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What Are The Orthodox Churches

Ecumenism And Interfaith Relations

Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow – Paschal Midnight Divine Liturgy

In May 2011, Hilarion Alfeyev, the Metropolitan of Volokolamsk and head of external relations for the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, stated that Orthodox and Evangelical Christians share the same positions on “such issues as abortion, the family, and ” and desire “vigorous grassroots engagement” between the two Christian communions on such issues.

The Metropolitan also believes in the possibility of peaceful coexistence between Islam and Christianity because the two religions have never fought religious wars in Russia. Alfeyev stated that the Russian Orthodox Church “disagrees with atheistsecularism in some areas very strongly” and “believes that it destroys something very essential about human life.”

Today, the Russian Orthodox Church has ecclesiastical missions in Jerusalem and some other countries around the world.

Eastern Monastic Or Ascetic Tradition

With the elevation of Christianity to the status of a legal religion within the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great, with the edict of Milan , many Orthodox felt a new decline in the ethical life of Christians. In reaction to this decline, many refused to accept any compromises and fled the world or societies of mankind, to become monastics. Monasticism thrived, especially in Egypt, with two important monastic centers, one in the desert of Wadi Natroun, by the Western Bank of the Nile, with Abba Ammoun as its founder, and one called Scetis in the desert of Skete, south of Nitria, with Saint Makarios of Egypt as its founder. These monks were anchorites, following the monastic ideal of St. Anthony the Great, Paul of Thebes and Saint Pachomius. They lived by themselves, gathering together for common worship on Saturdays and Sundays only. This is not to say that Monasticism or Orthodox Asceticism was created whole cloth at the time of legalization but rather at the time it blossomed into a mass movement. Charismatics as the ascetic movement was considered had no clerical status as such. Later history developed around the Greek and Syrian forms of monastic life, along with the formation of Monastic Orders or monastic organization. The three main forms of Ascetics’ traditions being Skete, Cenobite and Hermit respectively.

Many Orthodox Churches Lack Pews Or Chairs Worshippers Stand During The Service

First-time visitors to Orthodox churches are often surprised not to see pews or chairs in the nave. This is because most worshippers in this tradition stand during the service.

Rev. G. S. Debolsky explains that when the prophets saw visions of saints worshipping in heaven, the saints were standing . Additionally, the saints in the Old Testament were said to be standing during their worship .6

In fact, it is technically forbidden to kneel on Sundays or during the Paschal season.

This tradition is a broader reflection of the Orthodox Churchs commitment to follow the Bibles prescription for worship as closely as possible.

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Independent Orthodox Churches Or The Other Orthodox Family Of Churches

Independent Orthodox Churches or the Other Orthodox Family of ChurchesThe independent or other Orthodox churches are those communities that are not in communion with mainstream Orthodox Churches and continue to operate independently. They are also called non-canonical Orthodox Churches. The list mentioned below is not comprehensive. The status and operational nature of Independent Orthodox Churches remain extremely complex. Some Churches are in communion with each other. Some have merged with others, whereas some Churches no more exist and many others maintain doubtful lineage.

A. Independent Churches Eastern Orthodox TraditionIndependent Eastern Orthodox Churches can be categorised into several groups like old believers, national churches, western rite churches, new generation churches and so on, depending on the nature of their origin, development, and liturgical practices.

3. Old Calendarist and True Orthodox Churches Old Calendarists and Traditionalists or True Orthodox are those churches that use the historic Julian calendar and who remain out of communion with the mainstream canonical Orthodox churches. There are several types of Old Calendarist churches. Some of them are Greek, whereas some are Serbian, Romanian and Bulgarian Old churches . Some examples are:

In Serbia Georgian True Orthodox Church In Bulgaria Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox ChurchIn Romania Old Calendar Romanian Orthodox Church

Persecution By The Young Turks

Russian Orthodox Church

Systematic massacres took place in 1894â1896 when Sultan Abdul killed 300,000 Armenians throughout the provinces. In 1909 government troops killed, in the towns of Adana alone, over 20,000 Christian Armenians. Also, in the first two decades of the 20th century, there were massacres of Greeks, Slavs, and Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, culminating in the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian genocides. As a result, the 20th century saw a sharp decline of the number of Orthodox Christians, and of Christians in general, in the Anatolian peninsula amidst complaints of Turkish governmental repression of various Eastern and Oriental Orthodox groups.

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Move Toward Unity And Independence

Prior to the 13th All-American Sobor in November 1967, a proposal was prepared to change the name of the church from the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America to the “Orthodox Church in America”. The Council of Bishops, already aware of the proposal, forbade a vote on the matter. After much debate however, a non-binding straw poll was permitted. The result of the poll was decidedly in favor of the name change. As a result, the decision to deal with the matter at another Sobor was made.

In the early 1960s, the Metropolia resumed communication with the Patriarch of Moscow. In 1968, the Metropolia and the Russian Church communicated informally to resolve long-standing differences. Representatives from the Metropolia sought the right of self-governance, as well as the removal of Russian jurisdiction from all matters concerning the American Church. Official negotiations on the matter began in 1969. On 10 April 1970, Patriarch Alexius I and fourteen bishops of the Russian Church’s Holy Synod signed the official Tomos of Autocephaly, which made the newly renamed Orthodox Church in America the fifteenth autocephalous Orthodox Church. The name change, as well as the granting of autocephaly, was officially accepted at the 14th All-American Sobor in October 1970.

Consensus Of The Fathers

Eastern Orthodoxy interprets truth based on three witnesses: the consensus of the Holy Fathers of the Church the ongoing teaching of the Holy Spirit guiding the life of the Church through the nous, or mind of the Church , which is believed to be the Mind of Christ /1_Corinthians#2:16″ rel=”nofollow”> 1 Corinthians 2:16) and the praxis of the church .

The consensus of the Church over time defines its catholicityâthat which is believed at all times by the entire Church. St. Vincent of Lerins, wrote in his Commonitoria , that Church doctrine, like the human body, develops over time while still keeping its original identity: “n the Orthodox Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all” Those who disagree with that consensus are not accepted as authentic “Fathers.” All theological concepts must be in agreement with that consensus. Even those considered to be authentic “Fathers” may have some theological opinions that are not universally shared, but are not thereby considered heretical. Some Holy Fathers have even made statements that were later defined as heretical, but their mistakes do not exclude them from position of authority. Thus an Eastern Orthodox Christian is not bound to agree with every opinion of every Father, but rather with the consensus of the Fathers, and then only on those matters about which the church is dogmatic.

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Russian Orthodox Church In The Russian Empire

By the time most Orthodox communities came under Muslim rule in the mid 15th century, Orthodoxy was very strong in Russia, which had maintained close cultural and political ties with the Byzantine Empire roughly two decades after the fall of Constantinople, Ivan III of Russia married , a niece of the last Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI, and styled himself Tsar or imperator. In 1547, his grandson Ivan IV, a devout Orthodox Christian, cemented the title as “Tsar of All Rus”, establishing Russia’s first centralised state with divinely appointed rulers. In 1589, the Patriarchate of Constantinople granted autocephalous status to Moscow, the capital of what was now the largest Orthodox Christian polity the city thereafter referred to itself as the Third Romethe cultural and religious heir of Constantinople.

Until 1666, when Patriarch Nikon was deposed by the tsar, the Russian Orthodox Church had been independent of the State. In 1721, the first Russian Emperor, Peter I, abolished completely the patriarchate and effectively made the church a department of the government, ruled by a most holy synod composed of senior bishops and lay bureaucrats appointed by the Emperor himself. Over time, Imperial Russia would style itself a protector and patron of all Orthodox Christians, especially those within the Ottoman Empire.

Anointing Of The Sick

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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 forward for anointing with the special oil whether they are physically ill or not. This is because it is generally 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 sick with oil, following the teaching of St James in his Epistle , “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins he will be forgiven.”

This sacrament,’, remarks Sergius Bulgakov, ‘has two faces: one turns towards healing, the other towards the liberation from illness by death.

Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church

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Saints Relics And The Deceased

In the Eastern Orthodox Church a saint is defined as anyone who is currently in Heaven, whether recognized here on earth or not. By this definition, Adam and Eve, Moses, the various prophets, for the faith, the angels and archangels are all given the title of Saint. There is a service in the Orthodox Church in which a saint is formally recognized by the entire Church, called glorification. This does not, however, “make” a saint but simply accords him or her a place on the calendar with regular services in his honor. Recently, in order to avoid abuses, the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople has begun to follow the longstanding practice of other local Orthodox churches by issuing special encyclical letters in which the Church acknowledges the popular veneration of a saint. Glorification usually happens after believers have already begun venerating a saint. There are numerous small local followings of countless saints that have not yet been recognized by the entire Orthodox Church.

For the Orthodox, body and soul both comprise the person, and in the end, body and soul will be reunited therefore, the body of a saint shares in the holiness of the soul of the saint.

Sample 2 Greek New Testament

The following excerpt, , is rendered in a reconstructed pronunciation representing a progressive popular variety of Koiné in the early Christian era. Modernizing features include the loss of vowel length distinction, monophthongization, transition to stress accent, and raising of to /i/. Also seen here are the bilabial fricative pronunciation of diphthongs and , loss of initial /h/, fricative values for and , and partial post-nasal voicing of voiceless stops.

, , . . , . , . , .

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Fall Of The Ottoman Empire

The fall of the Ottoman was precipitated by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox disputed possession of the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. During the early 1850s, the two sides made demands which the Sultan could not possibly satisfy simultaneously. In 1853, the Sultan adjudicated in favour of the French, despite the vehement protestations of the local Orthodox monks.

The ruling Ottoman siding with Rome over the Orthodox provoked outright war . As the Ottoman Empire had been for sometime falling into political, social and economic decay this conflict ignited the Crimean War in 1850 between Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

Beliefs Of The Eastern Orthodox Church

Impact Of Orthodox Church on Kievan Russia

The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts as authoritative the resolutions of the seven ecumenical councils that met between 325 AD and 787 AD and established the basic teachings on the Trinity and the Incarnation. In later centuries Orthodox councils also made doctrinal determinations on Grace and took a stand in reference to Western teachings.

The Church continues the early traditions of Christianity, as babies receive the Eucharist and confirmation, and the episcopate and the priesthood are understood in the light of Apostolic succession. Apostolic Succession is recognized to be the continuation of the Holy Tradition by right-believing Bishops. Both married men and monks may become priests, but priests, bishops, and monks may not marry. The veneration of Mary, as Theotokos , is central to Orthodox Incarnational Theology, and the intercession of saints is also emphasized in the Orthodox Holy Tradition.

After an early controversy on the subject, the Icons, of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the saints are now seen as visible witnesses to the fact that God has taken human flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Liturgy used by the Orthodox Church has been translated from Greek into many languages. It is always sung, not just spoken. The faithful receive Holy Communion on a spoon. They are given both the consecrated bread , and the sanctified wine from the gifts offered and sanctified at the given Divine Liturgy. Holy Communion is never taken from any “reserve.”

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What Is Orthodox Christianity

The Orthodox Christian Church, also called the Eastern Orthodox,Greek Orthodox Church, or simply the Orthodox Church, is the oldest Christian Church in the world, founded by Jesus Christ and with its beginnings chronicled in the New Testament. All other Christian churches and groups can be traced historically back to it.

With roughly 250 million members worldwide, Orthodoxy is second in size only to the Roman Catholic Church. However, in spite of its size, relatively few Americans are aware that it exists.

The Orthodox Church has deep and lasting roots in Christian antiquity and is steeped in rich Biblical tradition. It has been the context of Christian living for millions of Christians for almost twenty centuries.

Yet one cannot understand the Orthodox Church merely by reading about it. Just as reading a biography about someone is no substitute for knowing the biographys subject personally, Orthodox Christianity must be experienced firsthand to be understood. If you are in the Emmaus area or anywhere in the Lehigh Valley or East Penn area, we welcome and invite you to come worship with us, to come, taste and see .

Even though Orthodox Christianity must be experienced directly to realize the fullness of its life, there are questions which are commonly asked when first visiting an Orthodox Church that can have some light shed upon them with a few brief words.

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Introduction to Orthodox Christianity

History Of The Orthodox Church

Although originally the Eastern and Western Christians shared the same faith, the two sides began to separate after the seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 A.D. and are generally considered to have ultimately divided over the dispute with Rome in the so-called Great Schism in 1054.

Particularly, this occurred over the papal claim to supreme authority and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The split became definitive with the failure of the Council of Florence in the 15th century.

Yet, in the determinations of majority Orthodox, a crucial significance was the conquering of Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. The sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders eventually led to the loss of this Byzantine capital to the Muslim Ottomans in 1453.

Following the 1054 Great Schism, both the Western Church and Eastern Church continued to consider themselves uniquely orthodox and catholic. Augustine wrote in On True Religion: Religion is to be sought … only among those who are called Catholic or orthodox Christians, that is, guardians of truth and followers of right. Over time, the Western Church gradually identified with the “Catholic” label, and people of Western Europe gradually associated the “Orthodox” label with the Eastern Church . This was in note of the fact that both Catholic and Orthodox were in use as ecclesiastical adjectives as early as the 2nd and 4th centuries respectively.

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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 form a separate group, while a few Orthodox Churches are not ‘in communion’ with the others.

Not all Churches in the Eastern tradition are Orthodox – Eastern Churches that are not included in the Orthodox group include the Eastern Catholic Churches.

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