Greek Orthodox Church

Contrary to common belief, the Greek Orthodox Church has reached much farther than Greece. There is an Archdiocese in America that was founded in 1864 in New York City. The church even extends to countries like Australia, Turkey and Egypt.

After the Great schism of Christianity in 1450 the church was divided into the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. When the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottomans in 1453 the Greek branch of the Eastern Orthodox Church became very powerful. The patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, or religious administrative ruler, was in charge of the entire eastern orthodox assembly in the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. After essential control of the Eastern Orthodox Church transferred back to Constantinople, the Church of Greece continued to hold a significant role in the church, and continues to today.

Still one of the dominant branches of the Eastern Orthodox religion, Greek Orthodox continues to spread. The sermons are given in Koine Greek or “common” Greek, which is an old dialect of the Greek language. Koine Greek was also the original language of the New Testament in the Bible. The clergy was mainly Greek in origin, until Antioch was no longer under Greek control in 1899.

This branch of Eastern Orthodox Church has many of the same beliefs as the Roman Catholic Church. One difference is the belief in icons. The Greek Church believes that icons are not to be idolicized or worshiped. They are merely symbols. They also use symbolism in their church architecture. There is a religious reasoning for every church that is built.