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Eastern Orthodox Church

Orthodox Churches

Orthodox prayer rope ©

The Orthodox Church is one of the three main Christian groups (the others being Roman Catholic and Protestant). Around 200 1000000 people follow the Orthodox tradition.

Information technology is fabricated up of a number of self-governing Churches which are either 'autocephalous' (meaning having their own head) or 'autonomous' (meaning cocky-governing).

The Orthodox Churches are united in religion and by a common approach to theology, tradition, and worship. They describe on elements of Greek, Middle-Eastern, Russian and Slav culture.

Each Church building has its own geographical (rather than a national) title that commonly reflects the cultural traditions of its believers.

The give-and-take 'Orthodox' takes its meaning from the Greek words orthos ('right') and doxa ('belief'). Hence the give-and-take Orthodox means correct belief or right thinking.

The Orthodox tradition adult from the Christianity of the Eastern Roman Empire and was shaped by the pressures, politics and peoples of that geographical area. Since the Eastern uppercase of the Roman Empire was Byzantium, this mode of Christianity is sometimes called 'Byzantine Christianity'.

The Orthodox Churches share with the other Christian Churches the conventionalities that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The Orthodox Church differs essentially from the other Churches in the way of life and worship, and in certain aspects of theology.

The Holy Spirit is seen as present in and every bit the guide to the Church building working through the whole body of the Church, as well equally through priests and bishops.

Are Orthodox Churches the same as Eastern Orthodox Churches?

Not all Orthodox Churches are 'Eastern Orthodox'. The 'Oriental Orthodox Churches' have theological differences with the Eastern Orthodox and class a separate group, while a few Orthodox Churches are not 'in communion' with the others.

Non all Churches in the Eastern tradition are Orthodox - Eastern Churches that are not included in the Orthodox group include the Eastern Cosmic Churches.

The Eastern Orthodox Churches

The nominal head of the Eastern Orthodox Churches is the Patriarch of Constantinople. However, he is only first amid equals and has no real authority over Churches other than his ain.

At that place are xv 'autocephalous Churches', listed in order of precedence.

Churches 1-9 are led by Patriarchs, while the others are led by Archbishops or Metropolitans:

1. Church of Constantinople (ancient)
2. Church of Alexandria (ancient)
3. Church building of Antioch (ancient)
4. Church building of Jerusalem (ancient)
5. Church building of Russia (established in 1589)
6. Church building of Serbia (1219)
7. Church of Romania (1925)
8. Church of Bulgaria (927)
9. Church building of Georgia (466)
10. Church of Republic of cyprus (434)
11. Church of Greece (1850)
12. Church of Poland (1924)
13. Church of Republic of albania (1937)
14. Church of Czech and Slovak lands (1951)
15. The Orthodox Church in America (1970)

The Orthodox communion also includes a number of 'autonomous Churches':

• Church of Sinai
• Church of Finland
• Church of Republic of estonia*
• Church of Japan*
• Church building of People's republic of china*
• Church building of Ukraine*
• Archdiocese of Ohrid*

* indicates a Church building whose autonomy is recognised by just some of the other Churches

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History and schism

The Great Schism

The doctrine of the Christian Church was established over the centuries at Councils dating from every bit early on as 325CE where the leaders from all the Christian communities were represented. The Eastern Church recognizes the dominance of the Councils of Nicea 325 CE, Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431) Chalcedon (451) Constantinople Two (553), Constantinople Iii (680) and Nicaea II (787).

Although initially the Eastern and Western Christians shared the same faith, the two traditions began to dissever afterward the seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 CE and is commonly believed to take finally split over the conflict with Rome in the so chosen Slap-up Schism in 1054.

In particular this happened over the papal claim to supreme authority and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The break became last with the failure of the Council of Florence in the fifteenth century.

However, in the minds of most Orthodox, a decisive moment was the sack of Constantinople in 1204 during the (Western Christian) Fourth Crusade. The sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders eventually led to the loss of this Byzantine upper-case letter to the Muslim Ottomans in 1453. This has never been forgotten.

The divisions betwixt the East and Western Churches happened gradually over the centuries as the Roman Empire fragmented.

Somewhen, while the Eastern Churches maintained the principle that the Church building should continue to the local language of the community, Latin became the linguistic communication of the Western Church.

Until the schism the v great patriarchal sees were Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. After the intermission with Rome Orthodoxy became 'Eastern' and the ascendant expression of Christianity in the eastern Mediterranean, much of Asia Small, Russian and Balkans.

Life and worship

Life and worship

Eastern Christianity stresses a manner of life and belief that is expressed particularly through worship. By maintaining the correct grade of worshipping God, passed on from the very beginnings of Christianity. Eastern Christians believe that they confess the true doctrine of God in the right (orthodox) way.

The Orthodox Bible is near the aforementioned as that establish in Western Churches ©

The Bible of the Orthodox Church is the same equally that of most Western Churches, except that its Old Testament is based not on the Hebrew, but on the ancient Jewish translation into Greek called the Septuagint.

The wisdom of the Fathers of the Church building is primal to the Orthodox way of life as today's inheritors of the "true religion and Church" passed on in its purest form. Past maintaining the purity of the inherited teachings of the Apostles, believers are made more than aware of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit beingness present both in history and at the present day.

A life of prayer

At the centre of worship and conventionalities is the Eucharist surrounded past the Divine Offices or the Bike of Prayer. These prayers are sung particularly at Sunset and Dawn and at sure other times during the day and night.

Personal prayer plays an important office in the life of an Orthodox Christian. For many Orthodox Christians an important grade of prayer is the Jesus Prayer. This is a sentence which is repeated many times; for example: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, accept mercy on me, a sinner." The aim of this repetition is to enable the person to concentrate solely on God.

The strict life of a monk or nun is seen as an of import expression of faith.

Mountain Athos and Monasticism

Monastery on Mount Athos ©

Monasticism is a key office of the Orthodox organized religion. Mount Athos in n-eastern Greece is described equally the middle of Orthodox monasticism. It is the only place in Hellenic republic completely dedicated to prayer and worship of God. For this reason, it is chosen the Holy Mountain.

Most monasteries are coenobitic: living a communal life. The peninsula is divided into 20 self-governed territories. Each territory consists of a major monastery and some other monastic establishments that environs it (cloisters, cells, cottages, seats, hermitages).

For monk and nun akin, their spiritual life should follow the same way of living that all Christians try to reach past following God's commandants. While not existence confronting marriage, it is generally accustomed that celibacy in the Church allows for a closer understanding of the Christian life abroad from worldly things.

Fasting and prayer

Fasting and prayer play an important part of the Orthodox Christian life. Orthodox believe that fasting can exist the 'foundation of all good'. The discipline of training the torso can enable a believer to concentrate the heed totally on grooming for prayer and things spiritual.

There are iv main fasting periods:

• The Great Fast or the period of Lent
• The Fast of the Apostles: Viii days after Pentecost until 28th June. The ends with the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
• The Dormition Fast which begins on 1st August and ends on the 14th August
• The Christmas Fast from 15 Nov to 24th Dec.

Also all Wednesdays and Fridays are expected to be days of fasting.

Even though today the call to fast is not always strictly followed, even so many devout Orthodox Christians exercise undergo a fourth dimension of genuine hardship and it has been said that:

Orthodox Christians in the twentieth century - laity equally well as monks - fast with a severity for which there is no parallel in western Christendom...

Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church building

A discussion of self-deprival

Contributors from Opus Dei and a Greek Orthodox church building discuss cocky-deprival and corporal mortification with a Muslim chaplain.

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Sacraments

Sacred Mysteries (sacraments)

The following seven principal Mysteries or sacraments are at the heart of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Baptism and Chrismation

The kickoff ii are Baptism and Chrismation. Baptism of adults and infants is by immersion in h2o three times in the name of the Trinity and is both the initiation into the Church building and a sign of forgiveness of sins.

Chrismation follows immediately afterward baptism and is by anointing with holy oil chosen Chrism. Chrismation is followed by Holy Communion. This means that in the Orthodox Church babies and children are fully communicant members of the Church.

Chrism can but be consecrated past the Patriarch, or main Bishop, of the local Church. Some of the old Chrism is mixed with the new, thus linking the newly baptised to their forbears in the faith.

The Chrism is used to anoint unlike parts of the trunk with a sign of the cross. The brow, eyes, nostrils, oral fissure and ears, the chest, the hands and the feet are all anointed. The priest says the words, "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit" as he makes the sign of the cross at each indicate.

The newly baptised Christian is now a layperson, a full fellow member of the people of God (the 'Purple Priesthood'). All Christians are called to be witnesses to the Truth.

Chrismation is linked to Pentecost in that the same Holy Spirit which descended on the apostles descends on the newly baptised.

The Eucharist

The Eucharist, usually called the Divine Liturgy, fulfils the control of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper: "Do this in remembrance of me".

Singing hymns ©

As in many Western churches the Eucharist is a service consisting, in the first part, of hymns, prayers, and readings from the New Attestation, and in the second the solemn offering and consecration of leavened staff of life and wine mixed with water, followed past the reception of Holy Communion.

The Orthodox believe that by the induction the bread and vino are truly changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Communion is given in a spoon containing both the bread and the wine and is received continuing. A sermon is usually preached either later on the reading of the Gospel or at the stop of the service. At the finish of the Liturgy blessed, but not consecrated, bread is distributed to the congregation, and non-Orthodox are oftentimes invited to share in this as a gesture of fellowship.

Both parts of the Liturgy contain a procession. At the Picayune Entrance, the Book of the Gospels is solemnly carried into the sanctuary and at the Cracking Entrance the breadstuff and wine are carried to the chantry for the Prayer of Consecration and Holy Communion.

The prayer of consecration is always preceded by the proclamation of the Nicene Creed, frequently past the whole congregation.

The Orthodox Church lays particular emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit in the Eucharist, and in the Prayer of Consecration calls on the Father to send downwardly his Holy Spirit to event the change of the bread and wine into the Torso and Claret of Christ.

In that location are 4 different liturgies used throughout the year:

• The Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (used on Sundays and weekdays)
• The Liturgy of St Basil the Great (used 10 times a twelvemonth)
• The Liturgy of St James, the Blood brother of the Lord (sometimes used on St James' Twenty-four hours)
• The Liturgy of the Presanctified (used on Wednesdays and Fridays in Lent and on the showtime three days of Holy Calendar week)

Greek Orthodox priests ©

Orders

Although the Church building is a self-governing community the Church recognises the diaconate, the presbyterate or priesthood and the episcopate (bishops).

The Bishops in the Orthodox Church are considered to be the direct successors of the original Apostles and they are very much a unifying focus in the Church. Priests in the Orthodox Church are permitted to be married just may not ally after ordination. Bishops must e'er be celibate. Orthodox priests normally do non shave their beards, in accordance with the Bible.

You shall not circular off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your bristles.

Leviticus xix:27

Penance

All Orthodox Churches use the Mystery of Penance, or Confession, but in Greek speaking Churches simply priests who have been blessed by the Bishop as 'Spiritual Fathers' are allowed to hear confession. Children may be admitted to the sacrament of Confession every bit soon equally they are erstwhile plenty to know the deviation betwixt correct and incorrect.

Through this sacrament sinners may receive forgiveness. They enter into confession with a priest often in an open area in the church (not in a confessional as in the Roman Catholic tradition nor separated by a grille).

Confession ©

Both priest and penitent stand up and a cantankerous and volume of the Gospels or an icon is placed in front of the penitent with the priest standing slightly autonomously. This stresses that the priest is simply a witness and that forgiveness comes from God not the priest.

The priest will then hear the confession and perchance requite advice. After confession the penitent kneels earlier the priest, who places his stole on the penitent's head proverb a prayer of absolution.

Anointing of the ill

In Greek-speaking Churches this is performed annually for the whole congregation during Holy Week on the eve of Holy Wednesday. Everyone is encouraged to come up forward for anointing with the special oil whether they are physically sick or non. This is because it is more often than not held that all are in need of spiritual healing even if they are physically well.

Anointing of the sick can also be performed on individuals. People sometimes keep the blessed oil of the sick in their homes.

The Church anoints the ill with oil, following the educational activity of St James in his Epistle (five:14-15), "Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church building, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith volition save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed whatever sins he will exist forgiven."

This sacrament,', remarks Sergius Bulgakov, 'has ii faces: i turns towards healing, the other towards the liberation from disease past decease.

Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church

Marriage

Union is celebrated through the rite of crowning, showing the importance of eternal wedlock of the couple. Although wedlock is seen equally a permanent commitment in life and in death, remarriage and divorce are permitted in certain circumstances.

Icons

Icons

Icon of the Virgin and child ©

Icons are of bang-up importance to Orthodox Christians. These beautiful and elaborate paintings are described as "windows into the kingdom of God". They are used in worship both in the decoration of the church and for private homes. The icon is seen as both a form of prayer and a means to prayer.

An icon is commonly an elaborate, ii dimensional painting. They often take a gilt leaf background and are ordinarily on forest. They depict Christ, his mother Mary, scenes from the Bible or the lives of the Saints.

The iconographer prepares for the painting of an icon with prayer and fasting. Past worshipping at the Icon the Orthodox Christian enters into a sacred place with God.

The icon is venerated and frequently candles and oil lamps are burnt before them. The worshipper kisses the icon, making the sign of the Cross and may kneel or prostrate before information technology.

In well-nigh Orthodox churches the Altar, or sanctuary, is separated from the master body of the church by a solid screen (known every bit the iconostasis), pierced past three doors, the one in the centre existence known as the Holy door. The screen is busy with icons, of which the primary ones are those on either side of the Holy Door of Christ and the Female parent of God.

Sir John Tavener ©

These are normally flanked by icons of St John the Baptist and of the Saint, or Feast, to which the church is dedicated. In Russian churches the iconostasis normally forms a solid wall decorated with iv or five rows of icons co-ordinate to an elaborate traditional arrangement.

The composer Sir John Tavener is one of Britain'south nearly famous followers of Orthodox Christianity and calls icons "the most sacred, the nigh transcendent art that exists". In this clip he talks near his interpretation of these works of art.

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Calendar and Christmas

The Orthodox calendar

After World War I various Orthodox Churches, start with the Patriarchate of Constantinople, began to abandon the Julian calendar or Old Calendar, and prefer a course of the Gregorian calendar or New Calendar. The Julian agenda is, at the nowadays time, 13 days behind the Gregorian Calendar.

Today, many Orthodox Churches (with the exception of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, and Mount Athos) use the New, Gregorian Calendar for fixed feasts and holy days but the Julian calendar for Easter and movable feasts. In this style all the Orthodox gloat Easter together.

The Orthodox Church calendar begins on September 1st and ends on Baronial 31st. Each day is sacred: each is a saint's twenty-four hours, so at to the lowest degree one saint is venerated daily.

Orthodox Christmas

Candles ©

Christmas is celebrated by Orthodox Christians in Central and Eastern Europe and throughout the globe on the seventh of January in the Gregorian Calendar - 13 days after other Christians.

In the East, Christmas is preceded past a twoscore day fast beginning on November 15th. This is a time of reflection, self-restraint and inner healing in the sacrament of confession.

Usually, on Christmas Eve, observant Orthodox Christians fast till tardily evening, until the first star appears. When the star is seen, people lay the table set for the Christmas supper.

On Christmas Day people take part in divine liturgy, after which many walk in procession to seas, rivers and lakes. Everyone gathers effectually in the snow for outdoor ceremonies to bless the water. Sometimes rivers are frozen, and then people make holes in the ice to bless the water. Some take water home to bless their houses. Then a great feast is held indoors where anybody joins in to eat, drinkable and enjoy themselves.

A Orthodox Russian custom is to serve Christmas cakes and to sing songs. The tradition is mixed with other pagan traditions of ancient Russia such that people may visit their neighbours in disguises, dance, sing and ask for presents, like to play a trick on-or-treating.

There are similarities, likewise as differences, between the Eastern and Western celebration of Christmas. The Eastern Christmas has a very potent family and social appeal just as information technology does in the Due west. It brings people of all generations together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Unlike the West, where Christmas ranks supreme, in the E it is Easter, centred on the cantankerous and the resurrection of Christ, which is the supreme festival of the year. Eastern Orthodox Christmas likewise lacks the commercial side that is typical of the West.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/easternorthodox_1.shtml

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