Amongst the many different religions in India, there is the Greek Orthodox Church. This is a group of Christians who follow the ancient Church of Greece. These are people who worship the same God that was worshiped by Jesus and His apostles. They believe that Christ had two different natures, but both were at once, and they follow the teachings of the ancient Church of Greece.
Table of Contents
- Indian Orthodox Church vs Oriental Orthodox Church
- Indian Orthodox Churches outside of Kerala
- Greek Orthodox Church vs Syrian Orthodox Church
- Argyree founded the first Orthodox Church of Calcutta
- Eastern Orthodox view this teaching as rank heresy
- OO recognizes only the first three Church Councils, EO seven
- OO believes Christ has two different natures at the same time
- Graves of greek orthodox church in india
Indian Orthodox Church vs Oriental Orthodox Church
Throughout the centuries, there have been many differences between the Indian Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Church. But the main difference is found in the issue of Christology. The Oriental Orthodox Church accepts the christology established by the four Ecumenical Councils, which were held between AD 325 and AD 431. This christology, formulated by the Alexandrine School of Theology, emphasized the unity of the Incarnation.
Early Christians in India have maintained a spiritual anchor in the Holy Scriptures. The earliest records of the church date from the 7th century, when references to the Indian church appeared in Persian records. The church also maintained contacts with the Christian hierarchies of Alexandria and Antioch.
Indian Orthodox Churches outside of Kerala
Historically, the Christian Church first appeared in India as a fellowship of self-governing communities. The small community of early Christians has continued to live and flourish in India for 2000 years. Its original concept was the right glorification of God. It was renamed the Indian Orthodox Church in 1934. This church is part of the International Orthodox Communion of Churches.
It has two branches, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Indian Orthodox Church. Its membership numbers 22,100. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church uses the Malankara Rite, which is a local variant of the West Syrian Rite. It also employs the original Nicene Creed without a filioque clause. The church also has a congregation in the United States with a membership of 15,700.
Greek Orthodox Church vs Syrian Orthodox Church
During the 4th century, the Roman Empire was beginning to become Christian. The early Christianity was strongest in Asia Minor, Egypt, Palestine and Libya.
As the early years passed, Christianity was also spread in other regions of the world, including India. The early Christian Church emerged as a self-governing community. In India, the Church was established in the first century by the Apostle Thomas. It is now known as the Orthodox Church in India. The Church is a Monophysite denomination and belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family.
Argyree founded the first Orthodox Church of Calcutta
Argyree was a Greek merchant who came to Bengal in the year 1750. His solemn vow was to found a church for the Greek population in Calcutta. The church was built with the help of his family and was inaugurated in Amratolla Street in Calcutta.
The Greeks of Calcutta were an important community. They constituted a significant part of the business and shipping community. They were very wealthy. They were also active in the religious community. One of their most prominent figures was Alexander Haji Argyree, the first recognised head of the Greek community in Bengal. The community in Calcutta consisted of approximately 500 Greeks.
Eastern Orthodox view this teaching as rank heresy
Whether one believes in the orthodoxy-heresy debate or not, the Eastern Orthodox believe differently from other Christians. They believe that Christ has two natures, the Father and the Holy Spirit, but the third is not a part of the one divine nature.
The Roman Catholic Church believes that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. The Catholic Church is also closer to papal supremacy, the idea that the Pope has authority to rule over the Church. The Eastern Orthodox believe that the Holy Spirit is worshipped along with the Father.
OO recognizes only the first three Church Councils, EO seven
Unlike the early Roman Empire, where the emperors were tasked with maintaining the sacrosanct unity of the church, the Byzantine emperors were more interested in preserving the integrity of the Western Roman Empire. Hence the aforementioned ecumenical councils. In addition to laying the foundations for modern Orthodoxy, the aforementioned events also ushered in the thousand year schism that spanned the globe.
In particular, the aforementioned ecumenical meeting was only the first of several meetings held during the ensuing thousand years. Moreover, the most important meetings took place in the early medieval period, during which the church was divided into five patriarchates. During these meetings, a number of important events took place, including the reestablishment of Saint Photius of Constantinople as the first Archbishop of Constantinople and the discovery of the holy grail.
OO believes Christ has two different natures at the same time
OO is a jack of all trades when it comes to evangelizing Christianity. As such, it was only a matter of time before the aforementioned esoteric was a thing of the past. The good news is, the OO has been a pillar of the community for well over a decade. As such, the OO has a plethora of dedicated staff, volunteers and donors who have a knack for the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to evangelizing Christianity.
Graves of greek orthodox church in india
Located in New York City, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world with a population of about one million members.
The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cemetery in Kolkata, India is the only Greek cemetery in the city. It is located in the east of the city, in a residential neighborhood. The cemetery is located on land that the Greek Orthodox Church owns. It has two cemetery grounds with a total of 24 graves. There are also family plots available. It is a smaller cemetery than other cemeteries in the city. It is open in perpetuity.