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[[Image:World canonical territories.png|right|thumb|450px|Map of the canonical territories of autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox jurisdictions. Click image to magnify.]][[Image:Europe canonical territories.png|right|thumb|150px|The European section of the above map, in closer detail. Click image to magnify.]]'''Autocephaly''' (literally "self-headed") is the status of a church Local Church within the [[Orthodox Church]] whose [[primate|primatial]] bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. When Autocephaly is granted when an [[ecumenical council]] or a high-ranking [[bishop]], such as a [[patriarch]] or other [[primate]], releases an [[Ecclesiastical Province|ecclesiastical province ]] from all obligations to any higher authority within the authority of that bishop Orthodox Church, while the newly independent church remains remaining in [[full communion]] with the hierarchy bishops of that province. Historically, autocephaly was obtained in a variety of ways. There are controversies regarding which historical methods of obtaining autocephaly represent a normative precedent to be followed in the future and which it then ceases methods represent special exceptions. ==Church usage==Autocephaly refers to belongthose Churches which are not, in any way, dependent upon any other Church, or Churches, for their life and mission. On the council or primate other hand, each and every Local Orthodox Church, regardless of its particular status, is granting '''autocephaly'''responsible for the faith and life of the others. HistoricallyTherefore any action of any Church is subject to the review of the others in reference to its doctrine, morality, howeversacramental practices, autocephaly and canonical order. This is just as each and every Orthodox Christian is not always obtained in such a mannerresponsible for each other.

Autocephaly is a developed practical concept in the Church. That isIn Antiquity, it is not part of the original organization of the Church but certain areas developed over time for practical various reasonsinto self-governing Churches, with groups of bishops organizing themselves into synods or councils with a primate. Though many arguments are put forth regarding how autocephaly is properly obtained, These self-governing areas were then confirmed in their position by the historical others and canonical record shows a good deal of variationrecognized as such.

Some were simply recognized according to tradition (i.e., "small Tt" tradition), by which is largely meant meaning that those sees the bishops of certain prominent cities in the Roman Empire were recognized as primatial in their primates over the surrounding regions , by virtue of the size of those cities, the importance and influence of the Christians living in them, and the tradition of honor accorded to them:

In some other cases, autocephaly was simply declared by the church in question and then eventually recognized: * The [[Church of Russia]] declared independence from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 1448 and then in 1589 styled its primate as ''[[patriarch]]''.* The [[Church of Greece]] declared autocephaly in 1833 but was not granted a ''tomos'' for it by [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] until 1850.* The [[Church of Romania]] declared its autocephaly in 1865 with strong protests from [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], who eventually recognized the autocephaly in 1885.* The [[Church of Albania]] claimed its autocephaly in 1922, which was recognized by [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] in 1937.* The [[Church of Georgia]]'s autocephaly (originally granted in the fifth century by [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]]) was abolished by the Russian authorities in 1811 (after Georgia had been annexed by Tsarist Russia) and then later restored ''de facto'' in 1917. This restoration wasn't recognized by the [[Church of Russia]] until 1943 or by the [[Church of Constantinople]] until 1989. Other churches became autocephalous largely from governmental declaration, eventually recognized by other portions of the Church: * The [[Church of Serbia]] was ''de facto'' autocephalous in 1832, but not recognized by the [[Church of Constantinople]] until 1879. Some claim that Serbia's autocephaly goes back to 1219.* The [[Church of Bulgaria]] was declared independent by the decree of the Sultan, creating a canonical mess condemned at a council in Jerusalem in 1872 (by way of condemning [[phyletism]]), eventually sorted out and reconciled by 1945. In other cases, it was granted by an [[Ecumenical Council]]:

* The [[Church of Jerusalem]] was declared a [[patriarchatePatriarchate]] with primacy in its area (over the claims of the bishop of Caesarea) at the [[Quinisext Council]] (the council "in Trullo" , in 692), which established the canons of the [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]] .

In still othersSometimes, it autocephaly was granted by one mother church Church to a daughter churchChurch:

* In 466, the [[Church of Antioch]] elevated the bishop of Mtskheta to the rank of Catholicos of Kartli, thus rendering making the [[Church of Georgia]] autocephalous.* The [[Orthodox Church in America]] received autocephaly from the [[Church of Russia]] in 1970 (though that action is still not formally recognized by any many of the older other autocephalous churchesChurches).* The [[Orthodox Church of Ukraine]] received autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 2019 (though that action is still not formally recognized by many of the other autocephalous Churches).

===* The Authority of Constantinople===The notion that the [[Church of ConstantinoplePoland]] has the sole authority to grant received autocephaly is largely based on an interpretation of Canon 28 of from the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Council Church of ChalcedonConstantinople]] (451) stating that the Ecumenical Patriarch has authority in "barbarian lands1924." However, that is argued This was not recognized by many to refer only to certain areas on the borderlands [[Church of the ancient Russia]]. The Church of Russia granted a separate ''[[Roman Empiretomos]] and having nothing whatsoever '' of autocephaly to do with the modern world some 1500 years laterChurch of Poland in 1948. Historically (see above), many * The [[Church of today's autocephalous churches were originally under the authority Czech Lands and Slovakia]] received autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople Russia]] in 1951. This was not recognized by virtue the [[Church of geographical proximity or a tradition Constantinople]]. The Church of Constantinopolitan missionary activity. So what may seem like Constantinople granted a clear pattern of ecclesiastical order to some is argued by others to be merely coincidental and not separate ''[[ecclesiology|ecclesiologicaltomos]]'' of autocephaly to the Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia in 1998.

There isIn some cases, however, a good deal more historical evidence to suggest that Constantinople has a sort of missionary authority in the areas outside those territories which have been explicitly defined by pan-Orthodox synods to constitute autocephalous churches.[http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8148.asp] This claim is disputed particularly autocephaly was simply declared by the [[Church of Russia]] in question and its daughter and dependency churches,[httpthen eventually recognized by the others://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/PatAlexisCanon28.shtml] especially as an expression of the idea that Moscow is the [[Third Rome]].

=== Patterns * The [[Church of Autocephaly ===Russia]] declared autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 1448 because the Russian Metropolitan appointed by Constantinople had accepted the Union of Florence and converted to Catholicism. In 1589, Russian autocephaly was recognized by the four Patriarchs existing at the time, and the Metropolitan of Moscow was also proclaimed a Patriarch, fifth in rank behind the others.* The [[Church of Greece]] declared autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 1833, following the Greek Revolution against Ottoman rule. The autocephaly of the Church of Greece was only recognized by Constantinople in 1850, and a ''[[tomos]]'' was granted at that time.* The [[Church of Romania]] declared autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 1865. There were strong protests from Constantinople, but Romanian autocephaly was recognized in 1885.* The [[Church of Albania]] declared autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 1922. This was recognized by Constantinople in 1937.

FurtherAnd finally, even the idea there have been Churches that any mother church can grant a daughter church received autocephaly is not supported , then lost it (by history or the canons as they now standbeing incorporated into other Churches), then received autocephaly again. The modern conception It is a matter of controversy whether it is legitimately possible to abolish autocephaly postdates the primary formation of the Orthodox canonical tradition by some centuriesafter it has been granted, and so the canons don't currently directly address the question or whether "losses" of how one obtains autocephaly in the 21st century.represent abuses of power:

* The truth is that[[Church of Bulgaria]] received autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 927, historically and canonicallythen was re-incorporated into the Church of Constantinople in the 11th century, then declared autocephaly again in 1186 (recognized in 1235), there is no one way to attain then lost autocephalyagain, then was declared autocephalous by a decree of the Ottoman Sultan in 1872. Why? It is because there is no "theology This created a canonical mess condemned at a council in Constantinople in 1872 (by way of condemning [[phyletism]]), which was eventually sorted out decades later. Bulgarian autocephaly" to be found was recognized by Constantinople for the third time in the 1945.* The [[Church Fathers|Fathersof Serbia]] or received autocephaly from the [[Holy ScriptureChurch of Constantinople]]. Indeedin 1219, but the Ottoman Turkish authorities prevented the Serbs from electing a Patriarch between 1463 and 1557, then abolished Serbian autocephaly entirely in 1766 (incorporating the Serbian flock into the very idea Church of Constantinople). The Church of Serbia received autocephaly probably would have seemed a little odd to again from Constantinople in 1879.* The autocephaly of the [[apostlesChurch of Georgia]]. That doesn't mean that it is wrong, but autocephalous and (originally granted in the 5th century by [[autonomyChurch of Antioch|autonomousAntioch]] churches are not essential to ) was abolished by the nature Imperial Russian authorities in 1811 (after Georgia had been annexed by Tsarist Russia). The Church of Georgia later declared autocephaly again in 1917. This restoration of autocephaly was recognized by the [[Churchof Russia]]. That is, they are not inherently in 1943 and by the [[ecclesiology|ecclesiologicalChurch of Constantinople]] matters. They are a practical, administrative, canonical development, and they continue to develop, though within the context of ecclesiologyin 1989.

The one pattern which does seem to prevail is that autocephaly is an expression ==New autocephalous Churches==Regardless of ''how'' a Church becomes autocephalous, the whole community of Orthodox churches normal and that the voice of that community historical procedure for a ''new'' autocephalous Church is most often found in to be formally recognized as autocephalous by the leadership Church of which it was originally a part (the first among them, the "mother Church of Constantinople"). Where autocephaly is proclaimed without Constantinople's assentFollowing that, it historically tends is to find itself on difficult groundbe formally recognized by all of the other Orthodox Churches in the world. This does not require the blessing of any single particular bishop and certainly not an official gathering of an [[Ecumenical Council]].

* [http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8148.asp The Origins and Authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church], by [[Demetrios Constantelos|Demetrios J. Constantelos]]