Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure :
57-679: In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches and Eastern Catholic Churches , the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod . For instance, the Holy Synod is a ruling body of the Georgian Orthodox Church . In Oriental Orthodoxy the Holy Synod is the highest authority in the church and it formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of church organization, faith, and order of service. The principle of summoning
114-661: A synod or council of ecclesiastical persons to discuss some grave question affecting the Church goes back to the very beginning of the Church's history. Since the day when the Apostles met at Jerusalem to settle whether Gentile converts were to keep the Old Law ( Acts 15:6–29), it had been the custom to call together such gatherings as occasion required. Bishops summoned synods of their clergy , metropolitans and patriarchs summoned their suffragans, and then since 325 there
171-543: A local church was promulgated by canons of the ecumenical councils . There developed the pentarchy , i.e., a model of ecclesiastical organization where the universal Church was governed by the primates ( patriarchs ) of the five major episcopal sees of the Roman Empire : Rome , Constantinople , Alexandria , Antioch , and Jerusalem . The independent (autocephalous) position of the Church of Cyprus by ancient custom
228-570: A metropolitan, still having no autocephaly since his province was under supreme jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Church of Greece Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The Church of Greece ( Greek : Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος , romanized : Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos , IPA: [ekliˈsi.a tis eˈlaðos] ), part of
285-667: A restored patriarchate under Tikhon of Moscow . In modern Russia, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is the highest governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church between Sobors . It is headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus' . The first other Orthodox Church to imitate the Russian Government by synod was that of Greece . The national assemblies of free Greece in 1822 and 1827 began
342-710: A role analogous to that of the synod of bishops is played by a council of hierarchs. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). " Holy Synod ". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company. Autocephaly Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: Autocephaly ( / ɔː t ə ˈ s ɛ f əl i / ; from Greek : αὐτοκεφαλία , meaning "property of being self-headed")
399-555: A university degree in theology, are eligible as candidates for the episcopate ( archimandrites ). Women may also take monastic vows and become nuns , but they are not ordained. Monasteries are either affiliated to their local diocese, or directly to one of the Orthodox Patriarchates; in the latter case they are called "Stauropegiac" monasteries ( Stayropēgiaká , "springs of the Cross"). A split (schism) occurred within
456-458: A year, in spring and autumn in ordinary sessions but extraordinary sessions are organized whenever necessary. Whilst is the supreme authority on all matters of the church, it is a deliberative authority, as all of its members are the leaders of the entire church, directly representing all of the believers of the RoOC. The Serbian Orthodox Church is governed by a five-member Holy Synod. The patriarch
513-734: A year, with half of them being replaced every six months. The Most Holy Synod or Most Holy Governing Synod ( Russian : Святейший Правительствующий Синод ) was a congregation of Orthodox church leaders in Russia . It was established by Peter the Great , Stefan Yavorsky and Feofan Prokopovich in January 1721 to replace the Patriarchate of Moscow . It was abolished following the February Revolution of 1917 and replaced with
570-575: Is a permanent member, while the other four are bishops elected for two-year terms by the Bishops' Council , a body that represents all the metropolitans and other bishops of the church. The supreme clerical, judicial and administrative power for the whole domain of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is exercised by the Holy Synod, which includes the Patriarch and the diocesan prelates, who are called metropolitans . The Holy Synod of
627-452: Is the Synod of deceased Archbishop Chrysostomos II Kioussis (Kallinikos Sarantopoulos as of today). This Synod obtained government recognition as a valid Orthodox church, although it is not in communion with the Church of Greece nor with the other Eastern Orthodox churches . Greece was an early center of Christianity . Upon formation of the Patriarchate , the Church was formerly a part of
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#1732765172268684-484: Is the highest authority of the Church of Antioch . It is chaired by the Patriarch of Antioch with metropolitans and bishops as members. Within the Catholic Church , each sui iuris patriarchal church and each major archiepiscopal church has its own synod of bishops , which is exclusively competent to make laws for the entire sui iuris church in question and is its tribunal. The Code of Canons of
741-418: Is the standing synod that corresponds to the term "holy synod" as used above. The standing synod consists of the patriarch or major archbishop and four bishops appointed for a five-year term. Of these four, three are elected by the church's synod of bishops and one is appointed by the patriarch or major archbishop, while another four are designated in the same way to replace any member who is impeded. A meeting of
798-589: Is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. The status has been compared with that of the churches ( provinces ) within the Anglican Communion . In the first centuries of the history of the Christian church , the autocephalous status of
855-615: Is under the same presidency, and consists of the Primate and 12 bishops, each serving for one term on a rotating basis and deals with details of administration. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church is organized as the highest authority on all matters concerning the church. It comprises the Patriarch, all metropolitans, archbishops, bishops and vicar bishops of the church. The Holy Synod usually meets two times
912-472: The de jure presidency of the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece. This synod deals with general church issues. The Standing Synod is under the same presidency, and consists of the Primate and 12 bishops; each members serves for one term on a rotating basis and deals with administrative details. The church is organized into 81 dioceses, of which 36, located in northern Greece and in the major islands in
969-656: The Balkan Wars , and are represented by 6 of the 12 bishops of the Standing Synod. A bishop elected to one of the Sees of the New Lands has to be confirmed by the Patriarch of Constantinople before assuming his duties. These dioceses are administered by the Church of Greece "in stewardship" and their bishops retain their right of appeal (the " ékklēton ") to the Patriarch. The dioceses of Crete ( Church of Crete ),
1026-696: The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the highest authority in the Church of Alexandria and it formulates the rules and regulations regarding matters of church's organization, faith, service's order. The Synod is chaired by the Pope of Alexandria and the members are the Church's Metropolitans, Bishops, Chorbishops and the Patriarchal Vicar for Alexandria. The Holy Synod of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch
1083-664: The Dodecanese , and the Monastic state of Holy Mount Athos remain under the direct jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople ; they are not part of the Church of Greece. The Archdiocese of Crete enjoys semiautonomous status: new bishops are elected by the local Synod of incumbents, and the Archbishop is appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate from a three-person list (the triprósōpon ) drawn by
1140-735: The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . Under Ottoman rule, the Muslims exercised no control over the church. With the establishment of the Greek kingdom, however, the government decided to take control of the church, breaking away from the patriarch in Constantinople. The government declared the church to be autocephalous in 1833 in a political decision of the Bavarian Regents acting for King Otto , who
1197-741: The Russian Orthodox Church (the Moscow Patriarchate), which insists that one autocephalous jurisdiction has the right to grant independence to one of its components. Thus, the Orthodox Church in America was granted autocephaly in 1970 by the Moscow Patriarchate, but this new status was not recognized by most patriarchates. In the modern era , the issue of autocephaly has been closely linked to
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#17327651722681254-757: The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (later Kingdom of Romania ) in 1878. In late March 1917, following the abdication of the Russian tsar Nicholas II earlier that month and the establishment of the Special Transcaucasian Committee , the bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in Georgia, then within the Russian Empire , unilaterally proclaimed independence of the Georgian Orthodox Church . This
1311-552: The proclamation of independence of Ukraine and the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. The Moscow Patriarchate has condemned it as schismatic, as it claims jurisdiction over Ukraine . Some Orthodox churches have not yet recognized Ukraine as autocephalous. In 2018, the problem of autocephaly in Ukraine became a fiercely contested issue and a part of the overall geopolitical confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, as well as between
1368-546: The 1840s, there was a nationwide revival, run by traveling preachers. The government arrested several and tried to shut down the revival, but it proved too powerful when the revivalists denounced three bishops for purchasing their office. By the 1880s the "Anaplasis" ("Regeneration") Movement led to renewed spiritual energy and enlightenment. It fought against the rationalistic and materialistic ideas that had seeped in from secular Western Europe. It promoted catechism schools and Bible study circles. The 20th-century religious revival
1425-540: The Church of Cyprus by a resolution which conditionally states: "If, as it is asserted in memorials and orally by the religious men who have come before the Council - it has not been a continuous ancient custom for the bishop of Antioch to hold ordinations in Cyprus, - the prelates of Cyprus shall enjoy, free from molestation and violence, their right to perform by themselves the ordination of bishops [for their island]". After
1482-518: The Church of Russia. A law in 1852 regulated its rights and duties. It met at Athens under the presidency of the Metropolitan of Athens . Four other bishops were appointed by the Government as members for a year by vote. The members took an oath of fidelity to the king and government. Their deliberations were controlled by a royal commissioner, who was a layman chosen by government, just as
1539-450: The Council of Ephesus, the Church of Antioch never again claimed that Cyprus was under its jurisdiction. The Church of Cyprus has since been governed by the Archbishop of Cyprus , who is not subject to any higher ecclesiastical authority. In Eastern Orthodoxy , the right to grant autocephaly is nowadays a contested issue, the main opponents in the dispute being the Ecumenical Patriarchate , which claims this right as its prerogative, and
1596-473: The Eastern Churches makes mention 115 times of the synod of bishops in this sense. It does not add honorific adjectives such as "holy", "holy and sacred" "most holy", as used in some Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches distinguishes between a patriarchal or major archiepiscopal church's standing synod and the synod of its bishops as a whole. It
1653-726: The Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs from among the incumbent Metropolitans of Crete. As in other Orthodox Christian churches, male graduates of seminaries run by the church (and financed by the Greek State), may be ordained as deacons and eventually priests. They are allowed to marry before their ordination as deacons, but not afterwards. The vast majority of parish clergy in Greece are married. Alternatively, they may enter monasteries and/or take monastic vows. Monastics who are ordained as priests, and possess
1710-416: The Greek language along with arts and tradition through generations of monks. Priests were not salaried; in rural areas they were peasant farmers themselves, dependent for their livelihood on their farm work and from fees and offerings by parishioners. Their ecclesiastical duties were limited to administering the sacraments, supervising funerals, the blessings of crops, and exorcism. Few attended seminaries. By
1767-566: The Holy Synod naturally ceased, and with the elevation of the Metropolitan of Athens to an Archbishophric in 1932, the Archbishop began to be named in liturgies. Today, supreme authority is vested in the synod of all the diocesan bishops, who all have metropolitical status (the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece ) under the presidency of the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece. This synod deals with general church questions. The Standing Synod
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1824-509: The Metropolis of Kifissia , Amaroussion and Oropos (temporary Vicar: the Metropolitan of Mesogeia ) and the Metropolis of Ilion , Acharnes and Petroupolis (temporary Vicar: the Metropolitan of Megara ) The Metropolis of Trikke was separated from the Metropolis of Stagi (and Meteora ) in 1981 but still bears the titular name " Trikke and Stagi " (under the jurisdiction of Constantinople until 1928, then under Athens; except
1881-405: The Moscow Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Historically, within the Patriarchate of Constantinople , adjective autocephalous was sometimes also used as an honorary designation, without connotations to real autocephaly. Such uses occurred in very specific situations. If a diocesan bishop was exempt from jurisdiction of his metropolitan, and also transferred to
1938-578: The Russian oberprocuror. No act was valid without the commissioner's assent. There were also secretaries, writers, and a servant all appointed by the State. The Holy Synod was the highest authority in the Greek Church and had the same rights and duties as its Russian model, and was named in the liturgy instead of a patriarch. After the proclamation of the Greek Republic in 1924, royal control of
1995-480: The State by a tax of 35% on ordinary revenues of the church but, in 2004, this tax was abolished by Law 3220/2004 . By virtue of its status as the prevailing religion, the canon law of the Church is recognized by the Greek government in matters pertaining to church administration. This is governed by the "Constitution of the Church of Greece", which was voted by Parliament into law. Religious marriages and baptisms are legally equivalent to their civil counterparts and
2052-815: The church in 1924 when the Holy Synod decided to replace the Old Calendar ( Julian ) with a hybrid calendar—the so-called "Revised Julian Calendar"—which maintained a modified Julian dating method for Pascha while adopting the Gregorian Calendar date for fixed feasts. Those who refused to adopt this change are known as Old Calendarists ( palaioimerologites in Greek) and still follow the old Julian Calendar. They themselves have suffered several schisms, and not all Old Calendarists comprise one church. They refer to themselves as " Genuine Orthodox Christians ". The largest group associating itself with Old Calendarists
2109-808: The course of the 1848 revolution , following the proclamation of the Serbian Vojvodina ( Serbian Duchy ) within the Austrian Empire in May 1848, the autocephalous Patriarchate of Karlovci was instituted by the Austrian government. It was abolished in 1920, shortly after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918 following the Great War . Vojvodina was then incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . The Patriarchate of Karlovci
2166-536: The dioceses of the Metropolises of the New Lands are de facto administered as part of the Church of Greece for practical reasons, under an agreement between the churches of Athens and Constantinople. The primate of the Church of Greece is the archbishop of Athens and All Greece . Adherence to the Eastern Orthodox Church was established as a definitive hallmark of Greek ethnic identity in
2223-403: The direct jurisdiction of the patriarchal throne, such bishop would be styled as an "autocephalous archbishop" (self-headed, just in terms of not having a metropolitan ). Such honorary uses of the adjective autocephalous were recorded in various Notitiae Episcopatuum and other sources, mainly from the early medieval period. For example, until the end of the 8th century, bishop of Amorium
2280-659: The end of World War II and after decades of schism. By that time, Bulgaria was ruled by the Communist party and was behind the " Iron Curtain " of the Soviet Union . Following the Congress of Berlin (1878), which established Serbia 's political independence, full ecclesiastical independence for the Metropolitanate of Belgrade was negotiated and recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1879. Additionally, in
2337-595: The first modern Greek constitution, the " Epidaurus Law " of 1822, during the Greek War of Independence . The preamble of all subsequent Greek constitutions simply states "In the name of the Holy, Consubstantial, and Indivisible Trinity" and the Orthodox Church of Christ is established as the "prevailing" religion of Greece. Mainstream Orthodox clergy salaries and pensions are paid by the State, at rates comparable to those of teachers. The church had previously compensated
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2394-587: The issue of self-determination and political independence of a nation; self-proclamation of autocephaly was normally followed by a long period of non-recognition and schism with the mother church . Following the establishment of an independent Greece in 1832, the Greek government in 1833 unilaterally proclaimed the Orthodox church in the kingdom (until then within the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate) to be autocephalous; but it
2451-416: The north and northeast Aegean, are nominally and spiritually under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . The Patriarchate retains certain privileges over and in them—for example, their bishops have to acknowledge the Patriarch as their own primate during prayers. They are called the "New Lands" (Νέαι Χώραι, or Néai Chōrai ) as they became part of the modern Greek state only after
2508-539: The process of making their Church independent of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople . In 1833 the Greek Parliament formally rejected the patriarch's authority and set up a Holy Directing Synod in exact imitation of Russia. After much dispute, the patriarch gave in and acknowledged the Greek synod, in 1850. Since then, the Church of Greece has been governed by a Holy Synod exactly as was
2565-627: The relevant certificates are issued by officiating clergy. All Greek Orthodox students in primary and secondary schools in Greece attend religious instruction. Liaisons between church and state are handled by the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs . Supreme authority is vested in the synod of all the diocesan bishops who have metropolitan status (the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece , Greek : Ἱερὰ Σύνοδος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ἑλλάδος Hierà Sýnodos tês Ekklēsías tês Helládos [ieˈra ˈsinoðos tis ekliˈsias tis eˈlaðos] ) under
2622-519: The synod of all the church's bishops is called when a decision is required on a question that only it is authorized to decide, or when the patriarch or major archbishop, with the agreement of the standing synod, judges it to be necessary, or when at least one third of the bishops request that it be held to consider some specific matter. In addition, the individual canon law of some of these churches requires that their synod of bishops be convoked at predetermined intervals. In metropolitan sui iuris churches
2679-434: The wider Greek Orthodox Church , is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity . Its canonical territory is confined to the borders of Greece prior to the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 ("Old Greece"), with the rest of Greece (the "New Lands", Crete , and the Dodecanese ) being subject to the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople . However, most of
2736-580: Was a minor. The decision roiled Greek politics for decades as royal authorities took increasing control. The new status was finally recognized as such by the Patriarchate in 1850, under compromise conditions with the issue of a special " Tomos " decree which brought it back to a normal status. As a result, it retains certain special links with the " mother church ". There were only four bishops, and they had political roles. In 1833, Parliament dissolved 400 small monasteries having fewer than five monks or nuns. These monasteries played an important role in preserving
2793-473: Was a succession of those greatest synods, representing the whole Catholic world, that are known as general councils. The Ecumenical Patriarchate is governed by the "Holy and Sacred Synod", developed from the " endemousa synod " (the "resident" synod), which consisted of the bishops living (even if only transiently) in or near Constantinople . It is presided over by the Patriarch of Constantinople and consists of twelve hierarchs, each of whom holds membership for
2850-674: Was highly disrupted by the Second World War and subsequent civil war, with many churches burned, and hundreds of priests and monks killed by the Germans on the one hand or the Communists on the other. Head of the Church of Greece and of the Holy Synod is Archbishop Ieronymos II (Ioannis Liapis), Archbishop of Athens and All Greece (2008–). Notes In 2010 the Metropolis of Attica was split into 2 new Metropolises ,
2907-543: Was led by the Zoë movement, which was founded in 1911.It's a christian sect that deviates away from the principles of Greek Orthodox Church.Based in Athens but operating in decentralized fashion, it reached a membership of laymen as well as some priests. The main activities include publications and the nationwide Sunday School movement in 7,800 churches reaching 150,000 students. Zoë sponsored numerous auxiliaries and affiliated groups, including organizations for professional men, youth, parents, and young women nurses. A strong effort
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#17327651722682964-611: Was made to circulate Bibles, illustrated novels, pamphlets, and other religious materials. A liturgical movement encouraged the laity to a greater awareness in the Eucharist, and more frequent Communion. Seminaries were built in the 20th century, but most of the graduates entered teaching rather than parish work. In 1920, only 800 of Greece's 4,500 priests had any education beyond the elementary level. By 1959, out of 7,000 priests no more than five percent had completed university and seminary training. Monastic life declined sharply, although it continued at remote Mount Athos . Routine church life
3021-410: Was merged into the newly united Serbian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Dimitrije residing in Belgrade , the capital of the new country that comprised all the Serb-populated lands. The autocephalous status of the Romanian Church , legally mandated by the local authorities in 1865, was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1885, following the international recognition of the independence of
3078-409: Was not recognized by the Moscow Patriarchate until 1943, nor by the Ecumenical Patriarchate until 1990. In September 1922, Albanian Orthodox clergy and laymen proclaimed autocephaly of the Church of Albania at the Great Congress in Berat . The church was recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in 1937. The independent Kyiv Patriarchate was proclaimed in 1992, shortly after
3135-453: Was not until June 1850 that the mother church (i.e. the Ecumenical Patriarchate), under the Patriarch Anthimus IV , recognized this status . In May 1872, the Bulgarian Exarchate , set up by the Ottoman government two years prior, broke away from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, following the start of the people's struggle for national self-determination. The Bulgarian Church was recognized in 1945 as an autocephalous patriarchate, following
3192-408: Was recognized against the claims of the Patriarch of Antioch , at the Council of Ephesus (431); it is unclear whether the Church of Cyprus had always been independent, or was once part of the Church of Antioch . When the Patriarch of Antioch claimed the Church of Cyprus was under its jurisdiction, the Cypriot clergy denounced this before the Council of Ephesus. The Council ratified the autocephaly of
3249-422: Was under the jurisdiction of metropolitan of Pessinus , but was later exempt and placed under direct patriarchal jurisdiction. On that occasion, he was given an honorary title of an autocephalous archbishop , but with no jurisdiction over other bishops, and thus no real autocephaly. Sometime later ( c. 814 ), metropolitan province of Amorium was created, and local archbishop gained regional jurisdiction as
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