Eastern Orthodox Church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian church. Their type of Christianity is also called Eastern Orthodoxy. Their members are called Eastern Orthodox, although there is another group of Churches called Oriental Orthodox that is not Eastern Orthodox. There are about 250 million Eastern Orthodox in the world. Most Eastern Orthodox are found in Russia, Greece, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, but there are Eastern Orthodox everywhere in the world.
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[change] Important things to know about the Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox believe in everything in the Nicene Creed:
- I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
- And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.
- Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father through whom all things were made.
- For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.
- He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and he suffered and was buried.
- On the third day he rose according to the Scriptures.
- He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
- He will come again in glory to judge the living and dead. His kingdom will have no end.
- And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets.
- In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
- I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
- I expect the resurrection of the dead.
- And the life of the ages to come. Amen.
[change] Church today
The many churches of the Orthodox Church are distinct in terms of administration and local culture, but for the most part exist in full communion with one another, with exceptions such as lack of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) and the Moscow Patriarchate (the Orthodox Church of Russia) dating from the 1920s and due to the subjection of the latter to the hostile Soviet regime. However, attempts at reconciliation are being made between the ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate with the ultimate purpose of reunification.
[change] Eastern Orthodox churches in communion
Nowadays, there are 14 (15 by some) independent orthodox churches, in communion with each other, with the precise order of seniority of their heads as listed below. Some of them contain autonomous (marked below) and/or semi-autonomous dioceses (listed within the mother churches). The first 9 of the autocephalous churches are led by patriarchs.
- Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
- Finnish Orthodox Church (autonomous)
- Estonian Orthodox Church (autonomous)
- Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America
- Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese in the USA
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
- Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe
- Mount Athos
- Belorussian Council of Orthodox Churches in North America
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
- Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain (includes Ireland)
- Archdiocese in Italy and Malta
- Archdiocese in Australia
- 13 other small metropolises outside its canonical territory: Austria, Belgium, Argentina, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico and Central America, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal, and Switzerland
- Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
- African Orthodox groups in Kenya and Uganda
- Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
- Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
- Russian Orthodox Church
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) (autonomous)
- Moldovan Orthodox Church (autonomous, territorial jurisdiction contested by the Romanian Church)
- Metropolis of Western Europe (declared, but not recognized universally as autonomous)
- Japanese Orthodox Church
- Belarusian exarchate
- Estonian exarchate
- Latvian Orthodox Church
- Hungarian exarchate
- Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (autonomous; union completed on May 17, 2007.)
- Serbian Orthodox Church
- Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric (autonomous)
- Metropolitanate of Zagreb, Ljubljana and All Italy (Croatia, Slovenia, Italy)
- Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral (Montenegro)
- Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosna (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
- Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada
- Bishopric in Australia and New Zealand
- Bishopric in Britain and Scandinavia (Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark)
- Bishopric of Buda (Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia)
- Bishopric in Central Europe (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland)
- Bishopric in Timişoara (Romania)
- Bishopric in Western Europe (France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Spain)
- Romanian Orthodox Church
- Metropolis of Bessarabia (autonomous, with the rank of an exarchate, i.e. having the right to have parishes outside its canonical jurisdiction - de facto has in Russia and USA; territorial jurisdiction contested by the Russian Church)
- Metropolis in France, Western and Southern Europe (British Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy)
- Metropolis in Germany and Central Europe (Germany, Northern and Central Europe)
- Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada (USA, Canada, Argentina, Venesuela)
- Romanian Orthodox Bishopric Dacia Felix (in Serbia)
- Bulgarian Orthodox Church
- Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church Diocese of America, Canada and Australia
- Diocese in Central and Western Europe
- Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
- Cypriot Orthodox Church
- Church of Greece
- Polish Orthodox Church
- Albanian Orthodox Church
- Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church
- Orthodox Church in America (recognized as autocephalous only by the Russian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Polish, and Czech-Slovak Churches)
[change] Eastern Orthodox Churches and communities not in communion with others
- Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
- Bulgarian Alternative Synod
- Orthodox Church in Italy
- Macedonian Orthodox Church
- Montenegrin Orthodox Church
- Russian Orthodox Church in Exile
- Russian True Orthodox Church
- Karamanli Turkish Orthodox Church
- Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate)
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Canonical
- Autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America
[change] Old Believers
- Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church (Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy)
- Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church (Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy)
- Russian Old-Orthodox Church (Novozybkovskaya Hierarchy)
- Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church (Pomortsy)
[change] Old Calendarist
- Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
- Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians, USA
- Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance)
- Old Calendar Romanian Orthodox Church
- Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox Church
- Russian Orthodox Church in America (Recognized as Autonomous by Some)
[change] Other pages
[change] Sources
- The Orthodox Church. Ware, Timothy. Pengiun Books, 1997. (ISBN 0-14-014656-3)
- The Orthodox Church; 455 Questions and Answers. Harakas, Stanley H. Light and Life Publishing Company, 1988. (ISBN 0-937032-56-5)
[change] Other websites
[change] Further reading
- OrthodoxWiki
- Orthodox Research Institute
- List of most patriarchates
- The Orthodox Tradition
- Orthodox Tradition and the Liturgy
- Eastern Orthodox Christianity
- Directory of Orthodox Internet Resources
- Orthodox Library: History, Doctrine, Practices, Saints
- Background information on the Orthodox Church
- Orthodox Life Info Portal: catalog of resources
- Introduction to the Orthodox church
[change] Links to Eastern Orthodox churches in full communion
- Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
- Church of Alexandria
- Church of Antioch
- Church of Jerusalem
- Church of Russia
- Church of Japan
- Church of Ukraine (UOC-MP) (Ukrainian and Russian only)
- Hungarian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchy (Hungarian and Russian only)
- Church of Georgia
- Church of Serbia
- Orthodox Ochrid Archbishopric Recognized as authonomous in 2005 by all churches
- Church of Romania
- Church of Bulgaria
- Church of Cyprus
- Church of Greece
- Church of Albania
- Church of Poland (Polish only)
- Church of the Czechlands and Slovakia (Czech or Slovak only)
- Orthodox Church in America (Not recognized as autocephalous by all churches)
- Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (In communion with the Churches of Jerusalem and Serbia and now in communion with the Church of Russia)
[change] Links to Eastern Orthodox churches not in communion
- Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians (GOC), USA
- Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
- GOC Synod in Resistance
- Macedonian Orthodox Church
[change] Organizations
- St. Andrew House - Center for Orthodox Christian Studies
- Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in the Americas
- International Orthodox Christian Charities
- Orthodox Christian Mission Center
[change] Seminaries and schools
- Comprehensive List at OrthodoxWiki
- Holy Cross Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology is the only fully accredited Orthodox undergraduate liberal arts college, graduate center for Orthodox higher education, and Greek Orthodox seminary in America.
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