Orthodox Church

Celebration of the midnight Easter service, at the Russian Orthodox Church of Joy of All Sorrows in Moscow, Russia.

Easter celebration at the Russian Orthodox Church of Joy of All Sorrows in Moscow, Russia.

Greek Orthodox monks of the Grand Lavra monastery, Athos, Greece. There are some 20 Greek Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos, which comprise a semiautonomous republic.

St Anne's monastery, Athos, Greece. Most of Mount Athos's 20 monasteries are built close to the coast and consist of a quadrangle of buildings surrounding a church. They contain important examples of Byzantine art as well as a great number of medieval and classical manuscripts.

St Alexander's Cathedral in the old town of Tallinn, Estonia. This Russian Orthodox church was erected in the palace square in the 19th century, but its architecture is typical of earlier, 17th century, Russian churches.

Federation of national and regional self-governing Christian churches, mainly found in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. The final schism between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church occurred in 1054. The centre of worship is the Eucharist. Clergy, other than the bishops, may marry, and the Immaculate Conception is not accepted. The highest rank in the church is that of ecumenical patriarch, or bishop of Istanbul. There are (1990) about 130 million adherents.

The church's teaching is based on the Bible, and the Nicene Creed (as modified by the Council of Constantinople 381) is the only confession of faith used. The celebration of the Eucharist has changed little since the 6th century. The ritual is elaborate, and accompanied by singing in which both men and women take part, but no instrumental music is used. Besides the seven sacraments, the prayer book contains many other services for daily life. During the marriage service, the bride and groom are crowned.

Orthodox churches are in most countries throughout the world, but are probably strongest in Eastern European countries, especially Russia. Its adherents include Greeks, Russians, Romanians, Serbians, Bulgarians, Georgians, and Albanians. In the last 200 years, the Orthodox Church has spread into China, Korea, Japan, and the USA, as well as among the people of Siberia and central Asia. Some of the churches were founded by the apostles and their disciples; all conduct services in their own languages and follow their own customs and traditions, but are in full communion with one another. There are many monasteries, including one on Mount Athos in Greece, which has flourished since the 10th century. The senior church of Eastern Christendom is that of Constantinople (Istanbul).

The break from Rome The schism that occurred between the eastern church, centred on Constantinople, and the western church, centred on Rome, involved both practical and doctrinal differences. The two main points of disagreement involved the organization of the church, including the position of the pope and his prerogatives; and the wording of the doctrine of the Trinity in the Nicene Creed, as laid down by the Council of Nicaea in 325.

Organization The Romans conceived the church as a monarchy, the Greeks (eastern churches) as a federation of self-governing bodies, with each church under the direct supervision of a patriarch (similar in status to a senior bishop). Orthodox Christians do not recognize the absolute power of any one leader, so the supremacy claimed by the pope created disagreement. In Orthodox churches, authority generally rests with a council of a group of bishops, who are expected to keep the churches on the right path.

Doctrine Orthodox Christians maintain that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, and not the Father and Son. In 381 the Council of Constantinople amended the Nicene Creed of 325 so that it would reflect Orthodox Christian belief. The Council of Constantinople also declared the Holy Spirit as equal to the two other persons of the Trinity; the Holy Spirit was to be ‘worshipped’ and ‘glorified’ together with the Father and the Son. It is the only confession of faith used in the Orthodox churches.

The western church believed that the Holy Spirit proceeded from Father and Son, an affirmation expressed in the Filioque (‘and the Son’) clause of the western Nicene Creed. The Orthodox Church has always rejected the Filioque clause. Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus is both God and human, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is described as the mother of God (Theotokos).

Traditional worship The faith of the Orthodox Church has been built upon the two foundations of the Bible and tradition. Orthodox Christians believe that they have maintained true Christian practice since the time of Jesus. All the Orthodox churches place great emphasis on the value of tradition; language may differ amongst Orthodox churches, but the tradition is the same. All churches conduct services in their own languages and follow their own customs, but are in full communion with one another.

Orthodox Christians are expected to attend church regularly, but belonging to the Orthodox Church involves much more than church attendance. Orthodox Christians believe that they should try to become more like Jesus Christ and follow the example of the saints. They believe that spiritual development is hard and can only be achieved when God and humans work together.

The seven sacraments accepted by the Orthodox Church are: the Holy Eucharist; baptism, for washing away sins; Chrismation, where the Holy Spirit is received through anointing with holy oil; ordination by the ‘laying on of hands’; marriage, which sanctifies the union between a man and a woman; confession, for receiving forgiveness of sins; and Holy Unction, where a sick person is anointed with holy oil.

Orthodox architecture Orthodox churches are generally built in the shape of a cross, with a dome above the central crossing. In the nave, there are no chairs. The congregation stands to pray in these churches. There may be segregation of men and women, with the women standing on the left side of the church and the men on the right. Round the walls and on the iconostasis (screen in front of the altar) are icons (religious paintings), used as a focus for worship. The paintings show Jesus, Mary, and the apostles and saints.