An Introduction
What Is the Orthodox Church?
The ancient Church of the Apostles and the Ecumenical Councils — what Orthodox Christians believe, how the Church is organized, and what you will experience when you walk into an Orthodox parish.
What is the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church is the second-largest Christian body in the world — roughly 220 million believers — and the direct continuation of the Church founded by Christ and His Apostles. "Orthodox" means "right worship" or "right glory": the Church's aim is to keep, unchanged, the faith, worship, and life handed down from the Apostles through the centuries.
While often called "Eastern Orthodox," the Church today is global: it is the historic faith of Greece, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, and the Middle East, with thriving communities across North America, Australia, and beyond.
How is the Orthodox Church organized?
The Orthodox Church is not a single centralized institution. It is a family of self-governing ("autocephalous") churches — Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, and others — each led by its own bishops, all confessing the same faith and sharing communion with one another.
No single bishop, not even a patriarch, rules the whole Church. Doctrine is guarded by the bishops gathered in council, as at the Ecumenical Councils, and by the conscience of the whole believing people of God.
What do Orthodox Christians believe?
Orthodox Christians confess the Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — as summarized in the Nicene Creed, recited at every Divine Liturgy. They believe that Christ became man to heal and deify human nature: in the famous phrase of St. Athanasius, "God became man so that man might become god" — sharing by grace in the divine life.
Salvation is understood as a lifelong healing and transformation (theosis), lived out in the Church through the sacraments: baptism, chrismation, the Eucharist, confession, marriage, ordination, and holy unction.
How does Orthodoxy differ from Catholicism and Protestantism?
From Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy differs chiefly on the papacy (no universal jurisdiction of the Pope), the Filioque added to the Creed, and doctrines developed after the schism of 1054. From Protestantism, Orthodoxy differs in its sacramental life, apostolic succession of bishops, veneration of saints and icons, and the authority of Holy Tradition alongside Scripture.
Orthodox worship is famously sensory and ancient: incense, chant, icons, and the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated in essentially its fourth-century form to this day.
Go deeper
Explore the teaching, worship, and life of the Orthodox Church:
Frequently asked questions
What is the Orthodox Church in simple terms?
The Orthodox Church is the original Christian Church of the East, tracing an unbroken line from the Apostles. It keeps the faith confessed by the Seven Ecumenical Councils, celebrates the ancient Divine Liturgy, and today numbers around 220 million members worldwide.
Is the Orthodox Church Catholic or Protestant?
Neither — though Orthodox do confess "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church" in the Creed, where "catholic" means whole and universal. The Orthodox Church separated from Rome in the Great Schism of 1054, centuries before the Protestant Reformation.
What is the difference between Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox?
They share the same faith, sacraments, and doctrine. The difference is national and administrative: the Greek Orthodox churches follow the Greek liturgical tradition and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, while the Russian Orthodox Church is its own autocephalous church with Slavonic liturgical traditions.
Can anyone visit an Orthodox church?
Yes. Visitors are welcome at Orthodox services — the Divine Liturgy is open to all, and no one will ask you to do anything you are uncomfortable with. Only Holy Communion is reserved for baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared by fasting and confession.
How do I become Orthodox?
By joining the life of a local parish: attending services, meeting the priest, and entering a period of instruction as a catechumen. Reception into the Church is through baptism (if never baptized) and chrismation. The catechism on this site is a good place to begin learning.
Experience the Church day by day
Read the daily scriptures the Church appoints and learn with the daily quiz.