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The Eastern Christian Churches

A Brief Survey and Resources

Introductory Remarks

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The Greco-Roman Empire The Christian East

The Patriarchal Sees The Pentarchy

Rome – Old Rome (Latin) Constantinople – New Rome (Greek) Alexandria (North African, Coptic, Ethiopic) Antioch (Syrian – Syriac, Arabic) Jerusalem (Hebraic)

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The Eastern Christian Churches

I. The Church of the East (Assyrian)

II. The Oriental Orthodox Churches

III. The Orthodox Church

IV. The Eastern Catholic Churches

I. The Church of the East (Assyrian)

• History

• Division

• Council of Ephesus 431

• Theology

• Liturgy

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II. The Oriental Orthodox Churches

Consist of six independent churches that are in full communion

• The Armenian Apostolic Church

• The Coptic Orthodox Church (Egypt)

• The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

• The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch

• The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (India)

• The Eritrean Orthodox Church

II. The Oriental Orthodox Churches

• Division: Council of Chalcedon 451

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III. The Orthodox Church

"orthodox" - right teaching/praise

a communion of national/regional churches

all recognize

the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople

III. The Orthodox Church

• Ecclesiology

• Schism of 1054

• Traditions, practices, beliefs

• Attempts at Reconciliation

• Issues that separate

Orthodox & Catholic Churches

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Ecclesiology

A Communion of Churches

Ecclesiology

The

Autocephalous

Churches

The Patriarchate of Constantinople (The Ecumenical Patriarchate)

The Patriarchate of Alexandria

The Patriarchate of Antioch

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem

The Orthodox Church of Russia

The Orthodox Church of Serbia

The Orthodox Church of Bulgaria

The Orthodox Church of Georgia

The Orthodox Church of Cyprus

The Orthodox Church of Greece

The Orthodox Church of Poland

The Orthodox Church of Albania

The Orthodox Church of Czech and Slovak Republics

The Orthodox Church in America (OCA)

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Ecclesiology

The

Autonomous

Churches

The Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai

The Orthodox Church of Finland

The Orthodox Church of Japan

The Orthodox Church of China

Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church

Schism of 1054

Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople Humbert, Cardinal – Bishop of Silva Candida representing Leo IX, Pope of Rome, Patriarch of the West

Mutual excommunications Lifted by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople 1965

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Schism of 1054 - Issues

Non theological • Interruption of regular communications • Language • Faced separate crisis • Responded differently to various needs Theological • Nature of the church • Eternal procession of the Spirit • “filioque” • Form of governance: monarchial vs federated/conciliar/synodal

Schism of 1054

8-13 April 1204

Sack of Constantinople by the Crusades

Painting by Eugene Delacroix

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Traditions, practices, beliefs

Governance

Ecclesiology

Councils – Holy Spirit

Scriptures

Traditions, practices, beliefs

Patristics

Liturgy – Byzantine Rite

Use of unleavened bread

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Traditions, practices, beliefs

Vernacular liturgical languages

use of Julian Calendar

position of prayer - standing

a cappella music – no instruments

married Clergy: deacons & priests

Sacraments called “Mysteries” - no fixed list

Traditions, practices, beliefs

Use of icons “written” vs the plastic arts:

statues, paintings, sculpture, stained glass

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Traditions, practices, beliefs

Procession of the Spirit

Reject Catholic Marian dogmas

Traditions, practices, beliefs

Great devotion of the Theotokos – “God Bearer”; Latin: Mater Dei, “Mother of God”

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Traditions, practices, beliefs

Divinization

Saint Athanasius:

“God became human

that we might become

like God.”

Attempts at Reconciliation

1054 Mutual excommunications

1274 Council of Lyons II

1438 – 1429 Council of Florence – Ferrara

1596 Union of Brest

Formal union proclaimed – ultimately rejected by the people

1962-65 Observers at Vatican II

26 October 1967 Paul and Athenagoras, Saint Peter’s Basilica

1980 – Official international dialogue begins

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Issues that Separate

Filioque

Trinitarian theology

Original Sin

Marian Dogmas

Purgatory/Indulgences

Papacy/infallibility/jurisdiction

Suspicion of Eastern Catholic Churches

IV. The Eastern Catholic Churches

All Eastern Catholic Churches

are in communion

with the Bishop of Rome.

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IV. The Eastern Catholic Churches

The Melkite Catholic Church

The Ukrainian Catholic Church

The Ruthenian Catholic Church

The Romanian Catholic Church

The Greek Catholic Church

The Bulgarian Catholic Church

The Slovak Catholic Church

The Hungarian Catholic Church

Byzantine Catholic in former Yugoslavia

Eastern Catholic Communities without Hierarchies:

Russian, Georgian, Belarusan, Albanian

The Maronite Catholic Church

The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church

The Chaldean Catholic Church

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

The Armenian Catholic Church

The Coptic Catholic Church

The Ethiopian Catholic Church

The Syrian Catholic Church

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

IV. The Eastern Catholic Churches

• History

• Reunions

• Uniate process

• Vatican Council II

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Roman

Rome

Francis

Supreme Pastor

Francis

(Patriarch of the West)

Edward Scharfenberger

Diocesan Bishop

Latin Rite

Latin, vernacular

Sacraments

Confirmation

Marriage

Eucharist, Mass

"The Body of Christ."

"The Blood of Christ."

Maronite

Antioch

Francis

Supreme Pastor

Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi

Patriarch of Antioch

Gregory John Mansour

Diocesan Bishop

Syro-Antiochene Rite

Arabic, Syriac, Aramaic,

vernacular

Mysteries

Chrismation

Crowning

Qurbono (Offering)

"The Body and Blood of Our Lord

Jesus Christ are given to you for the

forgiveness of sins and for eternal life.“

Ukrainian

Constantinople

Francis

Supreme Pastor

Sviatoslav Shevchuk

Major Archbishop of Kiev

Paul Chomnycky

Diocesan Bishop

Byzantine Rite

Old Slavonic, Ukrainian, vernacular

Mysteries

Chrismation

Crowning

Divine Liturgy

"The servant of God, N. receives the

precious and holy body and blood of

our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus

Christ, for the remission of his(her) sins

and for eternal life."

Roman

Eating & drinking

Eucharistic Prayer

Roman Canon

II, III, IV

Reconciliation I & II

Children's I, II, III

Seasons

Advent-Christmas

Lent-Easter

Ordinary Time

Maronite

Intinction

Anaphora (sampling)

Anaphora of the

Twelve Apostles

Sixtus, Pope of Rome

St. Peter III or Sharar

St. James of Saroug

St. Mark the Evang.

St. John the Apostle

Eustathius of Antioch

Ignatius of Antioch

Seasons

Announcement

(Glorious Birth)

Epiphany

Great Lent

Resurrection

Pentecost

Holy Cross

Ukrainian

Spoon

Anaphora

St. John Chrysostomos

St. Basil the Great

St. Gregory the Theologian

(presanctified)

Seasons

Nativity

Great Lent

Pentecostarion

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Ecumenical Relations

• The Church of the East

• The Oriental Orthodox Churches

• The Orthodox Churches

Q & A Q & A Q & A

• Տէր, ողորմեա

• يا رّب ارحم

• Κύριε ἐλέησον

• ܥܛܪܚܡܡܘܪܢ

• Kurielaison

• უფალო, შეგვიწყალე