[[Image:World canonical territories.png|right|thumb|600px|Map of the canonical territories of autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox jurisdictions ("churches"). Where a certain territory is disputed (either between two different churches or one church claims it as its territory while others consider it part of the diaspora), it is shown shaded. Click image to magnify.]][[Image:Europe canonical territories.png|right|thumb|200px|The European section of the above map, in closer detail. Click image to magnify.]]The '''[[autocephaly|autocephalous]] and [[autonomy|autonomous]] Orthodox churches''' are those churches (i.e. [[jurisdiction]]s) which have self-government. These jurisdictions are united in doctrine and worship, they recognize each other as canonical, they are in [[full communion]], and together they constitute ''the Orthodox Church''. The use of the term "churches" to refer to the various jurisdictions is informal; strictly speaking, they are just parts of the One Church, the Orthodox Church.

There is The fact that these jurisdictions are in full communion with each other means that they recognize each other as parts of the Orthodox Church. However, it does not currently unanimous agreement on which churches are autoephalous necessarily mean that they agree about each other's precise ''rank'' or autonomous''status'' within the Church. There The autocephaly or autonomy of several bodies is, however, an order which disputed. This means that there is followed a disagreement about whether the bodies in international Interquestion are self-Orthodox gatheringsgoverning or not. So, for example, which is included here first. There is an expanded order which is recognized by some churchesconsider the Orthodox Church in America to be self-governing, most notably while others consider it to be a part of the [[Church of Russia]] and its dependencies and historical daughter churches. Despite the disagreement on which churches have autocephalous or autonomous status, all these churches maintain [[full communion]] with one another.

As a result, there are two ways to make a list of autocephalous and autonomous churches. The first way is to list only the jurisdictions that are ''universally'' recognized as self-governing. This may be called the "minimal list", and it is used in most inter-Orthodox gatherings. The second way is to list all those jurisdictions that are recognized as self-governing by ''at least one'' other jurisdiction. Groups that are ''not'' in communion with the mainstream Orthodox Church, such as some of the [[Old Calendarists]], are excluded from both versions of the list. ==Inter-Orthodox orderMinimal list==This is a list of churches that are recognized as autocephalous or autonomous by '''all''' the others. They are shown here in the canonical order established by Church Tradition.

*[[Church of the Czech Lands and SlovakiaSinai]]

==Expanded orderlist==This is a list of churches that are recognized as autocephalous or autonomous by '''at least some''' of the others. They are also shown here in canonical order.

*[[Orthodox Church in America]](autocephaly recognized only by Moscow, Bulgaria, Georgia, Poland, and the Czech Lands and Slovakia)*[[Orthodox Church of Ukraine]] (autocephaly recognized by Constantinople) It should be noted that in the [[diptychs]] of the Moscow Patriarchate and some of its daughter churches (e.g. the OCA), the ranking of four of the patriarchal churches is different. Following Moscow in rank is Georgia, then Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria. The remainder of the rankings beginning with Cyprus is the same.

*[[Church of Estonia (Ecumenical Patriarchate)|Church of Estonia]] (autonomy recognized by Constantinople but not Moscow)*[[Church of Japan]] (autonomy recognized by Moscow but not Constantinople)*[[Church of China]] (virtually non-existent, autonomy recognized by Moscow but not Constantinople)*[[Church of Ukraine]] (autonomy recognized by Moscow but not Constantinople)*[[Archdiocese of Ohrid]] ==Former self-governing churches==These churches were formerly autocephalous or autonomous, but they are no longer Orthodox, or in some cases no longer exist. *[[Church of Rome|Patriarchate of Rome]] (See [[Great Schism]])*[[Church of Carthage]]*[[Church of Latvia]]*[[Church of Lithuania]] ==Churches in schism==The following churches are in [[schism]] from the mainstream Orthodox Church. In other words, they are not in communion and not considered part of the Orthodox Church, although in most cases they maintain the same doctrine and the same practices. *[[Macedonian Orthodox Church]]*[[Church of Ukraine(Kiev Patriarchate)]]*[[Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]]*[[Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church]]*[[Orthodox Church of France]]*[[Montenegrin Orthodox Church]]

==External link==*[http://www.balamand.edu.lb/theology/links.htm Canonical Orthodox Churches Online] [[Category:Jurisdictions|*]] [[ro:Lista Bisericilor autocefale şi autonome]][[ru:Список православных церквей]]