Middle East Information Resource
Religions/Belief Systems - Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the eastern branch of the official, main body of the Church of early Hellenistic and Byzantine Christianity, separated since 1054 from the Western, Catholic Church centered in Rome. The main Greek Orthodox communities are in Russia, Greece, the Balkans and Cyprus, and in the European and American diasporas.
The Greek Orthodox Church has no overall head, but rather an `autocephalous`, i.e., autonomous, Patriarchates. In the Middle East there are four: Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. One of the most central religious buildings for Christianity (and Judaism and to some extent, Islam) is maintained by the Greek Orthodox, the monastery below Mount Sinai. It is said to be the place where Moses received the covenant.
The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem is headed by Patriarch Diodoros I. The 4th Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451 granted this church the status of `independent Church`. It became known as the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It has jurisdiction in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian areas. Church services are held in Arabic and partly in Greek.
The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria and all Africa is headed by Petros VII Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa. The Church is governed by the Patriarch together with the Synod. It recognizes the right of its members to worship in their own language. Therefore, liturgy is celebrated in Greek in Greek Churches and in Arabic in Egyptian Churches.
Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus is headed by Archbishop Chrysostomos. The Church was established by the Apostles Paul and Barnabas in the year A.D. 45. It has been autocephalous since its founding.
The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East is headed by Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim. The Patriarchate was born in the town where the term `Christians` was invented. Because of wars and political changes, in the 16th century, the See was transferred to Damascus.
Until the end of the nineteenth century, the four Patriarchs and their senior clergy were priests of Greek origin, even though the majority of Church membership in the patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem was Arab. However, the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Antioch, in Damascus, has been entirely Syrian and Lebanese Arabs since 1899. The liturgical language was originally Greek, but is now primarily Arabic. In the Patriarchate of Jerusalem the Greek character of the senior hierarchy has been maintained, and the Arab Greek Orthodox community and some of the clergy struggled for many years to reduce the Greek character of their church.
The Greek Orthodox have been firmly integrated and active in Arab national movements, in contrast to other Christian groups in the Middle East. The Maronite community for instance has exhibited distinctly separatist tendencies.