian Orthodox Church is
St. Sabas, who, after he founded a strong Serbian dynasty, went to Mount Athos
where he became monk and founded, together with his father, the Serbian
Monastery of Hilandar. In 1219 he was consecrated Archbishop of the Serbian
Church by the Patriarch of Constantinople. In the year 1831 an inner autonomy
was granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate under its supervision. In 1879 the
Church of Serbia was proclaimed autocephalous and in 1920 was recognized as a
Patriarchate.
The Orthodox Church of Rumania
Roman Dacia, which covered the present land of
Rumania, received Christianity by the 4th century, probably through soldiers.
For a long period the Church of Rumania was under the spiritual care of the
Church of Constantinople. In 1885 the Rumanian Orthodox Church was proclaimed
autocephalous, by the Ecumenical Patriarch Joacheim IV, and a Holy Synod
constituted. In 1925 the elevation of the Rumanian Church to the rank of
Patriarchate was decided by the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The Orthodox Church of Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Church is the first-born
daughter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Christianity was preached in Bulgaria
even by the 7th century and this evangelisation was completed in the 9th
century, when St. Photius was Patriarch of Constantinople. The Bulgarian Church
received its autocephaly in 1945. On the 27th of July 1961 the Church of
Bulgaria was elevated to the rank of Patriarchate.
The Orthodox Church of Georgia
The Church of Georgia was founded by the
Apostle Andrew, but the full acceptance of the Christian Gospel was completed
in the 4th century by St. Nina the illuminator of Georgia In the 5th century
the Church of Georgia was recognized as an autocephalous Church by the Patriarchate
of Antioch, since the Church of Georgia was included at that time in the
Antiochean jurisdiction. In the year IBII the Church of Georgia lost its
autocephaly through a non-canonical decision of the Russian Emperor. The Church
of Georgia was again recognized as an independent Church on the 3rd of March
1990, by a Patriarchal and Synodical decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The Church of Georgia is presided by the Catholicos Patriarch of all Georgia.
The Orthodox Church of Cyprus
Cyprus was evangelised by St. Paul and St.
Barnabas (Acts 13). The Church of Cyprus has been autocephalous since the Third
Ecumenical Council (431). Many Cypriot saints are mentioned in the Byzantine
Synaxaria (Lives of the Saints); this fact proves that a living ecclesiastical
presence was in Cyprus even from early Christian times. At the 1st Ecumenical
Council of Nicaea (325) Cyprus was represented by three Cypriot bishops; one of
them was St. Spyridon of Trimithous. Today the Church of Cyprus is presided by an
Archbishop and governed by the Holy Synod of the five dioceses.
The Orthodox Church of Greece
Christianity was preached in Greece by St.
Paul (Acts 17: 15-16.I Thes. 3: I), whose main center was Corinth. Organized
ecclesiastical life was already present in Greece from the 1st century and many
martyrs and saints are mentioned in the Byzantine Synaxaria. From the beginning
of the eighth century Greece was under the jurisdiction and the spiritual
protection of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. When the establishment of the modern
Greek State took place, the Church of Greece was proclaimed autocephalous, in
the year 1833. The autocephaly was re-declared by the Ecumenical Patriarchate
on the 29th of June of 1850, by a Patriarchal and Synodical Tomos. The Church
is governed by the Holy Synod of the Bishops of the Church of Greece and
presided, for historical reasons, not by a Patriarch but by the Archbishop of
Athens. The Church's jurisdiction reaches over the greater part of Greece.
The Orthodox Church of Poland
The Polish Church is presided by the
Metropolitan of Warsaw and all Poland and is composed of six dioceses. It has
250 parishes and about 300 priests. The Orthodox Church of Poland was
recognized as autocephalous in 1924.
The Orthodox Church of Albania
Presided by the Archbishop of Tirana and of
all Albania, the Church of Albania was recognized as autocephalous in 1937, by
a Patriarchal and Synodical Tomos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, when Benjamin
I was Patriarch. The Church was suppressed for many decades by the Communist
regime and was restored by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1991.
Autonomous
and Semi-autonomous Churches
As autonomous Churches we mention: the Church
of Czechia and Slovakia, founded by the brothers and Saints Cyril and Methodius
and recognized as autonomous in 1923; and the Church of Finland which was
founded as an autonomous Church in 1923, by a Patriarchal and Synodical Tomos.
The Church of Crete is semi-autonomous, and canonically is dependant upon the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and under its spiritual care.
Finally, we mention the exceptional case of the autonomous Orthodox Church of
Sinai. Sinai has been a monastic community since the VIth century, when it was
founded by Emperor Justinian. Its abbot is Archbishop, ordained by the
Patriarch of Jerusalem.
According to Orthodox Ecclesiology all
Orthodox Churches, although having internal autonomy, are united in their
fidelity to the apostolic faith as expressed in the doctrinal and canonical
decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and in the teaching of the Fathers
of the Church. They are also united in their common liturgical life. All
Orthodox Churches celebrate the same divine Liturgy. Every local Church in the
language of her people. The Liturgy, whose center is the Eucharistic communion,
has a mystagogical character. It is an introduction into the divine Mysteries.
Indeed, the Liturgy is the center of Orthodox theology and spirituality. All
Orthodox Churches are also united in the sense that all form one unbroken
reality, a body and a fellowship of local Churches in one conciliar communion
of faith and sacraments. The conciliar nature of the Orthodox Church is
expressed in every local eucharistic gathering, but equally in the conciliar
relations among the local Churches. Thus, the unity of the Orthodox world is
lived and expressed in the conciliar communion of all the local Churches faithful
to the same faith. The conciliar or synodical fellowship of the Orthodox Church
is a testimony to the unity of Orthodoxy which is not static, but rather a
living body embracing people from different cultural backgrounds and situations
and making them one in Christ.
Professor Constantine Scouteris
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