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What is “Orthodox Christianity”?
From “A Short History of
the Holy Trinity Monastery,” Jordanville, N.Y. 1972.
Orthodox
Christianity is the Church just as it came out of the hands of Christ,
and just as the holy Apostles handed it down to us: pure, undefiled,
and unadulterated.
Over
two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came
to earth and founded the Church through His Apostles and
disciples for the salvation of men. The teachings of the
Apostles and the Church spread far in the years which
followed; many Churches were founded, but all were united
in faith, worship and the partaking of the sacraments.
To
the group of Churches founded by the Apostles themselves
belong the five Patriarchates of Constantinople,
Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and Rome. The Church of
Constantinople was founded by Saint Andrew, the Church of
Alexandria by Saint Mark, the Church of Antioch by Saint
Paul, the Church of Jerusalem by Saint Peter and Saint
James, and the Church of Rome by Saint Peter and Saint
Paul. Those founded in later years through missionary
activity of the first Churches were the Churches of Sinai,
Russia, Greece, Romania and many more.
All
of these churches are independent in their administration,
yet they are in full communion with one another with the
exception of the Church of Rome which separated in the
year AD 1054. In faith, doctrine, Apostolic tradition,
sacraments, liturgies and services they are exactly alike.
Regardless of the language of each, they exist in
fellowship and together constitute and call themselves the
Orthodox Church.
The
teachings of the Church are derived from two sources: Holy
Scripture and Sacred Tradition, which complement each
other. As written in the Gospel of Saint John, “and
there are also many other things which Jesus did, the
which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that
even the world could not contain the books that should be
written.” These unwritten teachings were transmitted
orally by the Apostles and come down to us in Sacred
Tradition.
The
faith and doctrines of the Church can be found in the
Scriptures, the writings of the Church Fathers and in the
canons and decrees of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly God, the
Saviour, and the Son begotten of the same substance of the
Father before all ages. He is also true man, like us in
all respects except sin. We believe that the Holy Spirit
proceeds from the Father, this being confirmed by the
Second Ecumenical Council in the words used in the Symbol
of Faith, “And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord,
the Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father...”
The
Orthodox worship God in Trinity, and honor and venerate
the Saints and ask their intercession before God. Of the
Saints, the Mother of God holds a special place because of
the supreme grace and call she received from God.
According to the canons of the Seventh Ecumenical Council,
we venerate the sacred icons and relics not in themselves,
but as representations of God and the Saints.
We
recognize seven Sacraments: Baptism, Chrismation, Holy
Eucharist, Confession, Ordination, Marriage and Holy
Unction.
Baptism
and Chrismation (Confirmation) are the means of entrance
for the Christian into the Church. For without dying to
the old man and putting on the new in Baptism, we cannot
receive the inheritance of the Kingdom which Christ
restored to us. With Chrismation, we receive the Gift of
the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit of God in the form of a
Dove alighted on Christ, we receive Him in the Holy
Chrism, becoming partakers in the fulness of Christ.
In
the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we partake of the
true Body and Blood of Christ, in the form of bread and
wine, for the remission of sins and for life eternal. As
it is written, “Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink of His blood ye have no life in you.”
In
confession we receive forgiveness of the sins we commit
after Baptism if we truly repent of them.
The
foregoing four sacraments are essential for the life of
all Christians.
Infirmities
of the body and soul are healed through the
sacrament of Holy Unction.
Divine
grace sanctifies the union of two people, a man and a
woman, in Matrimony as Christ blessed the wedding at Cana
by His presence and the performance of His first miracle.
By
the laying-on of hands of a canonical Bishop, divine grace
descends on him who is being ordained. This basic
sacrament has provided uninterrupted succession to
Orthodox clergy from the Holy Apostles and the
establishment of the Church on the day of Pentecost.
These,
briefly, are some characteristics of the Orthodox Church.
The Church is one because our Lord Jesus Christ founded
only one Church. It is holy through the sanctification of
its Founder and Head, Jesus Christ and the operation of
the Holy Spirit. It is catholic because it is universal,
and knows no limitations of place or time. It is apostolic
because it was founded by the Holy Apostles. This is the
Orthodox Church-the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church.
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Orthodox Church in America,
Diocese of the West
