What Is Orthodoxy?
52 writings in What Is Orthodoxy?. Clear
What Is Orthodoxy?
Who is the Patriarch of Antioch?
His Beatitude John X is the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. He’s been our patriarch since December 2012, when he was elected by…
What Is Orthodoxy?
Does the Orthodox Church have a Pope?
No. The Orthodox Church doesn’t have a Pope or any single leader who governs the whole Church. This surprises a lot of folks in Southeast…
What Is Orthodoxy?
What do Orthodox think about the Pope in Rome?
We respect him as a bishop and Christian leader, but we don’t accept his claim to universal authority over the whole Church or the doctrine…
What Is Orthodoxy?
What is a metropolitan or archbishop?
A metropolitan and an archbishop are both bishops. That’s the first thing to understand. They’re not a different order of clergy above bishops, they’re bishops…
What Is Orthodoxy?
Why do Orthodox clergy wear different colored vestments?
The colors change with the Church calendar, marking different feasts, fasts, and seasons throughout the year. It’s a visual way of entering into the mood…
What Is Orthodoxy?
What is the role of the bishop in Orthodoxy?
The bishop is the chief pastor of a local church (called a diocese), the successor to the apostles, and the only one who can ordain…
What Is Orthodoxy?
What is the difference between a priest and a deacon?
A priest can celebrate the Eucharist and hear confessions. A deacon can’t. It helps to understand what these two orders of ordained ministry actually mean…
What Is Orthodoxy?
Can Orthodox priests marry?
Yes. Orthodox priests can be married, but there’s a catch: they have to marry before ordination. If a man wants to serve as a married…
What Is Orthodoxy?
Why can’t Orthodox bishops be married?
Orthodox bishops must be celibate. That’s the rule. But it wasn’t always this way, and understanding why it changed tells you something important about how…
What Is Orthodoxy?
Why do Orthodox priests have beards?
Most Orthodox priests wear beards because it’s an ancient tradition rooted in Scripture, early Church canons, and the desire to reflect Christ’s own appearance. It’s…
What Is Orthodoxy?
Why do Orthodox churches face east?
We face east because we’re waiting for Christ to return. It’s that simple, and that ancient. Walk into any Orthodox church and you’ll notice the…
What Is Orthodoxy?
What is the iconostasis?
The iconostasis is a wall of icons standing between the nave (where the congregation gathers) and the altar. It’s the first thing you notice when…
