Among the many facets that make up the Greek Orthodox Church, there is a particular group that is very much a part of the Greek Orthodox Church today. These are the Slavic churches, and they were a group that attempted to challenge the position of Constantinople as the unique centre of Eastern Christendom. These churches were also a part of the schism, and they suffered greatly.
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Andrew
Among the Twelve Disciples of the Lord Jesus, Andrew is often referred to as the first. In fact, he was the first of the Twelve to be commissioned by Jesus. Nevertheless, Andrew was not as prominent as the other Apostles. During his lifetime, Andrew was known as a preacher for the Greek world.
Andrew was the brother of Saint Peter. He was also a fisherman by trade. He studied astronomy and arithmetic at an early age. Eventually, he was commissioned by Jesus to travel to Asia Minor and preach Christianity. In 38 C.E., he founded the See of Byzantium, which later became the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
During the time of the Crusades, the cross of Andrew was taken from Greece by the Duke of Burgundy. However, in the 15th century, it was reassembled with that of Saint Peter in the Vatican. The skull was then given to Bishop Constantine of Patras by Cardinal Augustin Bea.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and Pope Francis will meet
During his pontificate, Pope Francis has made good relations with the Russian Orthodox Church a priority. He has traveled to the Russian capital for interfaith meetings and has visited Moscow several times. However, a face-to-face meeting with Russian Patriarch Kirill has remained elusive.
The two leaders have been in touch by phone and via video conference. The pope sent a letter to Patriarch Kirill on April 25 to mark the Easter of Catholic and Orthodox Churches that follow the Julian calendar. He also mentioned the Russian Orthodox Synod’s strong worded statement on attacks on the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine.
Francis and Kirill had been scheduled to meet at the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan in September. However, Patriarch Kirill has decided not to attend. However, the Vatican announced that Francis will travel to Kazakhstan in September and will be represented there by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Slavic churches attempted to challenge the position of Constantinople as the unique centre of Eastern Christendom
During the seventh century, the Byzantine Empire was facing a major crisis. Its leaders accused each other of heresy and tried to crush the faith of others. In addition, the empire faced attacks from both internal and external enemies. Moreover, the government was unable to maintain faith in the army, which diminished in number. Its capital, Constantinople, became the center of Christian worship. However, this grew to be a problem because the religious hierarchy of Constantinople only wanted to crush the faith of others.
In 730 CE, Leo III issued a ban on the use of religious images. This decision widened the gap between the western and eastern traditions. Moreover, he persecuted anyone who worshiped religious images. His actions were condemned by the Council of Hieria.
Later in 785 CE, Emperor Leo IV initiated a series of reforms in the civil and maritime law. He also reformed criminal and family law. Despite these reforms, he met strong opposition from the nobility. In his efforts to improve the empire, he abolished prepayment of taxes. He also abolished death penalties for mutilation.
Slavic churches suffered from the schism
Despite the fact that the churches of the Slavic peoples have been a major factor in shaping their identity, legitimacy and political power in Ukraine, they were not spared from the Great Schism. The schism occurred when Pope Gregory I excommunicated the patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1094. In response, the Slavic churches adopted Greek Orthodox liturgical practices. Although the churches of the Western world used Latin in mass, the Eastern churches used Greek.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church is part of the Eastern Orthodoxy. It was founded after the Great Schism in 1094. The church’s main rituals include processions and choirs coming together in the nave. The church’s cantor leads the singing, which is usually in a two-part antiphonal style. The cantor leads by voice and uses hand signals. The choir sings harmonized arrangements of melodies from the 17th century. The cantor is not required to turn back to the iconostasis.