True Orthodox church, True Orthodox Christians,
True Orthodoxy or Genuine Orthodoxy, often pejoratively "
Zealotry
The Zealots were a political movement in 1st-century Second Temple Judaism which sought to incite the people of Judea Province to rebel against the Roman Empire and expel it from the Holy Land by force of arms, most notably during the First J ...
",
designates groups of traditionalist
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
churches which have severed
communion since the 1920s with the mainstream
Eastern Orthodox churches for various reasons, such as
calendar reform
Calendar reform or calendrical reform is any significant revision of a calendar system. The term sometimes is used instead for a proposal to switch to a different calendar design.
Principles
The prime objective of a calendar is to unambiguo ...
, the involvement of mainstream Eastern Orthodox Churches in
ecumenism, or the refusal to submit to the authority of mainstream Eastern Orthodox churches. The True Orthodox church in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
was also called the
Catacomb Church
The Catacomb Church (russian: Катакомбная церковь) as a collective name labels those representatives of the Russian Orthodox clergy, laity, communities, monasteries, brotherhoods, etc., who for various reasons, have moved to a ...
; the True Orthodox in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
and
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
are usually called
Old Calendarists
Old Calendarists (Greek: ''palaioimerologitai'' or ''palaioimerologites''), also known as Old Feasters (''palaioeortologitai''), Genuine Orthodox Christians or True Orthodox Christians (GOC; ), are traditionalist groups of Eastern Orthodox Chri ...
.
History
The
reformed church calendar was adopted by the mainstream Eastern Orthodox churches of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
in 1924. At the moment of this adoption, True Orthodoxy began as
Old Calendarism. True Orthodox were only laypeople and monks until 1935 when three bishops of the Church of Greece joined the movement in
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
; in 1955, one bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church joined the movement in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
. In the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, the True Orthodox began in 1927-8 when some Eastern Orthodox Christians, among which some were "senior and respected bishops", severed
communion with the
Moscow Patriarchate.
The True Orthodox movement remained united in Romania. However, in Greece in 1937 the
Greek Old Calendarists
Old Calendarists (Greek: ''palaioimerologitai'' or ''palaioimerologites''), also known as Old Feasters (''palaioeortologitai''), Genuine Orthodox Christians or True Orthodox Christians (GOC; ), are traditionalist groups of Eastern Orthodox Chri ...
"divided"; the reason for their division is a disagreement on whether the sacraments performed by members of churches which have adopted the reformed calendar are valid or not.
In 1971, the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (russian: Ру́сская Правосла́вная Це́рковь Заграни́цей, lit=Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, translit=Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov' Zagranitsey), also called Ru ...
tried to unite the factions of Greek Old Calendarists, but failed. In 1999, the most important groups of Greek Old Calendarists were the Chrysostomites, the Matthewites, and the Cyprianites.
After the ROCOR opened its first parishes in 1990 in Russia, many Christians from the Catacomb Church joined them.
Doctrine
The True Orthodox churches are "fully
astern
This list of ship directions provides succinct definitions for terms applying to spatial orientation in a marine environment or location on a vessel, such as ''fore'', ''aft'', ''astern'', ''aboard'', or ''topside''.
Terms
* Abaft (preposition ...
Orthodox in dogma and ritual".
Denominations
There is no single denomination nor organization called the "True Orthodox Church" nor is there official recognition among the "True Orthodox" as to who is properly included among them.
Denominations that are usually included in the True Orthodoxy are:
*
Old Calendarists
Old Calendarists (Greek: ''palaioimerologitai'' or ''palaioimerologites''), also known as Old Feasters (''palaioeortologitai''), Genuine Orthodox Christians or True Orthodox Christians (GOC; ), are traditionalist groups of Eastern Orthodox Chri ...
** Greek Old Calendarists
***
Holy Synod of Milan
The Holy Synod of Milan is an autocephalous True Orthodox
True Orthodox church, True Orthodox Christians, True Orthodoxy or Genuine Orthodoxy, often pejoratively "Zealotry", designates groups of traditionalist Eastern Orthodox churches which have ...
***
Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of North and South America and the British Isles
***
Autonomous Orthodox Metropolis of Ecuador and Latin America
***
True Orthodox Metropolis of Germany and Europe
The True Orthodox Metropolis of Germany and Europe, formerly known as the Syrian Orthodox Church of Europe, is an autonomous Old Calendarist Eastern Orthodox church based in Altenbergen, Germany; it is headed by metropolitan Moses Görgün. Th ...
**
Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox Church is an Old Calendarist church which follows the traditional Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, the Julian Calendar
The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a ...
**
Old Calendarist Romanian Orthodox Church
The Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania ( ro, Biserica Ortodoxă de Stil Vechi din România) is an Old Calendarist denomination.
As of February 2022, the current primate of the church is .
External linksOfficial Website
{{Romanian religio ...
*
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC, russian: Российская православная автономная церковь, РПАЦ; until 1998 it was called the Russian Orthodox Free Church, ROFC, russian: Российская пр ...
**
Latvian Orthodox Autonomous Church
The Latvian Orthodox Autonomous Church (), or All Holy Orthodox Church of Latvia, is a True Orthodox church in Latvia which is part of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church.
Since 2011, the LOAC has declared itself a part of the Patriarchate of ...
*
Russian True Orthodox Church (Lazar Zhurbenko)
* Some churches descending from the
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
*
Serbian True Orthodox Church
*
Inter-church relations and intercommunion
Many True Orthodox synods do not publish information concerning other synods, citing limited interest outside of their locality. Some are open to dialogue, whereas some hierarchies are more insular and prefer to keep to themselves. For example, the
Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church
The Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC, russian: Российская православная автономная церковь, РПАЦ; until 1998 it was called the Russian Orthodox Free Church, ROFC, russian: Российская пр ...
(ROAC) through the late Metropolitan
Valentine, stated informally that they no longer actively seek to join other True Orthodox churches, but would not refuse incoming dialogue.
Demography
In 1999, it was estimated that "
ere are probably over one million
Old Calendarists
Old Calendarists (Greek: ''palaioimerologitai'' or ''palaioimerologites''), also known as Old Feasters (''palaioeortologitai''), Genuine Orthodox Christians or True Orthodox Christians (GOC; ), are traditionalist groups of Eastern Orthodox Chri ...
in Romania, somewhat fewer in Greece, and considerably fewer in Bulgaria, Cyprus, and the
astern Orthodox
This list of ship directions provides succinct definitions for terms applying to spatial orientation in a marine environment or location on a vessel, such as ''fore'', ''aft'', ''astern'', ''aboard'', or ''topside''.
Terms
* Abaft (preposition ...
diaspora."
Those who consider themselves a part of this movement are a minority of those who consider themselves to be
Eastern Orthodox Christians
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
.
See also
*
Ancient Church of the East
The Ancient Church of the East is an Eastern Christian denomination. It branched from the Assyrian Church of the East in 1964, under the leadership of Mar Thoma Darmo (d. 1969). It is one of three Assyrian Churches that claim continuity with t ...
— an
East Syriac
The East Syriac Rite or East Syrian Rite, also called the Edessan Rite, Assyrian Rite, Persian Rite, Chaldean Rite, Nestorian Rite, Babylonian Rite or Syro-Oriental Rite, is an Eastern Christian liturgical rite that employs the Divine Liturgy ...
Church, founded in 1968 after a split from the
Assyrian Church of the East for similar reasons
*
Christian fundamentalism
*
Old Believers — A collective group of independent Russian Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Eastern Orthodox Church as they existed prior to the reforms of
Patriarch Nikon of Moscow
Nikon ( ru , Ни́кон, Old Russian: ''Нїконъ''), born Nikita Minin (''Никита Минин''; 7 May 1605 – 17 August 1681) was the seventh Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' of the Russian Orthodox Church, serving officially from ...
between 1652 and 1666
*
Traditionalist Catholicism
Traditionalist Catholicism is the set of beliefs, practices, customs, traditions, liturgical forms, devotions, and presentations of Catholic teaching that existed in the Catholic Church before the liberal reforms of the Second Vatican Council ...
— Catholics who object to the reforms of the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...
, sometimes embracing
sedevacantism
Sedevacantism ( la, Sedevacantismus) is a doctrinal position within traditionalist Catholicism, which holds that the present occupier of the Holy See is not a valid pope due to the pope's espousal of one or more heresies and that therefore, f ...
*
Independent sacramental movement The independent sacramental movement (ISM) refers to a loose collection of individuals and Christian denominations which are not part of the historic sacramental Christian denominations embodying catholicity (such as the Catholic Church, Eastern Ort ...
References
{{Eastern Christianity footer
Eastern Orthodox belief and doctrine
True Orthodox denominations
Eastern Orthodoxy-related controversies