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Orthodox Church
Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald
An ever-growing number of persons from various backgrounds
are becoming interested in the Orthodox Church. These individuals are
discovering the ancient faith and rich traditions of the Orthodox Church.
They have been attracted by her mystical vision of God and His Kingdom,
by the beauty of her worship, by the purity of her Christian faith, and
by her continuity with the past. These are only some of the treasures of
the Church, which has a history reaching back to the time of the
Apostles.
The Orthodox Church embodies and expresses the rich
spiritual treasures of Eastern Christianity. It should not be forgotten
that the Gospel of Christ was first preached and the first Christian
communities were established in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean
Sea. It was in these eastern regions of the old Roman Empire that the
Christian faith matured in its struggle against paganism and heresy.
There, the great Fathers lived and taught. It was in the cities of the
East that the fundamentals of our faith were proclaimed at the Seven
Ecumenical Councils.
ORTHODOX
Christians of the Eastern Churches call themselves Orthodox.
This description comes to us from the fifth century and has two meanings
which are closely related. The first definition is “true teaching.” The
Orthodox Church believes that she has maintained and handed down the
Christian faith, free from error and distortion, from the days of the
Apostles. The second definition, which is actually the more preferred, is
“true praise.” To bless, praise, and glorify God the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit is the fundamental purpose of the Church. All her activities,
even her doctrinal formulations, are directed toward this goal.
Occasionally, the word Catholic is also used to describe the
Orthodox Church. This description, dating back to the second century, is
embodied in the Nicene Creed, which acknowledges One, Holy, Catholic, and
Apostolic Church. From the Orthodox perspective, Catholic means that the
Church is universal and also that she includes persons of all races and
cultures. It also affirms that the Church has preserved the fullness of
the Christian faith. It is not unusual for titles such as Greek, Russian,
and Antiochian to be used in describing Orthodox Churches. These
appellations refer to the cultural or national roots of a particular
parish, diocese, or archdiocese.
DIVERSITY
IN UNITY
The Orthodox Church is an
international federation of patriarchal, autocephalous, and autonomous
churches. Each church is independent in her internal organization and
follows her own particular customs. However, all the churches are united
in the same faith and order. The Orthodox Church acknowledges that unity
does not mean uniformity. Some churches are rich in history, such as the
Church of Constantinople, while others are relatively young, such as the
Church of Finland. Some are large, such as the Church of Russia, while
others are small, such as the Church of Sinai. Each Church is led by a
synod of bishops. The president of the synod is known as the Patriarch,
Archbishop, Metropolitan, or Catholicos. Among the various bishops, the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is accorded a "place of
honor" and is regarded as "first among equals." In America
and Western Europe, where Orthodoxy is relatively young, there are a
number of dioceses and archdioceses which are directly linked to one of
these autocephalous Churches. For example, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
is under the care of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. While the
Archdiocese enjoys a good measure of internal autonomy and is headed by
an Archbishop, it owes its spiritual allegiance to the Church of
Constantinople.
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