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Eastern Orthodox Church |
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Overview |
Based on the numbers of adherents, the Eastern Orthodox Church (also known as Eastern Orthodoxy) is the second largest Christian communion in the world, after the Roman Catholic Church, with the most common estimates of baptised members being approximately 220 million. [1] [2] [3] The numerous Protestant groups in the world, if taken all together, substantially outnumber the Eastern Orthodox, [4] but they differ theologically and do not form a single communion. [5]
Eastern Orthodoxy is the predominant religion in Russia (77%), [6] [7] [8] where roughly half the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians live. The religion is also heavily concentrated in the rest of Eastern Europe, where it is the majority religion in Ukraine (65.4% [9] –77%), [10] Romania (82%), [11] Belarus (48% [12] –73% [13] ), Greece (95%–98%), [11] Serbia (97%), [11] Bulgaria (62.7%), [14] [15] Moldova (93%), [11] Georgia (84%), [11] North Macedonia (65%), [11] Cyprus (89%) [11] and Montenegro (72%); [11] it is also predominant in the disputed territories of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria.
Significant minorities are present in several European countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina (31%), [11] Latvia (18%), Estonia (14%), Albania (7%), [16] Lithuania (4%), Croatia (4%), Slovenia (2%), and Finland (1.5%). In the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, Eastern Orthodoxy constitutes the dominant religion in northern Kazakhstan, representing 23.9% of the population of the region, [17] and is also a significant minority in Kyrgyzstan (17%), Turkmenistan (5%), Uzbekistan (5%), Azerbaijan (2%), [11] and Tajikistan (1%). In the Middle East, the most significant Eastern Orthodox populations are[ when? ] in Lebanon (8%), [18] Syria (5–8% prior to the 2011 civil war) in Palestine (0.5%–2.5%) [19] and Jordan (over 1%).[ citation needed ]
The percentage of Christians in Turkey, home to an historically large and influential Eastern Orthodox community, fell from 19% in 1914 to 2.5% in 1927, [20] due to genocide, [21] demographic upheavals caused by the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, [22] and the emigration of Christians to foreign countries (mostly in Europe and the Americas). [23] Today[ when? ] there are more than 160,000 people of different Christian denominations. [24]
Recent[ when? ] immigration and missionary activity have raised[ citation needed ] the numbers of Eastern Orthodox adherents in traditionally Catholic and Protestant countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada and Switzerland, where they comprise roughly 2% of the population in each.[ citation needed ]
The number of members of the Eastern Orthodox Church in each country has been subject to debate.[ by whom? ]
Each study performed that seeks to discover the number of adherents in a country may use different criteria, and be submitted to different populations. As such, some numbers may be inflated, and therefore inaccurate. Examples of this are Greece and Russia, where estimates of adherence to Eastern Orthodoxy may reach 80–98%, but where surveys found lower percentages professing Eastern Orthodoxy or belief in God. The likely reason for this disparity is that many people in majority Eastern Orthodox countries will culturally identify with the Eastern Orthodox Church, especially if they were baptized as children, even if they are not currently practicing. This includes those who may be irreligious, yet culturally identify with the Eastern Orthodox Church, or for whom Eastern Orthodox Christianity is listed on official state records. Other cases of incongruent data also might be due to counting ethnic groups from Eastern Orthodox countries rather than actual adherents. For example, the Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States, which has large numbers of immigrants from Eastern Orthodox countries, have collectively reported a total of 2–3 million across the country.[ citation needed ]
However, a 2010 study by Alexei Krindatch sought data from each parish, with the specific criteria of annual participation, discovering that there were only about 817,000 Eastern Orthodox Christians actively practicing their faith (i.e., attending church services on a regular basis) in the United States. The study explained that such a difference was due to a variety of circumstances, for example the higher numbers having counted all people who self-identify as Eastern Orthodox on a census regardless of active participation, or all people belonging to ethnic groups originating in Eastern Orthodox countries. This study, while initially controversial, proved groundbreaking, and has since been officially approved for use by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America.[ citation needed ]
Country | Total population | % Eastern Orthodox [A] | Eastern Orthodox total |
---|---|---|---|
Albania (details) | 2,621,977 | 6.75 [B] | 148,992 [B] [25] |
Armenia (details) | 3,018,854 | 0.25 | 7,587 [26] |
Australia (details) | 23,824,600 | 2.6 | 563,100 [27] |
Austria (details) | 8,773,000 | 6 | 500,000 |
Azerbaijan (details) | 9,624,900 | 2.5 | 240,000 |
Belarus (details) | 9,349,645 | 83.3 [28] | 7,788,254 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina (details) | 3,502,227 | 31 [11] | 1,086,733 |
Brazil (details) | 210,147,125 | 0.064 | 135,000 |
Bulgaria (details) | 7,348,328 [29] | 59.4 [30] | 4,374,135 |
Canada (details) | 33,476,688 | 1.7 | 550,690 [31] |
China (details) | 1,386,000,000 | 0.001 | 15,000 |
Croatia (details) | 4,284,889 | 4.44 [32] | 195,969 |
Cyprus (details) | 838,897 | 89.1 [11] | 781,900 |
Czech Republic (details) | 10,538,275 | 0.2 | 20,533 |
Egypt (details) | 105,000,000 | 0.3 | 350,000 [33] |
Estonia (details) | 1,294,486 | 13.66 | 176,773 [34] [35] |
France (details) | 67,150,000 | 1 | 500,000–700,000 [36] |
Fiji (details) | 912,241 | 0.022 | 200+ [37] |
Finland (details) | 5,477,359 | 1.1 [38] | 70,000 |
Georgia (details) | 3,713,804 | 83.4 | 3,097,312 |
Germany (details) | 84,270,625 | 3.56 | 3,000,000 [39] |
Greece (details) | 10,423,054 | 90 [40] | 9,380,749 |
Grenada (details) | 107,317 | 0.1 | 100 [41] |
Guatemala (details) | 17,263,239 | 3 | 200,000–550,000 |
Israel (details) | 9,010,050 [11] | 0.67 [11] | 100,000 |
Italy (details) | 60,795,612 | 1.5 | 900,000 [42] |
Japan (details) | 126,226,568 | 0.02 | 20,000 [43] |
Jordan (details) | 9,531,712 | 2–4.5 | 150,000–350,000 |
Kazakhstan (details) | 17,948,816 | 23.9 | 4,300,000 [17] |
Korea, South (details) | 51,413,925 | 0.01 | 6,000 |
Kosovo * (details) | 1,433,842 | 1.48 [C] | 25,837 [C] |
Kyrgyzstan (details) | 5,895,100 | 17 [44] | 1,000,000 |
Latvia (details) | 2,027,000 | 17.9 | 370,000 [45] |
Lebanon (details) | 4,525,247 | 9 | 330,000 |
Lithuania (details) | 2,966,954 | 4.2 | 125,189 [46] |
Madagascar (details) | 26,262,313 | 0.057 | 15,000 [47] |
Mexico (details) | 121,736,809 | 0.012 | 15,000 |
Moldova (details) | 3,383,332 | 93.3 | 3,158,015 [48] |
Montenegro (details) | 629,320 | 81 | 509,749 [49] |
New Zealand (details) | 4,599,327 | 0.3 | 13,883 [17] |
North Macedonia (details) | 2,022,547 | 69.8 | 1,610,184 [50] |
Norway (details) | 5,328,212 | 0.41 | 21,993 [51] |
Palestine (details) | 4,550,368 | 2.5 [19] | 100,000 |
Philippines | 109,035,343 [52] | 0.0023 | 2,500 [53] |
Poland (details) | 38,386,000 | 1.4 | 504,400 [54] |
Romania (details) | 20,121,641 | 81.1 | 16,321,389 [55] |
Russia (details) [56] | 145,500,000 | 72 [6] [7] | 101,450,000 [57] –104,000,000 [58] [59] |
Serbia (details) | 7,237,375 | 84 | 6,079,395 [60] |
Slovakia (details) | 5,397,036 | 0.9 | 49,133 [61] |
Slovenia (details) | 2,055,496 | 2.2 | 45,000 |
Spain (details) | 46,464,053 | 3.1 | 1,500,000 |
Sweden (details) | 9,775,572 | 1.5 | 145,279 [62] |
Switzerland (details) | 8,211,700 | 1.7 | 140,000 [63] |
Syria (details) | 22,457,336 | 3.1 | 700,000 |
Tajikistan (details) | 8,208,000 | 2 | 160,000 |
Transnistria (details) | 505,153 | 91 [64] | 460,000 |
Turkey (details) | 84,277,439 | 0.02 | 16,000 [65] |
Turkmenistan (details) | 5,171,643 | 5.3 [66] | 270,000 |
Ukraine (details) | 40,000,000 | 65.4–76.6 [10] | 27,802,000 [9] –34,850,000 [10] |
United States (details) | 321,163,157 | 1.55 | 1,043,850 [67] |
United Kingdom (details) | 67,886,011 | 0.7 | 475,000 |
Uzbekistan (details) | 29,559,100 | 5 [68] | 1,000,000 |
TOTAL | 3,331,625,296 | 6.6033 | ~220 million [2] |
A Countries with the majority of their population identifying as Eastern Orthodox are shown in light blue. |
B As per census (unreliable, deemed corrupt) number likely upwards of 20% of population. |
C As per census (boycotted by Northern Kosovo and by some Serbs in the south). |
The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized as a union of several autocephalous subdivisions, which are also called "Churches" (or, sometimes, "jurisdictions"). Some are associated with a specific country, while others are not. This table presents some known data regarding individual jurisdictions. "NA" means that data is not available.
Jurisdiction | Bishops | Priests | Monastics | Monasteries | Parishes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constantinople | 125 | NA | 1,800 [Note 1] | 142 | 648 |
Alexandria | 41 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Antioch | 36 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Jerusalem | 20 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Russia | 217 | 30,675 | NA | 807 | 30,142 |
Serbia | 45 | NA | NA | 286 | 3,100 |
Romania | 53 | 15,068 | 7,605 | 359 | 15,717 |
Bulgaria | 15 | 1,500 | NA | 120 | 2,600 |
Georgia | 37 | 730 | NA | NA | 600 |
Cyprus | 16 | NA | NA | 67 | NA |
Greece | 101 | 10,000 | 3,541 [69] | 646 [69] | 9,146 [70] |
Poland | 12 | NA | NA | NA | 400 |
Albania | 6 | 135 | NA | 150 | 909 |
Czech Lands & Slovakia | 6 | NA | NA | NA | 172 |
Orthodox Church in America | 50 | 2700 | NA | 100 | 1200 |
Ukraine | NA | NA | NA | NA | 7,000 [71] [72] |
North Macedonia/ Macedonian Orthodox Church | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Total | 743 | 54,382 | 12,946 | 2,256 | 61,939 |
Religion in Russia is diverse, with Orthodox Christianity being the most widely professed faith, but with significant minorities of non-religious people and adherents of other faiths. A 1997 law on religion recognises the right to freedom of conscience and creed to all the citizenry, the spiritual contribution of Orthodox Christianity to the history of Russia, and respect to "Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and other religions and creeds which constitute an inseparable part of the historical heritage of Russia's peoples", including ethnic religions or paganism, either preserved, or revived. According to the law, any religious organisation may be recognised as "traditional", if it was already in existence before 1982, and each newly founded religious group has to provide its credentials and re-register yearly for fifteen years, and, in the meantime until eventual recognition, stay without rights.
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The dominant religion in Vojvodina is Orthodox Christianity, mainly represented by the Serbian Orthodox Church, while other important religions of the region are Catholic Christianity, Protestant Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
Religion has been a major influence on the societies, cultures, traditions, philosophies, artistic expressions and laws within present-day Europe. The largest religion in Europe is Christianity. However, irreligion and practical secularisation are also prominent in some countries. In Southeastern Europe, three countries have Muslim majorities, with Christianity being the second-largest religion in those countries. Ancient European religions included veneration for deities such as Zeus. Modern revival movements of these religions include Heathenism, Rodnovery, Romuva, Druidry, Wicca, and others. Smaller religions include Indian religions, Judaism, and some East Asian religions, which are found in their largest groups in Britain, France, and Kalmykia.
Serbia has been traditionally a Christian country since the Christianization of Serbs by Clement of Ohrid and Saint Naum in the 9th century. The dominant confession is Eastern Orthodoxy in the fold of Serbian Orthodox Church.
Eastern Orthodox Christianity is largest religion in Montenegro, but there are also sizeable numbers of adherents of both Catholic Christianity and Islam.
As of 2011, most Armenians in Armenia are Christians (97%) and are members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the oldest Christian churches. It was founded in the 1st century AD, and in 301 AD became the first branch of Christianity to become a state religion.
Christianity in Azerbaijan is a minority religion. Christians who estimated between 280,000 and 450,000 (3.1%–4.8%) are mostly Russian and Georgian Orthodox. There is also a small Protestant Christian community which mostly came from Muslim backgrounds. Due to the very hostile relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Armenian Christians have practically entirely fled the country, and so the Christians in Azerbaijan are members of various other groups, mostly Russians.
Christianity is the main religion in Romania, with Romanian Orthodoxy being its largest denomination.
Christianity is the predominant religion in Ukraine, with 85% of the population identifying as Christian according to a 2022 survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). Seventy-two percent of the population avowed fidelity to an Eastern Orthodox Church: 54% of Ukrainians proclaimed adherence to the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine; 14% identified as Orthodox Christian without specifying a church affiliation; 4% associated with the Moscow Patriarchate. Another 9% of Ukrainians professed devotion to the Catholic Church in Ukraine: 8% Ukrainian Greek Catholics and 1% Latin Catholics. Two percent of the population declared affiliation to a mainstream Protestant Church, and a further 2% identified with some alternative sect of Christianity.
Christianity has dominated Guatemalan society since its Spanish colonial rule, but the nature of Christian practice in the country has changed in recent decades.
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Christianity is the main religion in Belarus, with Eastern Orthodoxy being the largest denomination. The legacy of the state atheism of the Soviet era is evident in the fact that a part of the Belarusians are not religious. Moreover, other non-traditional and new religions have sprung up in the country after the end of the Soviet Union.
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Christianity is the most adhered-to religion in Canada, with 19,373,330 Canadians, or 53.3%, identifying themselves as of the 2021 census. The preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms refers to God. The French colonization beginning in the 17th century established a Roman Catholic francophone population in New France, especially Acadia and Lower Canada. British colonization brought waves of Anglicans and other Protestants to Upper Canada, now Ontario. The Russian Empire spread Orthodox Christianity in a small extent to the tribes in the far north and western coasts, particularly hyperborean nomads like the Inuit. Orthodoxy would arrive in mainland Canada with immigrants from the eastern and southern Austro-Hungarian Empire and western Russian Empire starting in the 1890s; then refugees from the Soviet Union, Eastern Bloc, Greece and elsewhere during the last half of the 20th century.
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Oriental Orthodox Churches are the churches descended from those that rejected the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Despite the similar name, they are therefore a different branch of Christianity from the Eastern Orthodox. Oriental Orthodoxy consists of several autocephalous and autonomous jurisdictions holding a single set of beliefs and united in full communion. However, they each have their own separate rites, and there are significant differences between their respective practices. Thus, there is more internal diversity of practice among the Oriental Orthodox than among the Eastern Orthodox.
There are over 220 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
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