Greek Orthodox Church | History, Beliefs & Practices

The Greek Orthodox Church has many similar beliefs to other Christian sects such as the study of the Bible as the chief text of the religion, the following of the teachings of Jesus, and the belief in a supreme monotheistic God. That being said, some more specific theological ideas set Greek Christians apart from other churches. The following is a short list of notable beliefs of the Orthodox Church:

• The Ecumenical patriarch is the head of the clergy
• Use of the Deuterocanonical books in the Bible
• The celibacy of priests and deacons only after ordination
• Belief in the Orthodox doctrine of the Trinity
• Belief in Theosis as salvation or afterlife
• The veneration of anyone in Heaven as a saint

The Greek Orthodox Church has developed several practices and traditions over time including traditions in religious services and the observance of holy days. Some of the most important traditions of the religion are religious ceremonies including Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, and Communion. Each of these practices recognizes a different part of someone's life such as Baptism being done during infancy and Chrismation celebrating someone coming of age in their faith. Other traditions are meant to build a sense of community in the Church such as Communion sharing a symbolic meal with the members of the Church.

While originally, there was no division between the Greek and Latin-speaking Christians before the Great Schism, several differences have grown over time as the groups have practiced the faith independently. Some differences are visible such as architecture and art styles that have become popular in Orthodox vs Catholic churches. Since the Catholic Church is centered in Rome, much of the art in western churches reflects popular styles from the late Roman Empire such as sculptures and large fresco murals. Greek churches, on the other hand, have made use of mosaics and icons similar to art from the Byzantine Empire.

The Templon seen here is usually decorated in the same style as icons, with golden backgrounds and images of Christian figures.

Greek churches are often created in a different architectural style than western churches due to different cultural influences that affected their construction. One of the most distinctive features of a Byzantine-style church is the inclusion of a dome often decorated with windows. The interior is often decorated with several icons, mosaics, and murals that might be displayed, on the ceiling, or part of the Templon. Greek religious art is highly important to Orthodoxy, especially icons. Christian icons are depictions of religious themes, events, or figures used in religious services. Due to their deep meaning and importance, icons are usually created under strict conditions, and possession of an icon is meant to be something special which is why many churches will display an icon if they have one.

The Hagia Irene was the only Byzantine church in Istanbul not converted to a Mosque when the Turks conquered the city, allowing us to see a decently preserved Greek church from the time.

The following is a list of famous Greek Orthodox cathedrals that represent excellent examples of the art and architectural style:

• Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens in Athens
• Agios Minas Cathedral in Heraklion
• St Andrew's Cathedral in Patras
• Hagia Irene in Istanbul
• Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Drama
• Saint George's Cathedral in Istanbul

The Cathedral of Saint George is the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and is as such highly decorated inside attracting many pilgrims.

The Greek Orthodox Church is one of the largest Christian sects in the world and is the largest religion in Greece today. It has several similarities with other Christian churches, but they do have some unique elements that make them a distinct sect. One of these elements is that they are led by the Ecumenical patriarch in Istanbul who performs functions in the Greek Orthodox Church similar to the pope in Rome for the Catholic Church. The Greek Church originally split from western Catholic Christianity in 1054 with the Great Schism when the two groups formally excommunicated each other. The Schism followed growing religious and cultural differences that developed over several centuries.

The differences originated in the Seven Ecumenical Councils when early church leaders met to define Christian doctrine as practiced today. During these councils, many could not agree on the structure of the Trinity or the origin of the Holy Spirit, leading to the Latin west using a different version of the Nicene Creed than the Greek east. This creed was written at the first two councils and outlined many basic beliefs of Christianity but the fact that the two groups could not agree on which version to use began sowing discord in the 4th century. This along with other cultural differences led to the creation of the Greek Orthodox Church as a separate sect as seen today.