Which Countries Follow Eastern Orthodox Christianity?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The term Eastern Orthodox Europe is informally used to describe the predominantly Eastern Orthodox countries of Eastern Europe, as well as

Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine

.

Which countries follow Orthodox Christianity?

# COUNTRY AMOUNT 1 Russia 58.19 million 2 Ethiopia 45 million 3 Romania 18.82 million 4 Ukraine 13.03 million

In which country do Eastern Orthodox Christians?

Overview. Eastern Orthodoxy is the predominant religion in the world’s largest country,

Russia

(77%), where roughly half the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians live.

What percent of Christians are Eastern Orthodox?

Additionally, Orthodox followers account for

12 percent

of Christians worldwide, down 8 percentage points from the levels in 1910, according to the Pew report.

Who celebrates Eastern Orthodox?


Millions of Orthodox Christians worldwide

, including about six million in North America, observe Easter, also known as Pascha, each year. It is estimated that there are more than 250 million Orthodox Christians in the world.

How is Orthodox different from Christianity?

Essentially the Orthodox Church shares much with the other Christian Churches in the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The Orthodox Church differs substantially in

the way of life and worship

.

What the difference between Orthodox and Catholic?

The Catholic Church believes the pope to be infallible in matters of doctrine.

Orthodox believers reject the infallibility of the pope and consider their own patriarchs, too

, as human and thus subject to error. In this way, they are similar to Protestants, who also reject any notion of papal primacy.

Which religion is Orthodox?

Orthodox means adhering to accepted norms and creeds – especially in religion. In Christianity, the term means “

conforming to the Christian faith

as represented in the creeds of the early Church.” The Orthodox Church is one of the three main Christian groups – the others are the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches.

How old is Orthodox Christianity?

Eastern Orthodox Church Founder Jesus Christ, according to sacred tradition
Origin


1st century

, according to sacred tradition Judea, Roman Empire, according to sacred tradition
Separations Old Believers (17th century) True Orthodoxy (1920s) Members 220 million

What do Orthodox Christians believe?

Eastern Orthodox Christians believe in

a single God who is both three and one (triune); the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

, “one in essence and undivided”. The Holy Trinity is three “unconfused” and distinct divine persons (hypostases), who share one divine essence (ousia); uncreated, immaterial and eternal.

What is the most Catholic country in the world?

The country where the membership of the church is the largest percentage of the population is

Vatican City

at 100%, followed by East Timor at 97%. According to the Census of the 2020 Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook), the number of baptized Catholics in the world was about 1.329 billion at the end of 2018.

Why did the Orthodox Church split from the Catholic Church?

The Great Schism came about due to

a complex mix of religious disagreements and political conflicts

. One of the many religious disagreements between the western (Roman) and eastern (Byzantine) branches of the church had to do with whether or not it was acceptable to use unleavened bread for the sacrament of communion.

What is the largest Orthodox church in the world?

Name Area (m2) Country Interior
Hagia Sophia

7,960 Turkey
Church of Saint Sava 3,650 m2 Serbia Cathedral of Christ the Saviour 3,990 m2 Russia

Is Orthodox older than Catholic?

Therefore

the Catholic Church is the oldest of all

. The Orthodox represents the original Christian Church because they trace their bishops back to the five early patriarchates of Rome, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Constantinople and Antioch.

Why is Catholic and Orthodox Easter different?

The reason for the difference is that

the Western Church follows the old Julian calendar

, while the Orthodox Church uses the Gregorian calendar. … This explains why the dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter are different each year and rarely coincide.

Can Orthodox priests marry?

Under Orthodox rules,

a celibate priest cannot marry after ordination

, and a non-celibate priest cannot remarry and remain a priest, even if his wife dies, he said. Widowers who remain celibate can become bishops, but that’s happened just once.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.