The term Greek Orthodox Church (
Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the
entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also called 'Eastern Orthodox,' 'Greek Catholic,' or generally 'the Greek Church. The narrower meaning designates "any of several
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
churches within the worldwide communion of
Orthodox Christianity">asternOrthodox Christianity that retain the use of the
Greek language
Greek ( el, label= Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy ( Calabria and Salento), souther ...
in formal
ecclesiastical settings".
Etymology
Historically, the term "Greek Orthodox" has been used to describe all Eastern Orthodox churches, since the term "Greek" can refer to the heritage of the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
.
During the first eight centuries of Christian history, most major intellectual, cultural, and social developments in the
Christian Church took place in the Byzantine Empire or its
sphere of influence,
where the Greek language was widely spoken and used for most theological writings. The empire's capital,
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, was an early important center of Christianity, and its liturgical practices, traditions, and doctrines were gradually adopted throughout
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonic ...
, still providing the basic patterns of contemporary Orthodoxy. Thus, Eastern Orthodox came to be called "Greek" Orthodox in the same way that Western Christians came to be called
"Roman" Catholic. However, the appellation "Greek" was abandoned by the
Slavic and other Eastern Orthodox churches as part of their peoples'
national awakenings, beginning as early as the 10th century A.D.
[ Joan Mervyn Hussey, ''The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire,'' 1990] Thus, by the early 21st century, generally only those churches most closely tied to
Greek or Byzantine culture and ethnicity were called "Greek Orthodox" in common parlance.
Greek Orthodoxy has also been defined as a religious tradition rooted in preserving the Greek identity.
History
The Greek Orthodox churches are descended from churches which the
Apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
founded in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
and the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
during the first century A.D.,
as well as maintenance of many ancient church traditions.
Churches
*The four
ancient patriarchates:
** The
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, headed by the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
The ecumenical patriarch ( el, Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης, translit=Oikoumenikós Patriárchēs) is the archbishop of Constantinople ( Istanbul), New Rome and '' primus inter pares'' (first among equals) among the heads of ...
, who is also the "
first among equals" of the Eastern Orthodox Church
*** The semi-autonomous
Archdiocese of Crete
*** The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
*** The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy
*** The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
Archbishop
On May 11, 2019, the church's H ...
*** The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada, formerly known as the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada), is an archdiocese of the Eastern Orthodox Church based in Canada. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of C ...
*** The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
** The
Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
** The
Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch ( el, Ελληνορθόδοξο Πατριαρχείο Αντιοχείας), also known as the Antiochian Orthodox Church and legally as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East ( ar ...
** The
Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, el, Πατριαρχεῖον Ἱεροσολύμων, ''Patriarcheîon Hierosolýmōn;'' he, הפטריארכיה היוונית-אורתודוקסית של ירושלים; ar, كنيسة الرو� ...
*** The autonomous
Church of Sinai
* Autocephaly defended at the
Council of Ephesus
**The
Church of Cyprus
The Church of Cyprus ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Κύπρου, translit=Ekklisia tis Kyprou; tr, Kıbrıs Kilisesi) is one of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox churches that together with other Eastern Orthodox churches form the communion ...
* Two modern autocephalous churches:
** The
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. It ...
** The
Albanian Orthodox Church
The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania ( sq, Kisha Ortodokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë), commonly known as the Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autoce ...
also known as "Greek Orthodox Church of Albania" or "Church of Albania"
See also
*
East–West Schism
*
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
*
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
*
History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
*
Russian Orthodoxy
*
Armenian Apostolic Church
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*
Name days in Greece
This is a calendar of name days in Greece. Some of the names below are linked to the original saints or martyrs from which they originate.
January
# Basilius, Telemachus
# Serafim, Sylvestros
# Genovefa
# Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles
...
*
Pentarchy
*
Ecumenism
*
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, ot ...
References
Further reading
* Aderny, Walter F. ''The Greek and Eastern Churches'' (1908
online* Constantelos, Demetrios J. ''Understanding the Greek Orthodox church: its faith, history, and practice'' (Seabury Press, 1982)
* Fortesque, Adrian. ''The Orthodox Eastern Church'' (1929)
* Hussey, Joan Mervyn. ''The orthodox church in the Byzantine empire'' (Oxford University Press, 2010
online* Kephala, Euphrosyne. ''The Church of the Greek People Past and Present'' (1930)
* Latourette, Kenneth Scott. ''Christianity in a Revolutionary Age, II: The Nineteenth Century in Europe: The Protestant and Eastern Churches.'' (1959) 2: 479–484; ''Christianity in a Revolutionary Age, IV: The Twentieth Century in Europe: The Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Churches'' (1958)
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Eastern Orthodoxy in Europe
Christian terminology
Orthodoxy Church
Christian groups in the Middle East