The Patriarchate of Constantinople again, at least
nominally, became independent after World War I and the rise of modern, secular
Turkey, although greatly reduced in size. At present the Patriarch's
jurisdiction includes Turkey, the island of Crete and other islands in the
Aegean, the Greeks and certain other national groups in the Dispersion (the
Diaspora) in Europe, America, Australia, etc. as well as the monastic republic
of Mt. Athos and the autonomous Church of Finland. The present position of the
Patriarchate in Turkey is precarious, persecution still exists there, and only
a few thousand Greek Orthodox still remain in Turkey.
Mount
Athos
Located on a small peninsula jutting out into the
Aegean Sea from the Greek mainland near Thessalonica, Mt. Athos is a monastic
republic consisting of twenty ruling monasteries, the oldest (Great Lavra)
dating to the beginning of the 11th Century, as well as numerous other
settlements sketes, kellia, hermitages, etc. Of the twenty ruling monasteries,
seventeen are Greek, one Russian, one Serbian, and one Bulgarian. (One, Iveron,
was originally founded as a Georgian monastery, but now is Greek.) Perhaps
1,500 Monks are presently on the Mountain, a dramatic decline from the turn of
the Century when, in 1903, for example, there were over 7,000 Monks there. This
is due, in great part, to the halt of vocations from the Communist countries,
as well as to a general decline in monastic vocations worldwide. However, there
appears to be a revival of monastic life there, particularly at the monasteries
of Simonopetra, Dionysiou, Grigoriou, Stavronikita, and Philotheou, and two
Monks have shone as spiritual lights there in this Century - the Elder Silouan
( 1938) of St. Panteleimon's Russian Monastery and the Elder Joseph ( 1959) of
the New Skete.
Finland
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Alexandria
One of the original ancient Patriarchates, since the
Monophysite Schism after the Council of Chalcedon (451), the numbers of the
faithful of the Patriarchate of Alexandria have remained small approximately
300,000 faithful in Africa, most of whom are non-Greek Christians in Central
Africa (primarily Kenya and Uganda). The rapid expansion of Orthodoxy in
Central Africa in this Century has been most remarkable since it sprang up
without benefit of Orthodox missionaries, and the Orthodox Church of this region
promises to become an important force in the life of the Alexandrian
Patriarchate.
Antioch
Like Alexandria, the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch
was severely decimated by the Monophysite Schism and Turkish depredations, and
now numbers some 500,000 faithful in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as an
emigrant population in America. Its Patriarch, who lives in Damascus, is an
Arab, as are most of the clergy, and the bulk of its faithful are Arabic and
Arabic-speaking, its liturgical services being celebrated in that language.
Jerusalem
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Russia
Since the Russian Revolution, the Church of Russia has
been severely persecuted by the atheist state and the numbers of her faithful,
clergy and institutions have been drastically reduced. In 1914, there were
officially 54,457 churches, 57,105 Priests, 1,498 monasteries and convents, 4
theological academies, 57 theological seminaries, and 40,150 religious schools,
with perhaps 100,000,000 faithful. By 1947, the figures read: 22-25,000
churches, 33,000 Priests, 80 monasteries and convents, 2 theological academies,
8 theological seminaries, and no other religious schools. (This was after a
certain liberalization following World War II!) At the present time there are
perhaps 30,000,000 active Orthodox Christians. By 1966, after renewed
persecution, only 3 seminaries were still functioning and by the 1970's, only
12 monasteries and convents were open, as well as about 7,000 churches.
Nonetheless, Orthodoxy is still alive in Russia, and, despite reduced
membership figures, this Church remains the largest in the Orthodox world.
Georgia
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Serbia
With the gradual crumbling of the Ottoman Empire in
the 19th Century, the Serbian Church received her independence again in 1879.
This Church has fared better than some in the Communist bloc, but many of the
problems common to the Churches there (diminished ranks of clergy, closing of
churches, etc.) are found here also. There are large numbers of Orthodox
Serbians in the Dispersion, many of whom are to be found in America, Australia
and Canada. The primate of the Serbian Church is the Patriarch, who lives in Belgrade.
Romania
As in the other Balkan countries, with the
independence movement of the 19th Century, the Church of Romania received her
independence. The nation became a Principality in 1856, and its Church was
organized in 1864. Romania became an independent Kingdom in 1881, and the
autocephaly of her Church was finally recognized in 1885 by Patriarch Joachim
IV of Constantinople. In 1925, the Church of Romania became a Patriarchate,
whose Patriarch lives in Bucharest. In numbers of Orthodox faithful, this
Church is the second largest in world Orthodoxy, and the persecution by the
atheists has not been as severe as in other Communist countries.
Bulgaria
With the conquest of the Balkans by the Turks, the
ancient Bulgarian Patriarchal See of Trnovo was suppressed and the Bulgarian
Church was placed under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople. On
April 3, 1860, however, Bishop Hilarion openly declared independence from
Constantinople by omitting the Patriarch's name at the Divine Liturgy, and on
March 11, 1870, the Turkish Government recognized a Bulgarian Exarchate in
Constantinople. In 1872, the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated the
Bulgarian Church, but the de-facto autocephaly of this Church was finally
recognized in 1945. As in Romania, the persecution of the Church has not been
as severe as, for example, in Russia, but monasticism is in decline and there
are few young Monks. Generally, Church life is more active, however, than in
Yugoslavia with its more liberal policies.
Cyprus
This ancient Church has been independent since the
Council of Ephesus (431) and, although suffering under the Turkish yoke, is
still strong with over 700 Priests and over 400,000 faithful. For a time, the
Turkish system, whereby the primate of the Church was also the political leader
of the Greek population, was continued after the liberation of the country in
1878, which explains the role played by the late Archbishop Makarios, who ruled
Cyprus as President, as well as being the primate of her Church.
Greece
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Albania
Christianized by both Greek and Latin missionaries,
Albania, part of ancient Illyricum, had both Latin and Greek rite Christians,
with close ties both to Rome and Constantinople, until the Turkish conquest of 1478-9, when half the
population became Moslem and a small minority remained Christian Latin in the
North and Orthodox in the South. On November 28, 1912, Albania declared its
independence from Turkey, and on October 26, 1922, a Church Council at Berat
declared the Church of Albania independent of Constantinople, which was finally
recognized by that Hierarch on April 12,1937. After World War II, with the
seizure of power by the Communists, the Church has suffered terribly, her
clergy forbidden to conduct services, as the regime has officially declared
religion to be dead in Albania. Since the death of the last Primate, Damian,
the primal See of Tirane remains vacant.
Poland
The Church of Poland has been autocephalous since
1924, although this independence has not been recognized by Constantinople.
Consisting primarily of Orthodox Christians from Western Byelorussia, which was
added to Poland's territory after World War II, this Church is headed by a Metropolitan
who lives in Warsaw.
Czechoslovakia
The Church of Czechoslovakia has been autocephalous
since 1951, although, A as in the case of Poland, this has not been recognized
by the Patriarch of Constantinople. The Czechoslovak Church is composed,
primarily, of former Uniates, who were forcibly joined to the Orthodox Church
by the Communists in 1950 (many returned to Roman Catholicism in 1968). The
Church is headed by a Metropolitan who lives in Prague.
Sinai
The ancient Church of Sinai, which is actually an
autonomous Church consisting of a single monastery, St. Catherine's, at the
foot of Mt. Sinai the Mountain of Moses. The Abbot of this Monastery is always
an Archbishop, elected by the Monks of the Monastery , although he is
consecrated by the Patriarch of Alexandria and lives in Cairo. The Monastery,
at the present, consists of only a few Monks, most of whom are very old.
Japan
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Source: http://myocn.net/eucharist-meaning-place-salvation/
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