List of Eastern Churches

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The list of Eastern Churches contains the pre-Reformation churches that, after the final division of the Roman Empire in 395, belonged to its eastern half, the Eastern Roman Empire , or were founded there, or were founded from there through missions outside the imperial borders. Today this includes Orthodox , Ancient Near Eastern and Catholic churches. The list is subdivided according to the rites used in the liturgies of these churches.

Byzantine rite

The Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches emerged from the Roman-Byzantine imperial church . Together they recognize statements of the Ecumenical Councils - in particular Nicaea 325, Constantinople 381 and Chalcedon 451 - and are therefore also called Chalcedonian churches .

Orthodox church family

Today's Byzantine Orthodox (also Greek Orthodox ) churches are autocephalous . They consist of the four early church patriarchates - Antioch , Alexandria , Jerusalem and Constantinople - and about fifteen national churches .

Canonical Orthodox Churches

The canonical churches are in complete communion with one another. Autocephalous churches are independent, autonomous churches do not have independently appointed heads; when they are appointed, they are given the right of another church to have a say.

Old church patriarchates
  1. Patriarchate of Antioch ( Rum Orthodox Church );
  2. Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria ;
  3. Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ;
  4. Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem .
Autocephalous national churches
  1. Church of Cyprus , autocephalous since 431;
  2. Georgian Orthodox Apostle Church , autocephalous since 487 (Iberia);
  3. Bulgarian Orthodox Church , autocephalous since 927;
  4. Serbian Orthodox Church , autocephalous since 1219 (Žiča);
  5. Russian Orthodox Church , first autocephalous 1589/1590;
  6. Church of Greece , autocephalous since 1833/1850;
  7. Romanian Orthodox Church , autocephalous since 1885;
  8. Polish Orthodox Church , autocephalous since the 20th century;
  9. Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania , autocephalous since the 20th century;
  10. Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia , autocephalous since the 20th century;
  11. Orthodox Church of Ukraine , autocephalous since 2019;
  12. Orthodox Church in America , autocephaly not universally recognized.
Autonomous Churches
  1. Orthodox Church from Mount Sinai : under 1000 believers, consists of the Katharinenkloster and a few Bedouin families;
  2. Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church : autonomy is not recognized by the Moscow Patriarchate;
  3. Orthodox Church of Finland ;
  4. Orthodox Church in Japan ;
  5. Russian Orthodox Church Abroad ;
  6. Archdiocese of Ohrid ;
  7. Autonomous Church of Korea ;
  8. Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate ;
  9. Moldovan Orthodox Church in Moldova ;
  10. Orthodox Church of Bessarabia also in Moldova.

Churches of controversial canonicity

Eastern Catholic Churches Byzantine Rite

Ancient oriental rites

Miaphysite churches

The Oriental Orthodox Miaphsite Churches reject the two - natures doctrine of Christ laid down in the Council of Chalcedon (451) and are therefore also referred to as non-Chalcedonian churches. The individual churches belong to different ritual families, but are in mutual communion.

Alexandrian rite

Antiochian rite

Armenian rite

Eastern Catholic churches of ancient oriental rites

Alexandrian rite

Antiochian rite

Armenian rite

Chaldean rite

Nestorian churches

See also

Web links