The Eastern Orthodox Church (i.e. Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, etc.) is the modern name commonly applied to the ancient, theologically
unified, multinational Christian communion that views
itself as:
- The historical, unbroken continuation of the original Christian community
established by Jesus Christ, the Twelve Apostles, and St. Paul, having preserved the apostolic traditions handed down to them, and having
maintained unbroken the link between its clergy and the Apostles by means of Apostolic
Succession.
- The ecclesial communion which has never fallen into error nor deviated from the beliefs and traditions of the original
Christian body, but rather has gone to great lengths to preserve them for future generations. All theological concepts, all
explanations and expansions are compared to and validated by the original core beliefs; no deviation is allowed.
- The Christian body which most closely adheres to the canons of the first seven
ecumenical councils held between the 4th and the 8th centuries.
Note: Within this article, the terms Greek Orthodox, Antiochian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, The
Church, The Orthodox Church, and The Byzantine Church, all refer to a single entity, what is today commonly
called the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Organization and leadership
-
The Orthodox Church considers Jesus Christ to be the head of the Church, and the Church to be
his body. It is believed that authority and the Grace of God is directly passed down to
Orthodox bishops and clergy through the laying on of hands—a
practice started by the apostles, and that this unbroken historical and physical link is an essential element of the true church.
Each bishop has a territory (see) over which he governs. His main duty is to make sure the
traditions and practices of the Church remain inviolate. Bishops are equal in authority and cannot interfere in each others'
territory. Administratively, these bishops and their territories are organized into various autocephalous groups or synods of bishops who
gather together at least twice a year to discuss the state of affairs within their respective sees. While bishops and their
autocephalous synods have the ability to administer guidance in individual cases, their actions do not usually set precedents
that affect the entire church. There have been, however, a number of times when heretical ideas arose to challenge the Orthodox
faith and it was necessary to convene a general or "Great" council of all available
bishops. The Church considers the first seven councils (held between the 4th and the 8th century) to be the most important,
however, there have been more, specifically the Synods of Constantinople, 879-880, 1341,
1347, & 1351, 1583, 1819, and 1872, the Synod of Iaşi (Jassy), 1642, and the Pan-Orthodox Synod
of Jerusalem, 1672, all of which helped to define the Orthodox position. These
councils did not create the doctrines of the church but rather compared the new ideas to the traditional beliefs of the Church.
Ideas that were not supported by the traditions of the church were deemed heresy and expunged from the church. The ecumenical
councils followed a democratic form with each bishop having one vote. Though present and allowed to speak before the council,
members of the Imperial Roman/Byzantine court, abbots, priests, monks and laymen were not allowed to vote. The bishop of the old
Roman capital, the Pope of Rome, though not present at all of the councils, was considered to be president of the council and
thus called “First Among Equals” until the great schism of 1054. One of the decisions made by the second council and supported by
later councils was that the bishop of Constantinople, since Constantinople was the New Rome, should be given the honor of second
in rank. Later, because of the split with Rome, the honor of presiding over these general councils was transferred to the
Patriarch of Constantinople
who was also given the title, "First Among Equals", reflecting both his administrative leadership and his spiritual equality. He
is not, however, considered to be the head or leader of the church. (See also History of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Orthodox Church organization.)
Number of adherents
Based on the numbers of adherents, Eastern Orthodoxy is the second largest Christian communion in the world after the
Roman Catholic Church.[1] The most common estimates of the number of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide range between
150-350 million individuals.[2] Eastern Orthodoxy is the
largest single religious faith in Belarus (89%), Bulgaria (86%), Republic of Cyprus (88%), Georgia (89%), Greece (98%), the Republic of Macedonia (70%), Moldova (98%), Montenegro (84%), Romania (89%), Russia
(63%), Serbia (88%), and Ukraine (83%).[3] The number of Eastern Orthodox adherents represents about 31%
of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the dominant religion in northern
Kazakhstan, it represents 48% of the Kazakhstan
population. In addition, there are also significant Orthodox communities in Africa,
Asia, Australia, North
America, and South America.
Beliefs
-
Trinity
Orthodox Christians believe in a God who is both three and one (triune). The
Father is the cause or origin of the Godhead, from whom the Son is begotten eternally and also from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally. The Holy Trinity is three, distinct, divine
persons (hypostases), without overlap or modality among them, who share one divine essence
(ousia)—uncreated, immaterial and eternal.[4] Orthodox doctrine regarding the Holy Trinity is summarized in the
Symbol of Faith.[5]
In discussing God's relationship to his creation, Orthodoxy used the concept of a distinction between God's eternal essence which is totally transcendent and his
uncreated energies which is how he reaches us. It is also necessary to understand that this is an artificial distinction,
not a real one. The God who is transcendent and the God who touches us are one and the same[6]
Sin, salvation and the incarnation
Human nature, before the fall of man, was pure and innocent. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they introduced a
new element into human nature (i.e. sin and corruption). This new state prevented man from participation in the Kingdom of Heaven. When God became incarnate on
Earth, he changed human nature by uniting the human and the Divine; for this Christ is often called "The New Adam". By his
participation in human life, death, and resurrection he sanctified the means whereby we could be restored to our original purity
and regain heaven. This is what the Orthodox call salvation from the fate of hell. Christ’s salvific act worked retroactively
back to the beginning of time thus saving all the righteous people who went to hell, including Adam and Eve.
Resurrection
The Resurrection of Christ is the central event in the
liturgical year of the Orthodox Church and is understood in literal
terms as a real historical event. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified and died, descended into Hell, rescued all the souls held there through sin; and then, because Hell could not restrain the infinite God,
rose from the dead, thus saving all mankind. Through these events, he released mankind from the bonds of Hell and then came back
to the living as man and God. That each individual human may partake of this immortality, which would have been impossible
without the Resurrection, is the main promise held out by God in his New Testament with
mankind, according to Orthodox Christian tradition.
Every holy day of the Orthodox liturgical year relates to the Resurrection directly or indirectly. Every Sunday of the year is
dedicated to celebrating the Resurrection. In the liturgical commemorations of the Passion of Christ during Holy Week there are frequent
allusions to the ultimate victory at its completion.
Bible, holy tradition, and the patristic consensus
The Orthodox Church considers itself to be the historical and organic continuation of the original Church founded by Christ
and His apostles.[7] The faith taught by Jesus to the
apostles, given life by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and
passed down to future generations uncorrupted, is known as Holy Tradition.[8] The primary and authoritative witness to Holy Tradition is
the Bible, texts written or approved by the apostles to record revealed truth and the early
history of the Church. Because of the Bible's inspired origin, it is regarded as central to the life of the Church.
The Bible is always interpreted within the context of Holy Tradition, which gave birth to it and canonized it. Orthodox
Christians maintain that belief in a doctrine of sola scriptura would be to take
the Bible out of the world in which it arose. Orthodox Christians therefore believe that the only way to understand the Bible
correctly is within the Orthodox Church.[9]
Other witnesses to Holy Tradition include the liturgy of the Church, its iconography, the
rulings of the Ecumenical councils, and the writings of the Church Fathers. From the consensus of the Fathers (consensus patrum) one may enter more deeply and
understand more fully the Church's life. Individual Fathers are not looked upon as infallible, but rather the whole consensus of
them together will give one a proper understanding of the Bible and Christian doctrine.[10]
The Theotokos and the Saints
The Eastern Orthodox Church believes that death and the separation of body and soul to be unnatural; a result of man’s fall.
They also feel that the congregation of the Church comprises both the living and the dead. All members of the Church who are in
heaven are considered to be Saints, whether their names are known or not. There are, however,
those saints of distinction whom God has revealed to us as particularly good examples for us to learn from either their teachings
or their lives. When a Saint is revealed and ultimately recognized by a large portion of the Church a service of official
recognition (glorification) is celebrated for the saint. This does not “make” the person a
saint, it merely recognizes him and announces it to the rest of the Church. A day is prescribed for the saint’s celebration,
hymns are composed, and icons are created. Numerous saints are celebrated on each day of the year. They are venerated (shown
great respect and love) but not worshiped, for worship is due to God alone. In showing the saints this love and requesting their
prayers, it is believed by the Orthodox that they thus assist in the process of salvation for others.[11]
Preeminent among the saints is the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos ("birthgiver of God"). The Theotokos was chosen by God and freely cooperated in that choice to be
the mother of Jesus Christ, the God-man. The Orthodox believe that the Christ Child from the moment of conception was both 100%
God and 100% Man. She is thus called Theotokos as an affirmation of the divinity of the one to whom she gave birth. It is also
believed that her virginity was not compromised in giving birth to God incarnate, that she was not harmed, that she felt no pain,
and that she remained forever a virgin. Because of her unique place in salvation history, she is honored above all other saints
and especially venerated for the great work that God accomplished through her.[12]
Because of the holiness of the lives of the saints, their bodies and physical items connected with them are regarded by the
Church as also holy. Many miracles have been reported throughout history connected with the saints' relics, often including healing from disease and injury. The veneration and miraculous nature
of relics continues from Biblical times.[13]
Eschatology
Last Judgment. 12th-century Byzantine mosaic from
Torcello Cathedral.
Orthodox Christians believe that when a person dies his soul is “temporarily” separated from his body. Though it may linger
for a short period on Earth, it is ultimately escorted either to heaven or hell, following the Temporary Judgment (Orthodox do not believe in Purgatory). The
soul’s experience of either of these states is only a “foretaste,” being experienced only by the soul, until the Final Judgment, when the soul and body will be reunited.[14] The Orthodox believe that the state of the soul in hades can be changed by the love and prayers of
the righteous up until the Last Judgment.[15]. For this
reason the church offers special prayer for the dead on the third day, ninth day,
fortieth day, and the one-year anniversary after the death of an Orthodox Christian. There are also several days throughout the
year that are set aside for general commemoration of the departed. These days usually fall on a Saturday, since it was on a
Saturday that Christ lay in the Tomb.
The Orthodox are not dispensationalists, and are amillenniaist in their eschatology, believing that the "thousand
years" spoken of in biblical prophesy refers to the present time (from the Crucifixion of
Christ until the Second Coming). The Church teaches that though one cannot know the
hour or day of the Second Coming of Christ, the imminent expectation of Christ should influence one's current spiritual state.
Although the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation) is the only book of the New Testament
never read in church (though it is mentioned in sermons), the teachings about the End Times has
greatly influenced Orthodox art and spirituality. Traditionally, a fresco of the Last Judgment is painted on the western wall of
an Orthodox church, to remind the faithful as they leave the service that they will be judged for their actions in this temporal
life. The Orthodox believe that after the Final Judgment:
- all souls will be reunited with their resurrected bodies
- that all souls will fully experience their spiritual state
- that having been perfected, mankind will forever progress towards a deeper and fuller love of God, which equates with eternal
happiness
- that hell, though often described in metaphor as punishment, is not so much inflicted by God as the soul's inability to
participate in God's infinite love which is given freely and abundantly to everyone.
Traditions
Art and architecture
Church buildings
-
An illustration of the traditional interior of an Orthodox Church
The church building has many symbolic meanings; perhaps the oldest and most prominent is the concept that the Church is the
Ark (as in Noah's) in which the world is saved from the flood of temptations. Because of
this, most Orthodox Churches are rectangular in design. Another popular shape, especially for churches with large choirs is
cruciform or cross-shaped. Architectural patterns may vary in shape and complexity, with
chapels sometimes added around the main church, or triple altars (Liturgy may only be performed once a day on any particular
altar), but in general, the symbolic layout of the church remains the same.
The origin of the layout of each Orthodox church is based on Solomon's Temple with
the Holy of Holies being separated by the iconostasis or templon.
The Church building is divided into three main parts: the narthex (vestibule), the nave and the sanctuary (also called the altar or holy place). The narthex is where catechumens and
non-Orthodox visitors were traditionally asked to stand during services. It is separated from the nave by “The Royal Gate”. On
either side of this gate are candle stands (Menalia) representing the pillars of fire that went before the Hebrew people escaping from Egypt. The nave is where most of the congregation stand during services.
Traditionally, men stand on the right and women on the left. There may be a choir area on either side or in a loft in back. There
is usually a dome in the ceiling with an icon of Christ depicted as Ruler of the
Universe (Pantocrator). At the eastern end of the church is a raised dais with an icon covered screen or wall
(iconostasis or templon) separating the nave from the
sanctuary. In the center of this wall is the “Beautiful Gate” through which only the clergy may pass. There are access doors on
either side usually with icons of the Archangels on them. In the center of the sanctuary is the Altar. Orthodox priests, when
standing at the altar face away from the congregation (They face East). The sanctuary contains all the necessary implements for
conducting the various services.
Icons
The term Icon comes from the Greek word eikona, which simply means image. The Orthodox believe that the first icons of
Christ and the Virgin Mary were painted by Luke the Evangelist. Icons are filled with symbolism designed to convey information about the person
or event depicted. For this reason, icons tend to be formulaic, following a prescribed methodology for how a particular person
should be depicted, including hair style, body position, clothing worn, and background details. Icon painting, in general, is not
an opportunity for artistic expression, though each iconographer brings his own vision to the piece. It is far more common for an
icon to be copied from an older model, though with the recognition of a new saint in the church, a new icon must be created and
approved. The personal, idiosyncratic and creative traditions of Western European religious
art are largely lacking in Orthodox iconography before the 17th century, when Russian iconography was strongly influenced
by religious paintings and engravings from both Protestant and Catholic Europe. Greek iconography also began to take on a strong
romantic western influence for a period and the difference between some Orthodox icons and western religious art began to vanish.
More recently there has been a strong trend of returning to the more traditional and symbolic representations.
A fairly elaborate Orthodox Christian prayer corner as would be found in a private home
Free-standing statues (three dimensional depictions) are almost non-existent within the Orthodox Church. This is partly due to
the rejection of the previous pagan Greek age of idol worship and partly because icons are
meant to show the spiritual nature of man, not the sensual earthly body. Bas reliefs, however,
became common during the Byzantine period and lead to a tradition of covering a painted
icon in a silver or gold “Riza” in order to preserve the icon. Such bas relief coverings usually leave the faces and hands of the
saints exposed for veneration.
Icons are not considered by the Orthodox to be idols or objects of worship. The parameters of their usage was clearly spelled
out by the 7th ecumenical council. Justification for their usage utilizes the
following logic: Before Christ God took human form no material depiction was possible and therefore blasphemous even to
contemplate. Once Christ became human, he was able to be depicted. And because he is God, it is justified to hold in one's mind
the image of God Incarnate. Likewise, when one venerates an icon, it is not the wood or paint that are venerated but rather the
individual shown, just as it is not the paper one loves when one might kiss the photograph of a loved one. As Saint Basil famously proclaimed, honor or veneration of the icon always passes to its archetype.
Following this reasoning through, the veneration of the glorified human saint made in God's image, is always a veneration of the
divine image, and hence God as foundational archetype.
Icons can be found adorning the walls of churches and often cover the inside structure completely.[16] Most Orthodox homes have an area set aside for family prayer, usually an
eastern facing wall, where are hung many icons.
Icons are often illuminated with a candle or oil lamp. (Beeswax for candles and olive oil for lamps are preferred because they
are natural and burn cleanly.) Besides the practical purpose of making icons visible in an otherwise dark church, both candles
and oil lamps symbolize the Light of the World which is Christ.
Tales of miraculous icons that moved, spoke, cried, bled, or gushed fragrant myrrh are not uncommon, though it has always been
considered that the message of such an event was for the immediate faithful involved and therefore does not usually attract
crowds. Some miraculous icons whose reputations span long periods of time nevertheless become objects of pilgrimage along with
the places where they are kept. As several Orthodox theologians and saints have explored in the past, the icons' miraculous
nature is found not in the material, but in the glory of the saint who is depicted in the icon. The icon is a window, in the
words of St Paul Florensky, that actually participates in the glory of what it represents. This is why several icons are believed
to bleed myrrh, which is a physical manifestation of the uncreated holy spirit.
See also Eastern Orthodox icons.
Iconostasis
-
An iconostasis, also called the templon, is a wall of icons and
religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a
church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere
within a church. The modern iconostasis evolved from the Byzantine
templon in the eleventh century. The evolution of the iconostasis probably owes a great deal to
14th-century Hesychast mysticism and the wood-carving genius of the Russian Orthodox Church. The first ceiling-high, five-leveled
Russian iconostasis was designed by Andrey Rublyov in the cathedral of the Dormition in Vladimir in 1408.
The Tri-Bar Orthodox Cross.
The Cross
Depictions of the Cross within the Orthodox Church are numerous and often highly
ornamented. Some carry special significance. The Tri-Bar Cross, as seen to the right, has three bars instead of the single bar
normally attached.
The small top crossbar represents the sign that Pontius Pilate nailed above Christ's
head. It often is inscribed with an acronym meaning “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”; however, It is often replaced or
amplified by the phrase "The King of Glory" in order to answer Pilate's mocking statement with Christ's affirmation, "My Kingdom
is not of this world".
There is also a bottom slanting bar. This appears for a number of reasons. Evidence indicates that there was a small wooden
platform for the crucified to stand on in order to support his weight; in Jesus' case his feet were nailed side by side to this
platform with one nail each in order to prolong the torture of the cross.
Evidence for this comes mainly from two sources within Holy Tradition, the bible (in order to cause the victim to die faster
their legs were broken so they could not support their weight and would strangle) and iconography (all early depictions of the
crucifixion show this arrangement, not the later with feet on top with single nail). It has also been pointed out by some experts
that the nailed hands of a body crucified in the manner often shown in modern secular art would not support the weight of the
body and would tear through, a platform for the feet would relieve this problem.
The bottom bar is slanted for two reasons, to represent the very real agony which Christ experienced on the cross (a
refutation of Docetism) and to signify that the thief on Christ's right chose the right path
while the thief on the left did not. Other crosses associated with the Orthodox church are the more traditional single-bar
crosses, budded designs, the Jerusalem cross (cross pattée), Celtic crosses, and others.
Services
-
The services of the church are properly conducted each day following a rigid, but constantly changing annual schedule (i.e.
Parts of the service remain the same while others change depending on the day of the year). Services are conducted in the church
and involve both the clergy and faithful. Services cannot properly be conducted by a single person, but must have at least one
other person present (i.e. a Priest cannot celebrate alone, but must have at least a Chanter present and participating). Usually,
all of the services are conducted on a daily basis only in monasteries and cathedrals, while parish churches might only do the
services on the weekend and major feast days. On certain Great
Feasts (and, according to some traditions, every Sunday) a special All-Night
Vigil (Agrypnia) will be celebrated from late at night on the eve of the feast until early the next morning.
Because of its festal nature it is usually followed by a breakfast feast shared together by the congregation.
Services, especially the Divine Liturgy can only be performed once a day on a single
altar (some churches have multiple altars in order to accommodate multiple services). Each priest may only celebrate the Divine
Liturgy once a day. From its Jewish roots, the liturgical day begins at sundown. The traditional daily cycle of services is as
follows:
- Vespers – (Greek Hesperinos) Sundown, the beginning of the liturgical day.
- Compline (Greek Apodeipnon, lit. "After-supper") – After the evening meal prior to
bedtime.
- (Midnight Office - Usually served only in monasteries.)
- Matins (Greek Orthros) – First service of the morning. Usually starts before
sunrise.
- Divine Liturgy - The Eucharist service (see
below)
- Hours – First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth – Sung either at their appropriate times, or
in aggregate at other customary times of convenience. If the latter, The First Hour is sung immediately following Orthros, the
Third and Sixth prior to the Divine Liturgy, and the Ninth prior to Vespers.
The Divine Liturgy is the celebration of the Eucharist. Although it is usually celebrated between the Sixth and Ninth Hours,
it is not considered to be part of the daily cycle of services, as it occurs outside the normal time of the world. The Divine
Liturgy is not celebrated on weekdays during the preperatory season of Great Lent and in some
places during the lesser fasting seasons either. Reserve communion is prepared on Sundays and is distributed during the week at
the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
This daily cycle services are conceived of as both the sanctification of time (chronos, the specific times during which they are celebrated), and entry into eternity (kairos). They consist to a large degree of readings from the Psalter with
introductory prayers, troparia, and other prayers and hymns surrounding them. The Psalms are
so arranged that when all the services are celebrated the entire Psalter is read through in
their course once a week, and twice a week during Great Lent when the services are celebrated
in an extended form.
Chanting
Orthodox services are sung nearly in their entirety. Services consist in part of a dialog between the clergy and the people
(often represented by the choir or the Psaltis (Cantor). In each case the text is sung or chanted following a prescribed musical
form. Almost nothing is read in a normal speaking voice, with the exception of the homily if one
is given. The church has developed eight Modes or Tones, (see Octoechos) within which a chant
may be set, depending on the time of year, feast days, or other considerations of the Typikon.
There are numerous versions and styles that are traditional and acceptable and these vary a great deal between cultures.[17] It is common, especially in the United States, for a choir
to learn many different styles and to mix them, singing one response in Greek, then English, then Russian, etc.
Incense
As part of the legacy handed down from its Judaic roots, incense is used during all services
in the Eastern Orthodox Church as an offering of worship to God as it was done in the Jewish First and Second Temples in
Jerusalem (Exodus chapter 30). Traditionally, the base of the incense used is the resin of Boswellia
thurifera, also known as frankincense, but the resin of fir trees has been used as well. It is usually mixed with various
floral essential oils giving it a sweet smell. Incense represents the sweetness of the prayers of the saints rising up to God
(Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8, 8:4). The incense is burned in an ornate golden censer that hangs at the end of Three chains representing the
Trinity. In the Greek tradition there are 12 bells hung along these chains representing the 12 apostles (usually no bells in
Slavic tradition). The censer is used (swung back and forth) by the priest/deacon to venerate all four sides of the altar, the
holy gifts, the clergy, the icons, the congregation, and the church structure itself.
Mysteries
According to Orthodox theology, the purpose of the Christian life is to attain theosis, the
mystical union of man with God. This union is understood as both collective and individual. St. Athanasius of Alexandria, wrote concerning the Incarnation that, "He (Jesus) was made man that we might be made god (θεοποιηθῶμεν)".[18] See 2 Peter 1:4, John 10:34-36, Psalm 82:6. The entire life of the church is oriented towards making this possible and facilitating it.
In the Orthodox Church the terms “Mystery” or “The Mysteries” refer to the process of theosis. While it is understood that God
theoretically can do anything instantly and invisibly, it is also understood that he generally chooses to use material substance
as a medium in order to reach people. The limitations are those of mankind, not God. Matter is not considered to be evil by the
Orthodox. Water, oil, bread, wine, etc., all are means by which God reaches out to allow people to draw closer to him. How this
process works is a “Mystery”, and cannot be defined in human terms. These Mysteries are surrounded by prayer and symbolism so
that their true meaning will not be forgotten.
Those things which in the West are often termed Sacraments or sacramentals are known among the Orthodox as the Sacred Mysteries. While the Roman Catholic Church numbers
seven Sacraments, and many Protestant groups list fewer (or none at all), the Orthodox do not limit the number. However, for the
sake of convenience, catechisms will often speak of the seven Great Mysteries. Among these are
Holy Communion (the most direct connection), Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Unction, Matrimony, and Ordination. But the term also properly applies to other
sacred actions, such as monastic Tonsure or the blessing of holy
water, and involves fasting, almsgiving, or an act as simple as lighting a candle, burning incense, praying or asking
God's blessing on food.[19]
Baptism
Baptism is the mystery which transforms the old sinful man into the new, pure
man; the old life, the sins, any mistakes made are gone and a clean slate is given. Through baptism one is united to the
Body of Christ by becoming a member of the Orthodox Church. During the service
water is blessed. The catechumen is fully immersed in the water three times in the name of
the Holy Trinity. This is considered to be a death of the "old man" by participation in the crucifixion and burial of Christ, and
a rebirth into new life in Christ by participation in his resurrection.[20] Properly a new name is given, which becomes the person's name.
Children of Orthodox families are normally baptized shortly after birth. Converts to Orthodoxy (even converts from other
Christian denominations) are properly baptized into the Orthodox Church. Those
who have left Orthodoxy and adopted a new religion, if they return to their Orthodox roots are usually received back into the
church through the mystery of Chrismation. The modern practice of receiving converts who were baptized in other Christian churches by Chrismation is not generally accepted by the majority of the Church.
Properly, the mystery of baptism is administered by bishops and priests; however, in emergencies any Orthodox Christian can
baptize.[21] In such cases, should the person survive the
emergency, it is likely that the person will be properly baptized by a priest at some later date. This is not considered to be a
second baptism, nor is it imagined that the person is not already Orthodox, but rather it is a fulfilment of the proper form.
The service of baptism used in Orthodox churches has remained largely unchanged for over 1500 years. This fact is witnessed to
by St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), who, in his Discourse on the Sacrament of
Baptism, describes the service in much the same way as is currently in use.
Chrismation
Chrismation (sometimes called confirmation) is the mystery by which a baptized person is granted the gift of the
Holy Spirit throu