Autocephaly

AUTOCEPHALY (Gr. autokephalos: ‘autonomous with regard to patriarchal jurisdiction’(Lampe)) A system of ecclesiastical administration proper to Orthodox Churches following norms of Byzantine civil administration. This system (applied for the first time to the Church of *Cyprus by the Council of *Ephesus, c. 8) was drawn up in the 19th and 20th centuries in the Orthodox Churches of the Balkan peninsula and Central and Eastern Europe which had been under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (*Patriarchate, Ecumenical) Juridical autocephaly of these Churches followed upon national independence, granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate through a °tome (patriarchal act of canonical erection) with patriarchal, archiepiscopal or metropolitan status. In accordance with Orthodox *ecclesiology, whereby ecumenical *councils have supreme authority, A. guarantees each national Church full internal administrative autonomy under the direction of a *patriarch, archbishop or *metropolitan as well as the ability to choose its own bishops, including the patriarch, archbishop or metropolitan who heads the Church. Their unity with other Orthodox Christians is expressed in the eucharistic celebration, the enrolment of the heads of the other Churches in the *diptychs, and in °Pan-Orthodox assemblies. The Patriarchate of Constantinople holds the first place in order and in honour among all the patriarchates and autocephalous Churches (*Metropolitan Churches sui iuris) Historically, A. has its roots in the *pentarchy (Gr. pente: ‘five’ and archē: ‘power’) which *Justinian I (r.

527–565) established in the Church, granting autonomy to the archbishoprics of Rome (*Primacy), *Constantinople, *Alexandria, *Antioch and *Jerusalem under the title of ‘Most holy Patriarchs of the Oikumene’ (Novels) In the case of serious disagreements amongst them the emperor was to convoke an ecumenical council. The order envisioned by the pentarchy suffered its first reversal when the Churches which did not accept the Councils of *Ephesus (431) and of *Chalcedon (451) broke away. Later, the division of the empire with the crowning of Charlemagne (800) rendered the imperial role as coordinator for the whole Church impossible. After the Investiture struggle the West assigned this role to the bishop of Rome. In the East, it died out completely with the capture of Constantinople by the Turks (1453) In 1589 *Jeremiah II raised the Moscow metropolitan to the rank of patriarch, and at two synods (1590 and 1593) the Constantinopolitan patriarchs proclaimed him their equal in rank. In the course of time further archbishoprics of regional Churches were set on a par with the old patriarchates, governing their Churches independently. Currently, fourteen autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox Churches are officially recognized in the Orthodox Church. There are also Churches concerning whose status there is no consensus, since the canon law which applies is unclear. Some are of the opinion that the decision of an ecumenical council is required, others that the Ecumenical Patriarchate can decide together with the other churches. The Pan-Orthodox Conferences are at present discussing the matter. The centralization of the Catholic Church under the pope and the subdivision of the Orthodox Church into independent Churches is considered by some as an ‘either/or’ alternative.

however, the view is emerging to-day that the Church must testify to three levels of unity: the local, regional and universal Church (*Communion) In the Pan-Orthodox Movement the Orthodox Churches seek a clearer Orthodox unity; and *Vatican II endeavoured to give more importance to regional Churches. On the basis of their own historical experience these Churches can help each other to resolve this question. Today these autocephalous Orthodox Churches include the four ancient Eastern Patriarchates (*Constantinople, *Alexandria (*Alexandria, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of), *Antioch (*Antioch, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of), and *Jerusalem (*Jerusalem, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of), and ten other Orthodox Churches that have emerged over the centuries in Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Albania and the Czech and Slovak Republics. On its own initiative, the Patriarchate of Moscow has granted autocephalous status to most of its parishes in North America under the name of the Orthodox Church in *America. But since the Patriarchate of Constantinople claims the exclusive right to grant autocephalous status, it and most other Orthodox Churches do not recognize the autocephaly of the American Church. Nine of these autocephalous Churches are Patriarchates: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia (*Russian Orthodox Church), Serbia (*Serbia, Orthodox Church of), Romania (*Romanian Orthodox Church), Bulgaria (*Bulgarian Orthodox Church) and Georgia (*Georgian Orthodox Church) The others are headed by an archbishop or metropolitan. n. Milash, Das Kirchenrecht der morgenländischen Kirche, Mostar 1905, 297–351; E. Chrysos, ‘Zur Entstehung der Institution der autokephalen Erzbistümer’, BZ 62 (1969) 263–286; C.

Papastathis, ‘Aspects de l’autocéphalie au sein de l’Eglise Orthodoxe’, Trabajos de la XII Semana de Derecho Canonico, Salamanca 1969, 299–302; J. Erickson, ‘Autocephaly in Orthodox Canonical Literature to the Thirteenth Century’, St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 15 (1971) 28–41; Maloney; A. Schmemann, The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy, Crestwood NY 1977; K. C. Felmy, ‘Autokephalie’, TRE 5 (1980) 1–4; C. G. Fürst, ‘Einige griechische Stimmen zur Autokephalie’, B. Plank, ‘Orthodoxe Aussagen zur Autokephalie in westlichen Veröffentlichungen seit 1961’, OKS 30 (1981) 216–231, 288–302; J. M. hussey, The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire, Oxford 1986; h. D. Döpmann, Die orthodoxen Kirchen, Berlin 1991, 55–110; D. Papandreou, ‘Die orthodoxe Diaspora: Kriterien und Vorschläge für eine notwendige Neuordnung’, Una Sancta 46 (1991) 263–271; A Patristic Greek Lexicon, G. W. h. Lampe (ed.), Oxford 1995, 270; E. C. Suttner, Die Ostkirchen, Würzburg 2000; G. Nedungatt, ‘Churches sui iuris and Rites’, Nedungatt, 99–128; J. Binns, An Introduction to the Christian Orthodox Churches, Cambridge UK 2002; L. Nemec et al., ‘Autocephaly’, NCE2 1:924. C. Suttner, D. ‡Salachas, R. Roberson.

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Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Christian East

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