|
The Autocephalous Orthodox Churches
The
Orthodox Church is a family of “autocephalous” (self-governing) Churches.
These “Churches” are, broadly speaking, organized within geographic
regions.
The
Orthodox “Church” is the Body of Christ characterized by absolute fidelity
to the Apostolic tradition of the Christian faith. The Orthodox “Churches”
are assemblies of local congregations, headed by their bishops acting
in consensus regarding their administration.
Parishes and Dioceses
An
individual Orthodox church – parish congregation – is not self-defined or
self-governing. Rather, the parishioners and their priest worship and
function under the oversight guidance of their diocesan bishop.
An
individual Orthodox “diocese” is comprised of the parishes within its
geographic area. A diocese is not autocephalous, either, although it has a
bishop who has authority to teach and administer and oversee its parishes.
Each
bishop is a member of a local “synod” which is a college, or assembly, of
his fellow bishops within a region. These synods are organized together
within a large geographic area – typically countries or nations – as
“Churches.”
Autocephalous Churches
The
Orthodox Churches are self-governing, national churches, united in faith
and sacraments. The Orthodox Church is not a single entity but a communion
of churches, each with its own head (Patriarch, Archbishop, or
Metropolitan). These national Churches – such as, for example, the Greek
Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, etc. – share the same
theology and liturgical practices but remain administratively independent
(autonomous).
The
number of autocephalous Churches has varied throughout history. The Church
of Rome was once one of these but, after adopting traditions taht differed
from those of the other Churches, is no longer regarded as an Orthodox
Church.
Throughout
most of the history of the Church, there were five – later four, with the
departure of Rome – autocephalous Churches, known as “patriarchates.”
These are:
- Church of Constantinople (now called “Istanbul” in Turkiye; founded ≈AD 37, Autocephalous AD 451)
- Church of Alexandria (in northern Egypt; founded ≈AD 62, Autocephalous AD 325)
- Church of Antioch (founded ≈AD 34, Autocephalous AD 325)
- Church of Jerusalem (founded ≈AD 55, Autocephalous AD 451)
Today
there are sixteen Churches, the four ancient Patriarchates as well as the
following twelve national Churches:
- Church of Russia (founded AD 988, Autocephalous AD 1448)
- Church of Serbia (founded AD 867, Autocephalous AD 1879)
- Church of Romania (founded in the 1st century, Autocephalous AD 1885)
- Church of Bulgaria (founded AD 864, Autocephalous AD 1945)
- Church of Georgia (founded AD 44, Autocephalous AD 1089)
- Church of Cyprus (founded AD 46, Autocephalous AD 431)
- Church of Greece (founded AD 51, Autocephalous AD 1850)
- Church of Poland (founded in the middle ages, Autocephalous AD 1924)
- Church of Albania (founded in Apostolic era, Autocephalous AD 1937)
- Church of the Czech and Slovak Republics (founded ≈AD 867, Autocephalous AD 1998)
- Church of America (founded in the 18th century, Autocephalous AD 1970)
- Church of North Macedonia (founded ≈AD 867, Autocephalous AD 2022)
The
order of precedence in which the autocephalous churches are listed above
does not reflect their actual influence or numerical importance. The
Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, for example,
present only shadows of their past glory. Yet there remains a consensus
that Constantinople’s primacy of honor, recognized by the ancient canons
because it was the capital of the ancient Byzantine empire, should remain
as a symbol and center of church unity and cooperation.
Autonomous Churches
There
are also “autonomous” churches which retain a canonical dependence upon
one of the above-mentioned autocephalous – “mother” – Churches: Sinai,
Crete, Finland, and Ukraine.
Eparchies, or Provinces
There
are also ecclesiastical “Eparchies” (provinces) dependent on one of the
above-mentioned autocephalous Churches. These assist in administering
churches within the large Orthodox Diaspora scattered all over the world,
divided among various “jurisdictions.”
In
the United States there are thirteen “jurisdictions” of the foreign,
national Churches cited above. These serve the needs of immigrants and
their descendants who wish to maintain a link to those countries and keep
their national customs. These include:
These
Eparchies in the United States function in communion with one another
and also with the autocephalous Orthodox Church in America as the
Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of
America.
Read more...
|
,
