Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Eastern Orthodox Christianity, or the Orthodox Catholic Church, is one of the three major branches of Christianity and the world's second largest Christian communion. Eastern Orthodoxy is the majority religious affiliation in Russia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Cyprus and is a significant minority in numerous countries throughout the world. The Eastern Orthodox community is not a single ecclesiastical institution but actually a communion of independent churches that remain united through common theological beliefs and worship practices. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople holds a preeminence of honor among all Orthodox bishops but has no administrative authority outside of his patriarchate, nor is he believed to possess doctrinal infallibility. The Orthodox Church has grown considerably since the fall of communism ...