The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is considered the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians; however, this position is not analogous to that of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. As the Orthodox Church considers Jesus Christ the head of the Church, the Ecumenical Patriarch is simply considered as 'first among equals.' The Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem then follow the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in seniority respectively.
The emperor
An Ecumenical Council, which was presided by the Emperor in Constantinople
You have your wording incorrect. There is Eastern Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic. Both are different Churches. Eastern Orthodox: The Eastern Orthodox Church was once one Church along with the Roman Catholic Church until the Great Schism in 1054. After 1054, they have been two separate Churches. The difference easiest to recognize is their view of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). The Roman Catholic Church believes that the Bishop of Rome has the final say in defining doctrine whereas the Eastern Orthodox Church believes Church doctrine can only change when it has been decided in an Ecumenical Council such as the seven that were held before the churches split. Eastern Catholic: The Eastern Catholic Churches are former Eastern Orthodox Churches that have enter back into communion with the Holy See. They still practice using Eastern Rites, however. (Ex. Married men can be ordained Priests, the Nicene Creed is read without the Filioque clause, etc.) Hope I answered your question. ~God Bless
The Catholic Church was split in 1054 in the East-West Schism, into the Roman Catholic Church, in the West, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The reason for this split was a disagreement over what authority the pope had in eastern dioceses. Put simply, the Western Church held the pope was a ruling authority, but the Eastern Church would only accept the pope as a symbolic authority. You should remember that there were other Churches aside from the Catholic Church at the time, including the Oriental Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, and others, so the entire Christian Church was not involved. There is a link below that you can use for more information. The most important dispute that split the Church was over the supremacy of the Pope, versus the independence of the bishops, particularly of the East. This produced the East-West Schism of 1054, which divided the largest body of the Church into the Roman Catholic Church, in the West, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, in the East. There is a link below.
Yes, in fact in most monasteries this is the practice.
This council is generally called the Second Vatican Council or simply Vatican II. It is a council that was held for Roman Catholics, but it is not accepted or recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The Eastern Orthodox Church believes in the Immaculate Conception of Jesus Christ's birth by the Blessed Virgin Mary, but it does not accept the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary's birth.
The Eastern Orthodox Church separated from the papacy circa 1054 A.D. basically over who held the highest authority in Christianity. There was a schism between the pope and a patriarch which them excommunicating each other thus both claiming supreme authority and therefore two Churches emerged.
The Christian Church split into two separate churches in 1504, because of friction between the pope in Rome and the patriarch in Constantinople. The church in the West became the Roman Catholic Church, and the church in the East became the Eastern Orthodox Church.
the Roman Catholic Church.
The main Orthodox Church in Jerusalem is the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; also known as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (or Tomb) of Jesus. Although it belongs to the Orthodox Church, the keys have been traditionally held by local Palestinian Muslim families for many generations. This was done because of previous disputes among the various Christian groups over property ownership of the holy sites of Jerusalem.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian church. All Christian churches share the belief that Jesus Christ is God, born on Earth as a man, and that salvation, or freedom from sin, is to be attained by following Christ as one's personal Lord and Saviour. Just as doctrine varies among other Christian churches, the Orthodox Church has doctrine that sets it apart. Some notable points are the Orthodox perspectives on the meaning of salvation, the concept of heaven and hell, and whether the Bible is to be interpreted literally. If you would like to investigate the differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and other Christian churches such as Catholicism and various Protestant denominations, a wealth of information is available at the Orthodox Church of America's website, which you will find in the related links section.