Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is also referred to by other appellations:

• The Orthodox Christian Church
• The Church of the Seven Councils
• The Apostolic Church
• The Ancient Christian Church.
• The Church Ecumenical

Traditionally and formally the Orthodox Church refers to itself as the “one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.”

The Orthodox Church is distinguished from the Western Christian Churches which are primarily the Roman Catholic, Protestant and non-denominational churches.

The primary foundation of the western churches lies in the common background of the Papal centralisation and Scholasticism of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The Orthodox Church did not experience a Reformation or a Counter-Reformation.

The Orthodox Churches embrace the same basic dogma (axiomatic beliefs) of the Western Churches embodied in the Nicene Creed (referred to as the Symbol of the Faith) with the exception of the Filioque. The Orthodox Church also stipulates regional jurisdictions and a college of the Bishops in contradiction to the Papal claims of ultimate arbitration (supreme authority) and inerrancy.

Canonicity

A key term in The Church of the Seven Councils is “Canonical.” The Canons of the Seven Ecumenical Councils established basic beliefs and administrative guidelines. Adherence to these ancient canons is the foundation of a church’s canonical status and thus its interaction with other Orthodox Churches, a state referred to as “in communion.” Canonical churches are “in communion” with each other. Those that are not canonical are removed from the list of those in communion.

Patriarchates, Autocephalous and Autonomous Jurisdictions

The primary divisions in the Eastern Orthodox Church are administrative and not theological. They are comprised of geophysical, national and often linguistic differences. The Ancient Church acknowledged and constructed jurisdictions around ancient Roman districts and countries from which the current regions have evolved.

Ancient Patriarchates

As of the 21st century the four ancient patriarchates still exist intact.

• The Patriarchate of Constantinople. Also known as the Ecumenical patriarchate, this Patriarchate is the legal leader in a number areas of the Church of the Seven Councils in that it can consecrate bishops and establish monasteries in other canonical districts.
• The Patriarchate of Alexandria
• The Patriarchate of Antioch
• The Patriarchate of Jerusalem

The Roman Patriarchate, which technically still exists in the Pope and the Vatican, does not envisage itself as a patriarchate and thus an equal with the other ancient patriarchates. This is one of the major divergence principles and dates to the 11th century during the Great Schism.

The jurisdictional regions also include other autocephalous and autonomous divisions. An autocephalous church may appoint their own metropolitan (archbishop) and is self-governing. Some of them are designated Patriarchates. An autonomous church receives a metropolitan or bishop that is consecrated (and thus appointed) by another jurisdiction but is largely self-governing otherwise.

Other Patriarchates

• Armenia: Also known as Armenian Apostolic Church or the Armenian Orthodox Church is no longer in communion with the canonical churches. Armenia separated from the Eastern Orthodox Church in AD 506, after the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451).
• Bulgaria: Bulgaria’s autocephaly has been recognised more than once due to political and military upheavals which extinguished or exiled members of the church on various occasions. Autocephaly dates first to 927 A.D. (declared in 919 in Bulgaria and recognised later by the Ecumenical Patriarchate) and was reinstated twice thereafter in 1235 and 1945 following WWII.
• Georgia: the Georgian church was originally part of the territory of the Patriarchate of Antioch. The church was granted autocephaly by the Patriarch of Antioch in 466. The Georgian Orthodox Church lost its autocephalous status in 1811 when it was subsumed by the Russian Synod. It regained its autocephalous status in 1943 by the Russian Orthodox Church and was recognised again in 1989 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
• Russia: Autocephaly recognised in 1589 by Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Serbia: Serbia’s autocephalous stature dates from mid 14th century, was briefly lost and restored in the mid 16th century
• Romania: Although Romania’s Orthodox Church dates from the 1st century, it was only recognised as autocephalous in 1885 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Autocephalous and autonomous churches without Patriarchate status

• The Church of Sinai. The Church is centered around St Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. The original construction was a chapel denoting the site of Moses’ encounter with God, the Burning Bush, built by Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine I. The Monastery was built by Emperor Justinian I during the period 527-565 A.D. The Church of Sinai is autonomous and its Archbishop is consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
• The Church of Cyprus. Autocephalous since the Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.)
• The Church of Greece; Autocephaly recognised in 1850 by Ecumenical Patriarchate.
• Poland: Poland’s autocephaly was recognised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1924.
• Albania: Recognised autocephalous in 1937 by Ecumenical Patriarch.
• Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands: Autocephaly recognised in 1998 by Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Orthodox Church in Slovakia: Autocephaly recognised in 1998 by Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Orthodox Church in America: Formerly known as the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church in America, The OCA was granted autocephalous status by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970 and as yet has not be recognised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
• The Church of Japan: The Church’s autonomy was recognised in 1970 at the same time the Patriarchate recognised the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America. Its primate (Bishop) is consecrated by the Russian Patriarchate.
• The Church of China: The Church has a mission in Hong Kong whose Metropolitan is appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
• The Church of Finland: Autonomous status was granted by Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1923.
• Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church: The Estonian Church was granted autonomy by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1921 and again in 1996
• Orthodox Church of Ukraine: Autonomy recognised by the Russian Patriarchate in 1990. There are three churches in the Ukraine, Church of Ukraine (Moscow Patriarchate) (UOC-MP) (which is in communion with the Orthodox Church) and the Church of Ukraine (Kiev Patriarchate) (UOC-KP), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) neither of which are in communion with the mainstream Orthodox Churches.

Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed embodies the fundamental beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker 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 worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Filioque

The Filioque represents one of the two greatest differences of opinion between the Orthodox Christian Church and the Roman Catholic Church and arguably led to the Great Schism of 1054. The opinions expressed today by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church demonstrate this explicitly in their language which is often couched in the strongest terms. The dispute is also founded upon yet another principle that the Eastern Orthodox Church rejects, the Primacy of the Roman Catholic Pope (the ultimate authority of what the Eastern Churches often refer to as the Latin Church).

The Filioque simply put is a dogma in which the Holy Spirit originates from the Father and the Son. Its canonicity is disputed on the basis that it was not a term used in the original creed of Nicea nor subsequent amendments in the Seven Councils.

In the 589 A. D. the Synod of Spain at the Third Council of Toledo added the phrase “Credo in Spiritum Sanctum qui ex patre filioque procedit ("I believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and Son") in the Nicene Creed. “Filioque” stipulates that the Spirit proceeds from the son as in “and from the Son.” In the clause “And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.” this reads “And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.”

The Eastern Orthodox Church recognises only the canons of the Seven Councils while the Roman Catholic Church stipulates canons added after the last of the Seven Councils, notably, in the case of the Filioque, at the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), the Second Council of Lyons (1274), and the Council of Florence (1438-1445). This last council was declared fully ecumenical by the Latin Church in that the Eastern Orthodox Church had sent representatives. At the time the Greek Empire (Constantinople) was attempting to enrol allies in their conflict with the Ottoman Turks. To this day Roman Catholic sources insist that a reunification of the ancient patriarchates was effected at the Council of Florence Meanwhile, Orthodox sources emphatically insist this was never accomplished.