Orthodox Hierarchy

[Christy4Christ]

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting in TAW and I hope no one minds. I am wondering what the Hierarchy system is in the Orthodox church. Do you have the equivalent of our Pope? Do you consider him infalible? Basically I am looking for distinct differences between your Patriarch and the Catholic Patriarch.

Any information on this would be very helpful..

Thank you and God Bless!

 

[Oblio]

A Patriarch is an honorary title given the Archbishop of one of the Ancient Sees. Our Bishops & Archbishops are not infallible, nor does one have any theological authority over another. Each Bishop and his Dioscese in essense is a Church in miniature, and one Bishop cannot preside or interfere in another Diocese. All Bishops of the canonical Orthodox Churches are in accord with one another in doctrinal matters, and through them, the faithful flocks that they lead. In this manner, the Orthodox Churches are collegial in structure rather than headed by a vicar on earth.

 

[Christy4Christ]

Ok so there is no main guy that heads over each other little guy? Like there is no Greek Patriarch? No Romanian Patriarch?? I'm sorry if I didn't get the last answer, I am a little slow

 

[Oblio]

The administrative head of an ancient Church (e.g. Jerusalem), is a Patriarch. He would be equivalent to your Pope. The difference is, he only has jurisdicational authority over his Dioscese, and administrative authority over the rest of the Bishops in that Church. The Greek , or Russian, or Serbian Bishops cannot waltz into his regional Church and tell him how to run things. In the bigger picture, there is no Patriarch that rules over all the others. The Greek, Serbian, Russian Patriarchs/Metropolitains et.al. are all equal in authority.

 

[Sergius_Lucius]

There are 15 independent Orthodox Churches listed here: http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Orthodox-Churches/index.htm

Their heads have different titles: Patriarch, Pope, Catholicos, Metropolitan, Archbishop, but each has authority only over his local Church. The Head of whole Orthodox Church is Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Before the Schism of 1053 the Pope of Rome was regarded as the head of his local Church of the West too.