Orthodox Church: Analysis of Religion and Orthodox Priests

Have you ever heard of the Orthodox Church? Do you know its history? Do you want to know more about the Orthodox Church and its priests?

We have done some research to answer these questions and more. To the question what is the Orthodox religion, we will answer:

Orthodox Christianity is a monotheistic religion practiced in particular in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. After the Schism of 1054 between Eastern Christians and Western Christians, the Orthodox religion became one of the branches of Christianity, also called Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church, also known as the Church of the Seven Councils, or Orthodox Communion, or Eastern Orthodox Church, is, with more than 280 million baptized people in the world, the third largest denomination of Christianity, after the Catholic Church and all the Protestant denominations.

At the end of this article, you will be able to:

• To talk about the origin of the Orthodox Church and to give the name given to the leaders of this religion;

• To give the nature of Orthodox theology;

• Talking about sacraments, beliefs;

• Talking about the history of Orthodox priests;
• Speaking with the vocabulary of the Eastern Church.

Before you continue reading, here are several articles available on our site that might interest you:

• The Schism 1054 : Causes of the Separation into East and West
• The difference between Catholic and Orthodox religion
• How do Orthodox Christians pray?

Without further ado, let's get started right now!

Study on the Orthodox Church

Of the Orthodox Church it is taught that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, established by Jesus Christ in his great commission to his disciples nearly 2000 years ago.

The word "Orthodox" comes from the Greek words ortho , meaning right, and doxa , meaning opinion and glorification of the Lord . Some beliefs and rites are different from Catholic ones, but they have the same holy book, the Bible.

The Eastern Orthodox Church is not a single church but rather a family of 13 autonomous bodies, named after the nation in which they are located (e.g., the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, etc.). They are united by their affinity for the sacraments, doctrine, liturgy, and government of the Church, but each manages its own affairs.

What is the head of the Orthodox Church called?

The head of each Orthodox Church is called a "patriarch" or "metropolitan." The Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) is considered the "ecumenical" or universal patriarch. He is the closest thing to his counterpart, the pope, in the Roman Catholic Church.

Unlike the Pope, who is known as VICARIUS FILIUS DEI (the Vicar of the Son of God), the Bishop of Constantinople is known as PRIMUS INTER PARES (the First Among Equals). He enjoys special honor, but has no power to interfere with the other 12 Orthodox communities.

The Orthodox Church claims to be the true Church of Christ , and seeks to trace its origins back to the original apostles, through a continuous chain of apostolic succession.

*This is a cross handcrafted by Orthodox Christian artisans. This aesthetic cross is unique and highlights the divine death of the Lord.

The differences between the Orthodox religion and other Christian religions

Orthodox theologians debate the position of Roman Catholics and Protestants, and some still consider them heretics.

However, like Catholics and Protestants, Orthodox believers affirm the existence of the Trinity , the Bible as the Word of God, Jesus as God the Son, and many other biblical doctrines. Despite this, in doctrine they have much more in common with Roman Catholics than with Protestant believers. The doctrine of justification by faith is virtually absent from Orthodox history and theology. Orthodoxy instead emphasizes theosis (literally, "divinization"), the progressive process by which Christians become increasingly like Christ.

The problem with many Orthodox traditions is that they fail to understand that “divinization” is the progressive result of salvation…not a requirement of salvation itself. Other Orthodox differences that conflict with the Bible include:

• The equal authority of ecclesiastical tradition and Scripture;
• Discourage people who wish to interpret the Bible independently of tradition;
• The perpetual virginity of Mary;
• Prayers for the dead;
• Infant baptism without reference to individual responsibility and faith;
• The possibility of salvation after death.

While the Eastern Orthodox Church has held some of the greatest voices in the Church, and while much of the Orthodox tradition has an authentic relationship with salvation through Jesus Christ , the Orthodox Church itself does not speak with a clear message that can be harmonized with the biblical gospel of Christ. The Reformers’ resounding call to “Scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, and Christ alone” is absent from this branch of Christianity, and it is too precious a treasure to be without.

The rites of different religions.

The Orthodox do not recognize the Pope as the head of Christianity , nor the filioque (an addition made by Frankish theologians to the original text of the creed). Indeed, they have their own patriarchs and their own hierarchy. The Orthodox clergy can be married (with the exception of bishops) and therefore have children. The Catholic clergy remains celibate.

Orthodox baptism is performed by three immersions (while Catholics only practiced one immersion).

For the Eucharist , the Orthodox use fermented bread while Catholics use unleavened bread.

Catholics celebrate Mass every day, while in the Orthodox world it is mainly reserved for Saturdays and Sundays . In monasteries it can be celebrated every day with the exception of "aliturgic" days, for example Wednesdays or Fridays of Lent.

History of the Orthodox Religion

In the ancient times of Christianity, the Orthodox religion did not exist; there were two Christian empires sharing the same faith:

The Western Empire, with its seat in Rome;

The Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire, with its seat in Constantinople.

The rites differed (way of celebrating the mass) but the dogma was identical, same creed, and this was the case until the ^8th century.

In the 9th century, two monks, Cyril and Methodius, were tasked with convincing the Slavic peoples to convert to the Christian religion . To do this, Cyril and Methodius invented an alphabet, now called the Cyrillic alphabet, inspired by the Greek alphabet used by the Byzantines. It made it possible to transcribe the Bible into Slavic languages, which had previously been unwritten, and it is still used today. The Slavic peoples thus entered the Byzantines' area of ​​influence, and Byzantium became a serious competitor to Rome. They first convinced the leaders, kings, and princes, who were baptized, before converting the peoples.

Later, the Council of 1054, more commonly called the Great Eastern Schism or Schism of 1054 , separated them, but the Orthodox Church keeps the dogmas of Christianity:

• Belief in one God, the Virgin Mary and Christ;
• Belief in saints, especially Saint Cyril of Alexandria, who is a Catholic and Orthodox saint.

Moreover, the Orthodox and other Christian movements all belong to the same religious culture based on the texts of the Old and New Testaments.

Nature of Orthodox Theology

Contribution of the councils.

The first two Councils, Nicaea I (325) and Constantinople I (381), established the foundations of Orthodox theology by adopting the statement commonly known as the Nicene Creed. This formula established the basic principle of Trinitarianism, which declares the substantial equality of God the Son with God the Father, specifically refuting Arianism. The third Council, at Ephesus (431), rejected Nestorianism by declaring that in Christ the divine and the human were united in one person, the Word made flesh. In its most important feature, this affirmation laid the premises of Orthodox Christology ; it also laid the foundation for the development of the doctrine concerning Mary.

While Christ was God incarnate, the Virgin was "mother of God" (Theotokos, "God-bearer"), not just the mother of an ordinary human being. In keeping with this statement, Orthodoxy expressed great respect for Mary, positing her perpetual virginity and sinless life, but remained skeptical of later Catholic dogmas, the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption.

The next three Councils, Chalcedon (451), Constantinople II (553) and Constantinople III (680), faced in their development the heresy of Monophysitism, further defining for the Orthodox their Christology, according to which in the one person of Christ there are two complete natures, the human and the divine, including two wills. The seventh Council, Nicea II (787), in the midst of the dispute over iconoclasm, defined the doctrine of images representing Christ and the saints, requiring the faithful to venerate them, but not to adore them.

Following this council, whose decrees were not approved by the Roman papacy (although they did not conflict with Catholic doctrine), the divergence of orthodoxy from Western Christian theology became increasingly pronounced.

Since Nicaea II, no truly ecumenical council has been possible, due to the defection (according to the Orthodox view) of the Roman See, and therefore no new absolutely definitive statement of Orthodox dogma has been possible. From this flows the conscious identity of Orthodoxy as the Church of the Seven Councils , and its sense of mission in preserving the faith of the early church fathers.

Evolution and progress of Orthodox theology.

But Orthodox theology did not stagnate in the following centuries, as changing circumstances and the advances of other theologies challenged Orthodox authors to refine and rework their conceptions of faith as presupposed by the patristic decrees.

These formulations have acquired considerable authority through approvals issued by local councils or through long-term common agreements within Orthodoxy, although they do not have the canonical authority of ecumenical decrees, which Orthodoxy considers to be divinely inspired and therefore infallible. When a statement is widely accepted by the Orthodox churches, it acquires the status of a "symbolic book."

The theological dimension of the schism with Western Catholicism was based above all on the rejection by the Orthodox of Rome's claim that its bishop was the sole successor of Peter, with the consequent prerogative of defining dogma. While granting a certain honorary primacy to the papacy, Orthodoxy considered all bishops of right teaching as equal successors of Peter, hence the requirement that only authentic ecumenical and episcopal councils could bind the conscience of the believer.

Orthodoxy therefore rejected these doctrines as Roman innovations. The most famous controversy between Orthodoxy and Western theology arose with the insertion of the philioche clause into the Nicene Creed shortly after the eighth century. In addition to rejecting this unconciliatory interference with the decrees of the Fathers, Orthodoxy saw in the affirmation that the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son" the assumption of two original principles in God that deny the integrity of the Trinity.

Christian Icons: The Importance of Paintings

Painted icons became special symbols of Orthodoxy, as they united good doctrine and good worship, both meanings of the word, and this perception led to the final restoration of icons in Byzantine churches on the first Sunday of Lent in the year 843 being referred to as the "triumph of Orthodoxy."

For the Orthodox, the artistic image reiterated the truth that the invisible God had become visible in the incarnate Son of God, who was the perfect image of God; the image led the person depicted to the beholder, just as the incarnate Word brought God to man.

Sacraments and beliefs

In the Orthodox Church there are 7 sacraments , they are identical to those of the Catholic Church:

• Baptism by immersion;
• Chrismation corresponds to confirmation by the Catholic Church;
• Penance or confession;
• Marriage;
• The Eucharist;
• Ordination;
• Extreme unction or anointing of the sick.

Unlike Catholics, the Orthodox reject the theory of the filioque which assures that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son, an idea imposed in the ninth century in the Western Christian world. The Orthodox reject the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope (decided in 1871).

The Orthodox reject the idea of ​​the existence of Purgatory (an idea introduced in the 16th century into the Catholic faith). The Orthodox reject the dogma of the Immaculate Conception decided in 1854 by the Catholics and that of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (decided in 1950), because for the Orthodox the Virgin died then resurrected and ascended to Heaven (it is the Dormition of the Virgin).

Doctrines and practices of the Eastern Church.

The Orthodox Church gives authority to the decisions of the seven ecumenical councils convened between 325 and 787 and defines the basic doctrines on the Trinity and the Incarnation. In the following centuries, Orthodox councils also gave doctrinal definitions of grace (1341, 1351) and took a position on Western teachings .

The Orthodox Church accepts the traditions of early Christianity, including the same sacraments as the Catholic Church, although in the Orthodox Church the Eucharist and Confirmation are conferred on children and the episcopate and priesthood are understood in light of apostolic succession. Married men may be priests , but bishops and monks cannot.

After an initial controversy on the subject, the images, or icons, of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints were considered visible witnesses of the fact that God became human flesh in the person of Jesus. Monasticism, which originated in the Christian East (Egypt, Syria, Cappadocia), has always been considered in the Orthodox Church as a prophetic ministry of men and women who, by their way of life, show the action of the Holy Spirit. Orthodox Christians still consider the monastic republic of Mount Athos in Greece as a center of spiritual vitality.

In general, the Orthodox Church has been very open to the contemporary ecumenical movement. One by one, all the self-healing churches have joined the World Council of Churches, created at the initiative of the Protestants, without changing their own approach to Christian unity but viewing the Council as an acceptable forum for dialogue and cooperation with other Christians. The Orthodox have considered the recent actions of the Catholic Church and the decrees of the Second Vatican Council as promising bases for future work. This positive reaction was evidenced by several meetings between Orthodox and Catholic leaders, including the participation of Vatican representatives in the ceremonies of the ^1000th anniversary of Russian Christianity in 1988.

Organization of the Orthodox confession.

Orthodoxy is organized according to the principle of autocephaly. Each local community of believers constitutes a Church placed under the authority of a bishop. The bishoprics are grouped into metropolises, each headed by a metropolitan. The bishops elect a patriarch who is the head of the Orthodox Church .

From the beginning of the organization of Christianity, in the 4th century, there were five patriarchates (territory placed under the authority of a patriarch): that of Constantinople, that of Jerusalem, that of Antioch, that of Alexandria and that of Rome. After the separation of the Christians of the East and the Christians of the West at the time of the schism of 1054, Rome was replaced by Moscow. The patriarch of Constantinople does not command the other patriarchs but has the primacy of honor (he is considered the most prestigious, because he is the patriarch of the ancient capital of the Roman Empire).

Since the 11th century, other patriarchates have been created: Belgrade, Bucharest, Sofia, Tbilisi (in Georgia). We can therefore see that the grouping of the Orthodox is done on a territorial basis. There are also autonomous Churches in Finland, Crete, Japan and that of the Missions. The bishop-primate who is at the head of these autonomous churches is appointed by an autocephalous church. In these autonomous churches, worship is celebrated in the national language.

Today, the patriarchate with the largest number of faithful (about 100 million) is that of Moscow, which has under its direction Russia and the former Soviet republics, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Albania, China and Japan. The second in numerical importance is that of Bucharest (about 17 million faithful). The patriarch of Constantinople, who has only a few thousand faithful living in Turkey, is responsible for the Orthodox settled in Western Europe, Greece, Crete, Finland, Australia and America. The patriarch of Jerusalem has authority over the faithful living in Israel and the West Bank. The patriarch of Antioch is responsible for the Orthodox of the Near East (Lebanon, Syria, etc.). The patriarch of Alexandria takes care of the Africans.

Orthodox liturgy.

The liturgy of the Orthodox Church is known as the Byzantine Rite; it has been translated from Greek into many languages, including the ancient Church Slavonic language of the Russian Orthodox Church. The core of Orthodox ritual is rich, mainly in chant, in the highly symbolic liturgy. Depending on the Orthodox Church to which he belongs, the faithful follow a specific liturgical calendar that determines the dates of the feasts in the year.

The first part of the liturgy, called the Liturgy of the Catechumens with prayer and biblical readings, refers to the synagogue worship, as Jesus must have known it. The second part, the Liturgy of the Faithful, celebrating the Eucharist, is of strictly Christian origin. The name of each part refers to the time when all candidates not yet baptized had to leave the church after the first part and the doors were locked.

The original liturgy lasts five hours, the Basilian liturgy lasts about two hours, the liturgy of John Chrysostom lasts only about an hour and a half; it is the one celebrated on most Sundays, while for more important feasts the liturgy of Saint Basil is preferred.

With the orthros (matins) and other prayers, the office also lasts three hours on normal Sundays; therefore, not everyone stays from beginning to end. The frequent antiphon Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) is typical of the liturgy.

The veneration of Mary as the mother of God is central to Orthodox worship, and the Orthodox liturgical tradition emphasizes the intercession of the saints.

Oriental luturgic chant and some prohibitions.

The liturgy is always sung, and communion is distributed to the congregation in both species (bread and wine).

Singing is of particular importance in the Orthodox liturgy, especially Georgian, Russian or Serbian. It is understood as a prayer in its own right; it must therefore be "produced" only by human voices. The use of instruments is not permitted because instruments cannot pray. In other Orthodox Churches, instrumental music is orchestrated.

One theory, considering this aversion to instrumental music, links it to the orchestras usual in the games of the Roman circus; Christians considered the games of the circus, in which they were sometimes the victims, as an idolatrous cult.

Orthodox sign of the cross

In the Orthodox liturgy, the sign of the cross is made whenever the Trinity is mentioned. The Orthodox sign of the cross is made in a movement from right to left: forehead, chest, right shoulder, left shoulder. The thumb, index finger and middle finger are linked to represent the Trinity, while the ring finger and little finger are folded into the palm to signify the dogma of the dual nature of Jesus Christ (God and Man). The sign of the cross is also made when admiring an icon with or without prayer and on countless other occasions, left to the discretion of the believer.

The faithful are, in principle, standing during the service; many churches have seats only along the walls for the elderly or weak. The kneeling position is not common; on Sundays, there are some large prostrations in the Churches of Central Europe or Egypt.

Marked by a great diversity between the different Churches, the Orthodox world also presents strong disparities in religious practice. In total today there are about 180 million people claiming to belong to the Orthodox Church .

Everything you need to know about Orthodox priests

Name and definition of Orthodox priests.

Orthodox priests are called "Pope" and can be ordained even if they are married, unlike bishops and monks, who must be celibate. The custom of wearing a beard, according to the prescription of the book of Leviticus to Jewish priests, is universally respected. Orthodox worship is very rich, even if it is very diverse according to the traditions of the different churches. The celebration of the Eucharist takes place with particular pomp and solemnity, enriched by songs, blessings, great use of candles and incense.

The moment of consecration is particularly solemn, when the priest withdraws behind a richly decorated screen. Communion is administered under both kinds of bread and wine. Orthodox churches are very rich in sacred images, the "Icons". The custom of "kissing" the icon is particularly moving.

The Orthodox have the same sacraments as the Catholics, in particular baptism is conferred by a triple immersion in water. Orthodoxy does not have a monarchical and pyramidal structure like the Catholic Church, but each church is governed by a synod and presided over by the patriarch. The Orthodox faithful mark themselves by joining the index finger and the middle thumb (God one and three), touching first the right shoulder and then the left, and quickly making three signs of the cross, because there is no distinction between the persons of the Trinity.

Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar.

The Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches follow the Julian calendar, in use in the universal church until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII reformed the calendar.

The Julian calendar begins on January 1, 4713 BC and consists of 365 days and 8 hours, and a leap year of 366 days every 3 years. This determines a shift from the Gregorian calendar, for which the Orthodox always celebrate Christmas on January 7 and Easter on the Sunday following Catholic Easter .

The autocephalous churches of Greece, Bulgaria and Romania celebrate Christmas according to the Gregorian calendar on December 25, while Easter is celebrated by the entire Orthodox world according to the old Julian calendar.

The first head of a church to be given the title of pope.

The Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church , officially Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Preaching of Saint Mark and of All Africa, is the primate of the Coptic Orthodox Church and one of the three existing Patriarchs of Alexandria (the other two are the Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Catholic, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria, Orthodox).

The first head of a church to receive the title of pope was Heraclius of Alexandria (232-248). Eusebius of Caesarea writes:

τοῦτον ἐγὼ τὸν kανόνα καὶ τὸν τύπον παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου πάπα ἡμῶν Ἡρακλᾶ παρέλαβον . Translation: I received this rule and model from our blessed Pope after the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Patriarch of Alexandria Dioscoro I of Alexandria did not accept the result of the council.

The Coptic popes were among the first ecclesiastical authorities to decide directly on the appointment of priests in dioceses.

The vocabulary used by priests of the Orthodox Church

• Alexiy : the name of the most revered Orthodox priest in Russia.
• Bishop : high-ranking Orthodox priest.
• Archimandrite : In the Orthodox Church, the highest rank of priest-monk.
• Flee : A member of the community of fleeing priests who have left the official Orthodox Church.
• Hapon : Russian Orthodox priest, initiator of the first Russian revolution, leader of the Christian union "Meeting of Russian Workers of St. Petersburg".
• Deacon : In the Orthodox Church: lower clergy, priest assisting in the performance of religious services.
• Eucharist : Orthodox ritual, the priest in the presence of the believers blesses the bread and the wine, which become symbols of the body and blood of Jesus.
• Anointing : A rite performed in the Orthodox Church on certain days: the priest anoints the foreheads of believers with oil in the shape of a cross with the words "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
• Priesthood : Activity of an Orthodox priest.
• Property : Among Ukrainian Greek Catholics, the name of the priest's wife corresponds to the word priest and the address of the mother among the Orthodox.
• Less : Alexander (1935-90) Russian Orthodox priest, theologian.
• Legguards : part of the liturgical vestments of a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church.
• Assholes : Wife of the Orthodox priest.
• Archpriest : Senior Orthodox priest.
• Protopresbyter : Senior Orthodox priest.
• Acolyte : A church pastor who assists an Orthodox priest in worship.
• Surplice : clothing of an Orthodox priest during worship.

Our religious items for all Orthodox believers:

After reading this article, you have been able to discover the history and origin of the Orthodox Church . Now you are an expert on this subject. You will be able to help Christians who have questions about Orthodoxy, or share our article in case of doubt.