Eastern Orthodoxy in Iraq

Not to be confused with Oriental Orthodoxy in Iraq.

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* Autonomy
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* Bishops
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Autocephalous jurisdictions

Autocephalous Churches who are officially part of the communion:

* Constantinople
* Alexandria
* Antioch
* Jerusalem
* Russia
* Serbia
* Romania
* Bulgaria
* Georgia
* Cyprus
* Greece
* Poland
* Albania
* Czech Lands and Slovakia

Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure:

* America
* North Macedonia

Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches:

* Ukraine (OCU)

Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church:

* Ukraine (UOC)

Autonomous jurisdictions

* Sinai (JP)
* Finland (EP)
* Estonia (EP)
* Japan (MP)
* China (MP)
* Americas (RP)
* Bessarabia (RP)
* Moldova (MP)

Semi-Autonomous:

* Crete (EP)
* Estonia (MP)
* ROCOR (MP)

Episcopal assemblies

* Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania
* Austria
* Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg
* Canada
* France
* Germany
* Great Britain and Ireland
* Italy and Malta
* Latin America
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* Switzerland and Liechtenstein
* United States of America

Noncanonical jurisdictions

* Old Believers
* Spiritual Christianity
* True Orthodoxy
* Catacomb Church
* Old Calendarists
* American Orthodox Catholic Church
* American World Patriarchs

* National churches:

*     * Abkhazia
* Belarus
* Italy
* Latvia
* Montenegro
* Turkey
* UOC–KP

* Evangelical Orthodox

Ecumenical councils

* First Seven Ecumenical Councils:

* Nicaea I
* Constantinople I
* Ephesus
* Chalcedon
* Constantinople II
* Constantinople III
* Nicaea II

* Other possible ecumenical councils:

* Constantinople IV
* Constantinople V

* Other important councils:

* Quinisext Council
* Jassy
* Moscow
* Jerusalem
* Constantinople (1872)

History

* Church Fathers
* Pentarchy
* Byzantine Empire
* Christianization of Georgia
* Christianization of Bulgaria
* Christianization of Kievan Rus'
* Great Schism
* Russia
* Ottoman Empire
* North America
* Moscow–Constantinople schism
* 15th–16th c.
* 1996
* 2018

Theology

* History of Eastern Orthodox theology
* (20th century (Neo-Palamism))

* Apophaticism
* Chrismation
* Contemplative prayer
* Essence vs. Energies
* Hesychasm
* Holy Trinity
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* Icons
* Metousiosis
* Mystical theology
* Nicene Creed
* Nepsis
* Oikonomia vs Akribeia
* Ousia
* Palamism
* Philokalia
* Phronema
* Sin
* Theosis
* Theotokos

* Differences from the Catholic Church
* Opposition to the Filioque
* Opposition to papal supremacy

Liturgy and worship

* Divine Liturgy
* Divine Services

* Akathist
* Apolytikion
* Artos
* Ectenia
* Euchologion
* Holy Water
* Iconostasis
* Jesus Prayer
* Aprakos
* Kontakion
* Liturgical entrances
* Liturgical fans
* Lity
* Memorial service
* Memory Eternal
* Omophorion
* Eastern Orthodox bowing
* Eastern Orthodox marriage
* Praxis
* Paraklesis
* Paschal greeting
* Paschal Homily
* Paschal troparion
* Prayer rope
* Prosphora
* Russian bell ringing
* Semantron
* Sign of the cross
* Sticheron
* Troparion
* Vestments
* Use of incense

Liturgical calendar

* Paschal cycle
* 12 Great Feasts
* Other feasts:

* Feast of Orthodoxy
* Intercession of the Theotokos

* The four fasting periods:

* Nativity Fast
* Great Lent
* Apostles' Fast
* Dormition Fast

Major figures

Saints (Russian (until 15th century), Russian (post-15th century), Serbian, American)

* Justin Martyr
* Athanasius of Alexandria
* Ephraim the Syrian
* Basil of Caesarea
* Cyril of Jerusalem
* Gregory of Nazianzus
* Gregory of Nyssa
* John Chrysostom
* Cyril of Alexandria
* John Climacus
* Maximus the Confessor
* John of Damascus
* Theodore the Studite
* Kassia
* Cyril and Methodius
* Photius I of Constantinople
* Vladimir the Great
* Sava I of Serbia
* Gregory Palamas
* Innocent of Alaska

Other topics

* Architecture
* Folk
* Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs
* Cross
* Saint titles
* Statistics by country

* v
* t
* e

Eastern Orthodoxy in Iraq refers to adherents, communities and institutions of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Iraq. Within the ecclesiastical order of the Eastern Orthodox Church, territory of Iraq traditionally belongs to patrimonial jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. The Patriarchate has a diocese in Iraq, the Eastern Orthodox Archdiocese of Baghdad, headed since 2014 by Metropolitan Ghattas Hazim.[1][2]

## History

[edit]

The early history of Eastern Orthodoxy in the region of Mesopotamia (within the territory of modern-day Iraq) was marked by frequent Byzantine-Sasanian wars, fought between the 5th and 7th century. During much of that period, major part of Mesopotamia was controlled by the Sassanian Empire (Persia). Official Persian religion was Zoroastrianism, while Christianity was occasionally tolerated or persecuted, depending on the current religious or political climate. Attitudes of Persian rulers towards their Christian subjects was affected mainly by current political relations with the Byzantine Empire, seen by Persians as the rivaling power with considerable and worrying influence on Christian communities within Persian borders. Since Byzantine government generally favored Eastern Orthodoxy over other Christian denominations, local communities of Eastern Orthodox Christians within the Persian borders were often treated with suspicion by Persian authorities, who were slightly more tolerant to other Christian communities. During that period, relations between different Christian groups in Mesopotamia were marked by frequent theological disputes and internal divisions. Religious and political pressure led to the decline of Eastern Orthodoxy in Mesopotamia. During that period, Eastern Orthodox patriarchs of Antioch, centered within the Byzantine borders, had great difficulties in maintaining ties with remaining Eastern Orthodox communities in Mesopotamia. By the time of the Arab conquest of Mesopotamia in the 7th century, Eastern Orthodoxy in that region was reduced to small minority.[3]

During the period of Arab and later Turkish rule in Mesopotamia, from the 7th century up to the end of the First World War, communities of Eastern Orthodox Christians in the region remained under ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch. After the creation of modern Iraq, legal position of Christian communities in the country was much improved. In 1969, Eastern Orthodox Christians in Iraq got a new and able leader, metropolitan Constantine Papastephanou of Baghdad, sent to them by the Patriarchate of Antioch.[4] During his long tenure, internal organization of the Baghdad Archdiocese was much improved. On the other hand, later devastating wars ad conflict in Iraq greatly affected the entire population of the country, including Eastern Orthodox Christians and their religious institutions. In 2014, Metropolitan Constantine retired and was succeeded by Ghattas Hazim as the new metropolitan of Baghdad. Since the territory of his Archdiocese were severely affected by previous conflicts, upon arriving in Baghdad new metropolitan was faced with many inherited problems, starting from the fact that over 90% of the Eastern Orthodox Christians in the country were still displaced, as a result of previous wars and internal conflicts in Iraq. Because of that, official seat of the diocese only formally remains in Baghdad, while administrative headquarters are located in neighbouring Kuwait, territorially also under jurisdiction of the Baghdad Archdiocese.[5]

## See also

[edit]

* Christianity in Iraq
* Oriental Orthodoxy in Iraq
* Persecution of Christians in Iraq
* Human rights in Iraq
* Freedom of religion in Iraq
* Minorities in Iraq
* Christian Arabs

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Ghattas (Hazim)". Archived from the original on 2016-10-22. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
2. ^ Schmidinger 2019, p. 116-117.
3. ^ Meyendorff 1989.
4. ^ "Memory Eternal: Metropolitan Constantine (Papastephanou)". Archived from the original on 2018-03-05. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
5. ^ Interview with Metropolitan Ghattas Hazim: 90% of Orthodox Christians in Iraq displaced

## Sources

[edit]

* Brock, Sebastian P. (1982). "Christians in the Sasanian Empire: A Case of Divided Loyalties". Studies in Church History. 18: 1–19.
* Meyendorff, John (1989). Imperial unity and Christian divisions: The Church 450-680 A.D. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press.
* Ostrogorsky, George (1956). History of the Byzantine State. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
* Schmidinger, Thomas (2019). "Christians in Iraq". Beyond ISIS: History and Future of Religious Minorities in Iraq. London: Transnational Press. pp. 113–124.
* Rassam, Suha (2005). Christianity in Iraq: Its Origins and Development to the Present Day. Leominster: Gracewing Publishing.
* Roussos, Sotiris (2010). "Eastern Orthodox Christianity in the Middle East". Eastern Christianity in the Modern Middle East. London-New York: Routledge. pp. 107–119.

## External links

[edit]

* Eastern Orthodox Archdiocese of Baghdad, Kuwait and Dependencies
* European Centre for Law and Justice (2011): The Persecution of Oriental Christians, what answer from Europe?

* v
* t
* e

Demographics of Iraq

Religions|

* Islam
* Sunni
* Shia
* Christianity
* Evangelical
* Oriental Orthodox
* Roman Catholicism
* Jews
* Yazidism
* Yarsanism
* Mandaeism
* Shabakism

Ethnic groups|

* Afro-Iraqis
* Arabs
* Bedouins
* Marsh Arabs
* Armenians
* Assyrians
* Circassians
* Persians
* Kurds
* Feylis
* Shabaks
* Yazidis
* Jews
* Kawliya/Zott/Ghorbati
* Solluba
* Turkmens/Turkomans (Turks)

Foreign nationals|

* Palestinians
* Sudanese

* v
* t
* e

Eastern Orthodox Church

Autocephalous and autonomous churches of Eastern Orthodoxy

Autocephalous churches|

| Four ancient patriarchates|

* Constantinople
* Bartholomew I
* Alexandria
* Theodore II
* Antioch
* John X
* Jerusalem
* Theophilos III

|

Junior patriarchates|

* Russia[a]
* Kirill
* Serbia
* Porfirije
* Bulgaria
* Daniil
* Romania
* Daniel
* Georgia
* Ilia II

Autocephalous
archdioceses/metropolises|

* Cyprus
* George
* Greece
* Ieronymos II
* Albania
* John
* Poland
* Sawa
* Czech Lands and Slovakia
* Rastislav
* America[b]
* Tikhon
* Ukraine[b]
* Epiphanius
* Ohrid[b]
* Stefan

Autonomous churches|

Sinai (Jerusalem Patriarchate)
Finland (Ecumenical Patriarchate)
Estonian AOC (Ecumenical Patriarchate)[b]
Estonian COC (Moscow Patriarchate)[b]
Japan (Moscow Patriarchate)[b]
China (Moscow Patriarchate)[b]
Ukraine (Moscow Patriarchate)[c]
Americas (Romanian Patriarchate)
Bessarabia (Romanian Patriarchate)[b]
Moldova (Moscow Patriarchate)[b]

Semi-autonomous churches
Crete (Ecumenical Patriarchate)
Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (Moscow Patriarchate)[d]
North America (Antiochian Patriarchate)

Diaspora
Assemblies|

Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania
Austria
Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg
Canada
France
Germany
Great Britain and Ireland
Italy and Malta
Latin America
Scandinavia
Spain and Portugal
Switzerland and Liechtenstein
United States of America

History|

Apostles in the New Testament
First seven ecumenical councils
Church Fathers
Great Church
State church of the Roman Empire
East–West Schism
Raskol

Old Believers
Catacomb Church
Old Calendarists
Moscow–Constantinople schisms

15th–16th c.
1996
2018

Liturgy|

Byzantine Rite

Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
Liturgy of Saint Basil
Liturgy of Saint James
Liturgy of Saint Mark
Western Rite

Other|

* Unrecognized Eastern Orthodox churches
* Eastern Orthodoxy by country
* Canon law of the Eastern Orthodox Church

Christianity portal

1. ^ The ROC severed full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2018, and later severed full communion with the primates of the Church of Greece, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Church of Cyprus in 2020.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Autocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized.
3. ^ UOC-MP was moved to formally cut ties with the ROC as of May 27th 2022.
4. ^ Semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church whose autonomy is not universally recognized.

* v
* t
* e

Eastern Orthodoxy in Asia

Sovereign states|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus
* Egypt
* Georgia
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Russia
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste (East Timor)
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

States with
limited recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Northern Cyprus
* Palestine
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan

Dependencies and
other territories|

* British Indian Ocean Territory
* Christmas Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
* Hong Kong
* Macau

* Category
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