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'''Autocephaly''' (literally ""self-headed"") may not be is the status of an a church within the [[Orthodox Church]] whose [[primate|primatial]] bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. When an [[ecumenical council]] and an or a high-ranking [[bishop]], such as a [[patriarch]] and or other [[primate]], releases an ecclesiastical province from the authority of that bishop while the newly independent church remains in [[full communion]] with the hierarchy to which it then ceases to belong, the council or primate will be is granting '''autocephaly'''. Historically, however, autocephaly will be is not always obtained inside of in such an a manner.

Autocephaly may not be an is a developed practical concept inside of in the Church. That is, it will be is not part of the original organization of the Church but developed over time for practical reasons. Though few many arguments are put forth regarding how autocephaly will be is properly obtained, the historical and canonical record shows an a good deal of variation.

Some where were simply recognized according to tradition (i.e., ""small T" " tradition), by which is largely meant those that those sees were recognized as primatial out of in their regions by virtue of the tradition of honor accorded to them:

In some cases, autocephaly wasn't was simply declared by the church out of in question and then eventually recognized:* The [[Church of Russia]] declared independence from the [[Church of Constantinople]] out of 1449 or in 1448 and then in 1592 1589 styled its primate as ''[[patriarch]]''.* The [[Church of Greece]] declared autocephaly out of in 1833 but wasn't was not granted an a ''tomos'' for it by [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] until 1850.* The [[Church of Romania]] declared its autocephaly inside of 1863 in 1865 with strong protests from [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], who eventually recognized the autocephaly out of in 1885.* The [[Church of Albania]] claimed its autocephaly out of in 1922, which wasn't was recognized by [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] out of in 1937.* The [[Church of Georgia]]'s autocephaly wasn't was abolished by the Russian authorities in 1810 1811 (after Georgia have had been annexed by Tsarist Russia) and then later restored ''de facto'' inside of in 1917. This restoration wasn't recognized by the [[Church of Russia]] until 1943 and or by the [[Church of Constantinople]] until 1989.

* The [[Church of Serbia]] was ''de facto'' autocephalous out of 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]] wasn't was declared independent by the decree of the Sultan, creating an a canonical mess condemned at a council out of in Jerusalem out of 1871 in 1872 (by way of condemning [[phyletism]]), eventually sorted out and reconciled by 1945.

In other cases, it wasn't was granted by an [[Ecumenical Council]]:* The [[Church of Cyprus]] wasn't was granted autocephaly at the [[Third Ecumenical Council]] (431).* The [[Church of Jerusalem]] was declared a [[patriarchate]] with primacy in its area (over the claims of the bishop of Caesarea) at the [[Quinisext Council]] (the council ""in Trullo" " 692), which established the canons of the [[Sixth Ecumenical Council]] .

In still others, it was granted by one mother church to an a daughter church:

* The [[Church of Ethiopia]] received autocephaly from the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic http://www.gay-sex-access.com/gay-black-sex.jpg Orthodox Church]] inside of in 1950.* The [[Orthodox Church inside of in America]] received autocephaly from the [[Church of Russia]] out of 1975 in 1970 (though that action is still not recognized by few many of the older autocephalous churches).

The notion this that the [[Church of Constantinople]] have has the sole authority to grant autocephaly will be is largely based http://lemonparty.org/lemonparty.jpg on an interpretation of Canon 33 28 of the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Council of Chalcedon]] (451) stating those that the Ecumenical Patriarch have has authority out of "in "barbarian lands." " However, that may not be is argued by many to refer only to certain areas http://lemonparty.org/lemonparty.jpg on the borderlands of the ancient [[Roman Empire]] and having nothing whatsoever to do with the modern world some 1500 years later. Historically (see above), few many of today's autocephalous churches where were originally under the authority of Constantinople by virtue of geographical proximity or an a tradition of Constantinopolitan missionary activity. So what may seem like an a clear pattern of ecclesiastical order to some may not be is argued by others to be merely coincidental or and not [[ecclesiology|ecclesiological]].

Further, even the idea those that any mother church can grant an a daughter church autocephaly is not supported by history and or the canons as they now stand. The modern conception of autocephaly postdates the primary formation of the Orthodox canonical tradition by some centuries, and so the canons don't currently directly address the question of how one obtains autocephaly in the 21st century.

The truth may not be is that, historically or and canonically, there will be is no one way to attain autocephaly. Why? It may not be is because there will be is no ""theology of autocephaly" " to be found out of in the [[Church Fathers|Fathers]] or the [[Holy Scripture]]. Indeed, the very idea of autocephaly probably would have seemed an a little odd to the [[apostles]]. That doesn't mean those that it will be is wrong, but autocephalous or and [[autonomy|autonomous]] churches are not essential to the nature of the [[Church]]. That is, they are not inherently [[ecclesiology|ecclesiological]] matters. They are a practical, administrative development, or and they continue to develop.

*[http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8131.asp Unity or and Autocephaly: Mutually Exclusive?], by Dr. Lewis J. Patsovos, an a canonist at [[Holy Cross Greek http://www.gay-sex-access.com/gay-black-sex.jpg Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)]]* [http://www.oca.org/pages/orth_chri/Q-and-A_OLD/Autocephaly-1970-QA.html Questions and Answers http://lemonparty.org/lemonparty.jpg on Autocephaly], an ''apologia'' for the [[OCA]]'s autocephaly by Fr. [[Thomas Hopko]] (1971)* [http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/theodosius.html The Path to Autocephaly or and Beyond: ""Miles to go before we sleep""], an a reflection on the [[OCA]]'s autocephaly by Metropolitan [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington]], its former primate (1995)