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Contents
Articles
Orthodox Church 1
Russian Orthodox Church 41
References
Article Sources and Contributors 60
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 61
Article Licenses
License 63
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Orthodox Church 1
Orthodox Church
Pentecost: The spread of Christianity
begins.
The Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic
Church[1] and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church,[2]
asserts that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by
Jesus Christ and his Apostles almost 2,000 years ago. The Church is
composed of several self-governing ecclesial bodies, each geographically and
nationally distinct but theologically unified. Each self-governing (or
autocephalous) body, often but not always encompassing a nation, is
shepherded by a synod of bishops whose duty, among other things, is to
preserve and teach the Apostolic and patristic traditions and related church
practices. As in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Oriental
Orthodoxy and some other churches, Orthodox bishops trace their lineage
back to the Apostles through the process of Apostolic Succession.
The Orthodox Church claims to trace its development back through theByzantine or Roman empire, to the earliest church established by St. Paul and
the Apostles. It practices what it understands to be the original ancient
traditions, believing in growth without change. In non-doctrinal matters the church had occasionally shared from
local Greek, Slavic and Middle Eastern traditions, among others, in turn shaping the cultural development of these
nations.
The goal of Orthodox Christians from baptism, when it is believed that they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, is to
continually draw near to God throughout life. This process is called theosis or deification and is a spiritual
pilgrimage in which each person strives to become more holy and more "Christ Like" within Jesus Christ. [3]
The Biblical text used by the Orthodox includes the Greek Septuagint and the New Testament. It includes the seven
Deuterocanonical Books which are generally rejected by Protestants and a small number of other books that are in
neither Western canon. Orthodox Christians use the term "Anagignoskomena" (a Greek word that means "readable",
"worthy of reading") for the ten books that they accept but that are not in the Protestant 39-book Old Testament
canon. They treat them on the same level as the others and use them in the Divine Liturgy. [4] Orthodox Christians
believe scripture was revealed by the Holy Spirit to its inspired human authors. They also use icons as a part of their
personal and liturgical worship and prayer life. An Orthodox Christian will often have icons in their home and icons
are a prominent feature in Orthodox churches. They are used in prayer and veneration of the saint or Biblical event
they represent, but are not objects of worship themselves. The Orthodox Church maintains that this is not idolatry,
nonetheless preferring them to three-dimensional statues. Icons depict Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the saints and
important Biblical events. They have been part of Orthodox Christianity since the beginning of the church.
[5]
Meaning of "Orthodox"
Almost from the very beginning, Christians referred to the Church as the "One, Holy, Catholic [from the Greek
καθολική, or universal] and Apostolic Church".[6] Today, in addition to the Orthodox Church, a number of other
Christian churches lay claim to this title (including the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the
Assyrian Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church); however, the Orthodox Church considers these other churches
to be schismatic and, in some cases, heretical. In the Orthodox view, the Assyrians and Orientals left the Orthodox
Church in the first few centuries after Christ, and the Roman Catholics became the largest group to do so, as the
result of the East-West Schism, traditionally dated in 1054. In Georgian OrthodoxISM is "Martlmedidebloba", which
means "Glorying truth"
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Orthodox Church 2
The term “Orthodox” translates from the Greek to mean “correctly believing” or "correctly glorifying" (from the
adjective orthos = correct, right and the verb dokein = seem (to be the case) and thus by extension "believe" or the
noun doxa = belief) and was adopted by the Church in order to distinguish itself from what was becoming a larger
and larger body of non-orthodox Christian denominations.[7]
Several other ancient churches in Eastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa also use the term Orthodox, but are
distinct from the Orthodox Church as described in this article.
Typica
Neamţ church in Romania
What unites the Orthodox is theology, although there are
variations in style depending on country of origin and/or local
custom. These local customs are referred to as differences in
typica and are accepted by church leaders since they are not
perceived to conflict theologically with basic Orthodox teachings.
Thus it is that many Orthodox Churches adopt a national title (e.g.
Albanian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Georgian Orthodox,
Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Romanian Orthodox, Serbian
Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox (not officially recognized) etc.) and
this title serves to distinguish which language, which bishops, and
which of the typica is followed by that particular congregation.
Members of the Church are fully united in faith and the Sacred
Mysteries with all Orthodox congregations, regardless of nationality. Differences in praxis (practice) tend to be
slight; they involve such things as the order in which a particular set of hymns are sung or what time a particular
service is performed. In general, an Orthodox Christian could travel the globe and feel familiar with the services
even if he did not know the language in which they were celebrated.
Organization and leadership
The permanent criteria of church structure for the Orthodox Church today, outside of the New Testament writings,
are found in the canons (regulation and decrees) of the first seven ecumenical councils; the canons of several local or
provincial councils, whose authority was recognized by the whole church; the so-called Apostolic Canons (actually
some regulations of the church in Syria, dating from the 4th century); and the "canons of the Fathers" or selected
extracts from prominent church leaders having canonical importance.[8] The Orthodox Church considers Jesus Christ
to be the head of the Church and the Church to be His body. Thus, despite widely held popular belief outside the
Orthodox cultures, there is not one bishop at the head of the Orthodox Church; references to the Patriarch of
Constantinople as a leader equivalent or comparable to a pope in the Roman Catholic Church are mistaken. It isbelieved that authority and the grace of God is directly passed down to Orthodox bishops and clergy through the
laying on of hands —a practice started by the apostles, and that this unbroken historical and physical link is an
essential element of the true church (Acts 8:17, 1 Tim 4:14, Heb 6:2). However, the church asserts that Apostolic
Succession also requires Apostolic Faith, and bishops without Apostolic Faith, who are in heresy, forfeit their claim
to Apostolic Succession.[9] Each bishop has a territory (see) over which he governs. His main duty is to make sure
the traditions and practices of the Church are preserved. Bishops are equal in authority and cannot interfere in the
jurisdiction of another bishop. Administratively, these bishops and their territories are organized into various
autocephalous groups or synods of bishops who gather together at least twice a year to discuss the state of affairs
within their respective sees. While bishops and their autocephalous synods have the ability to administer guidance in
individual cases, their actions do not usually set precedents that affect the entire Church. Bishops are almost alwayschosen from the monastic ranks and must remain unmarried.
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Orthodox Church 3
There have been a number of times when alternative theological ideas arose to challenge the Orthodox faith. At such
times the Church deemed it necessary to convene a general or "Great" council of all available bishops throughout the
world. The Church considers the first seven Ecumenical Councils (held between the 4th and the 8th century) to be
the most important; however, there have been more, specifically the Synods of Constantinople, 879 – 880, 1341,
1347, 1351, 1583, 1819, and 1872, the Synod of Iaşi (Jassy), 1642, and the Pan-Orthodox Synod of Jerusalem, 1672,
all of which helped to define the Orthodox position. The ecumenical councils fo llowed a democratic form; with each
bishop having one vote. Though present and allowed to speak before the council, members of the Imperial
Roman/Byzantine court, abbots, priests, monks and laymen were not allowed to vote. The primary goal of these
Great Synods was to verify and confirm the fundamental beliefs of the Church as truth, and to remove as heresy any
false teachings that would threaten the Church. The Pope of Rome, at that time, held the position of “first among
equals”. And while he was not present at any of the councils he continued to hold this title until the East-West
Schism of 1054 AD. One of the decisions made by the First Council of Constantinople (the second ecumenical
council, meeting in 381) and supported by later such councils was that the Patriarch of Constantinople should be
given similar honor to the Pope of Rome since Constantinople was considered to be the "New Rome." However,
according to the third Canon of the second ecumenical council: "Because it is new Rome, the bishop of
Constantinople is to enjoy the privileges of honour after the bishop of Rome." Thus, the Pope of Rome would stillhave honorary primacy before and over Constantinople. The Pope's name would be first in the Diptychs because
Rome was the elder capital (see Canon 28 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council). The Patriarch, like the Pope before
him enjoys the title of “first among equals”. This is not, however, meant to imply that he is the leader of the Orthodox
Church.
Number of adherents
Based on the numbers of adherents, Orthodoxy is the second largest Christian communion in the world after the
Roman Catholic Church.[10] The most common estimates of the number of Orthodox Christians worldwide is
approximately 300 million [11] .
Orthodoxy is the largest single religious faith in Belarus (85%), Bulgaria (83%), Cyprus (80%), Georgia (89%),
Greece (95%),[12] Moldova (98%), Montenegro (74%),[13] Romania (87%), Serbia (84%),[14] Russia (80%),[15]
Republic of Macedonia (55%) and Ukraine (80%).[16]
The number of Orthodox adherents represents about 36% of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian
Serbs). In Albania the adherents number around 25% out of a 40% Christian population, the others being Roman
Catholic. As the dominant religion in northern Kazakhstan, it represents 40% of Kazakhstan, and 4% of Lithuania,
9% of Latvia, and 13% of the Estonian population. Large Orthodox Christian communities exist in the
Mediterranean countries of Syria (80% of Christian population), Lebanon (40% of Christian population) and 10% of
the whole Lebanese population, Jordan (80% of Christian population), Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip
(Palestinian Christians) with some families able to trace their ancestry to the earliest Christians of the Holy Land.Small numbers of Eastern Orthodox minorities live in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In addition, there are also significant Orthodox communities in Western Europe (solely the transplanted Armenian,
Greek, Romanian, Serbian, Albanian, Bulgarian and Russian communities), Africa, Asia (see the Orthodox Church
of China and Orthodox Church of Japan), Australia, North America (most notably introduced by Russian
missionaries to Alaska under Russian rule and the USA), and South America through the pattern of immigration
from Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the last 400 or some years.
The numerous Protestant groups in the world, if taken all together, outnumber the Orthodox, [17] but they differ
theologically and do not form a single communion.[18]
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Orthodox Church 4
Beliefs
Part of the series on
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity Portal
History
Byzantine Empire
Crusades
Ecumenical council
Christianization of Bulgaria
Christianization of Kievan Rus'
East-West Schism
By region
Asian - Copts
Eastern Orthodox - Georgian - Ukrainian
Traditions
Church of the East
Eastern Catholic ChurchesEastern Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodoxy
Syriac Christianity
Liturgy and Worship
Sign of the cross
Divine Liturgy
Iconography
Asceticism
OmophorionTheology
Hesychasm - Icon
Apophaticism - Filioque clause
Miaphysitism - Monophysitism
Nestorianism - Theosis - Theoria
Phronema - Philokalia
Praxis - Theotokos
Hypostasis - Ousia
Essence-Energies distinction
Metousiosis
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Orthodox Church 5
Trinity
Orthodox Christians believe in the Trinity. The Father is the cause or origin of the Godhead, from whom the Son is
begotten eternally and also from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally. The Holy Trinity is three, distinct, divine
persons (hypostases), without overlap or modality among them, who share one divine essence (ousia) —uncreated,
immaterial and eternal.[19] Orthodox doctrine regarding the Holy Trinity is summarized in the Nicene Creed (Symbol
of Faith).[20]
In discussing God's relationship to His creation, Orthodoxy used the concept of a distinction between God's eternal
essence which is totally transcendent and His uncreated energies which is how He reaches us. The God who is
transcendent and the God who touches us are one and the same (i.e. These energies are not something that proceed
from God or that God produces, but rather they are God himself: distinct, yet inseparable from, God's inner
being).[21]
Sin, salvation and the incarnation
At some point in the beginnings of human existence man was faced with a choice, to learn the difference between
good and evil through observation or through participation. The biblical story of Adam and Eve represents this
choice by mankind to participate in evil. This event is commonly referred to as “the fall of man” and it represents a
fundamental change in human nature. When Orthodox Christians refer to Original Sin what they mean is this
adoption of evil into human nature. They reject the Augustinian position that the descendants of Adam and Eve are
actually guilty of their sin.[22] As a result of this sin, mankind was doomed to be separated from God. This was
mankind’s ultimate dilemma. The solution to this problem was for God to effect another change in human nature.
Orthodox Christians believe that Christ Jesus was both God and Man absolutely. He was born, lived, died, and rose
again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Through God’s participation in humanity, human nature is changed thus
saving us from the fate of hell (Orthodox reject the idea that Christ died to give God "satisfaction," as taught by
Anselm, or as a punitive substitute as taught by the Reformers). The effective change included all those who had
died from the beginning of time – saving everyone including Adam and Eve. This process, to Orthodox Christians is
what is meant by “Salvation”. The ultimate goal is theosis – an even closer union with God and closer likeness to
God than existed in the Garden of Eden.
Resurrection
16th century Russian Orthodox icon of the
Resurrection
The Resurrection of Christ is the central event in the liturgical year of
the Orthodox Church and is understood in literal terms as a real
historical event. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified and died,
descended into Hades, rescued all the souls held there through sin; and
then, because Hades could not restrain the infinite God, rose from the
dead, thus saving the human race. Through these events, Christreleased us from the bonds of Hades and then came back to the living
as both man and God. According to Orthodox tradition, each human
being may partake of this immortality, which would have been
impossible without the Resurrection; it is the main promise held out by
God in the New Testament.
Every holy day of the Orthodox liturgical year relates to the
Resurrection directly or indirectly. Every Sunday is dedicated to
celebrating the Resurrection and the triune God. In the liturgical
commemorations of the Passion of Christ during Holy Week there arefrequent allusions to the ultimate victory at its completion.
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Orthodox Church 6
Bible, holy tradition and the patristic consensus
The Orthodox Church considers itself to be the historical and organic continuation of the original Church founded by
Christ and His apostles.[23] The faith taught by Jesus to the apostles, given life by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and
passed down to future generations uncorrupted, is known as Holy Tradition.[24] The primary and authoritative
witness to Holy Tradition is the Bible, texts written by the apostles or those in the Early Church, and approved by
Church leaders under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.[25]
The Bible reveals God's will, the relationship between theIsraelites and God, the wonders of Christ and the early history of the Church. As the Bible has an inspired origin it is
central to the life of the Church.
Scriptures are understood to contain historical fact, poetry, idiom, metaphor, simile, moral fable, parable, prophecy,
and wisdom literature. Thus, the Scriptures are never used for personal interpretation, but always seen within the
context of Holy Tradition, which gave birth to the Scripture. Orthodoxy maintains that belief in a doctrine of sola
scriptura would lead most to error since the truth of Scripture cannot be separated from the traditions from which it
arose. Orthodox Christians therefore believe that the only way to correctly understand the Bible is within the
Church.[26]
Other witnesses to Holy Tradition include the Liturgy of the Church, its iconography, the rulings of the Ecumenical
councils, and the writings of the Church Fathers. From the consensus of the Fathers ( consensus patrum) one may
enter more deeply and understand more fully the Church's life. Individual Fathers are not looked upon as infallible,
but rather their whole consensus will give one a proper understanding of the Bible and Christian doctrine. [27]
Territorial expansion and doctrinal integrity
From the moment Christ commissioned the generations of apostles, the Church (εκκλησία – ekklesia) began to
grow. The organic model for the growth of this community stems from the title of 'the chosen' as being those
Hebrews who were chosen by God to leave Egypt with Moses the patriarch and enter into the land of promise.
During the course of the early church, there were numerous followers who attached themselves to the Christ and His
mission here on Earth, as well as followers who retained the distinct duty of being commissioned with preserving thequality of life and lessons revealed through the experience of Jesus living, dying, resurrecting and ascending among
them. As a matter of practical distinction and logistics, people of varying gifts were accorded stations within the
community structure – ranging from the host of agape meals (shared with brotherly and fatherly love), to prophecy
and the reading of Scripture, to preaching and interpretations and giving aid to the sick and the poor. Sometime after
Pentecost the Church grew to a point where it was no longer possible for the Apostles to minister alone. Overseers
(bishops)[28] and assistants (deacons and deaconesses) were appointed[29] to further the mission of the Church.
The ecclesia recognized the gathering of these early church communities as being greatest in areas of the known
world that were famous for their significance on the world stage – either as hotbeds of intellectual discourse, high
volumes of trade, or proximity to the original sacred sites. These locations were targeted by the early apostles, who
recognized the need for humanitarian efforts in these large urban centers and sought to bring as many people aspossible into the ecclesia – such a life was seen as a form of deliverance from the decadent lifestyles promoted
throughout the eastern and western Roman empire.
As the Church increased in size through the centuries, the logistic dynamics of operating such large entities shifted:
patriarchs, metropolitans, archimandrites, abbots and abbesses, all rose up to cover certain points of
administration.[30]
As a result of heightened exposure and popularity of the philosophical schools (haereseis) of Greco-Roman society
and education, Synods and Councils were forced to engage such schools that sought to co-opt the language and
pretext of the Christian faith in order gain power and popularity for their own political and cultural expansion. As a
result, ecumenical councils were held to attempt to rebuild solidarity by using the strength of distant orthodoxwitnesses to dampen the intense local effects of particular philosophical schools within a given area. While originally
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Orthodox Church 7
intended to serve as an internal check and balance for the defense of faulty local doctrine against the doctrine
developed and spread by the apostles to the various sees, at times the church found its own bishops and emperors
falling prey to local conventions – at these crucial moments in the history of the church, it found itself able to rebuild
on the basis of the faith as it was kept and maintained by monastic communities who subsisted without reliance on
the community of the state or popular culture and were generally unaffected by the materialism and rhetoric that
often dominated and threatened the integrity and stability of the urban churches.
In this sense, the aim of the councils was never to expand or fuel a popular need for a clearer or relevant picture of
the original apostolic teaching. Rather, the theologians spoke to address the issues of external schools of thought who
wished to distort the simplicity and neutrality of the apostolic teaching for personal or political gain. That being said,
the consistency of the Orthodox faith is entirely dependent on the Holy Tradition of the accepted corpus of belief –
the decisions ratified by the fathers of the seven ecumenical councils, and this is only done at the beginning of a
consecutive council so that the effects of the decisions of the prior council can be audited and verified as being both
conceptual sound and pragmatically feasible and beneficial for the church as a whole.
This process is not one of universal doctrinal evolution but of localized contextual protection. Thus the Orthodox
claim that the gospel as they have received it is the same gospel that the apostles shared, that which the fathers had
taught, and the which the councils confirmed – not what any particular individual has said.
The Theotokos and the saints
The Theotokos of Vladimir, one of the
most venerated of Orthodox Christian
icons of the Virgin Mary.
The Orthodox Church believes death and the separation of body and soul to
be unnatural; a result of the Fall of Man. They also hold that the congregation
of the Church comprises both the living and the dead. All persons currently in
heaven are considered to be saints, whether their names are known or not.
There are, however, those saints of distinction whom God has revealed as
particularly good examples. When a saint is revealed and ultimately
recognized by a large portion of the Church a service of official recognition(glorification) is celebrated. This does not 'make' the person a saint, it merely
recognizes the fact and announces it to the rest of the Church. A day is
prescribed for the saint’s celebration, hymns composed and icons are created.
Numerous saints are celebrated on each day of the year. They are venerated
(shown great respect and love) but not worshiped, for worship is due to God
alone. In showing the saints this love and requesting their prayers, it is
believed by the Orthodox that they thus assist in the process of salvation for
others.[31]
Pre-eminent among the saints is the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos
("God-bearer"). In Orthodox theology, the Theotokos is the fulfillment of theOld Testament archetype revealed in the Ark of the Covenant, because she carried the New Covenant in the person
of Christ; thus, the Orthodox consider her the Ark of the New Covenant, and give her the respect and reverence as
such. The Theotokos was chosen by God and freely co-operated in that choice to be the Mother of Jesus Christ, the
God-man. The Orthodox believe that the Christ Child from the moment of conception was both fully God and fully
Man. She is thus called 'Theotokos' as an affirmation of the divinity of the One to whom she gave birth. It is also
believed that her virginity was not compromised in conceiving God-incarnate, that she was not harmed and that she
remained forever a virgin; scriptural references to "brothers" of Christ are interpreted as kin, given that the word
'brother' was used in multiple ways, just as the term "father". Due to her unique place in salvation history, Mary is
honored above all other saints and especially venerated for the great work that God accomplished through her. [32]
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Orthodox Church 8
Because of the holiness of the lives of the saints, their bodies and physical items connected with them are regarded
by the Church as also holy. Many miracles have been reported throughout history connected with the saint's relics,
often including healing from disease and injury. The veneration and miraculous nature of relics continues from
Biblical times.[33]
Eschatology
Last Judgment . 12th-century Byzantine mosaic from Torcello
Cathedral.
Orthodox Christians believe that when a person dies the
soul is temporarily separated from the body. Though it
may linger for a short period on Earth, it is ultimately
escorted either to paradise (Abraham's bosom) or the
darkness of Hades, following the Temporary Judgment.
Orthodox do not accept the doctrine of Purgatory which
is held by Roman Catholicism. The soul’s experience of
either of these states is only a “foretaste”—being
experienced only by the soul —until the Final
Judgment, when the soul and body will be reunited. [34]
The Orthodox believe that the state of the soul in Hades
can be affected by the love and prayers of the righteous
up until the Last Judgment.[35] For this reason the
Church offers a special prayer for the dead on the third
day, ninth day, fortieth day, and the one-year
anniversary after the death of an Orthodox Christian.
There are also several days throughout the year that are set aside for general commemoration of the departed,
sometimes including nonbelievers. These days usually fall on a Saturday, since it was on a Saturday that Christ lay in
the Tomb.
While the Orthodox consider the text of the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation) to be a part of Scripture, it is also
regarded to be a mystery. Speculation on the contents of Revelation are minimal and it is never read as part of the
regular order of services. Those theologians who have delved into its pages tend to be amillennialist in their
eschatology, believing that the "thousand years" spoken of in biblical prophecy refers to the present time: from the
Crucifixion of Christ until the Second Coming. Whilst it is not usually taught in church it is often used as a reminder
of God’s promise to those who love Him, and of the benefits of avoiding sinful passions. Iconographic depictions of
the Final Judgment are often portrayed on the back (western) wall of the church building to remind the departing
faithful to be vigilant in their struggle against sin. Likewise it is often painted on the walls of the Trapeza (refectory)
in a monastery where monks may be inspired to sobriety and detachment from worldly things while they eat.
The Orthodox believe that after the Final Judgment:
• all souls will be reunited with their resurrected bodies
• all souls will fully experience their spiritual state
• having been perfected, the human race will forever progress towards a deeper and fuller love of God, which
equates with eternal happiness
• hell, though often described in metaphor as punishment inflicted by God, is in reality the soul's rejection of God's
infinite love which is offered freely and abundantly to everyone.
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Orthodox Church 9
Traditions
Art and architecture
Church buildings
An illustration of the traditional interior of an Orthodox church
The church building has many symbolicmeanings; perhaps the oldest and most
prominent is the concept that the Church is
the Ark (as in Noah's) in which the world is
saved from the flood of temptations;
therefore, most Orthodox Churches are
rectangular in design. Another popular
configuration, especially for churches with
large choirs is cruciform or cross-shaped.
Architectural patterns vary in shape and
complexity, with chapels sometimes addedaround the main church, or triple altars; but
in general, the symbolic layout of the church
remains the same. Each church is created
with specified qualifications based on what
the apostles said in the Holy Bible. These
qualifications include how big the holy temple should be.
The Church building is divided into three main parts: the narthex (vestibule), the nave and the sanctuary (also called
the altar or holy place). The narthex is where catechumens and non-Orthodox visitors were traditionally asked to
stand during services. It is separated from the nave by “The Royal Gate”. On each side of this gate are candle stands
(menalia) representing the pillars of fire that went before the Hebrew people escaping from Egypt. The nave is where
most of the congregation stand during services. Traditionally, men stand on the right and women on the left. This is
for a number of reasons: (1) Considering the family unit of past centuries the husband was dominant; thus, standing
the same distance from the altar, equality is emphasised. (2) The idea of separating the sexes was inherited from the
Jewish tradition of doing so within synagogues (3) Separation of sexes also followed the practice of choirs in which
different levels of voice are placed in groups to facilitate harmony.
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Orthodox Church 10
Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade, Serbia, is the
largest Orthodox church in the world.
Depiction of the Hagia Sophia's appearance
during Byzantine times
In general, men and women dress respectfully, typically wearing their
"Sunday best" to enter the church. Often, women cover their heads as
prescribed by Paul (1 Cor. 11:13). Children are considered full
members of the Church and stand attentive and quiet during services.
There is often a choir area at the side or in a loft in back. In addition to
the Choir, a Chanter is always present at the front of the church tochant responses and hymns that are part of the Divine Liturgy offered
by the Priest. There is usually a dome in the ceiling with an icon of
Christ depicted as Ruler of the Universe (Pantocrator).
Everything in the Orthodox Church has a purpose and a meaning
revealing God's revelation to man. At the front, or Eastern end of the
church, is a raised dais with an icon-covered screen or wall (iconostasis
or templon) separating the nave from the sanctuary. In the center of
this wall is the entrance to the altar known as the “Royal Doors”
through which only the clergy may pass. There are also a right and left
side door on the front of the iconostasis, one depicting the archangel,Michael and the other Gabriel. The priest and altar boys enter and exit
through these doors during appropriate parts of the Divine Liturgy.
Immediately to the right of the main gate you will always find icon of
Jesus Christ. Other icons depicted on the iconostatis are the Mother of
God, John the Baptist and the Saint after which the church is named.
In front of the iconostasis is the Bishop's Chair, where a visiting
Bishop or Metropolitan will often sit as a place of honor during the
Divine Liturgy. Orthodox priests, when standing at the altar face
toward the altar (facing East) so that both the Priest and congregationare praying to God in Heaven together.
The sanctuary contains the Holy Altar, representing the place where
Christ was laid in the tomb and on the third day, rose. A cross stands
behind the altar. On the altar are the items used to sanctify the bread and wine for communion, including a gold
chalice, a communion spoon, and a star, which is a star shaped piece of metal the priest uses when sanctifing holy
gifts. Also found on the altar table is the Antimins. The antimins is a silk cloth used during the sanctification of the
Divine Gifts. The antimins may contain the relics of a Saint. When a church is consecrated by a Bishop, there is a
formal service or prayers and sanctification in the name of the Saint that the church is named after. The Bishop will
also often present a small relic of a Saint to place in or on the altar as part of the consecration of a new church.
The Divine Liturgy may only be performed once a day on any particular Antimins. Thus a second Liturgy on the
same Altar Table that same day would require the use of a second Antimins, typically from another Orthodox
church. This means that any parish or congregation is able to celebrate only one Eucharist per day, in order to
express the Catholicity of the Church by avoiding "private masses".
There is also a book of the four Gospels on the altar table. The Orthodox read specific verses of this Gospel on each
different day.
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Icons
Our Lady of St. Theodore, the protector of Kostroma, following the
same Byzantine "Tender Mercy" type.
The term 'icon' comes from the Greek word eikona,
which simply means image. The Orthodox believe that
the first icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary were
painted by Luke the Evangelist. Icons are filled with
symbolism designed to convey information about theperson or event depicted. For this reason, icons tend to
be formulaic, following a prescribed methodology for
how a particular person should be depicted, including
hair style, body position, clothing, and background
details. Icon painting, in general, is not an opportunity
for artistic expression, though each iconographer brings
a vision to the piece. It is far more common for an icon
to be copied from an older model, though with the
recognition of a new saint in the church, a new icon
must be created and approved. The personal andcreative traditions of Western European religious art
are largely lacking in Orthodox iconography before the
17th century, when Russian iconography began to be
strongly influenced by religious paintings and
engravings from both Protestant and Roman Catholic
Europe. Greek iconography also began to take on a
strong western influence for a period and the difference
between some Orthodox icons and western religious art
began to vanish. More recently there has been a trend of returning to the more traditional and symbolic
representations.
Free-standing statues (three dimensional depictions) are almost non-existent within the Orthodox Church. This is
partly due to the rejection of the previous pagan Greek age of idol worship and partly because icons are meant to
show the spiritual nature of man, not the sensual earthly body. Bas reliefs, however, became common during the
Byzantine period and led to a tradition of covering a painted icon in a silver or gold 'riza' in order to preserve the
icon. Such bas relief coverings usually leave the faces and hands of the saints exposed for veneration.
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The inside of an Orthodox church.
Icons are not considered by the Orthodox to be idols or
objects of worship. The parameters of their usage were
clearly spelled out by the 7th ecumenical council.
Justification for their usage utilises the following logic:
before God took human form in Christ, no material
depiction was possible and therefore blasphemous evento contemplate. Once God became incarnate, depiction
was possible. As Christ is God, it is justified to hold in
one's mind the image of God-incarnate. Likewise, when
one venerates an icon, it is not the wood or paint that
are venerated but rather the individual shown, just as it
is not the paper one loves when one might kiss the
photograph of a loved one. As Saint Basil famously
proclaimed, honour or veneration of the icon always
passes to its archetype. Following this reasoning, the
veneration of the glorified human saint made in God'simage, is always a veneration of the divine image, and
hence God as foundational archetype.
Icons can be found adorning the walls of churches and
often cover the inside structure completely.[36] Most
Orthodox homes have an area set aside for family
prayer, usually an eastern facing wall, where are hung
many icons.
Icons are often illuminated by a candle or oil lamp.
(Beeswax for candles and olive oil for lamps are preferred because they are natural and burn cleanly.) Besides thepractical purpose of making icons visible in an otherwise dark church, both candles and oil lamps symbolise the
Light of the World, who is Christ.
Tales of miraculous icons are not uncommon, though it has always been considered that the message of such an
event was for the immediate faithful involved and therefore does not usually attract crowds. Some miraculous icons
whose reputations span long periods of time nevertheless become objects of pilgrimage along with the places where
they are kept. As several Orthodox theologians and saints have explored in the past, the icon's miraculous nature is
found not in the material, but in the glory of the saint who is depicted. The icon is a window, in the words of St Paul
Florensky, that actually participates in the glory of what it represents.
See also icons.
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Iconostasis
Iconostasis in the Cathedral of the
Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin.
An iconostasis, also called the templon, is a wall of icons and religious
paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis
also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a
church. The modern iconostasis evolved from the Byzantine templon in
the eleventh century. The evolution of the iconostasis probably owes agreat deal to 14th-century Hesychast mysticism and the wood-carving
genius of the Russian Orthodox Church. The first ceiling-high,
five-leveled Russian iconostasis was designed by Andrey Rublyov in the
cathedral of the Dormition in Vladimir in 1408. The separation between
sanctuary and nave accomplished by the iconostasis is not mandatory,
albeit it is common practice. Depending on circumstance, the role of the
iconostasis can be played by masonry, carved panels, screens, curtains,
railings, a cord or rope, plain icons on stands, steps, or nothing at all.
The Cross
The Three-Bar Orthodox Cross.
Depictions of the Cross within the Orthodox Church are numerous and often
highly ornamented. Some carry special significance. The Tri-Bar Cross, as
seen to the right, has three bars instead of the single bar normally attached.
The small top crossbar represents the sign that Pontius Pilate nailed above
Christ's head. It often is inscribed with an acronym meaning “Jesus of
Nazareth, King of the Jews”; however, it is often replaced or amplified by thephrase "The King of Glory" in order to answer Pilate's statement with Christ's
affirmation, "My Kingdom is not of this world".
There is also a bottom slanting bar. This appears for a number of reasons.
Claims of evidence indicate that there was a small wooden platform for the
crucified to stand on in order to support his weight; in Jesus' case his feet
were nailed side by side to this platform with one nail each in order to
prolong the torture of the cross.
Implied evidence for this comes mainly from two sources within Holy
Tradition, the Bible (in order to cause the victim to die faster their legs were
broken so they could not support their weight and would suffocate) and
iconography (all early depictions of the crucifixion show this arrangement, not the later with feet on top with single
nail). It has also been pointed out by some experts that the nailed hands of a body crucified in the manner often
shown in modern secular art would not support the weight of the body and would tear through. A platform for the
feet would relieve this problem.
The bottom bar is slanted for two reasons, to represent the very real agony which Christ experienced on the cross (a
refutation of Docetism) and to signify that the thief on Christ's right chose the right path while the thief on the left
did not. Other crosses associated with the Orthodox Church are the more traditional single-bar crosses, budded
designs, the Jerusalem cross (cross pattée), Celtic crosses, and others.
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Services
A prayer corner in an Orthodox temple, utilized by parishioners
during services for veneration and specific petitions.
The services of the church are properly conducted each
day following a rigid, but constantly changing annual
schedule (i.e., parts of the service remain the same
while others change depending on the day of the year).
Services are conducted in the church and involve boththe clergy and faithful. Services cannot properly be
conducted by a single person, but must have at least
one other person present (i.e. a Priest cannot celebrate
alone, but must have at least a Chanter present and
participating). Usually, all of the services are conducted
on a daily basis only in monasteries and cathedrals,
while parish churches might only do the services on the
weekend and major feast days. On certain Great Feasts
(and, according to some traditions, every Sunday) a
special All-Night Vigil ( Agrypnia) will be celebratedfrom late at night on the eve of the feast until early the next morning. Because of its festal nature it is usually
followed by a breakfast feast shared together by the congregation.
“The journey is to the Kingdom. This is where we are going-not symbolically, but really.
” —Fr. Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World
“We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth.
” —Ambassadors of Kievan Rus (10th Century), Apocryphal quote from conversion of Kievan Rus.
Services, especially the Divine Liturgy, can only be performed once a day on a single altar (some churches have
multiple altars in order to accommodate large congregations). Each priest may only celebrate the Divine Liturgy
once a day. From its Jewish roots, the liturgical day begins at sundown. The traditional daily cycle of services is as
follows:
• Vespers – (Greek Hesperinos) Sundown, the beginning of the liturgical day.
• Compline (Greek Apodeipnon, lit. "After-supper") – After the evening meal prior to bedtime.
• Midnight Office – Usually served only in monasteries.
• Matins (Greek Orthros) – First service of the morning. Usually starts before sunrise.• Divine Liturgy – The Eucharist service (see below)
• Hours – First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth – Sung either at their appropriate times, or in aggregate at other customary
times of convenience. If the latter, The First Hour is sung immediately following Orthros, the Third and Sixth
prior to the Divine Liturgy, and the Ninth prior to Vespers.
The Divine Liturgy is the celebration of the Eucharist. Although it is usually celebrated between the Sixth and Ninth
Hours, it is not considered to be part of the daily cycle of services, as it occurs outside the normal time of the world.
The Divine Liturgy is not celebrated on weekdays during the preparatory season of Great Lent and in some places
during the lesser fasting seasons either. Reserve communion is prepared on Sundays and is distributed during the
week at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
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This daily cycle services are conceived of as both the sanctification of time (chronos, the specific times during which
they are celebrated), and entry into eternity (kairos). They consist to a large degree of litanies asking for God's mercy
on the living and the dead, readings from the Psalter with introductory prayers, troparia, and other prayers and hymns
surrounding them. The Psalms are so arranged that when all the services are celebrated the entire Psalter is read
through in their course once a week, and twice a week during Great Lent when the services are celebrated in an
extended form.
Chanting
Orthodox services are sung nearly in their entirety. Services consist in part of a dialogue between the clergy and the
people (often represented by the choir or the Psaltis Cantor). In each case the prayers are sung or chanted following a
prescribed musical form. Almost nothing is read in a normal speaking voice, with the exception of the homily if one
is given. Because the human voice is seen as the most perfect instrument of praise, musical instruments (organs,
guitars, etc.) are not generally used to accompany the choir. The church has developed eight Modes or Tones, (see
Octoechos) within which a chant may be set, depending on the time of year, feast days, or other considerations of the
Typikon. There are numerous versions and styles that are traditional and acceptable and these vary a great deal
between cultures.
[37]
It is common, especially in the United States, for a choir to learn many different styles and tomix them, singing one response in Greek, then English, then Russian, etc. It should also be noted that in the Russian
tradition there have been some very famous composers of Church music such as Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff;
and many Church tones can likewise be seen influencing their music.
Incense
Orthodox Deacons preparing incense for
a Cross Procession in Novosibirsk,Russia.
As part of the legacy handed down from its Judaic roots, incense is used
during all services in the Orthodox Church as an offering of worship to God
as it was done in the Jewish First and Second Temples in Jerusalem (Exodus
chapter 30). Traditionally, the base of the incense used is the resin of
Boswellia thurifera, also known as frankincense, but the resin of fir trees hasbeen used as well. It is usually mixed with various floral essential oils giving
it a sweet smell. Incense represents the sweetness of the prayers of the saints
rising up to God (Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, 8:4). The incense is burned in
an ornate golden censer that hangs at the end of three chains representing the
Trinity. Two chains represent the human and Godly nature of the Son, one
chain for the Father and one chain for the Holy Spirit. The lower cup
represents the earth and the upper cup the heaven. In the Greek and Syrian
traditions there are 12 bells hung along these chains representing the 12
apostles (usually no bells in Slavic tradition). There are also 72 links
representing 72 evangelists. The charcoal represents the sinners. Fire signifiesthe Holy Spirit and frankincense the good deeds. The incense also represents
the grace of the Holy Trinity. The censer is used (swung back and forth) by
the priest/deacon to venerate all four sides of the altar, the holy gifts, the clergy, the icons, the congregation, and the
church structure itself.
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Mysteries
According to Orthodox theology, the purpose of the Christian life is to attain theosis, the mystical union of man with
God. This union is understood as both collective and individual. St. Athanasius of Alexandria, wrote concerning the
Incarnation that, "He (Jesus) was made man that we might be made god (θεοποιηθῶμεν)". [38] See Peter 2 1:4,
John 10:34 – 36, Psalm 82:6. The entire life of the church is oriented towards making this possible and facilitating it.
In the Orthodox Church the terms “Mystery” or “The Mysteries” refer to the process of theosis. While it is understoodthat God theoretically can do anything instantly and invisibly, it is also understood that he generally chooses to use
material substance as a medium in order to reach people. The limitations are those of mankind, not God. Matter is
not considered to be evil by the Orthodox. Water, oil, bread, wine, etc., all are means by which God reaches out to
allow people to draw closer to him. How this process works is a “Mystery”, and cannot be defined in human terms.
These Mysteries are surrounded by prayer and symbolism so that their true meaning will not be forgotten.
Those things which in the West are often termed Sacraments or sacramentals are known among the Orthodox as the
Sacred Mysteries. While the Roman Catholic Church numbers seven Sacraments, and many Protestant groups list
two (Baptism and the Eucharist) or even none, the Orthodox do not limit the number. However, for the sake of
convenience, catechisms will often speak of the seven Great Mysteries. Among these are Holy Communion (the
most direct connection), Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Unction, Matrimony, and Ordination. But the term also
properly applies to other sacred actions such as monastic Tonsure or the blessing of holy water, and involves fasting,
almsgiving, or an act as simple as lighting a candle, burning incense, praying or asking God's blessing on food. [39]
Baptism
Baptism is the mystery which transforms the old, sinful man into the new, pure man; the old life, the sins, any
mistakes made are gone and a clean slate is given. Through baptism one is united to the Body of Christ by becoming
a member of the Orthodox Church. During the service water is blessed. The catechumen is fully immersed in the
water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity. This is considered to be a death of the "old man" by participation
in the crucifixion and burial of Christ, and a rebirth into new life in Christ by participation in his resurrection.[40]
Properly a new name is given, which becomes the person's name.
Children of Orthodox families are normally baptized shortly after birth. Converts to Orthodoxy (even converts from
other Christian denominations) are usually formally baptized into the Orthodox Church though exceptions are
sometimes made. Those who have left Orthodoxy and adopted a new religion, if they return to their Orthodox roots,
are usually received back into the church through the mystery of Chrismation.
Properly, the mystery of baptism is administered by bishops and priests; however, in emergencies any Orthodox
Christian can baptize.[41] In such cases, should the person survive the emergency, it is likely that the person will be
properly baptized by a priest at some later date. This is not considered to be a second baptism, nor is it imagined that
the person is not already Orthodox, but rather it is a fulfillment of the proper form.
The service of baptism used in Orthodox churches has remained largely unchanged for over 1500 years. This fact is
witnessed to by St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), who, in his Discourse on the Sacrament of Baptism, describes the
service in much the same way as is currently in use.
Chrismation
Chrismation(sometimes called confirmation[42] ) is the mystery by which a baptized person is granted the gift of the
Holy Spirit through anointing with Holy Chrism.[43] It is normally given immediately after baptism as part of the
same service, but is also used to receive lapsed members of the Orthodox Church. [44] As baptism is a person's
participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, so Chrismation is a person's participation in the coming of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost.[45]
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A baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christian is a full member of the Church, and may receive the Eucharist
regardless of age.[45]
The creation of Chrism may be accomplished by any bishop at any time, but usually is done only once a year, often
when a synod of bishops convenes for its annual meeting. (Some autocephalous churches get their chrism from
others.) Anointing with it substitutes for the laying-on of hands described in the New Testament, even when an
instrument such as a brush is used.[46]
Fasting
See also: Fasting: Orthodoxy & Eastern Catholicism.
The number of fast days varies from year to year, but in general the Orthodox Christian can expect to spend a little
over half the year fasting at some level of strictness. There are spiritual, symbolic, and even practical reasons for
fasting. In the Fall from Paradise mankind became possessed by a carnal nature; that is to say, he became inclined
towards the passions. Through fasting, Orthodox Christians attempt to return to the relationship of love and
obedience to God enjoyed by Adam and Eve in Paradise in their own lives, by refraining from carnal practices, by
bridling the tongue (James 3:5 – 6), confession of sins, prayer and almsgiving.
Fasting is seen as purification and the regaining of innocence. Through obedience to the Church and its ascetic
practices the Orthodox Christian seeks to rid himself or herself of the passions (The desires of our fallen carnal
nature). All Orthodox Christians are expected to fast following a prescribed set of guidelines. They do not view
fasting as a hardship, but rather as a privilege and joy. The teaching of the Church fixes both the times and the
amount of fasting that is expected as a minimum for every member. For greater ascesis, some may choose to go
without food entirely for a short period of time. A complete three-day fast at the beginning and end of a fasting
period is not unusual, and some fast for even longer periods, though this is usually practiced only in monasteries.
In general, fasting means abstaining from meat and meat products, dairy (eggs and cheese) and dairy products, fish,
olive oil, and wine. Wine and oil —and, less frequently, fish —are allowed on certain feast days when they happen to
fall on a day of fasting; but animal products and dairy are forbidden on fast days, with the exception of "CheeseFare" week which precedes Great Lent, during which dairy products are allowed. Wine and oil are usually also
allowed on Saturdays and Sundays during periods of fast. In some Orthodox traditions, caviar is permitted on
Lazarus Saturday, the Saturday before Palm Sunday, although the day is otherwise a fast day. Married couples also
abstain from sexual relations on fast days, that they may devote themselves to prayer (Corinthians I 7:5).
While it may seem that fasting in the manner set forth by the Church is a strict rule, there are circumstances where a
person's spiritual guide may allow a dispensation because of some physical necessity (e.g. those who are pregnant or
infirm, the very young and the elderly, or those who have no control over their diet, such as prisoners or soldiers).
The time and type of fast is generally uniform for all Orthodox Christians; the times of fasting are part of the
ecclesiastical calendar, and the method of fasting is set by the Holy Canons and Sacred Tradition. There are four
major fasting periods during the year:
• The Nativity Fast (Advent or "Winter Lent") which is the 40 days preceding the Nativity of Christ (Christmas),
beginning on November 15 and running through December 24. This fast becomes more severe after December 20,
and Christmas Eve is observed a strict fast day.
• Great Lent which consists of the 6 weeks (40 Days) preceding Palm Sunday, and Great Week (Holy Week) which
precedes Pascha (Easter).
• The Apostles' Fast which varies in length from 8 days to 6 weeks. It begins on the Monday following All Saints
Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) and extends to the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29. Since the
date of Pentecost depends on that of Pascha, and Pascha is determined on the lunar calendar, this fast can
disappear completely under New Calendar observance (This is one of the objections raised by opponents to the
New Calendar).
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• The Dormition Fast, a two-week long Fast preceding the Dormition of the Theotokos (repose of The Virgin
Mary), lasting from August 1 through August 15.
In addition to these fasting seasons, Orthodox Christians fast on every Wednesday (in commemoration of Christ's
betrayal by Judas Iscariot), and Friday (in commemoration of Christ's Crucifixion) throughout the year. Monastics
often fast on Mondays (in imitation of the Angels, who are commemorated on that day in the weekly cycle, since
monastics are striving to lead an angelic life on earth, and angels neither eat nor drink).Orthodox Christians who are preparing to receive the Eucharist do not eat or drink at all from midnight until after
taking Holy Communion. A similar total fast is expected to be kept on the Eve of Nativity, the Eve of Theophany
(Epiphany), Great Friday and Holy Saturday for those who can do so. There are other individual days observed as
fasts (though not as days of total fasting) no matter what day of the week they fall on, such as the Beheading of St.
John the Baptist on August 29 and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14.
Strict fasting is canonically forbidden on Saturdays and Sundays due to the festal character of the Sabbath and the
Resurrection, respectively. On those days wine and oil are permitted even if abstention from them would be
otherwise called for. Holy Saturday is the only Saturday of the year where a strict fast is kept.
There are also four periods in the liturgical year during which no fasting is permitted, even on Wednesday and
Friday. These fast-free periods are:
• The week following Pascha (Easter), also known as Bright Week
• The week following Pentecost
• The period from the Nativity of Christ up to (but not including) the Eve of Theophany (Epiphany). The day of
Theophany itself is always fast-free, even if it falls on a Wednesday or Friday.
• The week following the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (one of the preparatory Sundays before Great
Lent). This is fast-free to remind the faithful not to boast like the Pharisee that he fasts for two days out of the
week Luke 18:12).
The congregation lighting their candles from the new flame in Adelaide, at St.
George Greek Orthodox Church, just as the priest has retrieved it from the altar –
note that the picture is flash-illuminated; all electric lighting is off, and only the oil
lamps in front of the Iconostasis remain lit.
When certain feast days fall on fast days, the
fasting laws are lessened to a certain extent,to allow some consolation in the trapeza
(refectory) for the longer services, and to
provide an element of sober celebration to
accompany the spiritual joy of the feast.
It is considered a greater sin to advertise
one's fasting than not to participate in the
fast. Fasting is a purely personal
communication between the Orthodox
Christian and God. If one has health
concerns, or responsibilities that cannot be
fulfilled because of fasting, then it is
perfectly permissible not to fast. An
individual's observance of the fasting laws is
not to be judged by the community
(Romans 14:1 – 4), but is a private matter
between him and his Spiritual Father or Confessor.
Almsgiving
"Almsgiving" refers to any charitable giving of material resources to those in need. Along with prayer and fasting, itis considered a pillar of the personal spiritual practices of the Orthodox Christian tradition. Almsgiving is
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particularly important during periods of fasting, when the Orthodox believer is expected to share the monetary
savings from his or her decreased consumption with those in need. As with fasting, bragging about the amounts
given for charity is considered anywhere from extremely rude to sinful.
Holy Communion
The Eucharist is at the center of Orthodox Christianity. In practice, it is the partaking of the Body and Blood of JesusChrist in the midst of the Divine Liturgy with the rest of the church. The bread and wine are believed to become the
genuine Body and Blood of the Christ Jesus through the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Orthodox Church has
never described exactly how this occurs, or gone into the detail that the Roman Catholic Church has in the West. The
doctrine of transubstantiation was formulated after the Great Schism took place, and the Orthodox Churches have
never formally affirmed or denied it, preferring to state simply that it is a "Mystery". [47] Communion is given only to
baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared by fasting, prayer and confession. The priest will
administer the Gifts with a spoon, called a "cochlear", directly into the recipient's mouth from the chalice. [48] From
baptism young infants and children are carried to the chalice to receive Holy Communion. [45] Because of the
Orthodox understanding of man’s fallen nature in general those who wish to commune prepare themselves in a way
that reflects man in paradise. First, the individual prepares by having his confession heard and the prayer of repentance read over him by a priest. The person will increase their prayer rule adding the prescribed prayers in
preparation for communing. Finally, the person will fast completely from food and drink from the evening of the
previous day (usually sunset on Saturday if communing on Sunday).
Repentance
Orthodox Christians who have committed sins but repent of them, and who wish to reconcile themselves to God and
renew the purity of their original baptisms, confess their sins to God before a spiritual guide who offers advice and
direction to assist the individual in overcoming their sin. Parish priests commonly function as spiritual guides, but
such guides can be any person, male or female, who has been given a blessing to hear confessions. Spiritual guides
are chosen very carefully as it is a mandate that once chosen, they must be obeyed. Having confessed, the penitentthen has his or her parish priest read the prayer of repentance over them.
Sin is not viewed by the Orthodox as a stain on the soul that needs to be wiped out, or a legal transgression that must
be set right by a punitive sentence, but rather as a mistake made by the individual with the opportunity for spiritual
growth and development. An act of Penance (epitemia), if the spiritual guide requires it, is never formulaic, but
rather is directed toward the individual and their particular problem, as a means of establishing a deeper
understanding of the mistake made, and how to effect its cure. Though it sounds harsh, temporary excommunication
is fairly common. Because full participatory membership is granted to infants, it is not unusual for even small
children to confess; though the scope of their culpability is far less than an older child, still their opportunity for
spiritual growth remains the same.
Marriage
Marriage in the Orthodox Church is the joining of one man and one woman into one flesh. In order to fully
understand the Orthodox concept of marriage one has to understand the Orthodox view on man’s true and fallen state
and his ultimate state at world’s end. Man was originally created to commune with God but because of his fall from
grace man was cut off. Man’s curse was that life itself would be hard on him. As a consolation, God allowed man to
have temporary companionship here on earth. When Christ was asked the hypothetical question about a woman who
married a series of seven brothers – each after her preceding husband had died – whose wife she would be in the
resurrection, Christ responded that in the resurrection people are no longer married but their relationship is with God
(Matthew 22:24 – 30, Mark 12:19 – 25, Luke 20:28 – 36). And so, first and foremost this joining is seen as adispensation allowed by God for the mutual comfort and support of the individuals involved. While procreation and
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the perpetuation of the species is seen as important, what is more important is the bond of love between the husband
and wife as this is a reflection of our ultimate union with God. Virginity, however, is seen as a higher state since one
participates in the immediate relationship with God and is not distracted by having to serve a wife or husband (1
Corith:7 esp.32 – 33)
The Church does recognize that there are rare occasions when it is better that couples do separate, but there is no
official recognition of civil divorces. For the Orthodox, the marriage is indissoluble as in it should not be broken, theviolation of such a union, perceived as holy, being an offense resulted from either adultery or the prolonged absence
of one of the partners. Thus, permitting remarriage is an act of compassion of the Church towards sinful man.[49] In
the U.S., according to 2001 statistics, 14% of Orthodox marriages ended in an ecclesiastical divorce; a figure that,
since it took no account of how many of the couples who entered such marriages took out a civil divorce, is not
comparable with the figure of 43% given at that time for the proportion of all marriages that ended in a civil divorce,
but which has been argued as indicating a probable total of only 15% of marriages celebrated in an Orthodox church
led to any form of divorce.[50] Divorced individuals are usually allowed to remarry though there is usually imposed
on them a fairly severe penance by their bishop and the services for a second marriage in this case are more
penitential than joyful. Widows are permitted to remarry without repercussion and their second marriage is
considered just as valid as the first. One exception to this rule is the clergy and their wives. Should a married priestdie, it is expected that his wife will retire to a monastery as soon as their children are out of the house. Widowed
priests are not allowed to remarry and also frequently end up in monasteries.
The service of Marriage in the Orthodox Church has two distinct parts: The Betrothal and The Crowning. The
Betrothal includes: 1. The exchange of the rings, (it has always been the tradition of the Church to place the wedding
ring on the right hand of the couple based on biblical references. This is seen very clearly in one of the prayers in the
Betrothal Service. A portion of the prayer refers to the biblical references: “For You, O Lord, have declared that a
pledge is to be given and held inviolate in all things. By a ring Joseph was given might in Egypt; by a ring Daniel
was exalted in Babylon; by a ring our heavenly Father showed compassion upon His prodigal son, for He said, ‘Put a
ring upon his right hand, kill the fatted calf, and let us eat and rejoice.’ Your own right hand, O Lord, armed Moses
in the Red Sea. By word of Your truth were the Heavens established and the earth set upon her sure foundations; andthe right hands of Your servants shall be blessed by Your mighty word, and by Your uplifted arm. ” As we see, it was
scripturally the practice to wear rings on the right hand, the hand of authority and power completing the pledge of
commitment. The power and authority comes from the right hand of God. 2. The procession, the declaration of
intent, and 3. The lighting of candles.
The Crowning includes: The readings from the epistle and gospel, the Blessing of the Common Cup, and the Dance
of Isaiah (the bride and groom are led around the table 3 times), and then the Removal of the Crowns. There is no
exchange of vows. There is a set expectation of the obligations incumbent on a married couple, and whatever
promises they may have privately to each other are their responsibility to keep. The ceremony ends with the reading
of Benedictions to and the Greeting of the Couple.
At the Sacrament of Marriage the crowns are placed on the bride and groom ’s heads as the following prayer is recited
three times, “The servant of God, (groom’s name), is crowned to the handmaid of God, (bride’s name), in the Name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” three times. It is then repeated three times as the bride is
crowned to the groom. We witness the groom and bride being crowned (visibly proclaimed) as the king and queen,
respectively, of a new family, entrusted by God with the authority to rule their family in faith and love and harmony
with Christ. They both share in this responsibility and privilege as a newly married couple. This is not simply being
declared by the priest or even the Church, but by God Himself, as the following hymn is chanted three times: “O
Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor.” The crowns are then switched back and forth between the groom
and bride’s head, signifying that they completely share their lives together.
The crowns also serve as a reminder of the crowns that await them in heaven, if they live their lives in faithfulness toGod and each other.. Fr. John Meyendorff in his book, Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective, writes: “According to St.
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Orthodox Church 21
John Chrysostom, the crowns symbolized victory over the ‘passions’.” In the service of a second marriage the crowns
are not to be used, but if it is a second marriage for only one of the two who are marrying and a first marriage for the
other, the usual rite is followed.[51]
Many couples keep the wedding crowns in a case and display them near their icon corner or in the couple’s bedroom.
They serve as a reminder that God has united them to each other and to himself and that he has bestowed his grace
upon them to live in unity, faith and love.The church understands marriage only as the union of one man and one woman, and certain Orthodox leaders have
spoken out strongly in opposition to the civil institution of Same-Sex Marriage [52] [53]
Monasticism
Saint Catherine's Monastery
All Orthodox Christians are expected to participate in at least
some ascetic works, in response to the commandment of Christ to
"come, take up the cross, and follow me." (Mark 10:21 and
elsewhere) They are therefore all called to imitate, in one way or
another, Christ himself who denied himself to the extent of
literally taking up the cross on the way to his voluntary
self-sacrifice. However, laypeople are not expected to live in
extreme asceticism since this is close to impossible while
undertaking the normal responsibilities of worldly life. Those who
wish to do this therefore separate themselves from the world and
live as monastics: monks and nuns. As ascetics par excellence,
using the allegorical weapons of prayer and fasting in spiritual warfare against their passions, monastics hold a very
special and important place in the Church. This kind of life is often seen as incompatible with any kind of worldly
activity including that which is normally regarded as virtuous. Social work, school teaching, and other such work is
therefore usually left to laypeople. Ascetics of Orthodox Church are recognized by their long hair, and in case of male monks long beards.
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Orthodox Church 22
The Schema worn by Orthodox Monks.
There are three main types of monastics. Those who live in
monasteries under a common rule are coenobitic. Each monastery
may formulate its own rule, and although there are no religious
orders in Orthodoxy some respected monastic centers such as
Mount Athos are highly influential. Eremitic monks, or hermits,
are those who live solitary lives. It is the yearning of many whoenter the monastic life to eventually become solitary hermits. This
most austere life is only granted to the most advanced monastics
and only when their superiors feel they are ready for it. Hermits
are usually associated with a larger monastery but live in seclusion
some distance from the main compound. Their local monastery
will see to their physical needs, supplying them with simple foods
while disturbing them as little as possible. In between are those in
semi-eremitic communities, or sketes, where one or two monks
share each of a group of nearby dwellings under their own rules
and only gather together in the central chapel, or katholikon, forliturgical observances.
The spiritual insight gained from their ascetic struggles make
monastics preferred for missionary activity. Bishops are almost
always chosen from among monks, and those who are not
generally receive the monastic tonsure before their consecrations.
Many (but not all) Orthodox seminaries are attached to
monasteries, combining academic preparation for ordination with
participation in the community's life of prayer. Monks who have been ordained to the priesthood are called
hieromonk (priest-monk); monks who have been ordained to the diaconate are called hierodeacon (deacon-monk).Not all monks live in monasteries, some hieromonks serve as priests in parish churches thus practicing "monasticism
in the world".
Cultural practices differ slightly but in general, Father is the correct form of address for monks who have been
tonsured, while Novices are addressed as Brother . Similarly, Mother is the correct form of address for nuns who
have been tonsured, while Novices are addressed as Sister . Nuns live identical ascetic lives to their male counterparts
and are therefore also called monachoi (monastics) or the feminine plural form in Greek, monachai, and their
common living space is called a monastery.
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Holy Orders
Clergy at All Saints' Antiochian Orthodox Church,
Raleigh, United States (L to R): priest, two deacons,
bishop
Since its founding, the Church spread to different places and its
leaders in each region came to be known as episkopoi (overseers,
plural of episkopos, overseer —Gr. ἐπίσκοπος), which became
"bishop" in English. The other ordained roles are presbyter (Gr.
πρεσβύτερος, elder), which became "prester" and then "priest" inEnglish, and diakonos (Gr. διάκονος, servant), which became
"deacon" in English (see also subdeacon). There are numerous
administrative positions among the clergy that carry additional
titles. In the Greek tradition, bishops who occupy an ancient see
are called metropolitans, while the lead bishop in Greece is the
archbishop. (In the Russian tradition, however, the usage of the
terms "metropolitan" and "archbishop" is reversed.) Priests can be
archpriests, archimandrites or protopresbyters. Deacons can also
be archdeacons or protodeacons. The position of deacon is often
occupied for life. The deacon also acts as an assistant to a bishop.
With the exception of bishops, who remain celibate, the Orthodox
Church has always allowed priests and deacons to be married,
provided the marriage takes place before ordination. In general it
is considered preferable for parish priests to be married as they
often act as counsel to married couples and thus can draw on their
own experience. Unmarried priests usually are monks and live in monasteries, though there are occasions when,
because of a lack of married priests, a monk-priest is temporarily assigned to a parish. Widowed priests and deacons
may not remarry and it is common for such members of the clergy to retire to a monastery (see clerical celibacy).
This is also true of widowed wives of clergy, who do not remarry and become nuns when their children are grown.There is serious discussion about reviving the order of deaconess, which fell into disuse in the first millennium; the
deaconesses had both liturgical and pastoral functions within the church.[54] Although it has fallen out of practice
(the last deaconess was ordained in the 19th century) there is no reason why deaconesses could not be ordained
today.
Unction
Anointing with oil, often called "unction", is one of the mysteries administered by the Orthodox Church and it is not
reserved only for the dying or terminally ill, but for all in need of spiritual or bodily healing. In Greece, during the
Ottoman occupation, it became the custom to administer this mystery annually on Great Wednesday to all believers;
in recent decades, this custom has spread to many other locations. It is often distributed on major feast days, or any
time the clergy feel it necessary for the spiritual welfare of its congregation.
According to Orthodox teaching unction is based on the Epistle of James:
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord
will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. —James 5:14 – 15
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Orthodox Church 24
History
Early Church
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is one of the oldest
Orthodox churches in Georgia.[55]
Christianity spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire. Some have
attributed this in part because Greek was the lingua franca. Paul and
the Apostles traveled extensively throughout the Empire, includingAsia Minor, establishing Churches in major communities, with the first
Churches appearing in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, then in Antioch,
Ethiopia, Egypt, Rome, Alexandria, Athens, Thessalonica, Illyricum,
and Byzantium, which, centuries later would become prominent as the
New Rome.[56] Christianity in the Roman Empire was met with some
resistance as its adherents would refuse to comply with the Roman
state (even at the threat of death) in offering sacrifice to the pagan
gods. Despite being under persecution, the Church spread. The
persecution dissipated upon the conversion of Emperor Constantine I in 324 AD. [56]
By the 4th century Christianity had spread in numerous countries. A number of influential schools of thought had
arisen, particularly the Alexandrian and Antiochian philosophical approaches. Other groups, such as the Arians, had
also managed to gain influence however their positions caused theological conflicts within the Church, thus
prompting The Emperor Constantine to call for a great ecumenical synod in order to define the Church's position
against the growing, often widely diverging, philosophical and theological interpretations of Christianity. He made it
possible for this council to meet not only by providing a location, but by offering to pay for the transportation of all
the existing bishops of the Church. This synod is commonly referred to as the First Council of Nicaea or more
generally as First Ecumenical Council[56] [57] and is considered of major importance by most modern Christian
Churches.
Ecumenical councils
Several doctrinal disputes from the 4th century onwards led to the calling of Ecumenical councils.
There are seven councils authoritatively recognized as Ecumenical:
1. The First Ecumenical Council was convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine at Nicaea in 325 and presided
over by the Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria, with over 300 bishops condemning the view of Arius that the Son
is a created being inferior to the Father.[58]
2. The Second Ecumenical Council was held at Constantinople in 381, presided over by the Patriarchs of Alexandria
and Antioch, with 150 bishops, defining the nature of the Holy Spirit against those asserting His inequality with
the other persons of the Trinity.[59]
3. The Third Ecumenical Council is that of Ephesus in 431, presided over by the Patriarch of Alexandria, with 250
bishops, which affirmed that Mary is truly "Birthgiver" or "Mother" of God ( Theotokos), contrary to the teachings
of Nestorius.[60]
4. The Fourth Ecumenical Council is that of Chalcedon in 451, Patriarch of Constantinople presiding, 500 bishops,
affirmed that Jesus is truly God and truly man, without mixture of the two natures, contrary to Monophysite
teaching.[61]
5. The Fifth Ecumenical Council is the second of Constantinople in 553, interpreting the decrees of Chalcedon and
further explaining the relationship of the two natures of Jesus; it also condemned the teachings of Origen on the
pre-existence of the soul, etc.[62]
6. The Sixth Ecumenical Council is the third of Constantinople in 681; it declared that Christ has two wills of histwo natures, human and divine, contrary to the teachings of the Monothelites. [63]
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Orthodox Church 25
7. The Seventh Ecumenical Council was called under the Empress Regent Irene of Athens in 787, known as the
second of Nicaea. It supports the veneration of icons while forbidding their worship. It is often referred to as
"The Triumph of Orthodoxy"[64]
Some Orthodox consider the following council to be ecumenical, although this is not agreed upon:
8. The Fourth Council of Constantinople was called in 879. It restored St. Photius to his See in Constantinople and
condemned any alteration of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 381.9. The Fifth Council of Constantinople was actually a series of councils held between 1341 and 1351. It affirmed the
hesychastic theology of St. Gregory Palamas and condemned the philosopher Barlaam of Calabria.
In addition to these councils there have been a number of significant councils meant to further define the Orthodox
position. They are the Synods of Constantinople, 1484, 1583, 1755, 1819, and 1872, the Synod of Iaşi (Jassy), 1642,
and the Pan-Orthodox Synod of Jerusalem, 1672.
Roman/Byzantine Empire
Eastern Christian culture reached its golden age during the high point of the Byzantine Empire and continued to
flourish in Russia, after the fall of Constantinople. Numerous autocephalous churches were established in EasternEurope and Slavic areas.
In the 530s the Church of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia) was built in Constantinople under emperor Justinian
I.[65]
The Byzantine Empire
during its greatestterritorial extent under
Justinian. c. 550.
Depiction of the Hagia Sophia's
appearance during Byzantinetimes
Exterior view of the
Hagia Sophia, 2004
Interior
view of theHagia
Sophia,
1993
Early schisms
The Church in Egypt (Patriarchate of Alexandria) split into two groups following the Council of Chalcedon (451),
over a dispute about the relation between the divine and human natures of Jesus. Eventually this led to each group
anathematizing the other. Those that remained in communion with the other patriarchs (those who accepted the
Council of Chalcedon) were called "Melkites" (the king's men, because Constantinople was the city of the emperors)
[not to be confused with the Melkite Catholics of Antioch]. Those who disagreed with the findings of the Council of Chalcedon are today known as the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, currently led by Pope Shenouda III.
There was a similar split in Syria (Patriarchate of Antioch) resulting in the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Those who disagreed with the Council of Chalcedon are sometimes called "Oriental Orthodox" to distinguish them
from the Orthodox, who accepted the Council of Chalcedon. Oriental Orthodox are also sometimes referred to as
"non-Chalcedonians", or "anti-Chalcedonians". The Oriental Orthodox Church denies that it is monophysite and
prefers the term "miaphysite", to denote the "joined" nature of Jesus (two natures joined into one). Both the
Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches formally believe themselves to be the continuation of the true church,
although over the last several decades there has been some reconciliation. Both Churches agree there to have been a
misunderstanding between the two in 451, that is to say that each side's terminology basically meant the same thing.
As well, there are the "Nestorian" churches, which are Eastern Christian churches that keep the faith of only the first
two ecumenical councils, i.e., the First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople. "Nestorian" is an
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Orthodox Church 26
outsider's term for a tradition that predated the influence of Nestorius. Thus, "Persian Church" is a more neutral term.
Conversion of East and South Slavs
Orthodox churches in Vologda, Russia
In the ninth and tenth centuries, Christianity made great inroads into
Eastern Europe, including Kievan Rus'. This work was made possible by
the work of the Byzantine saints Cyril and Methodius. When Rastislav, theking of Moravia, asked Byzantium for teachers who could minister to the
Moravians in their own language, Byzantine emperor Michael III chose
these two brothers. Cyril and Methodius translated the Bible and many of
the prayer books. As the translations prepared by them were copied by
speakers of other dialects, the hybrid literary language Old Church Slavonic
was created. Originally sent to convert the Slavs of Great Moravia, Cyril
and Methodius were forced to compete with Frankish missionaries from the
Roman diocese. Their disciples were driven out of Great Moravia in AD 886. [66]
Some of the disciples, namely Saint Clement of Ohrid, Saint Naum who were of noble Bulgarian descent and St.
Angelarius, returned to Bulgaria where they were welcomed by the Bulgarian Tsar Boris I who viewed the Slavonic
liturgy as a way to counteract Byzantine influence in the country. In a short time the disciples of Cyril and
Methodius managed to prepare and instruct the future Slav Bulgarian clergy into the Glagolitic alphabet and the
biblical texts and in AD 893, Bulgaria expelled its Greek clergy and proclaimed the Slavonic language as the official
language of the church and the state. The success of the conversion of the Bulgarians facilitated the conversion of
East Slavic peoples, most notably the Rus', predecessors of Belarusians, Russians, and Ukrainians.
The work of the Thessaloniki brothers Cyril and Methodius and their disciples had a major impact to Serbs as
well.[67] However, they accepted Christianity collectively by families and by tribes (in the process between the 7th
and the 9th century). In commemoration of their baptisms, each Serbian family or tribe began to celebrate an
exclusively Serbian custom called Slava in a special way to honor the Saint on whose day they received thesacrament of Holy Baptism. It is the most solemn day of the year for all Serbs of the Orthodox faith and has played a
role of vital importance in the history of the Serbian people. Slava is actually the celebration of the spiritual birthday
of the Serbian people which the Church blessed and proclaimed it a Church institution. [68]
The missionaries to the East and South Slavs had great success in part because they used the people's native language
rather than Greek, the predominant language of the Byzantine Empire or Latin as the Roman priests did. [69] Today
the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest of the Orthodox Churches followed by the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Great Schism
In the 11th century what was recognised as the Great Schism took place between Rome and Constantinople, which
led to separation from the Church of the West, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Eastern Byzantine Churches,
now the Orthodox. There were doctrinal issues like the filioque clause and the authority of the Roman Pope involved
in the split, but these were greatly exacerbated by political factors of both Church and state, and by cultural and
linguistic differences between Latins and Greeks. Prior to 1054, the Eastern and Western halves of the Church had
frequently been in conflict, particularly during the periods of Eastern iconoclasm and the Photian schism. [70]
The final breach is often considered to have arisen after the capture and sacking of Constantinople by the Fourth
Crusade in 1204; the final break with Rome occurred circa 1450. The sacking of Church of Holy Wisdom and
establishment of the Latin Empire as a seeming attempt to supplant the Orthodox Byzantine Empire in 1204 is
viewed with some rancour to the present day. In 2004, Pope John Paul II extended a formal apology for the sacking
of Constantinople in 1204, which was importantly also strongly condemned by the Pope at the time (Innocent III, seereference at end of paragraph); the apology was formally accepted by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.
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Orthodox Church 27
Many things that were stolen during this time —holy relics, riches, and many other items —were not returned and are
still held in various Western European cities, particularly Venice.[71] [72]
Reunion was attempted twice, at the 1274 Second Council of Lyon and the 1439 Council of Florence. The Council
of Florence did briefly reestablish communion between East and West, which lasted until after the fall of
Constantinople in 1453. In each case, however, the councils were rejected by the Orthodox people as a whole, and
the union of Florence also became very politically difficult after Constantinople came under Ottoman rule, so in bothcases came to fail. Some local Eastern Churches have however renewed union with Rome in time since (see Eastern
Catholic Churches). Recent decades have seen a renewal of ecumenical spirit and dialogue between the Churches [73]
Age of captivity
In 1453, the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire. By this time Egypt had been under Muslim control for
some seven centuries, but Orthodoxy was very strong in Russia which had recently acquired an autocephalous status;
and thus Moscow called itself the Third Rome, as the cultural heir of Constantinople.
Under Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church acquired substantial power as an autonomous millet . The
ecumenical patriarch was the religious and administrative ruler of the entire "Greek Orthodox nation" (Ottoman
administrative unit), which encompassed all the Orthodox subjects of the Empire.
Stavronikita monastery, Mount Athos,
Greece (South-East view)
As a result of the Ottoman conquest of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, and
the Fall of Constantinople, the entire Orthodox communion of the Balkans
and the Near East became suddenly isolated from the West. For the next
four hundred years, it would be confined within Islamic world, with which
it had little in common religiously or culturally. The Russian Orthodox
Church and the Orthodox Churches from Wallachia and Moldavia were the
only part of the Orthodox communion which remained outside the control
of the Ottoman Empire. It is, in part, due to this geographical and
intellectual confinement that the voice of Orthodoxy was not heard duringthe Reformation in sixteenth century Europe. It should not be surprising
that this important theological debate often seems strange and distorted to
the Orthodox; after all, they never took part in it and thus neither Reformation nor Counter-Reformation is part of
their theological framework.
Russian Orthodox Church under Tsarist rule
The Moscow Kremlin, as seen from
South-West
Up until 1666, when Patriarch Nikon was deposed by the tsar, the Russian
Orthodox Church had been independent of the State.[74] In 1721 the first
Emperor Peter I abolished completely the patriarchate and so the Church
effectively became a department of the government, ruled by a Most Holy
Synod composed of senior bishops and lay bureaucrats appointed by the
Emperor himself. Since 1721 until the October Revolution of 1917, the
Russian Orthodox Church was essentially transformed into a governmental
agency, a tool used to various degrees by the tsars in the imperial
campaigns of Russification. The Church was allowed by the State to levy taxes on the peasants. Therefore, the
Church, along with the imperial regime, to which it belonged, came to be presented as an enemy of the people by the
Bolsheviks and the other Russian revolutionaries, mostly Jews[75] and atheists. The revolution brought, however, a
brief period of liberation for the Church: an independent patriarchate was reestablished briefly in 1917, until Lenin
quashed the Church a few years later, imprisoning or killing many of the clergy and of the faithful. Part of the clergy
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Orthodox Church 28
escaped the Soviet persecutions by fleeing abroad, where they founded an independent church in exile, reunified
with the Russian one in 2007.
Russian Orthodox Church under Communist rule
Photograph taken of the 1931 demolition of the
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
The Orthodox Church clergy in Russia were seen as sympathetic with
the cause of the White Army in the Civil War (see White movement)after the October Revolution, and occasionally collaborated with it;
Patriarch Tikhon's declared position was vehemently anti-Bolshevik in
1918. This may have further strengthened the Bolshevik animus
against the church.
Before and after the October Revolution of November 7, 1917
(October 25 Old Calendar) there was a movement within the Soviet
Union to unite all of the people of the world under Communist rule
(see Communist International). This included the Eastern European
bloc countries as well as the Balkan States. Since some of these Slavic
states tied their ethnic heritage to their ethnic churches, both the peoples and their church were targeted by the
Soviets.[76] [77]
The Soviets' official interpretation of freedom of conscience was one of "guaranteeing the right to profess any
religion, or profess none, to practice religious cults, or conduct atheist propaganda", [78] though in effect atheism was
sponsored by state and was taught in all educational establishments. [79] Public criticism of atheism was unofficially
forbidden and sometimes led to imprisonment.[80]
The Soviet Union was the first state to have as an ideological objective the elimination of religion. Toward that end,
the Communist regime confiscated church property, ridiculed religion, harassed believers, and propagated atheism in
the schools. Actions toward particular religions, however, were determined by State interests, and most organized
religions were never outlawed. Some actions against Orthodox priests and believers along with execution includedtorture being sent to prison camps, labour camps or mental hospitals. [81] [82]
The result of this militant atheism was to transform the Church into a persecuted and martyred Church. In the first
five years after the Bolshevik revolution, 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were executed. [83]
The main target of the anti-religious campaign in the 1920s and 1930s was the Russian Orthodox Church, which had
the largest number of faithful. Nearly all of its clergy, and many of its believers, were shot or sent to labor camps.
Theological schools were closed, and church publications were prohibited. In the period between 1917 and 1940, the
number of Orthodox Churches in the Russian Republic fell from 59,584 to less than 500. Between 1917 and 1935,
130,000 Orthodox priests were arrested. Of these, 95,000 were put to death, executed by firing squad.
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Orthodox Church 29
The rebuilt Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
After Nazi Germany's attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Joseph
Stalin revived the Russian Orthodox Church to intensify patriotic
support for the war effort. By 1957 about 22,000 Russian
Orthodox churches had become active. But in 1959 Nikita
Khrushchev initiated his own campaign against the Russian
Orthodox Church and forced the closure of about 12,000 churches.It is estimated that 50,000 clergy had been executed between the
revolution and the end of the Khrushchev era. Members of the
church hierarchy were jailed or forced out, their places taken by
docile clergy, many of whom had ties with the KGB. By 1985
fewer than 7,000 churches remained active.[83]
In the Soviet Union, in addition to the methodical closing and
destruction of churches, the charitable and social work formerly
done by ecclesiastical authorities was taken over by the state. As
with all private property, Church owned property was confiscated
into public use. The few places of worship left to the Church were
legally viewed as state property which the government permitted
the church to use. After the advent of state funded universal
education, the Church was not permitted to carry on educational, instructional activity of any kind. Outside of
sermons during the celebration of the divine liturgy it could not instruct or evangelise to the faithful or its youth.
Catechism classes, religious schools, study groups, Sunday schools and religious publications were all illegal and or
banned. This persecution continued, even after the death of Stalin until the Fall of Communism in 1991. This caused
many religious tracts to be circulated as illegal literature or samizdat. [81]
Among the most damaging aspects of Soviet rule, along with these physical abuses, the Soviet Union frequently
manipulated the recruitment and appointment of priests, sometimes planting agents of the KGB within the church tomonitor religious persons who were viewed – simply for not being atheists – as suspicious and potential threats to
Soviet communism. The recovery of religious beliefs in Russia after the fall of communism, part of a significant
religious revival, has been made more challenging as a result of those leaders forced involuntarily upon the church
by the KGB during Soviet times.
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Orthodox Church 30
Other Orthodox Churches under communist rule
Enei Church, central Bucharest, Romania,being purposely demolished by Communist
authorities on 10 March 1977, 6 days after
the 1977 Bucharest earthquake, despite
having suffered no structural damage.
Albania was the first and only state to have declared itself officially fully
atheist.[84] In some other communist states such as Romania, the Orthodox
Church as an organisation enjoyed relative freedom and even prospered,
albeit under strict secret police control. That, however, did not rule out
demolishing churches and monasteries as part of broader systematization(urban planning), and state persecution of individual believers. As an
example of the latter, Romania stands out as a country which ran a
specialised institution where many Orthodox (along with people of other
faiths) were subjected to psychological punishment or torture and mind
control experimentation in order to force them give up their religious
convictions. However, this was only supported by one faction within the
regime, and lasted only three years. The Communist authorities closed
down the prison in 1952, and punished many of those responsible for
abuses (twenty of them were sentenced to death).[85] [86]
Diaspora emigration to the West
One of the most striking developments in modern historical Orthodoxy is
the dispersion of Orthodox Christians to the West. Emigration from Greece
and the Near East in the last hundred years has created a sizable Orthodox diaspora in Western Europe, North and
South America, and Australia. In addition, the Bolshevik Revolution forced thousands of Russian exiles westward.
As a result, Orthodoxy's traditional frontiers have been profoundly modified. Millions of Orthodox are no longer
geographically "eastern" since they live permanently in their newly adopted countries in the West. Nonetheless, they
remain Orthodox in their faith and practice. Virtually all the Orthodox nationalities – Greek, Georgian, Arab,
Russian, Serbian, Macedonian, Albanian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Assyrian – are represented inthe United States. There are also many converts to Orthodoxy of all conceivable ethnic backgrounds. In fact nearly
half of the clergy of the Orthodox Church in America and Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North
America are of a convert background. Orthodox missions are alive and well in the United States, Canada, and
Mexico.
Relations with other Christians
Orthodoxy represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. The Orthodox trace their bishops back to the apostles
through apostolic succession, venerate saints, especially Mary the Mother of God as the Theotokos, pray for the
dead, and continue the ancient Christian practice of monasticism. Some, if not all, of these practices are rejected bythe majority of Protestant groups, although they are partly retained in some of the earliest liturgical Protestant
movements, such as the original German form of Lutheranism. They are also retained by some within the Anglican
tradition as Anglicanism is generally considered to be a via media (middle way) between the Roman Catholic and
Protestant traditions. Orthodoxy does not openly promote statuary, although it is not expressly condemned, instead
limiting itself primarily to two-dimensional iconography. The Western theological concepts of original sin,
predestination, purgatory, and particular judgment have had far less influence in Orthodoxy and are generally
rejected by traditional Orthodox theologians.
The Orthodox understand themselves to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; the true Church established
by Jesus Christ and placed into the care of the apostles. As almost all other Christian groups are in indirect schism
with the Orthodox Church, mostly as a result of the Great Schism with the Roman Catholic Church at the turn of the
second Christian millennium (prior to the additional schisms of the Protestant Reformation), these other groups are
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Orthodox Church 31
viewed as being Christian, but who in varying degrees lack full theological orthodoxy and orthopraxy. As such, all
groups outside of the Orthodox Church are not seen as being members of the Church proper, but rather separated
brethren who have failed to retain the fullness of the Christian faith and theology, as was given to the apostles by
Jesus Christ. These deviations from orthodoxy have traditionally been called heresy, but due to the term's
immediately pejorative connotations, some prefer the more technical designation of the term heterodoxy.
The Church today
Distribution of Orthodoxy in the world by
country Dominant religion Important minority religion (over
10%)
The various autocephalous and autonomous synods 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. The Russian Orthodox
Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) has recently united with the Moscow
Patriarchate (MP); these two branches of the Russian Orthodox Church had
separated from each other in the 1920s due to the subjection of the latter to
the hostile Soviet regime (see Act of Canonical Communion).
Tensions exist in the philosophical differences between those who use theRevised Julian Calendar ("New Calendarists") for calculating the feasts of
the ecclesiastical year and those who continue to use the traditional Julian Calendar ("Old Calendarists"). The
calendar question reflects the dispute between those who wish to synchronize with the modern Gregorian calendar,
which its opponents consider unnecessary and damaging to continuity, and those who wish to maintain the
traditional ecclesiastical calendar (which happens to be based on the Julian calendar), emphasizing that such a major
change in the tradition of the Church may only occur through the convening of an Ecumenical council. The dispute
has led to much acrimony, and sometimes even to violence. Following canonical precepts, some adherents of the Old
Calendar have chosen to abstain from clerical intercommunion with those synods which have embraced the New
Calendar until the conflict is resolved. The monastic communities on Mount Athos have provided the strongest
opposition to the New Calendar, and to modernism in general, while still maintaining communion with their motherchurch.
Some latent discontent between different national churches exists also in part due to different approach towards
ecumenism. While the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the Orthodox bishops in North America gathered
into the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), Romanian bishops, and
others are fairly open to dialog with the Roman Catholic Church, both conservative and moderate Old Calendarists,
many of the monks of Mount Athos, several bishops of Russian, Serbian, and some of Greek and Bulgarian churches
regard ecumenism as compromising essential doctrinal stands in order to accommodate other Christians, and object
to the emphasis on dialogue leading to inter-communion; believing instead that Orthodox must speak the truth with
love, in the hope of leading to the eventual conversion to Orthodoxy of heterodox Christians.
Proponents of ecumenism are currently engaged in discussing key theological differences such as the Filioque, Papal
primacy, and a possible agreement on rapprochement and eventually full communion with the Roman Catholic and
Anglican Churches.
Eastern Orthodox churches in communion
The Orthodox Church is a communion of 14 autocephalous (that is, administratively completely independent) local
churches plus the Orthodox Church in America which is recognized as autocephalous only by the Russian,
Bulgarian, Georgian, Polish, and Czech-Slovak Churches. Each has defined geographical boundaries of its
jurisdiction and is ruled by its Council of Bishops or Synod presided by a senior bishop – its Primate (or First
Hierarch). The Primate may carry the honorary title of Patriarch, Metropolitan (in the Slavic tradition) or Archbishop(in the Greek tradition). Each local church consists of constituent eparchies (or, dioceses) ruled by a bishop. Some
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Orthodox Church 32
churches have given an eparchy or group of eparchies varying degrees of autonomy (self-government). Such
autonomous churches maintain varying levels of dependence on their mother church, usually defined in a Tomos or
other document of autonomy.
Below is a list of the 14 (15) autocephalous churches in their order of precedence (seniority) with constituent
autonomous churches and exarchates. The Liturgical title of the Primate is listed in italics.
1. Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople [87] ( Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch)
• Autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland [88] ( Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland )
• Autonomous Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church [89] ( Metropolitan of Tallinn and All Estonia) [Autonomy
not recognized by the Church of Russia]
• Self-governing Orthodox Church of Crete ( Archbishop of Crete)
• Self-governing Monastic Community of Mount Athos
• Exarchate of Patmos ( Patriarchal Exarch of Patmos)
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain [90] ( Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain)
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Malta [91] (Orthodox Archbishop of Italy and Malta and Exarch of
Southern Europe)• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America [92] ( Archbishop of America)
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia [93] ( Archbishop of Australia)
• Exarchate of the Philippines [94] ( Exarch of Philippines)
• Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe [95] ( Archbishop of
Komana)
2. Orthodox Church of Alexandria [96] ( Pope and Patriarch of the great city of Alexandria, Libya, Pentapolis,
Ethiopia, all Egypt, and all Africa)
3. Orthodox Church of Antioch [97] ( Patriarch of Antioch and all the East )
• Self-governing Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America [98] ( Archbishop of New York
and Metropolitan of All North America)
4. Orthodox Church of Jerusalem [99] ( Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and all Palestine, and of Syria,
Arabia, beyond the Jordan River, Cana of Galilee, and Sacred Zion)
• Autonomous Church of Mount Sinai [100] ( Archbishop of Choreb, Sinai, and Raitha)
5. Orthodox Church of Russia [101] ( Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia)
• Autonomous Orthodox Church of Japan [102] ( Archbishop of Tokyo and Metropolitan of All Japan)
• Autonomous Orthodox Church of China (defunct )
• Autonomous Orthodox Church of Ukraine [103] ( Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine)
• Self-governing Orthodox Church of Moldova [104] ( Metropolitan of Chisinau and all Moldova)
• Self-governing Orthodox Church of Latvia [105] ( Metropolitan of Riga and all Latvia)• Self-governing Estonian Orthodox Church [106] ( Metropolitan of Tallinn and all Estonia) [Autonomy not
recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate]
• Self-governing Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia [107] ( Metropolitan of Eastern America and New
York, First Hierarch of the Russian church abroad )
• Exarchate of Belarus ( Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus)
6. Orthodox Church of Serbia [108] ( Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Patriarch of the
Serbs)
• Autonomous Archdiocese of Ohrid [109] ( Archbishop of Ohrid and Metropolitan of Skopje)
7. Orthodox Church of Romania [110] ( Archbishop of Bucharest, Metropolitan of Ungro-Valachia, and Patriarch
of All Romania)
• Self-governing Metropolis of Bessarabia [111] (autonomy not recognized by the Church of Russia)
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Orthodox Church 33
8. Orthodox Church of Bulgaria [112] ( Metropolitan of Sofia and Patriarch of All Bulgaria)
9. Orthodox Church of Georgia [113] ( Archbishop of Tbilisi and Mshketi, Patriarch and Catholicos of all Georgia)
10. Orthodox Church of Cyprus [114] ( Archbishop of New Justiniana and all Cyprus)
11. Orthodox Church of Greece [115] ( Archbishop of Athens and all Greece)
12. Orthodox Church of Poland [116] ( Metropolitan of Warsaw and all Poland )
13. Orthodox Church of Albania [117] ( Archbishop of Tirana and all Albania)
14. Orthodox Church of the Czech lands and Slovakia [118] [119] ( Archbishop of Prague, the Metropolitan of
Czech lands and Slovakia or the Archbishop of Presov, the Metropolitan of Czech lands and Slovakia)
Some Orthodox do not acknowledge the following Church as autonomous & autocephalous:
15. Orthodox Church in America [120] ( Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada)
[Autonomy not recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and most churches of the Eastern communion]
Note, that the Russian Church recognized a different order of seniority, in which the Georgian church comes after
the Church of Russia and the Albanian Church – after the Church of Greece.
Orthodox Churches and communities not in communion with others
The following is list of some of the organizations that use the term "Orthodox" in their name but do not maintaincommunion with any of the 14 (15) autocephalous churches and thus are not typically considered part of the
Orthodox Christian communion.
Old Calendarists are groups that do not maintain communion with the 14 (15) autocephalous churches as a result of
the use of the Revised Julian Calendar.
• Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece, so-called "Matthewites"
• Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece, so-called "Florinites"
• Orthodox Church of Greece (Holy Synod in Resistance) [121], so-called "Cyprianites"
• Old Calendar Romanian Orthodox Church [122]
• Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox Church [123]• Russian Orthodox Church in America [124]
Old Believers are groups that do not accept liturgical reforms carried out in the Russian Orthodox Church by
Patriarch Nikon in the 17th century.
• Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church [125] (Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy)
• Lipovan Orthodox Old-Rite Church (Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy)
• Russian Old-Orthodox Church [126] (Novozybkovskaya Hierarchy)
• Pomorian Old-Orthodox Church (Pomortsy)
Episcopi vagantes are entities that have carried out episcopal consecrations outside of the norms of canon law or
whose bishops have been excommunicated by one of the 14 (15) autocephalous churches.
• Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church
• Bulgarian Alternative Synod
• Holy Orthodox Church in North America
• Macedonian Orthodox Church [127]
• Montenegrin Orthodox Church [128]
• Orthodox Church in Italy [129]
• Russian True Orthodox Church [130]
• Turkish Orthodox Church
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate) [131]
• Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church [132]
• Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Canonical [133]
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Orthodox Church 34
Defunct churches
• Croatian Orthodox Church
• Chinese Orthodox Church
Gallery
Tbilisi Sameba Cathedral
A Georgian Orthodox
church in Tbilisi
The Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral in Sofia,
Bulgaria.
The Saint
Sophia
Cathedral in
Kiev, Ukraine.
The
Dormition of
the Theotokos
Cathedral in
Cluj-Napoca,
Romania.
The Orthodox
Cathedral in
Łódź was
built through
the
contributionsof the city's
mercantilist
elite as well as
the Tsar of
Russia.
A wooden miracle of
Kizhi, part of an
ensemble[134]
of
wooden churches, chapels
and houses. It is one of
the most popular tourist
destinations in Russia and
an UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Tokyo Resurrection
Cathedral (Japanese:
Nicorai-do, after Nikolai
of Japan).
A wing of
Catherine
Palace in
Tsarskoye
Selo houses
a private
Orthodox
chapel of the
Russian
tsars.
The Orthodox Church in
Białowieża, Poland, on
the edge of the
Białowieża Primaeval
Forest.
Church of the
Intercession
on the Nerl
(1165), one of
the most
famous
Russian
medieval
churches. Part
of the White
Monuments of
Vladimir andSuzdal site, on
the UN World
Heritage List.
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Orthodox Church 35
Orthodox churches are
common in Alaska,
particularly in the
southern and southwest
portions of the state.
Serbian Orthodox
monastery Visoki Dečani,
UNESCO, Serbia/
Kosovo, XIV century
Svetitskhoveli Cathedral
A Georgian Orthodox
church in Mtskheta
Georgia Between 1010
and 1029.It is one of the
most popular tourist
destinations in Georgia
and an UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Saint Panteleimon, an
Orthodox church in
Ohrid, Macedonia, a
UNESCO protected
city.
Orthodox church in
Vladikavkaz, North
Ossetia-Alania
(Russia)
See also
• List of Orthodox Churches• List of Christian denominations
• List of Christian denominations by number of members
• Caesaropapism
• Catholic – Orthodox theological differences
• Eastern Catholic Churches
• East – West Schism
• List of Autocephalous and Autonomous Orthodox Churches
• Orthodox liturgical calendar
• Emanation (Eastern Orthodox Christianity)
• Greek Orthodox Church
• History of Christianity
• History of the Orthodox Church
• History of Europe
• History of the Balkans
• History of the Middle East
• Oriental Orthodoxy
• Poustinia
• Western Rite Orthodoxy
Sources
• The Orthodox Church. Ware, Timothy. Penguin 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)
External links
• The Orthodox Study Bible [135]
• An Online Orthodox Catechism [136] published by the Russian Orthodox Church
• OrthodoxWiki
• Comprehensive list of seminaries at OrthodoxWiki
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Orthodox Church 36
• Timeline of Church History
• Prerogatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Church Jurisdictions (Orthodox) [137] at the Open Directory Project
• Holy Cross Hellenic College [138] Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
• Church today [139]
• The Idea of Primacy in Orthodox Ecclesiology [140]
• Canon 28 and Eastern Papalism: Cause or Effect? [141]
• IV Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference [142]
• Ecumenical Patriarchate: American ‘Diaspora’ must submit to Mother Church [143] March 18, 2009
• Byzantine Church today [144]
• Prologue from Ohrid – (Saints of the Orthodox Church Calendar) [145]
References
[1] The Orthodox Church considers itself to be both orthodox and catholic. In earlier and patristic usage, the Church usually ref erred to herself as
the "Catholic Church" The encyclopedia of Christianity (http://books. google. com/books?id=7ly4DgtT3LkC&pg=PA867&dq=&
lr=#v=onepage&q="Catholic Church was the name preferred by the older councils"&f=false) ISBN 978-90-04-12654-1 The Confession of the Orthodox Patriarch Dositheus of Jerusalem (http://books. google. com/books?id=saFgJRjaPwcC&pg=PA486&dq=Confession+
Dositheus+OR+Dositheos+"Catholic+Church"&lr=#v=onepage&q=Confession Dositheus OR Dositheos "Catholic Church"&f=false)
ISBN 978-0-8042-0526-9 whose faith was the "Orthodox faith". Such usage is still reflected today in the Orthodox liturgy, e.g. "unite them to
your Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church" (from the litany of the catechumens, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom). Current convention
however, favors the name "Orthodox Church", perhaps partly to avoid confusion with the Roman Catholic Church, especially its Eastern rites.
But, especially in official contexts, the Orthodox Church continues to use the title "Catholic Church", and Orthodox authorities such as Saint
Raphael of Brooklyn have asserted that the full name of the church includes the term "Catholic" as in "Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic
Church" (http://books. google. com/books?id=oeKOUb6OcG4C&pg=PA101&dq= "The+Church+of+the+East+has+never+from+the+
first+been+known+ by+any+other+name+than+Catholic,+nor+has+she+set+aside+this+title+in+any+official+document. "&lr=).
The Church is referred to as the "Orthodox Catholic Church" in official church documents and some books. (http://doepa. org/
about_orthodoxy. html) (http://www. orthodoxdelmarva. org/about_orthodoxy. html) (http://www. psromanianchurch. com/
about_orthodoxy. html) (http://www. stvladimirs. net/) (http://www. forministry. com/USPAGOARCHCGOC/ElderAimilianos/) (http://
www. theotokos-lif egiving-spring. org/orthodoxy. htm) (http://www. archangelsbooks. com/orthofaith. asp) (http://www. forgodiswithus.org/) (http://www. orthodoxynewcastle. org/) (http://www. orthodoxlife. net/easternchurch/theorthochurch. html) (http://www.
stgeorgetoledo. org/ vsItemDisplay. dsp&objectID=3720668E-D9C5-4104-912DC29B0DFB6E5D&method=display) (http://saratoga.
serbian-church. net/orthodoxy-0) (http://www. stmaryofegypt. org/info/orthodoxy. htm) (http://www. haoca. org/) (http://www. kosovo.
net/orthodoxy. html) (http://www. stpaulsirvine. org/html/FAQs. html) (http://www. royaweb. org/content. asp?contentid=826) (http://
stmarypawtucket. org/antioch. php) (http://orthodoxinfo. com/general/orthodoxy. aspx) (http://www. spcportal. org/index. php?pg=454&
lang=en) (http://www. orthodox. or. th/index. php?content=orthodoxy&lang=en) (http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/177174/
Eastern-Orthodoxy) (http://books. google. com/books?id=XRkfKdho-5cC&pg=PT288&dq=eastern+"Orthodox+Catholic+Church"&
lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1950&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0) (http://books. google. com/
books?id=OdKCVjCschMC&pg=PA76&dq=eastern+"Orthodox+ Catholic+Church"&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&
as_miny_is=1950&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0) (http://books. google. com/books?id=ZP_f9icf2roC&pg=PA309&
dq=eastern+"Orthodox+Catholic+Church"+official&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1950&as_maxm_is=0&
as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0) (http://books.
google.
com/books?id=_F5yntZocGIC&pg=PA8&dq=eastern+"official"+OR+"officially"+"Orthodox+Catholic+Church"&lr=&as_brr=0) (http://books. google. com/books?id=ARbQ8I7ZOjkC&pg=PA79&dq=eastern+
"Orthodox+Catholic+Church"+official&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1950&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&
as_brr=0) (http://books. google. ro/books?as_q=&num=10&lr=&btnG=CÄ utare+Google&as_epq=Rudder+of+the+Orthodox+
Catholic+Church&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES&lr=&as_vt=Rudder+of+the+Orthodox+Catholic+Church&
as_auth=&as_pub=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_isbn=&as_issn=)
[2] Our Church is also spoken of as the "Eastern Church" to distinguish it from the Churches of the West. "Eastern" is used to indicate that in the
first millennium the influence of our Church was concentrated in the eastern part of the Christian world and to show that a very large number
of our membership is of other than Greek national origin. Thus, Orthodox Christians throughout the world use various ethnic or national
titles: "Greek", "Russian", "Serbian", "Romanian", "Ukrainian", "Bulgarian", "Antiochian", "Albanian", "Carpatho-Russian", or more
inclusively, as "Eastern Orthodox" ( Rev. Alciviadis C. Calivas, Th.D. "The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church. What's in our name?"). (http:/
/www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061)
[3] "http://www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith7114"; Deification". Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. New York:
Oxford University Press. 2005
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Orthodox Church 37
[4] S. T. Kimbrough, Orthodox and Wesleyan Scriptural Understanding and Practice, p. 23 (http://books. google. com/
books?id=q-vhwjamOioC&pg=PA23&dq=anagignoskomena#v=onepage&q=anagignoskomena&f=false)
[5] Orthodox Icons – ReligionFacts (http://www. religionfacts. com/christianity/things/icons. htm)
[6] The Catholic Catechism: A Contemporary Catechism of the Teachings of the Catholic Church by John Hardon by 217 # Publisher:
Doubleday # ISBN 0-385-08045-X
1. ISBN 978-0-385-08045-3 (http://books. google. com/books?id=3Ke37zpSv3gC&pg=PA217&lpg=PA217&dq=ignatius+orthodoxy+
catholic+church&source=bl&ots=5NSM9Myhgd&sig=VZeyPRU_-7yMl09Fd2nLOcyNkdk&hl=en&
ei=gMuASrSSI5qQtgeI6IDFCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=&f=false)
[7] Lace, William W. Christianity. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, Inc., 2005
[8] Eastern Orthodoxy (Christianity) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia (http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/177174/
Eastern-Orthodoxy)
[9] Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (http://www. antiochian. org/node/17076)
[10] Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents (http://www. adherents. com/adh_branches. html#Christianity)
[11] Orthodox Denomination (http://christianity. about. com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile. htm)
[12] content
[13] Zavod za statistiku Crne Gore (in Montenegrin) (http://www. monstat. cg. yu/Popis. htm)
[14] REPUBLICKI ZAVOD ZA STATISTIKU – Republike Srbije (http://webrzs. stat. gov. rs/axd/index. php)
[15] "RUSSIAN PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH CENTER (IN RUSSIAN)" (http://wciom. ru/novosti/press-vypuski/press-vypusk/single/
8954. html). . Retrieved 2007-11-10.
[16] CIA – The World Factbook – Field Listing – Religions (https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html)
[17] Jay Diamond, Larry. Plattner, Marc F. and Costopoulos, Philip J. World Religions and Democracy. 2005, page 119.( also in PDF file (http://
web. clas. ufl. edu/users/bmoraski/Democratization/Woodberry04_JOD. pdf), p49), saying " Not only do Protestants presently constitute 13
percent of the world ’ s population— about 800 million people— but since 1900 Protestantism has spread rapidly in Africa, Asia, and Latin
America."
[18] Major Branches of Religions (http://www. adherents. com/adh_branches. html#Christianity)
[19] Ware, pp. 208 – 211
[20] Ware p. 202
[21] Ware pp. 67 – 69
[22] Fr. Thomas Hopko, http://www. oca. org/QA. asp?ID=3&SID=3
[23] Ware, p. 8
[24] Ware, pp. 195 –
196
[25] | (1913). "Canon of the New Testament" (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wikisource:catholic_encyclopedia_(1913)/
canon_of_the_new_testament). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. .
[26] Ware, pp. 199 – 200
[27] Ware, pp. 202 – 207
[28] Acts 14:23 NAB (http://www. usccb. org/nab/bible/acts/acts14. htm)
[29] Acts 6:1 – 6 NAB (http://www. usccb. org/nab/bible/acts/acts6. htm)
[30] Concordia Theological Seminary – Content Not Found (http://www. ctsfw. edu/etext/walther/deacon. asc)
[31] Ware, pp. 255 – 256
[32] Ware, pp. 257 – 258
[33] Ware, p. 234
[34] The Longer Catechism of The Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern Church (http://www. pravoslavieto. com/docs/eng/
Orthodox_Catechism_of_Philaret. htm), an Orthodox catechism from 1830, by Metropolitan Philaret. Start with item 366 or 372.
[35] The Longer Catechism (http://www. pravoslavieto. com/docs/eng/Orthodox_Catechism_of_Philaret. htm), Item 377.[36] Ware p. 271
[37] Ware, p. 238
[38] Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Incarnation of the Word (http://www. ccel. org/ccel/schaff/npnf204. vii. ii. i. html), §54 (http://www.
ccel. org/ccel/schaff/npnf204. vii. ii. liv. html).
[39] Ware pp. 274 – 277
[40] Ware pp. 277 – 278
[41] Ware p. 278
[42] www.oca.org (http://www. oca. org/OCchapter. asp?SID=2&ID=52)
[43] Ware pp. 278 – 9
[44] Harakas pp. 56 – 7
[45] Ware p. 279
[46] Harakas p. 57[47] Ware pp. 283 – 285
[48] Ware p. 287
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Orthodox Church 38
[49] Mgr. Athenagoras Peckstadt, Bishop of Sinope (2005-05-18). "Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Orthodox Church: Economia and
Pastoral Guidance" (http://www. orthodoxresearchinstitute. org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage. htm). The Orthodox research
Institute. . Retrieved 2008-11-19.
[50] "A Perspective on Divorce Among Greek Orthodox Couples." (http://www. helleniccomserve. com/divorceperspective. html). . Retrieved
2008-02-12. quote|One cannot arrive at a divorce rate [for Orthodox faithful] from the Archdiocesan published statistics because they ... do not
track the number of civil divorces.
[51] Wedding Ceremony (http://www. orthodoxphotos. com/readings/beginning/wedding. shtml)
[52] Statement of Orthodox Christian Bishops http://saintandrew. net/documents/FINALOrthodoxBishopsProp8Statement. pdf [53] OCA Reaffirms SCOBA Statement in Wake of Massachusetts Same-Sex Marriage Ruling http://www. oca. org/news/590
[54] Karras, Valerie A. (June 2004). "Female Deacons in the Byzantine Church". Church History 73 (2): 272 – 316. ISSN 0009-6407.
[55] The Early Church, Henry Chadwick, p. 34
[56] The Orthodox Church. Ware, Timothy. Penguin Books, 1997. (ISBN 0-14-014656-3)
[57] The Spirituallity of the Christian East: A systematic handbook by Thomas Spidlik, Cistercian Publications Inc Kalamazoo Michigan 1986
ISBN 0-87907-879-0
[58] The First Ecumenical Council — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith8062)
[59] The Second Ecumenical Council — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith8065)
[60] The Third Ecumenical Council — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith8066)
[61] The Fourth Ecumenical Council — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith8067)
[62] The Fifth Ecumenical Council — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith8068)
[63] The Sixth Ecumenical Council — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www.
goarch.
org/ourfaith/ourfaith8069)[64] The Seventh Ecumenical Council — Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (http://www. goarch. org/ourfaith/ourfaith8071)
[65] Hagia Sophia (http://archnet. org/library/sites/one-site. jsp?site_id=2966)
[66] A. Avenarius. Christianity in 9th-century Rus. // Beitruge zur byzantinischen Geschichte im 9.-11. Jahrhundert. Prague: V. Vavrinek, 1978.
Pp. 301 – 315.
[67] Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001 – 05, s.v. "Cyril and Methodius, Saints"; Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica
Incorporated, Warren E. Preece – 1972, p.846, s.v., "Cyril and Methodius, Saints" and "Orthodoxy, Missions ancient and modern";
Encyclopedia of World Cultures, David H. Levinson, 1991, p.239, s.v., "Social Science"; Eric M. Meyers, The Oxford Encyclopedia of
Archaeology in the Near East, p.151, 1997; Lunt, Slavic Review, June, 1964, p. 216; Roman Jakobson, Crucial problems of
Cyrillo-Methodian Studies; Leonid Ivan Strakhovsky, A Handbook of Slavic Studies, p.98; V. Bogdanovich, History of the ancient Serbian
literature, Belgrade, 1980, p.119
[68] Michael B. Petrovich; Joel Halpern (1980). "Serbs". in Stephan Thernstrom, Ann Orlov, and Oscar Handlin. Harvard Encyclopedia of
American Ethnic Groups (2nd ed.). Harvard University Press. p. 925. ISBN 978-0-674-37512-3.
[69] Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001 – 05, s.v. "Cyril and Methodius, Saints"
[70] Orthodox Church in the Philippines – East-West Schism 01 (http://www. orthodox. org. ph/content/view/211/50/)
[71] Pope Innocent III, Letters, 126 (http://www. fordham. edu/halsall/source/1204innocent. html) (given July 12, 1205, and addressed to the
papal legate, who had absolved the crusaders from their pilgrimage vows). Text taken from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook by Paul Halsall.
Modified. Original translation by J. Brundage.
[72] 1979 The Horses of San Marco Thames and Hudson an English translation of a 1977 Venetian city government publication p191
[73] "Continuing the dialogue of Love: Orthodox-Catholic relations in 2004" (http://www. orthodoxytoday. org/articles4/CarlsonUnity. php)
[74] "RUSSIAN DESTINIES", by Fr. Andrew Phillips, "Orthodox England", 4/17 July 2005 (http://www. orthodoxengland. btinternet. co. uk/
rusdest. htm)
[75] Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Two Hundred Years Together. 2002
[76] President of Lithuania: Prisoner of the Gulag a Biography of Aleksandras Stulginskis by Afonsas Eidintas Genocide and Research Center of
Lithuania ISBN 9986-757-41-X / 9789986757412 / 9986 – 757 – 41-X pg 23 "As early as August 1920 Lenin wrote to E. M. Skliansky,
President of the Revolutionary War Soviet: "We are surrounded by the greens (we pack it to them), we will move only about 10 – 20 versty andwe will choke by hand the bourgeoisie, the clergy and the landowners. There will be an award of 100,000 rubles for each one hanged." He was
speaking about the future actions in the countries neighboring Russia.
[77] Christ Is Calling You: A Course in Catacomb Pastorship by Father George Calciu Published by Saint Hermans Press April 1997 ISBN
978 – 1887904520
[78] Article 52 of the 1977 Constitution of the USSR
[79] Timothy Ware. The Orthodox Church. Penguin Books, 1993, page 147
[80] Sermons to young people by Father George Calciu-Dumitreasa. Given at the Chapel of the Romanian Orthodox Church Seminary, The
Word online. Bucharest http://www. orthodoxresearchinstitute. org/resources/sermons/calciu_christ_calling. htm
[81] Father Arseny 1893 – 1973 Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father. Introduction pg. vi – 1. St Vladimir's Seminary Press ISBN 0-88141-180-9
[82] Sullivan, Patricia. Anti-Communist Priest Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa (http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/
11/25/AR2006112500783. html), The Washington Post , November 26, 2006. Page C09. Accessed May 9, 2008.
[83] Ostling, Richard. "Cross meets Kremlin" (http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,150718,00. html), TIME Magazine, June
24, 2001. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
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Orthodox Church 39
[84] Van Christo. Albania and the Albanians. (http://web. archive. org/web/20071208220939/http://www. geocities. com/murati_kled/
albanians. htm)
[85] Dumitru Bacu, The Anti-Humans. Student Re-Education in Romanian Prisons (http://litek. ws/k0nsl/detox/anti-humans. htm), Soldiers of
the Cross, Englewood, Colorado, 1971. Originally written in Romanian as Piteşti, Centru de Reeducare Studenţească, Madrid, 1963
[86] Adrian Cioroianu, Pe umerii lui Marx. O introducere în istoria comunismului românesc ("On the Shoulders of Marx. An Incursion into the
History of Romanian Communism"), Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2005
[87] http://www. ec-patr. org/
[88] http://www. ort. fi/ [89] http://www. eoc. ee/
[90] http://www. thyateira. org. uk/
[91] http://www. ortodossia. it/
[92] http://www. goarch. org/
[93] http://www. greekorthodox. org. au/
[94] http://www. orthodoxchurch-ph. co. nr/
[95] http://exarchat. eu/
[96] http://www. greekorthodox-alexandria. org/
[97] http://www. antiochpat. org/
[98] http://www. antiochian. org/
[99] http://www. jerusalem-patriarchate. info/
[100] http://www.
sinaimonastery.
com/ [101] http://www. mospat. ru/
[102] http://www. orthodoxjapan. jp/
[103] http://orthodox. org. ua/
[104] http://www. mitropolia. md/
[105] http://www. pareizticiba. lv/
[106] http://www. orthodox. ee/
[107] http://www. rocor. org/
[108] http://www. spc. rs/
[109] http://www. poa-info. org/
[110] http://www. patriarhia. ro/
[111] http://www. mitropoliabasarabiei. ro/
[112] http://www. bg-patriarshia. bg/
[113] http://www. patriarchate. ge/
[114] http://www. churchofcyprus. org. cy/
[115] http://www. ecclesia. gr/
[116] http://www. orthodox. pl/
[117] http://www. orthodoxalbania. org/
[118] http://www. pravoslavnacirkev. cz/
[119] http://www. orthodox. sk/
[120] http://www. oca. org/
[121] http://www. synodinresistance. org/
[122] http://www. mitropoliaslatioara. ro/
[123] http://bulgarian-orthodox-church. org/
[124] http://www. russianorthodox. org/
[125] http://www.
rpsc.
ru/ [126] http://ancient-orthodoxy. narod. ru/
[127] http://www. mpc. org. mk/
[128] http://www. moc-cpc. org/
[129] http://www. chiesaortodossa. it/
[130] http://www. trueorthodox. org/
[131] http://www. cerkva. info/
[132] http://www. uaoc. info/
[133] http://www. soborna. org/
[134] http://img-2005-06. photosight. ru/19/910825. jpg
[135] http://orthodoxstudybible. com/
[136] http://orthodoxeurope. org/page/10/1. aspx
[137] http://www. dmoz. org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/Denominations/Orthodox/Church_Jurisdictions/
[138] http://www. hchc. edu/
[139] http://groups.yahoo. com/group/catechumens/
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Orthodox Church 40
[140] http://www. aoiusa. org/main/page. php?page_id=128
[141] http://www. aoiusa. org/main/page. php?page_id=129
[142] http://orthodoxpraxis. org/?p=509
[143] http://www. aoiusa. org/blog/2009/03/ecumenical-patriarchate-american-diaspora-must-submit-to-mother-church/
[144] http://www. constantinopleguide. com/Byzantine_Churches. html
[145] http://www. westsrbdio. org/prolog/prolog. htm/
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Russian Orthodox Church 41
Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
(Patriarchate of Moscow)
Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra in the early 20th century.
Founder Apostle Andrew, Vladimir the Great
Independence 1448
Recognition as a separate patriarchate in 1589 by Constantinople
Primate Patriarch Kirill
Headquarters Moscow, Russia
Territory Russian Federation
Possessions Russia
Language Church Slavonic
Adherents 100,000,000>140,000,000 in Russia [1]
(Estimates of active members range from 21,000,000 to28,000,000.)[2]
90,000,000+ world wide[3]
Website Church of Russia [4]
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia [5]
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC); or The Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: Русская Православная Церковь
(Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov), or Московский Патриархат (Moskovskiy Patriarkhat) (the latter designation
being another official name[6] ) since 1943, Поместная Российская Православная Церковь (Pomestnaya
Rossiyskaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov) before the reinstitution in 1943), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church
of Russia, is a body of Christians who constitute an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of
the Patriarch of Moscow, nominally in communion with the other Eastern Orthodox Churches.
The ROC is often said[7] to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world and second only to the
Roman Catholic Church among Christian churches, numbering over 135 million members world wide and growing
numerically since late 1980s. Up to 65% of ethnic Russians[8] [9] and a similar percentage of Belarusians and
Ukrainians identify themselves as "Orthodox".[8] [9] [10] According to figures released on February 2, 2010, theChurch has 160 dioceses including 30,142 parishes served by 207 bishops, 28,434 priests and 3,625 deacons. There
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Russian Orthodox Church 42
are 788 monasteries, including 386 for men and 402 for women. [11]
The ROC should not be confused with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (also known as the Russian
Orthodox Church Abroad, or ROCOR), headquartered in New York. The ROCOR was instituted in the 1920s by
Russian communities outside then-Communist Russia who refused to recognize the authority of the Moscow
Patriarchate headed by Metropolitan Sergiy Stragorodsky. The two Churches reconciled on May 17, 2007; the
ROCOR is now a self-governing part of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Structure and organization
Administratively, the Church is organized in a hierarchical structure. The lowest level of organization, which
normally would be a single church building and its attendees, headed by a priest who acts as Father superior
(Russian: настоятель, nastoyatel), constitute a parish (Russian: приход, prihod). All parishes in a geographical
region belong to an eparchy (Russian: епархия — equivalent to a Western diocese). Eparchies are governed by
bishops (Russian: епископ, episcop or архиерей, archiereus). There are around 130 Russian Orthodox eparchies
worldwide.
Further, some eparchies are organized into exarchates, or autonomous churches. Currently these include the
Orthodox Churches of the Belarusian exarchate; the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia; the Latvian, the
Moldovan, and the Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate. The Chinese and Japanese Orthodox
Churches were granted full autonomy by the Moscow Patriarchate, but this autonomy is not universally recognized.
Smaller eparchies are usually governed by a single bishop. Larger eparchies, exarchates, and autonomous Churches
are governed by a Metropolitan archbishop and sometimes also have one or more bishops assigned to them.
The highest level of authority in the Church is vested in the Local Council ( Pomestny Sobor ), which comprises all
the bishops as well as representatives from the clergy and laypersons. Another organ of power is the Bishops'
Council ( Архиерейский Собор). In the periods between the Councils the highest administrative powers are exercised
by the Holy Synod which includes 7 permanent members and is chaired by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia,
Primate of the Moscow Patriarchate.Although the Patriarch of Moscow has extensive powers, unlike the Pope he does not have direct authority over
matters pertaining to faith. Some of the most fundamental issues (such as the ones responsible for the
Catholic-Orthodox split) can not be decided even at the level of the Local Council and have to be dealt with by a
council of representatives from all Eastern Orthodox Churches. The last time such a council was held was in 787.
History
The Christian community that became the Russian Orthodox Church is traditionally said to have been founded by the
Apostle Andrew, who is thought to have visited Scythia and Greek colonies along the northern coast of the Black
Sea. According to one of the legends, Andrew reached the future location of Kiev and foretold the foundation of agreat Christian city.[12] [13] The spot where he reportedly erected a cross is now marked by St. Andrew's Cathedral.
By the end of the first millennium AD, eastern Slavic lands started to come under the cultural influence of the
Eastern Roman Empire. In 863-869, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius translated parts of the Bible into Old Church
Slavonic language for the first time, paving the way for the Christianization of the Slavs. There is evidence that the
first Christian bishop was sent to Novgorod from Constantinople either by Patriarch Photius or Patriarch Ignatios,
circa 866-867 AD.
By the mid-10th century, there was already a Christian community among Kievan nobility, under the leadership of
Greek and Byzantine priests, although paganism remained the dominant religion. Princess Olga of Kiev was the first
ruler of Kievan Rus to convert to Christianity, either in 945 or 957. Her grandson, Vladimir the Great, made Kievan
Rus' a Christian state.
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Russian Orthodox Church 43
As a result of the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in 988, Prince Vladimir I of Kiev officially adopted Byzantine Rite
Christianity — the religion of the Eastern Roman Empire — as the state religion of Kievan Rus'. This date is often
considered the official birthday of the Russian Orthodox Church. Thus, in 1988, the Church celebrated its millennial
anniversary. It therefore traces its apostolic succession through the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Part of the series on
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity Portal
History
Byzantine Empire
Crusades
Ecumenical council
Christianization of Bulgaria
Christianization of Kievan Rus'
East-West Schism
By region
Asian - Copts
Eastern Orthodox - Georgian - Ukrainian
Traditions
Church of the East
Eastern Catholic Churches
Eastern Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodoxy
Syriac Christianity
Liturgy and Worship
Sign of the cross
Divine Liturgy
Iconography
Asceticism
Omophorion
Theology
Hesychasm - Icon
Apophaticism - Filioque clause
Miaphysitism - Monophysitism
Nestorianism - Theosis - Theoria
Phronema - Philokalia
Praxis - TheotokosHypostasis - Ousia
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Russian Orthodox Church 45
Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery and the Solovetsky Monastery. In the 18th century, the three greatest monasteries
were recognized as lavras, while those subordinated directly to the Synod were labelled stauropegic.
In the 1540s, Metropolitan Macarius codified Russian hagiography and convened a number of church synods, which
culminated in the Hundred Chapter Synod of 1551. This assembly unified Church ceremonies and duties in the
whole territory of Russia. At the demand of the Church hierarchy the government canceled the tsar's jurisdiction over
ecclesiastics. Reinforced by these reforms, the Church felt strong enough to challenge the policies of the tsar. Philipof Moscow, in particular, decried many abuses of Ivan the Terrible, who eventually engineered his defrocking and
murder.
Autocephaly and schism
The three-barred
cross of the Russian
Orthodox Church
During the reign of tsar Theodor I his brother-in-law Boris Godunov contacted the
Ecumenical Patriarch, who "was much embarrassed for want of funds,"[16] with a view to
establishing a patriarch see in Moscow. As a result of Godunov's efforts, Metropolitan Job of
Moscow became in 1589 the first Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', making the Russian
Church autocephalous. The four other patriarchs have recognized the Moscow Patriarchate as
one of the five honourable Patriarchates. During the next half a century, when the tsardom
was weak, the patriarchs (notably Hermogenes and Philaret) would help run the state along
with (and sometimes instead of) the tsars.
At the urging of the Zealots of Piety, Patriarch Nikon resolved in 1652 to centralize power
that had been distributed locally, while conforming Russian Orthodox rites and rituals to
those of the Greek Orthodox Church, as interpreted by pundits from the Kiev Ecclesiastical
Academy. For instance he insisted that Russian Christians cross themselves with three
fingers, rather than the then-traditional two. This aroused antipathy among a substantial section of the believers who
saw the changed rites as heresy, although the extent to which these changes can be regarded as minor or major ritual
significance remains open to debate. After the implementation of these innovations at the church council of 1666 – 1667, the Church anathematized and suppressed those who acted contrary to them with the support of
Muscovite state power. These traditionalists became known as "Old Believers" or "Old Ritualists".
An Old Believer Priest, Nikita Pustosviat, Disputing with Patriarch Joachim the
Matters of Faith. Painting by Vasily Perov
Although Nikon's far-flung ambitions of
steering the country to a theocratic form of
government precipitated his defrocking and
exile, Tsar Aleksey deemed it prudent to
uphold many of his innovations. During the
Schism of the Russian Church, the Old
Ritualists were separated from the main
body of the Orthodox Church. Archpriest
Avvakum Petrov and many other opponents
of the church reforms were burned at the
stake, either forcibly or voluntarily. Another
prominent figure within the Old Ritualists'
movement, Boyarynya Morozova, was
starved to death in 1675. Others escaped
from the government persecutions to Siberia
and other inhospitable lands, where they would live in semi-seclusion until the modern times.
Peter the First
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Russian Orthodox Church 46
With the ascension of Emperor Peter the Great to the throne of Russia (1682 – 1725), with his radical modernization
of Russian government, army, dress, and manners, Russia became a formidable political power.
Expansion
In the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the Russian Orthodox Church experienced phenomenal
geographic expansion. In the following two centuries, missionary efforts stretched out across Siberia into Alaska,then into the United States at California. Eminent people on that missionary effort included St. Innocent of Irkutsk
and St. Herman of Alaska. In emulation of Stephen of Perm, they learned local languages and translated the gospels
and the hymns. Sometimes those translations required the invention of new systems of transcription.
In the aftermath of the Treaty of Pereyaslav, the Ottomans (supposedly acting on behalf of the Russian regent Sophia
Alekseyevna) pressured the Patriarch of Constantinople into transferring the Metropoly of Kiev from the jurisdiction
of Constantinople to that of Moscow. The controversial transfer brought millions of faithful and half a dozen
dioceses under the pastoral and administrative care of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', leading to the significant
Ukrainian domination of the Russian Orthodox Church, which continued well into the 18th century, with
Theophanes Prokopovich, Epiphanius Slavinetsky, Stephen Yavorsky and Demetrius of Rostov being among the
most notable representatives of this trend.[17]
In 1700, after Patriarch Adrian's death, Peter the Great prevented a successor from being named, and in 1721,
following the advice of Feofan Prokopovich, Archbishop of Pskov, the Holy and Supreme Synod was established
under Archbishop Stephen Yavorsky to govern the church instead of a single primate. This was the situation until
shortly after the Russian Revolution of 1917, at which time the Local Council (more than half of its members being
lay persons) adopted the decision to restore the Patriarchy. On November 5 (according to the Julian calendar) a new
patriarch, Tikhon, was named through casting lots.
The late 18th century saw the rise of starchestvo under Paisiy Velichkovsky and his disciples at the Optina
Monastery. This marked a beginning of a significant spiritual revival in the Russian Church after a lengthy period of
modernization, personified by such figures as Demetrius of Rostov and Platon of Moscow. Aleksey Khomyakov,Ivan Kireevsky, and other lay theologians with Slavophile leanings elaborated some key concepts of the renovated
Orthodox doctrine, including that of sobornost . The resurgence of Eastern Orthodoxy was reflected in Russian
literature, e.g., the figure of Starets Zosima in Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov .
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Russian Orthodox Church 47
Fin-de-siècle religious renaissance
Russian Orthodox Church in Dresden, built in the
1870s
During the final decades of the imperial order in Russia many educated
Russians sought to return to the Church and revitalize their faith. No
less evident were non-conformist paths of spiritual searching known as
"God-Seeking". Writers, artists, and intellectuals in large numbers
were drawn to private prayer, mysticism, spiritualism, theosophy, andEastern religions. A fascination with elemental feeling, with the
unconscious and the mythic, proliferated along with visions of coming
catastrophe and redemption.
The visible forms of God-Seeking were extensive. A series of
'Religious-Philosophical Meetings' were held in St. Petersburg in
1901 – 1903, bringing together prominent intellectuals and clergy to
explore together ways to reconcile the Church with the growing of
undogmatic desire among the educated for spiritual meaning in life.
Especially after 1905, various religious societies arose, though much of
this religious upheaval was informal: circles and salons, séances,
private prayer. Some clergy also sought to revitalize Orthodox faith,
most famously the charismatic Father John of Kronstadt, who, until his
death in 1908 (though his followers remained active long after), emphasized Christian living and sought to restore
fervency and the presence of the miraculous in liturgical celebration. In 1909, a sensation-creating volume of essays
appeared under the title Vekhi ("Landmarks" or "Signposts"), authored by a group of leading left-wing intellectuals,
including Sergei Bulgakov, Peter Struve, and former Marxists, who bluntly repudiated the materialism and atheism
that had dominated the thought of the intelligentsia for generations as leading inevitably to failure and moral disaster.
One sees a similarly renewed vigor and variety in religious life and spirituality among the lower classes, especially
after the upheavals of 1905. Among the peasantry we see widespread interest in spiritual-ethical literature andnon-conformist moral-spiritual movements; an upsurge in pilgrimage and other devotions to sacred spaces and
objects (especially icons); persistent beliefs in the presence and power of the supernatural (apparitions, possession,
walking-dead, demons, spirits, miracles, and magic); the renewed vitality of local "ecclesial communities" actively
shaping their own ritual and spiritual lives, sometimes in the absence of clergy, and defining their own sacred places
and forms of piety; and the proliferation of what the Orthodox establishment branded as 'sectarianism', including
both non-Orthodox Christian denominations, notably Baptists, and various forms of deviant popular Orthodoxy and
mysticism.[18]
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Russian Orthodox Church 48
Russian revolution
In 1914 in Russia, there were 55,173 Russian Orthodox churches and 29,593 chapels, 112,629 priests and deacons,
550 monasteries and 475 convents with a total of 95,259 monks and nuns.
Tsar Alexis praying before the relics of
Metropolitan Philip
The year 1917 was a major turning point for the history of Russia, and
also the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian empire was dissolved
and the Tsarist government - which had granted the Church numerousprivileges - was overthrown. After a few months of political turmoil,
the Bolsheviks took power in October 1917 and declared a separation
of church and state. Thus the Russian Orthodox Church found itself
without official state backing for the first time in its history. One of the
first decrees of the new Communist government (issued in January
1918) declared freedom of "religious and anti-religious propaganda".
This led to a marked decline in the power and influence of the Church.
The Church was also caught in the crossfire of the Russian Civil War
that began later the same year, and many leaders of the Church
supported what would ultimately turn out to be the losing side (theWhite movement).
The Russian Orthodox Church supported the White Army in the
Russian Civil War (see White movement) after the October
Revolution. This may have further strengthened the Bolshevik animus against the church.
Even before the end of the civil war and the establishment of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church came
under pressure from the secular Communist government. The Soviet government stood on a platform of antireligion,
viewing the church as a "counter-revolutionary" organization and an independent voice with a great influence in
society. While the Soviet Union officially claimed religious tolerance, in practice the government discouraged
organized religion and did much to remove religious influence from Soviet society.
Under Communist rule
Before and after the October Revolution of November 7, 1917 (October 25 Old Calendar) there was a movement
within what became Soviet Union to unite all of the people of the world under Communist rule (see Communist
International). This included the Eastern European bloc countries as well as the Balkan States. Since some of these
Slavic states tied their ethnic heritage to their ethnic churches, both the peoples and their church were targeted by the
Soviets.[19]
The Soviet Union was the first state to have as an ideological objectiv e the elimination of religion. Toward that end,
the Communist regime confiscated church property, ridiculed religion, harassed believers, and propagated atheism inthe schools. Actions toward particular religions, however, were determined by State interests, and most organized
religions were never outlawed. Orthodox priests and believers were variously tortured, sent to prison camps, labour
camps or mental hospitals, and executed.[20] [21] Many Orthodox (along with people of other faiths) were also
subjected to psychological punishment or torture and mind control experimentation in order to force them give up
their religious convictions.[22] [23]
Thousands of churches and monasteries were taken over by the government and either destroyed or converted to
secular use. It was impossible to build new churches. Practising Orthodox Christians were restricted from prominent
careers and membership in communist organizations (the party, the Komsomol). Anti-religious propaganda was
openly sponsored and encouraged by the government, which the Church was not given an opportunity to publicly
respond to. The government youth organization, the Komsomol, encouraged its members to vandalize OrthodoxChurches and harass worshippers. Seminaries were closed down, and the church was restricted from using the press.
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The history of Orthodoxy (and other religions) under Communism was not limited to this story of repression and
secularization. Bolshevik policies toward religious belief and practice tended to vacillate over time between, on the
one hand, a utopian determination to substitute secular rationalism for what they considered to be an unmodern,
"superstitious" worldview and, on the other, pragmatic acceptance of the tenaciousness of religious faith and
institutions. In any case, religious beliefs and practices did persist, in the domestic and private spheres but also in the
scattered public spaces allowed by a state that recognized its failure to eradicate religion and the political dangers of
an unrelenting culture war.[24]
In November 1917, following the collapse of the tsarist government, a council of the Russian Orthodox church
reestablished the patriarchate and elected the metropolitan Tikhon as patriarch. But the new Soviet government soon
declared the separation of church and state and nationalized all church-held lands. These administrative measures
were followed by brutal state-sanctioned persecutions that included the wholesale destruction of churches and the
arrest and execution of many clerics. The Russian Orthodox church was further weakened in 1922, when the
Renovated Church, a reform movement supported by the Soviet government, seceded from Patriarch Tikhon's
church (also see the Josephites and the Russian True Orthodox Church), restored a Holy Synod to power, and
brought division among clergy and faithful.
In the first five years after the Bolshevik revolution, 28 bishops and 1,200 priests were executed. [25]
Stalin era
The main target of the anti-religious campaign in the 1920s and 1930s was the Russian Orthodox Church, which had
the largest number of faithful. Nearly all of its clergy, and many of its believers, were shot or sent to labor camps.
Theological schools were closed, and church publications were prohibited.
The sixth sector of the OGPU, led by Yevgeny Tuchkov, began aggressively arresting and executing bishops, priests,
and devout worshippers, such as Metropolitan Veniamin in Petrograd in 1922 for refusing to accede to the demand to
hand in church valuables (including sacred relics). In the period between 1927 and 1940, the number of Orthodox
Churches in the Russian Republic fell from 29,584 to less than 500. Between 1917 and 1935, 130,000 Orthodox
priests were arrested. Of these, 95,000 were put to death. Many thousands of victims of persecution became
recognized in a special canon of saints known as the "new martyrs and confessors of Russia".
In January 1918 Patriarch Tikhon proclaimed anathema to the Bolsheviks (without explicitly naming them),[26]
which further antagonized relations. When Tikhon died in 1925, the Soviet authorities forbade patriarchal elections
to be held. Patriarchal locum tenens (acting Patriarch) Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky, 1887 – 1944), going
against the opinion of a major part of the church's parishes, in 1927 issued a declaration accepting the Soviet
authority over the church as legitimate, pledging the church's cooperation with the government and condemning
political dissent within the church. By this he granted himself with the power that Sergius, being a deputy of
imprisoned Metropolitan Peter and acting against his will, had no right to assume according to the XXXIV Apostolic
canon, which led to a split with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia abroad and the Russian TrueOrthodox Church (Russian Catacomb Church) within the Soviet Union, as they allegedly remained faithful to the
Canons of the Apostles, declaring the part of the church led by Metropolitan Sergius schism, sometimes coined
Sergianism. Due to this canonical disagreement it is disputed which church has been the legitimate successor to the
Russian Orthodox Church that had existed before 1925.[27] [28] [29] [30]
After Nazi Germany's attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Joseph Stalin revived the Russian Orthodox Church[31] to
intensify patriotic support for the war effort. On September 4, 1943, Metropolitans Sergius, Alexy and Nikolay had a
meeting with Stalin and received a permission to convene a council on September 8, 1943, which elected Sergius
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. This is considered by some violation of the XXX Apostolic canon, as no
church hierarch could be consecrated by secular authorities.[27] A new patriarch was elected, theological schools
were opened, and thousands of churches began to function. The Moscow Theological Academy Seminary, whichhad been closed since 1918, was re-opened.
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Between 1945 and 1959 the official organization of the church was greatly expanded, although individual members
of the clergy were occasionally arrested and exiled. The number of open churches reached 25,000. By 1957 about
22,000 Russian Orthodox churches had become active. But in 1959 Nikita Khrushchev initiated his own campaign
against the Russian Orthodox Church and forced the closure of about 12,000 churches. By 1985 fewer than 7,000
churches remained active. Members of the church hierarchy were jailed or forced out, their places taken by docile
clergy, many of whom had ties with the KGB. This decline was evident from the dramatic decay of many of the
abandoned churches and monasteries that were previously common in even the smallest villages from the
pre-revolutionary period.
Persecution under Khrushchev and Brezhnev
A new and widespread persecution of the church was subsequently instituted under the leadership of Nikita
Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev. A second round of repression, harassment and church closures took place
between 1959 and 1964 during the rule of Nikita Khrushchev.
The Church and the government remained on unfriendly terms until 1988. In practice, the most important aspect of
this conflict was that openly religious people could not join the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which meant
that they could not hold any political office. However, among the general population, large numbers remainedreligious.
Some Orthodox believers and even priests took part in the dissident movement and became prisoners of conscience.
The Orthodox priests Gleb Yakunin, Sergiy Zheludkov and others spent years in Soviet prisons and exile for their
efforts in defending freedom of worship.[32] Among the prominent figures of that time was Father Aleksandr Men.
Although he tried to keep away from practical work of the dissident movement intending to better fulfil his calling as
a priest, there was a spiritual link between Fr Aleksander and many of the dissidents. For some of them he was a
friend, for others - a godfather, for many (including Yakunin) - spiritual father. [33]
By 1987 the number of functioning churches in the Soviet Union had fallen to 6893 and the number of functioning
monasteries to just 18. In 1987 in the Russian SFSR, between 40% and 50% of newborn babies (depending on the
region) were baptized and over 60% of all deceased received Christian funeral services.
Glasnost and evidence of KGB links
Beginning in the late 1980s, under Mikhail Gorbachev, the new political and social freedoms resulted in many
church buildings being returned to the church, to be restored by local parishioners. A pivotal point in the history of
the Russian Orthodox Church came in 1988 - the millennial anniversary of the Baptism of Kievan Rus'. Throughout
the summer of that year, major government-supported celebrations took place in Moscow and other cities; many
older churches and some monasteries were reopened. An implicit ban on religious propaganda on state TV was
finally lifted. For the first time in the history of Soviet Union, people could see live transmissions of church services
on television.
Gleb Yakunin, a defrocked Priest and critic of the Moscow Patriarchate who was one of those who had access to the
KGB archive documents in the early 1990s, argued that the Moscow Patriarchate was "practically a subsidiary, a
sister company of the KGB".[34] Critics charge that the archives showed the extent of active participation of the top
ROC hierarchs in the KGB efforts overseas.[35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] George Trofimoff, the highest-ranking US
military officer ever indicted for, and convicted of, espionage by the United States and sentenced to life
imprisonment on September 27, 2001, had been "recruited into the service of the KGB" [41] by Igor Susemihl (a.k.a.
Zuzemihl), a bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church (subsequently, a high-ranking hierarch - the ROC Metropolitan
Iriney of Vienna, who died in July 1999[42] ).
The Moscow Patriarchate has, however, consistently denied that its bishops were in fact KGB Agents. [43] Konstanin
Kharchev, former chairman of Soviet Council on Religious Affairs, explained: "Not a single candidate for the officeof bishop or any other high-ranking office, much less a member of Holy Synod, went through without confirmation
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Russian Orthodox Church 51
by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the KGB" .[38] Professor Nathaniel Davis points out: "If the bishops
wished to defend their people and survive in office, they had to collaborate to some degree with the KGB, with the
commissioners of the Council for Religious Affairs, and with other party and governmental authorities." [44]
Patriarch Alexy II, acknowledged that compromises were made with the Soviet government by bishops of the
Moscow Patriarchate, himself included, and publicly repented of these compromises:
"Defending one thing, it was necessary to give somewhere else. Were there any other organizations, or any other people among those who had to carry responsibility not only for themselves but for thousands of other fates, who in
those years in the Soviet Union were not compelled to act likewise? Before those people, however, to whom the
compromises, silence, forced passivity or expressions of loyalty permitted by the leaders of the church in those years
caused pain, before these people, and not only before God, I ask forgiveness, understanding and prayers." [45]
Post-Soviet recovery and problems
Under Patriarch Alexy II (1990-2008)
Metropolitan Alexy of Leningrad, ascended the Patriarchal throne in 1990 and presided over the partial return of
Orthodox Christianity to Russian society after 70 years of repression, transforming the ROC to somethingresembling a state religion; some 15,000 churches had been re-opened or built by the end of his reign. The Church
also sought to fill the ideological vacuum left by the end of communism, and even, in the opinion of some analysts,
became "a separate branch of power".[46]
Under Patriarch Alexy, there were difficulties in the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the
Vatican, especially since 2002, when Pope John Paul II created a Catholic diocesan structure for Russian territory.
The leadership of the Russian Church saw this action as a throwback to prior attempts by the Vatican to proselytize
the Russian Orthodox faithful to become Roman Catholic. This point of view was based upon the stance of the
Russian Orthodox Church (and the Eastern Orthodox Church) that the Church of Rome is in schism, after breaking
off from the Orthodox Church. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, while acknowledging the primacy of the
Russian Orthodox Church in Russia, believed that the small Catholic minority in Russia, in continuous existencesince at least the 18th century, should be served by a fully developed church hierarchy with a presence and status in
Russia, just as the Russian Orthodox Church is present in other countries (including constructing a cathedral in
Rome, near the Vatican).
Russian Orthodox Episcopal Consecration by Patriarch Alexius II of
Moscow and All Russia
There had been increasing friction between the
Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox
Church, one example of such friction could be
observed at the meeting in Ravenna in early October
2007 of participants in the Orthodox-Catholic
Dialogue: the representative of the Moscow
Patriarchate, Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev, walked out of
the meeting due to the presence of representatives from
the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church which is in
the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. At the
meeting, prior to the departure of the Russian
delegation, there were also substantive disagreements
about the wording of a proposed joint statement among
the Orthodox representatives.[47] After the departure of the Russian delegation, the remaining Orthodox delegates
approved the form which had been advocated by the representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.[48] The
disagreement occurred because Moscow insists that Estonia is its canonical territory for historical reasons, and has
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Russian Orthodox Church 52
incorporated Orthodox parishes in Estonia into the Orthodox Church of Estonia, a self-governing part of the Church
of Russia. The Ecumenical Patriarchate, however, has setup its own jurisdiction in Estonia, called the Estonian
Apostolic Orthodox Church, an action that prompted the Holy Synod of the Church of Russia to announce, in 2000,
that it will not take part in any pan-Orthodox meeting where members of the EAOC are present. The Ecumenical
See's representative in Ravenna said that Hilarion's position "should be seen as an expression of authoritarianism
whose goal is to exhibit the influence of the Moscow Church. But like last year in Belgrade, all Moscow achieved
was to isolate itself once more since no other Orthodox Church followed its lead, remaining instead faithful to
Constantinople."[49] [50]
In 2008, a Russian Orthodox church in Ukraine was accused of fomenting anti-Semitic and anti-Ukrainian
propaganda in Kamenets-Podolsky through leaflets accusing Jews of being behind the masterminds of the 1917
Russian Revolution and of the 2004 Orange Revolution and also questioning the right of Ukraine to exist as a
separate nation-state from Russia.[51]
Canon Michael Bourdeaux, former president of Keston Institute, believed in January 2008 that "the Moscow
Patriarchate acts as though it heads a state church, while the few Orthodox clergy who oppose the church-state
symbiosis face severe criticism, even loss of livelihood."[52] Such view is backed up by other Russia's political life
observers.[53] Clifford J. Levy of New York Times wrote in April 2008: «Just as the government has tightenedcontrol over political life, so, too, has it intruded in matters of faith. The Kremlin ’s surrogates in many areas have
turned the Russian Orthodox Church into a de facto official religion, warding off other Christian denominations that
seem to offer the most significant competition for worshipers. <...> This close alliance between the government and
the Russian Orthodox Church has become a defining characteristic of Mr. Putin’s tenure, a mutually reinforcing
choreography that is usually described here as working “in symphony”.»[54]
Throughout Patriarch Alexy's reign, the massive-scale program of costly restoration of re-opened churches and
monasteries (as well as the construction of new ones) was criticized for having eclipsed the Church's principal
mission of evangelizing.[55] [56]
On 5 December 2008, the day of Patriarch Alexy's death, the Financial Times said: "While the church had been a
force for liberal reform under the Soviet Union, it soon became a center of strength for conservatives and nationalists
in the post-communist era. Alexei's death could well result in an even more conservative church."[57]
Under Patriarch Kirill
On January 27, 2009, the ROC Local Council (the 2009 Pomestny Sobor comprised 72 women, both nuns and lay
members; the majority of its delegates were not Russia's citizens[58] ) elected Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk
Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus;[59] [60] he was enthroned on February 1, 2009.
Since 2009 the Russian Orthodox Church has become more and more expressive of an inward-looking nationalist
culture. For example, in May 2010 it was decreed that all dioceses of the Church would have to celebrate the "Day of
Slavic Letters and Culture" every year. [61]
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in North America. The Metropolia, as a former diocese of the Russian Church, looked to the latter as its highest
church authority, albeit one from which it was temporarily cut off under the conditions of the communist regime in
Russia.
After World War II the Patriarchate of Moscow made unsuccessful attempts to regain control over these groups.
After resuming communication with Moscow in early 1960s, and being granted autocephaly in 1970, the Metropolia
became known as the Orthodox Church in America.[62]
[63]
However, recognition of this autocephalous status is notuniversal, as the Ecumenical Patriarch (under whom is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America) and some other
jurisdictions have not officially accepted it. The reasons for this are complex; nevertheless the Ecumenical Patriarch
and the other jurisdictions remain in communion with the OCA. The Patriarchate of Moscow thereby renounced its
former canonical claims in the United States and Canada; it also acknowledged an autonomous church established in
Japan that same year.
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR)
Russian church of Holy Trinity in Belgrade, Serbia.
Russia's Church was devastated by the repercussions of the
Bolshevik Revolution. One of its effects was a flood of refugees
from Russia to the United States, Canada, and Europe. The
Revolution of 1918 severed large sections of the Russian
church —dioceses in America, Japan, and Manchuria, as well as
refugees in Europe —from regular contacts with the mother
church.
Based on an ukase (decree) issued by Patriarch Tikhon, which
stated that dioceses of the Church of Russia that were cut off from
the governance of the highest Church authority (i.e. the Holy
Synod and the Patriarch) should be managed independently until
such time as normal relations with the highest Church authority could be resumed, the Russian Orthodox ChurchOutside of Russia was established; by bishops who had left Russia in the wake of the Russian Civil War. They first
met in Constantinople, and then moved to Sremski-Karlovci, Yugoslavia. After World War II, they moved their
headquarters to New York City, New York, where it remains to this day.
On December 28, 2006, it was officially announced that the Act of Canonical Communion would finally be signed
between the ROC and ROCOR. The signing took place on the May 17, 2007, followed immediately by a full
restoration of communion with the Moscow Patriarchate, celebrated by a Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ
the Saviour in Moscow, at which the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexius II and the First Hierarch of
ROCOR concelebrated for the first time.
Under the Act, the ROCOR remains a self-governing entity within the Church of Russia. It is independent in itsadministrative, pastoral, and property matters. It continues to be governed by its Council of Bishops and its Synod,
the Council's permanent executive body. The First-Hierarch and bishops of the ROCOR are elected by its Council
and confirmed by the Patriarch of Moscow. ROCOR bishops participate in the Council of Bishops of the entire
Russian Church.
In response to the signing of the act of canonical communion, Bishop Agafangel and parishes and clergy in
opposition to the Act broke communion with ROCOR, and established ROCA, or the Russian Orthodox Church
Abroad.[64] The ROCA should not be confused with the ROCIA, or the Russian Orthodox Church in America, a
separate jurisdiction whose exact canonical status remains "unclear."[65] Some others opposed to the Act have joined
themselves to other Greek Old Calendarist groups.[66]
Currently both the OCA and ROCOR, since 2007, are in communion with the ROC.
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Russian Orthodox Church 55
Belarusian Orthodox Church
The Belarusian Orthodox Church is part of Russian Orthodox Church.
Russian church architecture
Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165), showing
the onion dome typical of many Orthodox churches.
Russian Orthodox Church buildings differ in design from manymodern-type churches. Firstly, their interiors are enriched with
many sacramental objects including holy icons, which are hung on
the walls. In addition, murals often cover most of the interior.
Some of these images represent the Theotokos (who is particularly
revered in the Russian Orthodox Church), saints, and scenes from
their lives.
Gold is the color which resembles the Heavenly Kingdom. It is
also used to add a sense of indefinite depth to icons, which would
otherwise be perceived as flat. Painted icons are intentionally
composed in a two-dimensional, non-perspective fashion to allowequal viewing regardless of the placement, position, and/or angle
of the observing person, as well as to emphasize that the depiction
is primarily of a spiritual truth rather than of visible reality (which
emphasis is also achieved through other iconographic techniques
and traditions).
Most Russian Orthodox churches have an iconostasis, which
separates the nave from the holy altar, and signifies the Heavenly
Kingdom. Covered with icons, the iconostasis is intended to stop
physical sight, and allow the worshipers to achieve spiritual sight.Another remarkable feature of many Russian Orthodox Church is the icon screen, which may reach all the way up
into the dome (or domes). On the ceiling of many churches (inside the main dome) is the iconography of Christ as
Pantokrator ("Ruler of All"). Such images emphasize Christ's humanity and divinity, signifying that Christ is a man
and yet is also God without beginning or end.
There are no pews. Most churches are lit with candles rather than electric light. Virtually all churches have multiple
votive candle stands in front of the icons. It is customary for worshippers to purchase candles in church stores, light
them up, and place them on the stands. This ritual signifies a person's prayer to God, the Holy Mother, or to the
saints or angels asking for help on the difficult path to salvation and to freedom from sin.
Sometimes the bottoms of crosses found in Russian Orthodox churches will be adorned with a crescent. Thecommon misconception attributes these to the fact that in 1552, Tsar Ivan the Terrible conquered the city of Kazan
which had been under the rule of Muslim Tatars, and in remembrance of this, he decreed that from henceforth the
Islamic crescent be placed at the bottom of the crosses to signify the victory of the cross (Christianity) over the
crescent (Islam). In fact, crescents on crosses were widespread during the pre-Mongolian period of Russian history
and have no relation to the Islamic symbol. The crescent symbol actually is meant to resemble an anchor, which
symbolizes the hope for salvation.
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See also
• List of Orthodox Churches
• List of tallest Orthodox churches
• Eastern Orthodox Church
• Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
• Russian Orthodox Church in America• Eastern Christianity
• Russian Catholic Church
• Russian Orthodox bell ringing
External links
• Russian Orthodox Church official website [67]
• Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church official website [68], in English
• Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia official website [107]
• Orthodox Church in America official website
[120]
Russian Orthodox resources and literature
• Orthodox World Russian Portal [69], in English
• Russian Orthodox Church links on Orthodox Christianity Directory [70]
• OrthodoxWiki [71]
• Aleksandr Men Foundation [72]
• Orthodox Christian's Library [73]
• Radio Radonezh [74]
• The Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra [75]
• Orthodox Calendar [76]
• Orthodox Calendar on Pravoslavie.ru [77]
• Valaam Monastery Page in English [78]
• St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University [79]
• A Brief Summary of the Russian Patriarchal Period [80]
• The Tragedy of the Russian Church. 1917-53 [81]
References
[1] "Russia" (http://www. state. gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90196. htm). State.gov. . Retrieved 2009-05-06.
[2] "CIA - The World Factbook - Russia" (https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs. html#People). Cia.gov. .
Retrieved 2009-05-06.[3] "Adherents.com" (http://www. adherents. com/Na/Na_573. html#3444). Adherents.com. . Retrieved 2009-05-06.
[4] http://www. mospat. ru
[5] http://www. rocor. org
[6] ROC Statute, Chapter I, § 2 (http://www. mospat. ru/index. php?mid=162)
[7] The ROC does not keep any formal membership records, wherefore the claim is based on the public polls and the number of parishes. The
actual number of regular church-goers in Russia varies between 1% and 10%, depending on the source.
[8] Опубликована подробная сравнительная статистика религиозности в России и Польше (http://www. religare. ru/article42432. htm)
Religare.ru June 6, 2007
[9] Большинство, напоминающее меньшинство (http://www. gazeta. ru/comments/2007/08/20_a_2060804. shtml) Gazeta.ru 21 August
2007
[10] "Russian Orthodox Church denies plans to create private army" (http://en. rian. ru/russia/20081121/118458478. html). RIA Novosti (BBC
News). 2008-11-21. . Retrieved December 13, 2008.[11] (Russian) Доклад Святейшего Патриарха Кирилла на Архиерейском cовещании 2 февраля 2010 года (http://www. patriarchia. ru/
db/text/1061651. html) patriarchia.ru February 2, 2010
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Russian Orthodox Church 57
[12] Damick, Andrew S.. "Life of the Apostle Andrew" (http://www. chrysostom. org/firstcalled/life. html). chrysostom.org. . Retrieved
2007-06-25.
[13] Voronov, Theodore (2001-10-13). "The Baptism of Russia and Its Significance for Today" (http://www. orthodox. clara. net/baptism_rus.
htm). orthodox.clara.net. . Retrieved 2007-06-25.
[14] "Российские Вести - Федеральный Еженедельник" (http://www. rosvesty. ru/print. php?f=/numbers/1789/culture/a_03. phtml&i=1).
rosvesty.ru. . Retrieved 2007-06-26.
[15] "АРХИЕПИСКОП ИСТРИНСКИЙ АРСЕНИЙ ВОЗГЛАВИЛ В МОСКВЕ ТОРЖЕСТВА ПО СЛУЧАЮ 625-ЛЕТИЯ
КУЛИКОВСКОЙ БИТВЫ" (http://www. pravoslavie. ru/news/050922125558). pravoslavie.ru. . Retrieved 2007-06-26.[16] Karl August von Hase. A history of the Christian Church. Oxford, 1855. Page 481.
[17] Yuri Kagramanov, " The war of languages in Ukraine (http://magazines. russ. ru/novyi_mi/2006/8/ka10. html)", Novy Mir, 2006, № 8
[18] A. S. Pankratov, Ishchushchie boga (Moscow, 1911); Vera Shevzov, Russian Orthodoxy on the Eve of Revolution (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2004); Gregory Freeze, 'Subversive Piety: Religion and the Political Crisis in Late Imperial Russia', Journal of Modern
History, vol. 68 (June 1996): 308-50; Mark Steinberg and Heather Coleman, eds. Sacred Stories: Religion and Spirituality in Modern Russia
(Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2007)
[19] President of Lithuania: Prisoner of the Gulag a Biography of Aleksandras Stulginskis by Afonsas Eidintas Genocide and Research Center of
Lithuania ISBN 998675741X / 9789986757412 / 9986-757-41-X pg 23 "The Soviets' official religious stance was one of "religious freedom
or tolerance", though the state established atheismrt hmn sgjnerqtjh gn as the only scientific truth. Criticism of atheism was strictly forbidden
and sometimes lead to imprisonment. Sermons to young people by Father George Calciu-Dumitreasa. Given at the Chapel of the Romanian
Orthodox Church Seminary, The Word online. Bucharest (http://www. orthodoxresearchinstitute. org/resources/sermons/
calciu_christ_calling.
htm)[20] Father Arseny 1893 – 1973 Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father. Introduction pg. vi - 1. St Vladimir's Seminary Press ISBN 0-88141-180-9
[21] The Washingotn Post Anti-Communist Priest Gheorghe Calciu-Dumitreasa By Patricia Sullivan Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday,
November 26, 2006; Page C09 (http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/25/AR2006112500783. html)
[22] http://litek. ws/k0nsl/detox/anti-humans. htm Dumitru Bacu, The Anti-Humans. Student Re-Education in Romanian Prisons], Soldiers of
the Cross, Englewood, Colorado, 1971. Originally written in Romanian as Piteşti, Centru de Reeducare Studenţească, Madrid, 1963
[23] Adrian Cioroianu, Pe umerii lui Marx. O introducere în istoria comunismului românesc ("On the Shoulders of Marx. An Incursion into the
History of Romanian Communism"), Editura Curtea Veche, Bucharest, 2005
[24] John Shelton Curtis, The Russian Church and the Soviet State (Boston: Little Brown, 1953); Jane Ellis, The Russian Orthodox Church: A
Contemporary History (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986); Dimitry V. Pospielovsky, The Russian Church Under the Soviet
Regime 1917-1982 (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1984); idem., A History of Marxist-Leninist Atheism and Soviet Anti-Religious Policies
(New York; St. Martin’s Press, 1987); Glennys Young, Power and the Sacred in Revolutionary Russia: Religious Activists in the Village
(University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997); Daniel Peris, Storming the Heavens: The Soviet League of the Militant Godless
(Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998); William B. Husband, “ Godless Communists” : Atheism and Society in Soviet Russia (DeKalb:
Northern Illinois University Press, 2000; Edward Roslof, Red Priests: Renovationism, Russian Orthodoxy, and Revolution, 1905-1946
(Bloomington, Indiana, 2002)
[25] Ostling, Richard. "Cross meets Kremlin" TIME Magazine. June 24, 2001. http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/
0,9171,150718,00. html
[26] Tikhon's Proclamation as of January 19, 1918 (Julian calendar) (http://st-elizabet. narod. ru/raznoe/anafema_sovetchikam. htm)
[27] (Russian) Alekseev, Valery. Historical and canonical reference for reasons making believers leave the Moscow patriarchate (http://www.
ipc. od. ua/14spravka. html). Created for the government of Moldova[28] Talantov, Boris. 1968. The Moscow Patriarchate and Sergianism (http://www. orthodoxinfo. com/ecumenism/cat_tal. aspx) (English
translation).
[29] Protopriest Yaroslav Belikow. December 11, 2004. The Visit of His Eminence Metropolitan Laurus to the Parishes of Argentina and
Venezuela (http://www. russianorthodoxchurch. ws/01newstucture/pagesen/news04/meylavrinsa. html)."
[30] Tserkovnye Vedomosti Russkoy Istinno-Pravoslavnoy Tserkvi (Russian True Orthodox Church News). Patriarch Tikhon's CatacombChurch. History of the Russian True Orthodox Church (http://catacomb. org. ua/modules. php?name=Pages&go=page&pid=1099).
[31] Seventeen Moments in Soviet History (http://www. soviethistory. org/index. php?action=L2&SubjectID=1943patriarch&Year=1943)
[32] Dissent in the Russian Orthodox Church (http://links. jstor. org/sici?sici=0036-0341(196910)28:4<416:DITROC>2. 0. CO;2-W)
[33] Keston Institute and the Defence of Persecuted Christians in the USSR (http://www. starlightsite. co. uk/keston/lectures/sound/
conference. htm)
[34] Born Again. Putin and Orthodox Church Cement Power in Russia. (http://online. wsj. com/article/SB119792074745834591.
html?mod=hpp_us_inside_today) by Andrew Higgins Wall Street Journal Dec 18, 2007.
[35] Выписки из отчетов КГБ о работе с лидерами Московской патриархии (http://www. krotov. info/acts/20/1960/1967_loubyanka.
html) Excerpts from KGB reports on work with the leaders of the Moscow Patriarchate
[36] Russian Patriarch 'was KGB spy' (http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/1999/feb/12/1) The Guardian February 12, 1999
[37] Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West, Gardners Books (2000), ISBN
0-14-028487-7
[38] Yevgenia Albats and Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. The State Within a State: The KGB and Its Hold on Russia - Past, Present, and Future. 1994.
ISBN 0-374-52738-5, page 46.
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Russian Orthodox Church 58
[39] Konstantin Preobrazhenskiy - Putin's Espionage Church (http://cicentre. com/Documents/putin_espionage_church. html), an excerpt from
a forthcoming book, "Russian Americans: A New KGB Asset" by Konstantin Preobrazhenskiy
[40] Confirmed: Russian Patriarch Worked with KGB (http://www. cwnews. com/news/viewstory. cfm?recnum=13868), Catholic World
News. Retrieved 29-12-2007.
[41] George Trofimoff Affidavit (http://cicentre. com/Documents/DOC_Trofimoff_Affidavit. htm)
[42] Ириней (Зуземиль) (http://ortho-rus. ru/cgi-bin/ps_file. cgi?2_599) Biography information on the web-site of the ROC
[43] "Official spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchy Father Vsevolod Chaplin labeled such reports as "absolutely unsubstantiated" in a
Wednesday interview with Interfax. "There is no data indicating that Patriarch Alexy II was an associate of the special services, and noclassified documents bear his signature," he said. "I do not think that direct dialogue between the current patriarch and KGB took place,"
Father Vsevolod continued. However, "all bishops communicated with representatives of the council for religious matters in the Soviet
government, which was inevitable, since any issue, even the most insignificant one, had to be resolved through this body. It is quite another
matter that the council forwarded all its materials to the KGB," he said." Moscow Patriarchate Rejects Times Report of Alexy II'S
Collaboration with KGB, Sept 20, 2000 (Interfax) (http://www. stetson. edu/~psteeves/relnews/0009b. html) "Chaplin, the church
spokesman, said in March, "Nobody has ever seen a single real document that would confirm the patriarch used his contacts with Soviet
authorities to make harm to the church or to any people in the church." Russia's Well-Connected Patriarch, Washington Post Foreign Service ,
23 May 2002 (http://www. stetson. edu/~psteeves/relnews/0205e. html); "Father Chaplin said: 'In recent times many anonymous
photocopies of all sorts of pieces of paper have been circulated. In none of them is there the slightest evidence that the individuals we are
talking about knew that these documents were being drawn up, or gave their consent. So I don't think any reasonably authoritative clerical or
secular commission could see these papers as proof of anything.'", Russian Patriarch 'was KGB spy', The Guardian (London) , February 12,
1999[44] Nathaniel Davis, A Long Walk to Church: A Contemporary History of Russian Orthodoxy,(Oxford: Westview Press, 1995),p .96 Davis
quotes one bishop as saying: "Yes, we -- I, at least, and I say this first about myself -- I worked together with the KGB. I cooperated, I made
signed statements, I had regular meetings, I made reports. I was given a pseudonym -- a code name as they say there... I knowingly cooperated
with them -- but in such a way that I undeviatingly tried to maintain the position of my Church, and, yes, also to act as a patriot, insofar as I
understood, in collaboration with these organs. I was never a stool pigeon, nor an informer."
[45] From an interview of Patriarch Alexy II, given to "Izvestia" No 137, June 10, 1991, entitled "Patriarch Alexy II: -- I Take upon Myself
Responsibility for All that Happened", English translation from Nathaniel Davis, A Long Walk to Church: A Contemporary History of
Russian Orthodoxy,(Oxford: Westview Press, 1995),p 89. See also History of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (http://orthodoxinfo.
com/ecumenism/roca_history. aspx), by St. John (Maximovich) of Shanghai and San Francisco, December 31, 2007
[46] Charles Clover (December 5, 2008). "Russia's church mourns patriarch" (http://us. ft. com/ftgateway/superpage.
ft?news_id=fto120520081735416422&page=1). Financial Times. . Retrieved December 8, 2008.
[47] Europaica Bulletin, No 130 (October 21, 2007) (http://orthodoxeurope. org/page/14/130. aspx#3)
[48] Interfax, Bishop Hilarion requests the Theologian Commission to examine the ambiguous document adopted at the Orthodox-Catholic
conference in Ravenna, 16 November 2007 (http://www. interfax-religion. com/?act=news&div=3945)
[49] Progress in dialogue with Catholics, says Ecumenical Patriarchate (http://new. asianews. it/index. php?l=en&art=10597) new.asianews.it
October 19, 2007.
[50] Ecumenical progress, Russian isolation, after Catholic-Orthodox talks (http://www. cwnews. com/news/viewstory. cfm?recnum=54270)
CWNews.com October 19, 2007.
[51] Orthodox Church Spreads Antisemitic Propaganda in Kamenets-Podolsky, Ukraine (http://www. fsumonitor. com/stories/090208Ukraine.
shtml), Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, September 2, 2008
[52] President Putin and the patriarchs. (http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/comment/faith/article3172785. ece) by Michael Bourdeaux The
Times January 11, 2008.
[53] Piety's Comeback as a Kremlin Virtue. (http://www. cdi. org/russia/johnson/2008-30-16. cfm) By Alexander Osipovich The Moscow
Times February 12, 2008. Page 1.
[54] Clifford J. Levy. At Expense of All Others, Putin Picks a Church. (http://www.
nytimes.
com/2008/04/24/world/europe/24church.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=russia&st=nyt&oref=slogin) New York Times April 24, 2008
[55] Патриарх Алексий Второй: эпоха упущенных возможностей (http://portal-credo. ru/site/?act=news&id=67353&topic=618) RISU
December 11, 2008
[56] Ветряные мельницы православия (http://kommersant. ru/doc. aspx?DocsID=1094071&ThemesID=1011) Vlast December 15, 2008.
[57] Charles Clover (December 5, 2008). "Russia's church mourns patriarch" (http://us. ft. com/ftgateway/superpage.
ft?news_id=fto120520081735416422&page=2). Financial Times. . Retrieved December 8, 2008.
[58] Незнакомый патриарх, или Чему нас учит история храма Христа Спасителя (http://www. izvestia. ru/obshestvo/article3124663/)
Izvestia January 26, 2009.
[59] На Московский Патриарший Престол избран митрополит Смоленский и Калининградский Кирилл (http://patriarchia. ru/db/text/
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[63] OrthodoxWiki. ROCOR and OCA (http://www. orthodoxwiki. org/ROCOR_and_OCA).
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Russian Orthodox Church Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=366196057 Contributors: 16@r, 4twenty42o, A. Parrot, ADimiTR, Adam Bishop, Afghana, Agne27, Alansohn,Alex Bakharev, Alexeykh, Alexyalex, Allstarecho, Altenmann, Amire80, Andres, Andrew c, Angusmclellan, Ans-mo, Antandrus, Anton Khorev, Antonios aigyptos, Anvish, Aphaia, Apoivre,Aram33, Arseni, Ashadeofgrey, Atrebatus, AuburnPilot, Awartha, Ba lcer, Beetstra, Bejnar, Biophys, B luejay Young, Bluerasberry, Bnwwf91, BoLingua, Bobblewik, Bokpasa, Bolo1910,Born2cycle, Born2flie, Brevan, Briaboru, Cactus.man, Calculus, Calmer Waters, Camptown, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Carlaude, Carter, Catmoongirl, Causa sui, Charles Borromeo,Chesterg, Cholmes75, Colchicum, ColenFace, Colin chee, Coroboy, Costela, Cuchullain, Curps, Czalex, DanielM4, DarkFalls, Darwinek, Delirium, DevOhm, Deville, Didactohedron, Diego
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File:Trinity view.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Trinity_view.jpg License: unknown Contributors: Bdk, Ghirlandajo, Infrogmation, Jan Arkesteijn, Kaganer, ДядяСэм, 3 anonymous edits
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File:Cross of the Russian Orthodox Church 01.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cross_of_the_Russian_Orthodox_Church_01.svg License: Creative CommonsAttribution 2.5 Contributors: User:Rickjpelleg
File:Pustosviat.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Pustosviat.jpg License: unknown Contributors: Adelchi
File:Russisch Orthodoxe Kirche Dresden.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Russisch_Orthodoxe_Kirche_Dresden.JPG License: Public Domain Contributors: BerndHutschenreuther
File:PhilipandNikon.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:PhilipandNikon.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Alexander Litovchenko (1835-1890). Originaluploader was Ghirlandajo at en.wikipedia
File:Russian Orthodox Episcopal Ordination.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Russian_Orthodox_Episcopal_Ordination.jpg License: unknown Contributors:Csernica, Hroðulf, Smith2006, 2 anonymous edits
File:Russian church in Belgrade.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Russian_church_in_Belgrade.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:PetarM
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