Greek Orthodox Church

Greek Orthodox Church
Flag used by the Greek Orthodox Church and the standard of the self-governed monastic state of Mount Athos.
Founder
Independence
Recognition
Primate	Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Headquarters	Constantinople
Territory	Greece  Lebanon  Cyprus  Turkey  Jordan  Israel  Palestinian territories  Egypt  Syria  Albania  Ethiopia Italy
Possessions	Greece  Cyprus  Turkey  European Union  United States  Canada  United Kingdom  South Africa
Language	Koine Greek
Adherents	20,140,000 (about 50% in Greece)
Website

The Greek Orthodox Church (Monotonic Greek: Ελληνορθόδοξη Εκκλησία, Polytonic: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἑκκλησία, IPA: [elinorˈθoðoksi ekliˈsia]) is the body of several churches^[1][2][3] within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek,^[4] the original language of the New Testament.^[5][6] The church's current territorial areas include Greece, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Albania, Ethiopia, and Italy.

Contents 1 Churches 2 History of the term 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Churches

The churches where the Greek Orthodox term is applicable are:

• The four ancient Patriarchates:
  • The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople,^[7] headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who is also the "first among equals" of the Eastern Orthodox Communion
    • The four eparchies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople:
      • The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain^[8]
      • The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Malta^[9]
      • The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America^[10]
      • The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia^[11]
  • The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria^[12]
  • The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch^[13]
  • The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem^[14]

• Two national autocephalous churches:
  • The Church of Greece^[15]
  • The Church of Cyprus^[16][17][18]

• The Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai^[19]

Another autocephalous church which can be described as Greek Orthodox is the Orthodox Church of Albania.^{[20][21][22][23]} Led since the collapse of the former Stalinist régime by Archbishop Anastasios, a Greek national, the Church conducts its liturgy in Koine Greek in Northern Epirus (Southern Albania) which populated by the ethnic Greek minority.

History of the term

Historically, the term Greek Orthodox has also been used to describe all Eastern Orthodox Churches, since "Greek" in "Greek Orthodox" can refer to the Greek heritage of the Byzantine Empire.^[24][25][26] During eight centuries of Christian history most major intellectual, cultural, and social developments in the Christian church took place within the Empire or in the sphere of its influence,^[26][27][28] thus most parts of the liturgy, traditions, and practices of the church of Constantinople were adopted by all, and still provide the basic patterns of contemporary Orthodoxy.^[29][30][31] However, the appellation "Greek" was abandoned by Slavic and other national orthodox churches in connection with their peoples' national awakenings, from as early as the 10th century A.D.^{[32][32][33][33][34]}

See also

East–West Schism Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople            Orthodox Church History of the Orthodox Church Slavic Orthodox

Name days in Greece Pentarchy Ecumenism Greeks

References

Notes

External links

• Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Greek_Orthodox_Church Greek Orthodox Church] at Wikimedia Commons

Greek Orthodox Christianity Patriarchates Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople | Patriarchate of Alexandria | Patriarchate of Antioch | Patriarchate of Jerusalem Autocephalous and Autonomous churches Church of Greece | Church of Cyprus | Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania | Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai Eparchies Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Exarchate of Southern Europe | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia