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Apr 10, 2024 · Ukraine and its monasteries are the birthplace of the Russian Orthodox Church; both nations trace their spiritual and national origins to the Kyiv-based kingdom that was converted from...
Mar 13, 2022 · The Russian Orthodox Church is allied with President Putin. But in New York, some of its members are quietly anguished. Share full article. An interfaith prayer service at the Ukrainian...
Sep 30, 2023 · A militant Russian church retains millions of believers inside Ukraine. The militant role of the Russian Orthodox Church has drawn condemnation from religious leaders including Pope...
- What Is The Orthodox Church?
- Orthodox Church Structure
- The Great Schism of 1054
- The Orthodox Clergy
- Orthodox Spiritual Life
- Icons and Worship
Orthodoxy is the smallest of the three major branches of Christianity, which also includes Catholicism and Protestantism. There are about 1.34 billion Catholics, about 600 million Protestants and approximately 300 million Orthodox Christians globally. Most Orthodox Christians live in Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Middle East. The wor...
Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by the pope, the worldwide Orthodox Church has no single spiritual head. Instead, the global Orthodox communion is divided into autocephalous churches. Formed from two Greek roots, the word “autocephalous” means “self-headed.” Autocephalous churches are completely independent and self-governing. Each a...
Until the 11th century, the Orthodox churches recognized the Roman Catholic Church as one of the autocephalous Orthodox churches. By 1054, however, differences in theology, practice and church government led the pope and the patriarch of Constantinople to excommunicate each other. In particular, the pope claimed to have authority over all Christian...
The Orthodox Church is hierarchical. Spiritual authority is invested in an ordained clergy consisting of bishops, priests and deacons. Like the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church holds to the doctrine of apostolic succession. According to this doctrine, Orthodox bishops, who rule over the territory of a diocese, are the direct, historical success...
Orthodox spiritual life is centered on the sacraments, or “mysteries,” usually celebrated by the parish priest. The first sacrament, baptism, is a rite of initiation into Christian life. Most Orthodox Christians are baptized as infants by triple immersion in holy water. Immediately, a baptized infant also receives two other sacraments. The priest a...
Icons—consecrated images of holy persons or events—play an important role in Orthodox Church life. Orthodox churches are filled with these images, which believers honor with kisses and bows. In Orthodox theology, icons are a testimony to the doctrine that God became human in Christ. Because he was a human, he could be represented artistically. Like...
Sep 6, 2022 · Others have broken ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, whose leader, Patriarch Kirill, has approved and even blessed Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Led by Patriarch Kirill, the Russian Orthodox Church is one of the most tangible cultural bonds between Russia and Ukraine. The gilded domes of Kyiv’s Monastery of the Caves and St....
Mar 2, 2022 · The Russian church — of which Archbishop Yefrem is a part — has made no secret of its desire to unite the branches under a single patriarch in Moscow, which would allow it to control the...
