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Eastern Orthodox Churches
Description
The following Churches are covered by this section:
Antiochian Orthodox Church. Armenian Orthodox Church. Greek Orthodox Church. Russian Orthodox Church. Serbian Orthodox Church. Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. Other Orthodox Churches operating in Canada or represented in Canada by members but for which Statistics Canada was unable to collect statistically significant data in the 1991 national census.
The term orthodox, derived from Greek, means “right teaching” or “right worship.” The gradual adoption of the term by the Eastern Christian Churches reflects their view of the correctness of their position in doctrinal differences with the Roman Catholic Church.
According to the patriarchate of Constantinople, it was the Apostle Saint Andrew who founded the Eastern Christian Church, now commonly known as the Orthodox Church, in the Roman Empire city of Byzantium. Saint Andrew was the brother of Saint Peter, who founded the Church in Rome. The ancient city of the Persian, Greek and Roman Empires was renamed Constantinople under the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine after he moved his capital there in 330 CE. Today, it is named Istanbul and is the capital city of Turkey.
By the fifth century, the Byzantine Church was one of the five major sees, or seats of authority, of the ancient Christian Church, which was then flourishing under the Roman Empire, by then called the Byzantine Empire. One of the sees, Rome, was Latin-speaking. The others, in Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, were all Greek-speaking. At the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, all had agreed to profess a common creed, the Nicene Creed. (It was later modified at the Council of Constantinople in 381 CE, in answer to heresies.) But by the fifth century, the claim of the Roman pontiff not only to primacy among the five patriarchs as first among equals, but also to ecclesiastical and doctrinal jurisdiction on grounds of his succession to Saint Peter, was hotly contested by the Greek patriarchs, who supported government by pentarchy, the rule of five equals.
The struggle for dominance continued for the next thousand years. As the control of the emperor in Constantinople over the western part of the empire waned under successive invasions from Italy and other regions, so grew the separation of the Greek and Roman Churches. Because of the close religious and political connections between the emperor and the patriarch of Constantinople throughout that period, the influence of the patriarch of Constantinople grew among his Greek peers. Today, he is still recognized as “first among equals,” though the title grants little in the way of actual jurisdictional authority. Rather, it is a role of spiritual leadership. The rank is partially attributed by historians to the Council of Nicaea, which assigned him pre- eminence after the Roman pope.
The definitive schism with the Church of Rome occurred in 1054, when the four Churches of the East rejected the primacy of the Pope over doctrinal and administrative jurisdiction issues. Central among them were issues that had caused dissension for centuries — the understanding of the nature of the Trinity, rivalry between missionaries in Slavic regions, church boundaries in the Roman Empire’s eastern European regions, married versus celibate clergy, rules for fasting, and others. Although several attempts were made at reconciliation over the next 400 years, the idea was rejected by most of the Orthodox faithful, largely because of the pillaging and murder of Orthodox Christians at the hands of Western soldiers during the Crusades. Today, unwilling to reconcile some key differences, the Eastern Orthodox Churches stand officially opposed to ecumenism.
Notwithstanding many sharp differences, the Eastern Orthodox Churches share with the Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant Churches their profession of belief in the divine through the Nicene Creed, though the Eastern Orthodox Churches hold to an early version of the creed that differs from the traditional Western version in their understanding of the nature of the Holy Spirit. They define their doctrine through the decisions of the seven Great Ecumenical Councils: Nicaea I (325 CE), Constantinople I (381 CE), Ephesus (431 CE), Chalcedon (451 CE), Constantinople II (553 CE), Constantinople III (681 CE) and Nicaea II (787 CE).
Religious Elements
Scriptural and Doctrinal Sources
The scriptural foundation of the Eastern Orthodox Churches is the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments. The seven Great Ecumenical Councils of the early Christian Church define Church structure, mission and doctrine.
Sacraments
Baptism: This is administered in infancy or to older children and adults who convert to the Orthodox faith. Chrismation: Holy chrism is administered immediately after baptism. This anointing with holy oils and laying on of hands by the priest is done so that the Holy Spirit may be received by the newly baptized. Holy Eucharist: The priest gives the faithful leavened bread and wine, both delivered with a special spoon, the labis. Confession and repentance. Holy priesthood (ordination): Unlike Roman Catholic priests, Orthodox priests may marry. Marriage: The Orthodox Churches recognize only marriage by a priest. In countries where civil marriage is required by law, a priest must also perform a wedding service for couples. Common-law marriage is not recognized as valid. Divorce is not permitted, except in cases of adultery. Holy unction: This sacrament of healing and forgiveness of sins is celebrated in church every Wednesday and is administered to any Christian who desires it. It is commonly administered to the sick.
Moral Code
The Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ are central to Orthodox faith. Fornication, adultery, abortion, homosexuality and any form of abusive sexual behaviour are considered immoral and inappropriate forms of behaviour per se and also because they undermine the institution of marriage and the family.
Houses of Worship
The architectural model for all Orthodox churches is probably the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the great church of Eastern Christendom, completed by the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century. (The church was converted to a Muslim mosque after the Ottoman Turk conquest of the Byzantine Empire in the 15th century and is now a museum.) The concept consisted of placing a large dome centrally over the Roman basilica structure generally in use in Christian churches of the Roman Empire. The dome signifies the descent of heaven upon the Earth. Another distinguishing feature of Orthodox churches is the rich use of religious icons, highly ornamented images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, other saints and holy events. Icons may be murals, paintings, mosaics, stained glass or relief images in wood or precious metals. They may be fixed parts of church structures or portable for use in religious ceremonies. The doctrine supporting the use of icons, which are not worshipped but are considered worthy of veneration, is that because God was truly visible in the humanity of Jesus Christ, the icon is a pictorial confession of faith, a witness to the belief that God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, is accessible to humanity. A third distinguishing feature is the screen, or iconostas, that separates the chancel from the nave. Not merely decorative, the icon screen serves to enlighten the faithful on the doctrine of the liturgy of the Mass. The opening of this screen for the Eucharist suggests that the mystery of the sacrament is not a secret but rather the revelation of divine life and of the kingdom to come, which was revealed when God became man.
Devotional Practices and Services
The Orthodox Churches have historically been committed to the use of the vernacular in the liturgy, whereas the Roman Catholic Church used Latin until modern times. However, the conservative nature of the Orthodox Churches has resulted in the retention of old spoken forms of national languages in the liturgy. For example, the Greek churches today use the ancient Greek of Byzantium in the liturgy, and some Slavic churches use 17th-century forms of Slavic languages. This is somewhat analogous to the use of 16th-century English in the King James version of the Bible and in The Book of Common Prayer of the Anglicans. Two eucharistic liturgies are most commonly used in the Orthodox Mass: the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom and the Liturgy of Saint Basil. A third, the Liturgy of Saint James, is rarely used outside the Middle East. During Lent, the Liturgy of the Presanctified, using bread and wine sanctified the previous Sunday, is used for certain services. Choirs and congregations sing a cappella during services. The Orthodox Churches ban the use of musical accompaniment, taking the view that only the human voice is capable of expressing praise worthy of God. Hymns may be ancient or modern and vary according to the date in the liturgical year. The Easter cycle dominates the liturgical year, establishing the certainty of the resurrection as the core theme of devotional services.
Clergy, Organization and Government
The patriarch (and bishop) of Constantinople is the “first among equals” of the patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. He is spiritual leader and has the power to extend autocephalous authority (that is, independent jurisdiction) to national Churches such as the Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian, Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. His full title is His All Holiness, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. The Greek Orthodox Church, as well as other Orthodox Churches, is organized as an episcopacy (that is, rule by bishops who trace their spiritual authority over their dioceses to the Apostles of Jesus Christ). The head of the church in Canada is the “Metropolitan of Toronto and All Canada” (equivalent to archbishop). Clergy are ordained as deacons, priests (presbyters) and hierarchs (bishops). Most ordained clergy of the Greek Orthodox Church are ethnic Greeks. In the other national Orthodox Churches, the majority of clergy members share the ethnicity of the church membership. Priests may be married, provided they were married only once and not to widows or divorcees. Russian Orthodox congregations in Canada are mainly affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, headquartered in New York City, and do not recognize the authority of the patriarch of Moscow. The Greek Orthodox Church in Canada is affiliated with the patriarchate of Constantinople. The remaining national Orthodox Churches are associated with the patriarchs of their homelands.
Propagation of the Faith
From its earliest days, the Eastern Church employed the vernacular, the language of the people, in its liturgy. Initially this was Greek, as the vernacular for the Roman Church was Latin. As the Greek Church expanded by converting other peoples to Christianity, particularly from the ninth century on, it displayed its understanding of cultures and nationalities by its readiness to translate the liturgy into the language of the converts. In this way, it won the allegiance of people in Slavic countries and in other countries where the Roman Church had failed because of its wish to maintain Latin as the universal language of the Church. Missionary activity is still essential, and missions are being carried out in various parts of the world. The Eastern Orthodox Churches do not practise systematic proselytizing of members of other religions and oppose such action by other Churches.
Major Celebrations and Observances
The ecclesiastical year begins on 1 September and is divided into immovable holy days and movable holy days. Movable holy days are determined by the date of Easter, which in turn is determined by a formula established by the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. Fixed dates generally follow the Western (Gregorian) calendar, though Christmas and Theophany or Epiphany may be celebrated later than in Western Churches. Movable dates in some Orthodox Churches may follow the practices of Western Churches, but most Orthodox Churches determine the date according to the Julian calendar.
Days of Regular Observance
Every Sunday: (day of rest and worship). Nativity of the Theotokos (“God-bearer”), that is, of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Son of God; first day of the liturgical calendar: 8 September. Elevation of the cross: 14 September. Presentation of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) in the temple: 21 November. Nativity of Christ (Christmas): 25 December; may be celebrated on 7 January by Churches using the Gregorian calendar. Theophany (baptism and manifestation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God). Epiphany (presentation of the baby Jesus to the Magi): 6 January; may be celebrated on 19 January by Churches using the Gregorian calendar. Presentation of Christ in the temple: 2 February. Annunciation (Archangel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will be Mother of the Son of God): 25 March. Palm Sunday (entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem; beginning of Holy Week): date varies according to formula for date of Easter. Pascha (Holy [Good] Friday to Easter) — crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: date varies according to formula for determining date of Easter; use of Gregorian calendar causes date to be different from that determined by Julian calendar. Transfiguration of the Lord (Jesus Christ’s transfiguration into His heavenly form before the Apostles Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor, revealing His divinity): 6 August. Ascension of our Lord (ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven): 40 days after Pascha. Pentecost (Holy Spirit’s descent upon the Apostles): 50 days after Pascha. Dormition (falling asleep) of the Theotokos (assumption of Mary into heaven): 15 August.
Special Observances
Dress Requirements
Dietary Requirements
Fasting is practised in the Orthodox Church at the following times:
Wednesdays and Fridays (unless otherwise indicated below). Day before Epiphany: 5 January. Cheese Fare Week (no meat is allowed, but dairy is allowed all week): the last week before Great Lent. Great Lent. Holy Week. Holy Apostles’ Fast (fish, wine and oil are allowed): from the Monday after All Saints’ Day until 28 June inclusive. Dormition of the Theotokos: 1–14 August. Beheading of Saint John the Baptist: 29 August. Exaltation of the Holy Cross: 14 September. Advent, Christmas Lent: 15 November – 24 December.
Fast days on which fish, wine and olive oil are permitted are as follows:
Fast-free periods are as follows:
The first week of Triodion (third week before Great Lent). Bright Week (the week after Pascha, the resurrection). The week after Pentecost. Period of 25 December – 4 January.
Medical and Health Requirements
Abortion for any other purpose than saving the life of the mother is considered the premeditated taking of human life. Contraception is permissible for spacing children, enhancing the expression of marital health, and protecting health. The Eastern Orthodox Churches are opposed to euthanasia. Assisting in euthanasia is considered murder. Voluntary choice of euthanasia by the ill person is considered suicide. The Churches do not expect heroic attempts to preserve the lives of the terminally ill, but they do not oppose such action when medically appropriate. Organ transplants are not opposed, but the chance of success should be high. Artificial insemination with sperm from the husband is acceptable, but artificial insemination is rejected as an improper intrusion into the sanctity of marriage when the donor is a third party.
Death and Burial
Orthodox Christians believe the body of the Christian is sacred, since it was the temple of the Holy Spirit and will be restored at the resurrection. The Orthodox funeral consists of three services:
- The vigil, or Trisagion, after death, is usually conducted by a priest at the wake. The people pray to Christ “to give rest with the Saints to the soul of Your servant where there is neither pain, grief, nor sighing but life everlasting.” While the people pray for the soul of the deceased, great respect is paid to the body.
- The funeral service is continued at the church, where the body is brought on the day of burial. Normally, the divine liturgy (Mass) is celebrated. After the funeral service, the congregation offers its farewell to the deceased.
- The Trisagion is repeated at the graveside.
Memorial services may be offered in the church on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death. Those who committ suicide are considered to have died outside the Church and are not granted Church funeral rites.
Sources of Additional Information
http://www.greece.org/gopatalex/index.html — website of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.
http://www.aaron.org/Patriarchate/index.htm — website of the Patriarchate of Antioch.
http://www.rocor.org/ — website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.
http://www.decani.yunet.com/doctrine.html — official website of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren (excellent source of information on doctrine).
http://www.gocanada.org/ — website of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto.
The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)
1 Patriarch Bartholomew Way
(86 Overlea Boulevard)
Toronto, ON M4H 1C6
Phone: (416) 429-5757
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