Eastern Orthodox Church
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. Each Church is led by a synod of bishops. 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 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.
The Great Schism
The Great Schism is the title given to separation between the Western Church (the Roman Catholic) and the Eastern Church, (the Orthodox), which took place in the eleventh century.
By the ninth century legitimate differences were intensified by political circumstances, cultural clashes, papal claims, and the introduction in the West of the Filioque phrase into the Nicene Creed. The Filioque affirms that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Both the papal claims and the Filioque were strongly repudiated by the East.
The Crusades can be considered the final element in the process of estrangement and deepening mistrust. Although there were attempts to restore communion in the years 1274 and 1439, there was no lasting unity achieved.
Tradition
The main sources of Orthodox teaching are the Bible and Sacred Tradition. The third source is the writings of the so-called Apostolic Fathers and the Apologists. The fourth source is decisions of the canonical synods, local and ecumenical, and their utterances of faith, especially the Symbol of Faith (Nicene Creed) and some of their canons pertaining to faith. The fifth source is the discourses written at the time of disputes and schisms, especially the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western parts of the Undivided Church (1054). The sixth source is a variety of discourses written after the Protestant Reformation; these documents critique the various errors of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.
The Bible is viewed as only one expression of God's revelation in the on-going life of His people. Scripture is part of the treasure of Faith which is known as Tradition. Tradition means that which is "handed on" from one generation to another.
Original Sin
Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin.
Canonization of Saints
The Orthodox Church does not follow any official procedure for the "recognition" of saints. Initially the Church accepted as saints those who had suffered martyrdom for Christ. The saints are saints thanks to the grace of God, and they do not need official ecclesiastical recognition.
Recently, in order to avoid abuses, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has issued special encyclical letters (tomoi) in which the Holy Synod "recognizes" or accepts the popular feelings about a saint. Such an example in our days is St. Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain (1955).
Fasting
Fasting as practiced in the Orthodox Church means abstinence from meat, fish, dairy products, olive oil, and wine. Total abstinence is reserved for the fast of several hours duration preceding Holy Communion. The rules for fasting prescribed by the holy canons are quite rigid. Most Orthodox Christians today find it difficult to uphold the traditional practice for the length of time prescribed.
Calculation of Pascha
According to the ruling of the First Ecumenical Synod in 325, Easter Sunday should fall on the Sunday which follows the first full moon after the vernal equinox. If the full moon happens to fall on a Sunday, Easter is observed the following Sunday. The day taken to be the invariable date of the vernal equinox is March 21.
The Orthodox Church continues to base its calculations for the date of Easter on the Julian Calendar, which was in use at the time of the First Ecumenical Synod. Western Christians observe the date of the vernal equinox on March 21 according to the Gregorian Calendar.
The Sacraments
The Orthodox Church has never formally determined a particular number of Sacraments.
The Holy Eucharist, which is known as the Divine Liturgy, is the central and most important worship experience of the Orthodox Church. All the other Sacraments of the Church lead toward and flow from the Eucharist.
Through the three-fold immersion in the waters of Baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity, one dies to the old ways of sin and is born to a new life in Christ. Orthodoxy encourages the baptism of infants. The Baptism of adults is practiced when there was no previous baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity.
The Sacrament of Chrismation (Confirmation) immediately follows baptism and is never delayed until a later age. In the Sacrament of Chrismation, the priest anoints the various parts of the body of the newly-baptized with Holy Oil. The Sacraments of initiation always are concluded with the distribution of Holy Communion to the newly-baptized. There is never time when the young are not part of God's people.
Confession is the Sacrament through which sins are forgiven, and the relationship to God and to others is restored and strengthened. According to Orthodox teaching, the penitent confess to God and is forgiven by God. The priest is the sacramental witness.
Through the Sacrament of marriage, a man and a woman are publicly joined as husband and wife. There are no vows in the Sacrament.
The Holy Spirit preserved the continuity of the Church through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Through ordination, men who have been chosen from within the Church are set apart by the Church for special service to the Church. Each is viewed as a living icon of Christ among His people. Only a Bishop may ordain. The Orthodox Church permits men to marry before they are ordained. Since the sixth century, Bishops have been chosen from the celibate clergy.
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, or Holy Unction as it is also known, reminds the faithful that when in pain, either physical, emotional, or spiritual, Christ is present through the ministry of his Church. Orthodoxy does not view this Sacrament as available only to those who are near death. It is offered to all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit. The Church celebrates the Sacrament for all its members during Holy week on Holy Wednesday.