Father of faith. Local Orthodox churches What Orthodox churches exist in the world

The Christian world, with almost 2000 years of history behind it, is many-sided and diverse. Diversity was influenced not only by historical events, but also by the identity of many peoples who adopted Christianity.

Modern Christianity is divided into three main groups - Western Christianity, Eastern Orthodoxy and Pre-Chalcedonian Churches. The last group of churches separated from the general mass of Christianity in 451 AD after the Fourth Ecumenical Council, which was convened to overcome the Monophysite heresy of Eutyches.

The main decision of the Fourth Ecumenical Council was the Definition of Chalcedon, which finally formulated the understanding of the essence of Jesus Christ and His place in the Holy Trinity. However, not all first hierarchs signed this Determination due to disagreement in the wording. The pre-Chalcedonian churches remained the Armenian, Coptic, Assyrian, Ethiopian, Syro-Jacobite and Syriac Orthodox Churches of India.

The rejection of the decisions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council became the first serious split in Christianity. The second schism occurred in 1054. The Pope, who had the primacy of honor among the Christian churches, claimed not only the primacy of honor. He claimed primacy over the patriarchs of the traditionally established patriarchates. After the mutual excommunication of the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1054. Although legally the schism of 1054 was overcome and the mutual excommunications were lifted, the Roman throne historically remained isolated, and the Eastern patriarchs recognized the primacy of honor for the Patriarch of Constantinople. These patriarchs were the Patriarch of the Church of Antioch, the Church of Alexandria and the Church of Jerusalem. Although these churches are completely independent, they recognize the Patriarch of the Church of Constantinople as the spiritual leader, whose entire power lies only in the fact that he is given the seat of chairman at the Ecumenical Council, if one is convened.

Churches that recognize the primacy of honor for the Patriarch of Constantinople call themselves Orthodox. The Georgian Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as the Serbian Orthodox Church joined the number of ancient churches. All of the listed Orthodox churches are autonomous and a priori subject only to the decisions of the Ecumenical Council.

Thus, in the camp of Orthodox churches of world Christianity, today there are seven churches: Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Georgian, Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches. We can only hope that the number of Orthodox churches in the world will not increase. An increase in their number means splits and divisions. We can only hope that the ecumenical movement for the unification of churches developing in the world will, at a minimum, prevent new divisions and, at a maximum, contribute to the unification of churches under the omophorion of the Universal Church of Jesus Christ.

Media materials: "Ten questions about the patriarch. Questions and answers"

What does the word "patriarch" mean?

The word "patriarchos" consists of two Greek roots: "pator" - father and "archo" - domination, beginning, power. In public life, the word “patriarch” serves to designate a person outstanding in any professional field and is used in a figurative sense. However, in the Church this term always has a completely different meaning.

Firstly, this is the name given to some Old Testament saints who not only participated in the history of salvation, but were also the direct ancestors of the Savior. The ancient patriarchs are also called ancestors or forefathers; Among them, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are especially famous.

And secondly, the heads of some Orthodox local Churches are called patriarchs. In this meaning, the word “patriarch” does not mean a separate, highest rank of the hierarchy of the priesthood, but a special church status and title. It is assigned by the Church to the most authoritative bishop, who, as a rule, heads the main see of the country.

Who was the first Christian patriarch?

The first patriarch is considered to be Saint James, an apostle from among the seventy disciples of the Savior and the first bishop of the first in seniority of the Church of Jerusalem. According to legend, Jacob was the son of Joseph the Betrothed from his first marriage, therefore in the Gospel he is also called the brother of the Lord, although Jesus Christ has no blood relationship with Jacob.

The New Testament contains one letter written by the Apostle James, and since this apostle led the very first Christian community, this letter is listed first in the Bible, even before the letters of the Apostle Peter.

The authority of James as the first patriarch was indisputable, which is clearly seen from the description of the very first church council held in Jerusalem (Acts 15). It was the Apostle James who made the decision on the question that most worried the community of the first Christians at that time: should those who converted to Christianity from paganism perform the rituals that were commanded to the Jews in the Old Testament? Patriarch Jacob advised do not make it difficult for pagans who turn to God(Acts 15:19), and since then almost all the ritual decrees of the Old Testament have ceased to be binding on Christians.

What can't a patriarch do?

Since patriarch is not a degree of priesthood, but only an honorary title, in essence its holder has no more rights than any other bishop. The Patriarch is obeyed not because he is “superior” to others, but because he has authority among the bishops. All the power of the patriarch is limited by the internal canons of the Church and the personal authority of the shepherd. For example, the patriarch cannot single-handedly appoint new bishops or make decisions with which other authoritative members of the bishops' council do not agree.

Who was the first patriarch in Rus'?

Saint Job, the first patriarch of the Russian Church, was installed in 1589 by the Moscow Council under the chairmanship of Patriarch Jeremiah II of Constantinople. Until this time, our Church was headed by metropolitans, and until the middle of the 15th century, the Russian Church belonged to the Patriarchate of Constantinople and did not have independent governance.

Does the patriarch have responsibilities, and if so, what are they?

The Patriarch, as the high priest, heads the prayer ministry of the Church and almost always personally performs the most solemn services. He also determines the relationship of the Church with the state and public organizations, which means that he must continuously, sometimes literally around the clock, perform representative and organizational functions. The patriarch is also obliged to preside over the Holy Synod, which is the highest church authority in the period between church councils. With his participation, the appointment of bishops takes place, so he must delve into the details of all internal church affairs. The Patriarch is obliged to take upon himself the solution of all major issues, both spiritual and completely earthly, such as the financing of theological academies or appointments to important posts in the Patriarchate.

In addition, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' is the head of the capital's Moscow diocese. And the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' manages patriarchal metochions throughout the country, as well as the so-called stauropegial monasteries, subordinate not to local bishops, but directly to the Moscow Patriarchate.

Can the Church live without a patriarch?

Since the patriarch is not the bearer of any special sacred power over the Church, but simply has the highest authority among bishops, there are periods in the history of the Church when the patriarch was not elected. Thus, after the death of Patriarch Adrian in 1700, Tsar Peter I, who wanted to completely subordinate the Church to secular power, prevented the holding of independent elections of the primate and appointed a “locum tenens of the patriarchal throne” in the place of the patriarch. And in 1721 he established the Holy Governing Synod, which since then has been the highest state body of church-administrative power of the Russian Empire and replaced the patriarch in terms of general church functions and external relations.

As a meeting of canonical bishops, the Synod as the supreme body of church government was recognized by all Eastern Patriarchs and other autocephalous Churches. However, the Synod could not make independent decisions, since its members were appointed personally by the emperor, who was in charge of all personnel matters. The Emperor also had a personal representative in the Holy Synod, the Chief Prosecutor, who actually had full power over the church life of the country. Nominally, the chief prosecutor was a government official, and therefore might not even be an Orthodox Christian, as sometimes happened.

The synodal period in the Russian Orthodox Church lasted almost two hundred years, and only at the beginning of the 20th century was the Church able to elect a primate again.

Is the patriarch retiring?

Unlike other bishops, who can, if their health deteriorates, ask to be removed from the cathedra and sent to retirement, the patriarch actually does not have such an opportunity. In the Russian Church, this rank is given for life, and this means that until his death the patriarch is obliged to serve the Church, even if he is seriously ill or is in exile or imprisonment.

Is the patriarch rich?

For many centuries, according to tradition, only monks have been appointed patriarchs, as well as bishops in general. And when a monk is tonsured, he takes not only vows of chastity and obedience, but also a vow of non-covetousness, so that in fact the patriarch does not own anything that surrounds him. Absolutely everything, from the residence and executive car to liturgical vestments, belongs to the Church and is only in its use. The only source of personal income for His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus' is the ordinary civil pension, which the state pays him in old age, and the expensive gifts that are sometimes given to him, as a rule, end up in museum collections or transferred to the needs of the Church. The luxury of his surroundings is intended to ensure that, when performing representative functions, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church looks appropriate to his rank, and his personal life is much simpler.

Does the patriarch confess, and if so, to whom?

His Holiness personally answered this question in an interview with our magazine, published in 7(30) of Thomas for 2005: “Yes, like any Orthodox Christian.”

And just like any other person, the patriarch has the right to consult with his confessor. It is hardly appropriate to talk about who exactly is the confessor of this or that person, since this is a deeply personal matter.

How many Orthodox patriarchs are there in the world now?

Before the schism of 1054 and the separation of the Roman Church, the title of patriarch was assigned to five bishops of the Universal Church: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. In the modern Church, the title of patriarch is held by the primates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russian, Georgian (Catholicos-Patriarch), Serbian, Bulgarian and Romanian Churches. It is customary to call the heads of some other Christian non-Orthodox Churches, as well as some Catholic bishops, usually the heads of Uniate Churches, patriarchs.

Magazine "Foma"
October 2007

Alexander Dvorkin

The Orthodox Church does not have a single legal and spiritual head. The Orthodox Church believes in the spiritual equality (according to rank) of all bishops who head their dioceses and decide all general issues jointly. Depending on the importance of the issues, they are decided either by a local or an Ecumenical Council. Local councils are usually presided over by the first hierarch - the bishop (he may bear the title of Archbishop, Metropolitan or Patriarch) of the capital or historically most important city in the country, who is the Primate of the local Church, the first among equal bishops.
Currently, the Orthodox Church consists of 15 local autocephalous churches and three autonomous churches. (Autocephalous is a Local Church that elects its own leader; a Church that enjoys broad self-government is called autonomous).

1. Patriarchate of Constantinople. Primate: His Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch. Residence - Istanbul. Compared to the 10th century, when the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch included 624 dioceses, now it has significantly decreased in size. It includes 4 metropolises in Turkey, Crete and a number of islands of the Aegean archipelago, as well as, purely nominally, the dioceses of Northern Greece and all the canonical dioceses of the Greeks living abroad in Western Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand; a number of Russian, Ukrainian and Carpathian emigrant dioceses; Athos Peninsula, Autonomous Church of Finland. The largest Russian Orthodox grouping in Western Europe, the so-called Paris Archdiocese, or “Eulogian Church” (named after its first primate, Metropolitan Eulogius), also belongs to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Divine services of the fixed circle (i.e., holidays falling on a certain date) in most dioceses included in the Ecumenical Patriarchate are performed according to the Gregorian (new) calendar. The exception is Holy Mount Athos and a number of parishes of the Paris Russian Archdiocese. Liturgical languages: Byzantine Greek and the national languages ​​of the emigrant dioceses.

Autonomous Finnish Orthodox Church. Primate: His Eminence John, Archbishop of Karelian and All Finland. It consists of three dioceses. Liturgical languages: Finnish and Karelian.

2. Patriarchate of Alexandria. Primate: His Beatitude Parthenius III, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Judge of the Universe. Residence - Alexandria Egyptian. The Patriarchate includes 9 metropolitan districts throughout Africa. Active missionary work is carried out in such African countries as Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, etc. Divine services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian calendar. Liturgical languages: Byzantine Greek and the national languages ​​of African peoples converted to Orthodoxy. In South Africa, English and Afrikaans are used along with Greek.

3. Patriarchate of Antioch. Primate: His Beatitude Ignatius IV, Patriarch of Great Antioch and all the East. Residence - Damascus. Its jurisdiction includes 10 metropolises in Syria and Lebanon, as well as dioceses in Iraq, the emigrant metropolitanate of the Americas and emigrant dioceses in Western Europe. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian calendar. Liturgical language: Arabic. In the USA and Western Europe, national languages ​​are used along with Arabic.

4. Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Primate: His Beatitude Diodorus, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine. Residence - Jerusalem. The Patriarchate includes 6 archdioceses. The Patriarch and almost the entire higher hierarchy of the Church of Jerusalem are Greek, while the vast majority of the priesthood and faithful are Arab. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Julian (old) calendar. Liturgical languages: Byzantine Greek and Arabic.

5. Russian Orthodox Church. Primate: His Holiness Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. Residence - Moscow. At the end of 1993, there were 107 archbishops and 19 metropolitans in the Russian Orthodox Church. The canonical territory of the Russian Church also extends to the CIS states. In addition, the Moscow Patriarchate includes several emigrant dioceses in Western and Central Europe and North and South America. The Russian Orthodox Church also includes an autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, headed by His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, and autonomous Japanese Orthodox Church, headed by His Eminence Theodosius, Metropolitan of Tokyo and All Japan. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Julian calendar. Liturgical languages: Church Slavonic and the languages ​​of the peoples converted by Russian missionaries. The Orthodox population of Moldova and the Baltic countries also uses local languages.

6. Georgian Orthodox Church. Primate: His Holiness and Beatitude Ilya P, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. Residence - Tbilisi. Until recently, the Georgian Church consisted of 15 dioceses. Its territory practically coincides with the territory of the Republic of Georgia. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Julian calendar. Liturgical language: Old Georgian. A number of parishes use Church Slavonic, Greek and other languages.

7. Serbian Orthodox Church. Primate: His Holiness Paul, Archbishop of Pecs, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovac, Patriarch of Serbia. Residence - Belgrade. The Church has 28 dioceses, of which 21 are within the former Yugoslavia, and 7 outside its borders: in the USA, Canada, Central and Western Europe and Australia. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Julian calendar. Liturgical languages: Church Slavonic and Serbian. In some parishes in the countries of the diaspora, local languages ​​are also used. Until recently, in the USA there was a “Dionysian” Serbian diocese, which considered itself independent, accused the Serbian Patriarchate of collaborating with the communist authorities and did not have Eucharistic communion with it. Several years ago, reconciliation took place and the “Dionysians” returned to the bosom of the mother Church.

Also, the canonical part of the Serbian Church is the self-proclaimed “ Autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church“. Her decision on autocephaly was not recognized by any of the local Orthodox Churches, which makes concelebration with her hierarchs and priests impossible. However, Orthodox laity are not prohibited from participating in the sacraments of the Macedonian Church. The Primate of the Macedonian Church is the Archbishop of Skopje and All Macedonia. It includes 6 dioceses, one of which consists of Macedonian parishes in the countries of diaspora (the so-called American-Canadian-Australian diocese). Divine services of the fixed circle are performed in Church Slavonic and Macedonian languages.

8. Romanian Orthodox Church. Primate: His Beatitude Theoctistus, Patriarch of All Romania, Vicar of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlachia, Archbishop of Bucharest. Residence - Bucharest. Geographically, the borders of the Romanian Patriarchate practically coincide with the borders of Romania. It is divided into 5 metropolises, which include 12 dioceses. There are also Western European and North American dioceses. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian calendar. Liturgical language: Romanian.

9. Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Primate: His Holiness Maxim, Patriarch of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia. Residence - Sofia. Within the Republic of Bulgaria, the Patriarchate is divided into 11 metropolises (dioceses). There are two dioceses outside Bulgaria: in America and Australia, and separate parishes in Hungary, Romania, and Austria. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian calendar. Liturgical languages: Church Slavonic and Bulgarian.

10. Cypriot Orthodox Church. Primate: His Beatitude Chrysostomos, Archbishop of New Justiniana and all Cyprus. Residence - Nicosia. The boundaries of the Cypriot Church are limited to Fr. Cyprus. Instead of the previous 15 dioceses, the Church of Cyprus today consists of 5 metropolitanates and 1 archdiocese. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian calendar. Liturgical language: Byzantine Greek.

11. Greek Orthodox Church. Primate: His Beatitude Seraphim, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. Residence - Athens. Administratively, the Church is divided into 77 dioceses. The hierarchs are divided into the hierarchs of the Greek Church (metropolises in “Old Greece”) and the hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne (in the so-called “new territories” that became part of Greece at the beginning of the century). Most of the islands of the Aegean and Cretan seas are under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian calendar. Liturgical language: Byzantine Greek.

12. Albanian Orthodox Church. Its borders coincide with the borders of the Albanian state. In the 60s of our century, the Albanian Church consisted of 5 dioceses (4 in Albania and one in the USA). At the end of the 70s, the final eradication of all religious prejudices was announced in Albania. The 1976 Constitution prohibited all religious organizations, religious activities, and propaganda. Only after the fall of the communist regime did the restoration of the Church begin. Its current primate: His Beatitude Anastasios, Metropolitan of Tirana and Durres, Archbishop of All Albania. Residence - Tirana. The services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian calendar. Liturgical languages: Albanian and Byzantine Greek.

13. Orthodox Church in Poland. Primate: His Beatitude Basil, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, his residence is Warsaw. The borders of the metropolis coincide with the borders of the Polish Republic. The church consists of 4 dioceses. Divine services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian (in some parishes according to the Julian) calendar. Liturgical languages: Church Slavonic and Polish.

14. Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Primate: His Beatitude Dorotheos, Metropolitan of Prague and all the Czech Republic and Slovakia, his residence is Prague. The canonical territory of the Church occupies the states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia and is divided into 4 dioceses. Divine services of the fixed circle are performed according to the Gregorian (in a number of parishes according to the Julian) calendar. Liturgical languages: Church Slavonic, Czech and Slovak.

15. Orthodox Church in America. Primate: His Beatitude Theodosius, Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada. Residences - the town of Syosset near New York and Washington. This is the youngest of the local Orthodox Churches. Orthodoxy was brought to American soil by Russian missionaries - Valaam monks who arrived in Alaska in 1794. Since then it has spread to the entire American continent. From the very beginning of its existence, American Orthodoxy has been multiethnic in nature. With the exception of the indigenous peoples of Alaska, converted by Russian missionaries (Aleuts, Eskimos, Tlingit Indians), the Church consisted of emigrants who came to America from all over the Orthodox world: from the Balkan Peninsula, from Syria, Palestine, the eastern provinces of Austria-Hungary, Russia and etc. All of them were united under the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America, which was recognized as legal by all local Orthodox Churches.

The church grew. At the end of the 19th century. a large group of Carpathian Uniate parishes, formed by immigrants from Austria-Hungary, returned to the fold of Orthodoxy. Due to the growing number of Orthodox Christians, the administrative center of the diocese was moved from Novoarkhangelsk (now Sitkha) in Alaska to San Francisco and then to New York.
From the very beginning, the unifying language for all American Orthodox Christians was English. This was noted by Archbishop Tikhon (Belavin, later Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', canonized in 1989), who headed the North American diocese from 1898 to 1907. Under his leadership, liturgical books were translated into English. He also convened the First Church Council of the diocese, which transformed it into the “Russian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church in North America under the jurisdiction of the hierarchy of the Russian Church.” By the beginning of the First World War, the Church had four vicariates: Alaskan, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh and Canada, had 3 missions (Albanian, Syrian, Serbian), a monastery, a theological seminary, charitable institutions, and schools. This fullness of church life in America prompted Archbishop Tikhon to recommend granting the American Church broad autonomy, and then autocephaly.

After the October Revolution in Russia, the connection between American Orthodoxy and the Mother Church was broken. The emigrant Church did not yet have enough funds for independent existence. Many parishes turned to their countries of origin for support. That is why the completely non-canonical “spread” of the Church across ethnic jurisdictions began. In 1921, without the knowledge or canonical consent of the Russian Church, the Greek Archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was established in America. Others followed.

Only after the end of World War II did the reverse process begin, albeit slowly. The Albanian diocese, a large number of Bulgarian parishes, organized into a separate diocese, and Romanian parishes, which also formed a separate diocese, were reunited with the Russian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church. In 1970, the actual independence of the RPGCC was recognized by the Russian Orthodox Church, which granted it autocephaly. Then the Church acquired its current name: the Orthodox Church in America.

Today the OCA has 14 dioceses (including one in South America), a Mexican exarchate and a deanery in Australia. The Church has more than 550 parishes and about a million flocks. The main liturgical language is English. In addition, other languages ​​are used in parishes, depending on the wishes of the parishioners. With the exception of the Diocese of Alaska, where services are celebrated according to the Julian calendar, the Gregorian calendar is used.

Currently, in America there are the following canonical jurisdictions: Greek Archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (up to 600 parishes): OCA; Antioch Archdiocese (about 200 parishes) and smaller ones: Serbian Archdiocese, Romanian Diocese, Bulgarian Diocese, Carpathian Diocese (Ecumenical Patriarchate) and Ukrainian Diocese (Ecumenical Patriarchate). They all have full Eucharistic communion with each other. Everyone recognizes the situation that has historically developed in the countries of the Orthodox diaspora as abnormal and is making joint energetic efforts to restore canonical unity.

In addition, there are a number of non-canonical (i.e., not recognized by any local Orthodox Church) church groups that, for a number of reasons, have fallen away from the fullness of Ecumenical Orthodoxy. Of these, the largest are the following: the so-called. The Autocephalous Ukrainian Church (better known as “Samosvyatsky”), centered in New Jersey, and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (more than 300 parishes around the world, of which no more than 100 are in the USA) centered in New York. In addition, in the USA there are several so-called “Old Calendarist” Greek groups that have all the signs of sectarianism. Both the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Greek “Old Calendarists” believe that only they have preserved Orthodoxy in all its purity, forbid their supporters to take part in the sacraments of other Orthodox Churches and do not allow members of other Orthodox Churches to participate in the sacraments.

16. A special position in the family of Orthodox churches occupies Sinai Church, consisting of one monastery of St. Catherine on the Sinai Peninsula and headed by the Archbishop of Sinai and Raifa. He is elected by the inhabitants of the monastery and consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The monastery enjoys absolute independence in all its internal affairs.

The essentially united Ecumenical Orthodox Church consists of 15 Local Orthodox Churches. Each of the Local Churches has administrative independence (autocephaly) from the others and is headed by its own Primate - a patriarch, archbishop or metropolitan. The head of the entire Universal Church is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fifteen Patriarchates.
Orthodoxy (from Greek, correct judgment) is a direction in Christianity that was formed during the first millennium after the birth of Jesus Christ. The first Orthodox Church is Constantinople. It was founded by the Apostle Andrew around 38 and received the status of an autocephalous Archdiocese in 381. Since 451 it has been a Patriarchate. The first mention of Orthodoxy on the territory of Rus' is mentioned in the “Sermon on Law and Grace” of 1037-1050. The official year of division into Orthodox and Catholic is considered to be 1054.
At the moment, 15 autocephalous churches belong to the patriarchates of the Orthodox Church. One of the most significant, despite the fact that officially they are all equal, is the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). It is the largest of its kind in the world. Its emergence is associated with the Baptism of Rus' in 988. After the decline of Kyiv due to the defeat in 1240. Tatar-Mongols, Metropolitan Maxim of Kiev moved his residence to Vladimir-on-Klyazma, and from 1325. and to this day this honor belongs to Moscow. In terms of the number of believers, the Moscow Patriarchate exceeds all others combined - about 80 million people. In the remaining 14 autocephalous Orthodox churches, the number of believers varies around 50-60 million.
Orthodox Church of Constantinople (Ecumenical Patriarchate). It arose after the emperor moved the capital from Rome to a small city by local standards - Constantinople. One of the first to receive the status of patriarchate of the Orthodox Church. After the occupation by the Turks in 1453, the residence of the patriarch was moved to the city of Phanar. At the moment, parishioners of the Church of Constantinople practice in many countries around the world. Their total number is more than 2 million people.
Alexandria Orthodox Church. It is generally accepted that it was founded by the Apostle Mark around 42 AD. Since 451, the bishop received the title of patriarch. As a result of the schism that occurred at the end of the 5th century, the Coptic Church was formed. The patriarchy of Alexandria spread its influence throughout almost all of Africa. The residence is located in Alexandria. The number of believers is about 7 million people.
Antiochian Orthodox Church. Founded in the 30s AD. the apostles Peter and Paul in Antioch. 18 dioceses located in Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and other countries fall under its jurisdiction. The residence of the Patriarch of Antioch is located in Damascus.
Jerusalem Orthodox Church. According to legend, it was first headed by relatives of Jesus Christ, founded in the 60s. The Apostle James is considered the first bishop. During the Crusade, in the 11th century, the Orthodox Church was under great pressure. The Patriarchs of Jerusalem were forced to leave their residence and ruled from Constantinople. The territories of Israel, Jordan and Palestine fall under jurisdiction. The number of followers is relatively small, at the moment there are no more than 130 thousand people.
Georgian Orthodox Church. One of the oldest Orthodox churches. In 1811 entered the Moscow Patriarchate with the rights of an exarchate. Autocephaly was recognized only in 1943. The territory of Georgia and northern Turkey falls under jurisdiction. The number of believers reaches 4 million people.
Serbian Orthodox Church. The head of the church bears the title Patriarch of Serbia. Received autocephaly in 1219. The number of believers is about 10 million people. Extends its influence to Serbia, Macedonia and Croatia.
Romanian Orthodox Church. In the 3rd century, Christianity was born in Romania. The residence was located in Bucharest, headed by the Romanian Patriarch. In 1885 it officially received autocephaly. It is second only to the Moscow Patriarchate in terms of the number of believers - 16 million people. In addition to Romania, it partially influences Moldova and Ukraine.
Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Christianity appeared on the territory of Bulgaria almost immediately after its birth. In 870, after a four-year dispute with the Roman Church, it achieved autonomy. Only in 1953 was it recognized by the patriarchy. Despite the fact that only the territory of Bulgaria falls under the jurisdiction, the number of believers is about 8 million people.
Cypriot Orthodox Church. Founded by the apostles Paul and Barnabas in 47. At first it was a diocese of the Church of Antioch. Received autocephaly in 431. Due to the Arab yoke and frequent occupations, Orthodoxy in Cyprus has not become widespread; at the moment the number of followers is about 400 thousand people.
Greek Orthodox Church. One of the latest patriarchies. Autocephaly was obtained in 1850. Greece, with its seat in Athens, falls under its jurisdiction. The number of believers does not exceed 8 million people.
The Albanian and Polish Orthodox churches gained autonomy in 1926 and 1921, respectively. The total number of believers is about 1 million people.
Czechoslovakian Orthodox Church. Mass baptism began at the beginning of the 10th century. In 1951 received autocephaly from the Moscow Patriarchate, but only in 1998. was recognized by the Church of Constantinople. The residence is located in Prague, the number of believers does not exceed 200 thousand people.
The last Orthodox Church to receive patriarchy is the Orthodox Church in America. Distributed throughout the USA and Canada. In 1906, its head, Tikhon Belavin, opened the question of assigning autocephaly, but due to his resignation in 1907, the issue was never resolved. This issue was raised again only in 1970. The number of parishioners is about 1 million people.