An ever-growing number of persons from
various backgrounds are becoming interested in the
Orthodox
Church. These individuals are discovering the ancient faith and
rich traditions of the Orthodox Church. They have been attracted
by its mystical vision of God and His Kingdom, by the beauty of
her worship, by the purity of her Christian faith, and by her
continuity with the past. These are only some of the treasures
of the Church which has a history reaching back to the time of
the Apostles.
In our Western Hemisphere, the Orthodox
Church has been developing into a valuable presence and
distinctive witness for more than two hundred years. The first
Greek Orthodox arrived in the New World in 1768, establishing a
colony near the present city of St. Augustine, Florida. One of
the original buildings in which these immigrants gathered for
religious services is still standing. It has recently been
transformed into St. Photius' Shrine by the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese. The Shrine, named in memory of a great missionary
of the Orthodox Church, honors those first Orthodox immigrants.
The chapel serves as a national religious landmark, bearing
witness to the presence of Orthodoxy in America from the
earliest days of its history. The next group of Orthodox
Christians to emerge on the American Continent were the Russian
fur traders in the Aleutian Islands. They, too, made a great
contribution.
The Orthodox Church in this country owes
its origin to the devotion of so many immigrants from lands such
as Greece, Russia, the Middle East, and the Balkans. In the
great wave of immigrations in the 19th and 20th centuries,
Orthodox Christians from many lands and cultures came to America
in search of freedom and opportunity. Like the first Apostles,
they carried with them a precious heritage and gift. To the New
World they brought the ancient faith of the Orthodox Church.
Many Orthodox Christians in America
proudly trace their ancestry to the lands and cultures of Europe
and Asia, but the Orthodox Church in the United States can no
longer be seen as an immigrant Church. While the Orthodox Church
contains individuals from numerous ethnic and cultural
backgrounds, the majority of her membership is composed of
persons who have been born in America. In recognition of this.
Orthodoxy has been formally acknowledged as one of the Four
Major Faiths in the United States. Following the practice of the
Early Church, Orthodoxy treasures the various cultures of its
people; but it is not bound to any particular culture or people.
The Orthodox Church welcomes all!
There are about 5 million Orthodox
Christians in this country. They are grouped into nearly a dozen
ecclesiastical jurisdictions. The largest is the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America, which has about 500 parishes throughout
the United States. Undoubtedly, the Primate of the Archdiocese,
His Eminence Archbishop lakovos, has been chiefly responsible
for acquainting many non-Orthodox with the treasures of
Orthodoxy. His selfless ministry, which has spanned more than
thirty years, has been one of devotion and vision filled with an
appreciation of his Hellenic background and guided by a spirit
of ecumenism, Archbishop lakovos has recognized the universal
dimension of Orthodoxy. Hellas acted decisively to make this
ancient faith of the Apostles and Martyrs a powerful witness in
contemporary America.
EASTERN CHRISTIANITY
The Orthodox Church embodies and
expresses the rich spiritual treasures of Eastern Christianity.
It should not be forgotten that the Gospel of Christ was first
preached and the First Christian communities were established in
the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It was in these
eastern regions of the old Roman Empire that the Christian faith
matured in its struggle against paganism and heresy. There, the
great Fathers lived and taught. It was in the cities of the East
that the fundamentals of our faith were proclaimed at the Seven
Ecumenical Councils.
The spirit of Christianity which was
nurtured in the East had a particular favor. It was distinct,
though not necessarily opposed, to that which developed in the
Western portion of the Roman Empire and subsequent Medieval
Kingdoms in the West. While Christianity in the West developed
in lands which knew the legal and moral philosophy of Ancient
Rome, Eastern Christianity developed in lands which knew the
Semitic and Hellenistic cultures. While the West was concerned
with the Passion of Christ and the sin of man, the East
emphasized the Resurrection of Christ and the deification of
man. While the West leaned toward a legalistic view of religion,
the East espoused a more mystical theology. Since the Early
Church was not monolithic, the two great traditions existed
together for more than a thousand years until the Great Schism
divided the Church. Today, Roman Catholics and Protestants are
heirs to the Western tradition, and the Orthodox are heirs to
the Eastern tradition.
ORTHODOX
Christians of the Eastern Churches call
themselves Orthodox. This description comes to us from the fifth
century and has two meanings which are closely related. The
first definition means true teaching. The Orthodox Church
believes that she has maintained and handed down the Christian
faith, free from error and distortion from the days of the
Apostles. The second definition, which is actually the more
preferred, means true praise. To bless, praise, and glorify God
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--is the fundamental purpose of the
Church. All her activities, even her doctrinal formulations, are
directed toward this goal.
Occasionally, the word Catholic is also
used to describe the Orthodox Church. This description dating
back to the second century, is embodied in the Nicene Creed
which acknowledges One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
From the Orthodox perspective, Catholic means that the Church is
universal and also that she includes persons of all races and
cultures. It also affirms that the Church has preserved the
fullness of the Christian faith.
It is not unusual for titles such as
Greek, Russian and Antiochian to be used in describing Orthodox
Churches. These appellations refer to the cultural or national
roots of a particular parish, diocese, or archdiocese.
DIVERSITY IN UNITY
The Orthodox Church is an international
federation of patriarchal, autocephalous and autonomous
churches. Each church is independent in her internal
organization and follows her own particular customs. However,
all the churches are united in the same faith and order. The
Orthodox Church acknowledges that unity does not mean
uniformity. Some churches are rich in history, such as the
Church of Constantinople, while others are relatively young,
such as the Church of Finland. Some are large, such as the
Church of Russia, while others are small, such as the Church of
Sinai. Each Church is led by a synod of bishops. The president
of the synod is known as the Patriarch, Archbishop,
Metropolitan, or Catholicos. Among the various bishops, the
Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is accorded a "place of
honor" and is regarded as "first among equals." In America and
Western Europe, where Orthodoxy is relatively young, there are a
number of dioceses and archdioceses which are directly linked to
one of these autocephalous Churches. For example, the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese is under the care of the Patriarchate of
Constantinople. While the Archdiocese enjoys a good measure of
internal autonomy and is headed by an Archbishop, it owes its
spiritual allegiance to the Church of Constantinople.
TREASURES OF ORTHODOXY is a series of
pamphlets written for the non-Orthodox, especially those who are
considering becoming members of the Orthodox Church and who wish
to deepen their appreciation of her faith, worship and
traditions. The pamphlets are authored by Fr. Thomas Fitzgerald,
a faculty member of Hellenic College-Holy Cross School of
Theology. The pamphlet titles are as follows:
- INTRODUCTION - Introduces the non Orthodox to
Orthodox Christianity.
-
HOUSE OF GOD - Describes the interior of the church
building.
-
WORSHIP - Discusses the form and characteristics of
Orthodox worship.
-
LITURGY - Describes the meaning and celebration of
the Eucharist.
-
SACRAMENTS - Describes the meaning and importance of
liturgical life.
-
SPECIAL SERVICES AND BLESSINGS - Describes the
non-sacramental services which contribute to spiritual
life.
-
TEACHINGS - Outlines the salient points of doctrine
and basic credal affirmations.
-
SPIRITUALITY - Discusses the meaning of theosis as
the goal of Christian life.
-
HISTORY - Sketches the great epochs of Orthodoxy.
-
THE CHURCH - Outlines the procedure for becoming a
member of the Orthodox Church.
Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald
