Greek Orthodox Church

The self-governing (autocephalous) Orthodox Church of Greece. After the schism of 1054, the Orthodox Church in Greece remained under the patriarch of Constantinople, but was declared independent in 1833. The governing body is the Holy Synod, which comprises 67 metropolitan bishops, presided over by the archbishop of all Greece in the head see of Athens. In doctrine, it shares the beliefs of Orthdox Churches, and in worship uses the Byzantine liturgy. There is a strong monastic movement, still maintained in 150 monasteries.

The Church of Greece is one of the fifteen autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches which make up the Eastern Orthodox Communion. Today it is one of the most important autocephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, churches of the Eastern Orthodox communion. As a result, it retains certain special links with the "Mother Church" .

Supreme authority is vested in the synod of all the diocesan bishops, who all have metropolitical status (the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece) under the presidency of the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece. This synod deals with general church deaths. The church is organised into 81 dioceses; 30 of these, in northern Greece and in the major islands in the north and northeast Aegean, are nominally under the jurisdiction of Constantinople which retains certain privileges over and in them- for example their bishops have to acknowledge the Patriarch as their own primate during prayers . They are called "The New Lands" (Neai Chorai) and are represented by 6 out of the 12 bishops of the Standing Synod. The dioceses of Crete and the Dodecanese and the Monastic Republic of Holy Mount Athos are under the direct jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and are not considered as part of the Church of Greece. The Church, in recent years acquired its own radio stations and is also involved in some television work. A split occurred within the Church in 1923 when the Holy Synod decided to replace the Old Style Calendar (Julian) with the a modified New Style calendar (Gregorian).