GREEK CHLTRCn
9S5
GREEK CHURCH
(For a fuller r.ccount of this branch of the Greek Church, see Greece.)
The Reformed Churches which arose in the IGth century made also several attempts to establish an understanding with the Greek Church. The Augs- burg Confession and Luther's Smaller Catechism were translated into Greek, and, very early after the Refor- mation, a letter was addressed by Melancthon to the patriarch Joseph of Constjintinople through a deacon Demetrius Mysus, who visited German}' in 1558. An- other Lutheran embassy of a more imposing charac- ter, headed b}' the well-known Tubingen divines An- dreas and Crusius, visited Constantinople during the patriarchate of Jeremias (1576 to 1581). But both mis- sions remained without result. Negotiations with the Reformed Cliurchcs were opened by the patriarch Cy- ril Lukaris, who in 1029 issued a decidedly Calvinistic confession of faith. But he was not only unable to carry his Church with hiui, but was himself deposed and imprisoned; and, to cut off future attcmjits of this kind, a doctrinal declaration was signed by the patri- archs of Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, and many metropolitans and bishops, which, by clear and decided definitions, draws a marked line between the Greek and the Reformed Church. See Cykil Luc.\r. This exposition was generally adopted by the churches, and in a synod held in Jerusalem in 1672 it was adopt- ed as the creed of the Greek Church. (See below,)
Several efforts have also been made by the Anglican churches to enter into intercommunion with the Greek Church, wdiich during the last ten years have received the official indorsement of the English convocations and of the General Convention of the Protestant Epis- copal Church of the United Statas. The plan has found many friends even among bishops of the Greek Church, some of whom are members and patrons of a Society for Promoting the Unity of Christendom [see England], which comprises Anglicans. Roman Catho- lics, and Oriental Christians among its members.
II. Doctrine. — The Greek Church, in common with the Roman Catholic, recognises the infallible authori- ty of the first seven conncils. Its particular doctrines are laid down in a number of confessions of faith, among which the most important are, the Confession of patriarch Gennadius (q. v.), and the Confessio ortko- dixa catholicce atque apostulicre ecclesias orienialis of Pe- trus Mogilas, metropolitan of Kief, which in 1642 was sanctioned by a synod at Yassj', in 1643 signed by all the patriarchs, and in 1672 again sanctioned by a sj'n- od at Jerusalem, and declared to be an authentic exhi- bition of the doctrine of the Church.
The Greeks agree with the Roman Catholics in ac- cepting as the rule of faith not alone the Bible, in- cluding the Deutero-canonical I)ooks,but also the tradi- tions (q. V.) of the Church. They deny the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son [see Filioqce], and reject the papal claim to supremacy and doctrinal au- thority. They admit the seven sacraments of the Ro- man Catholic Church, but dift'er in some of the rites used at their administration. They administer baptism by trine immersion, and confirmation in immediate connection with baptism, even in the case of infants. The right of administering confirmation is conceded to priests as well as to bishops. They administer the communion in both kinds, and even to children. (For their peculiarities in the sacraments of extreme unc- tion and priestly orders, see Extreme Unction and Orders.) They forbid marriage altogether to bish- ops ; priests and deacons are forbidden to contract mar- riage after ordination, and must not have l>ecn mar- ried more than once, nor to a widow. Married priests must live separate from their wives during the time when they are actually engaged in Church service. Thej' regard marriage as dissoluble in case of adulte- r}"^, and regard fourth marriages as utterl}' unlawful. They do not permit the use of graven images, with the exception of that of the cross. Tbej' observe four
great fasts : the fort}' days of Lent, from Pentecost to the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the fifteen days be- fore Assumption Day, and the six weeks before Christ- mas ; and, besides, the Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year are fast days. At divine service they generally use the liturgy of St. Chrysostom, and on certain Sundays and festivals that of St. Basil. The liturgy of the Russian Church is in the Old Slav- ic language ; that of the Church in the kingdom of Greece, in modern Greek ; that of the Church of Geor- gia, in the Old Georgian language. Instrumental mu- sic is forbidden, but singing is universally in use. The ordinary posture in public prayer is standing, the body being turned towards the east; only at Pentecost is kneeling in use. The sign of the cross is in more fre- quent use among them than in the Roman Catholic Church, but in a different form. The preaching of sermons is not common ; generally a homily is read from ancient collections. Corresponding to the brev- iary of the Latin Cliurch is the Horolugion, which con- tains prayers for different hours of divine worship, a complete calendar (Menologion), and different ap- pendixes for worship. Festivals peculiar to the Greek Church are the consecration of water on January C (Old Style) in commemoration of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and the orthodox Sunday (^Estomihi), with a litany anathematizing heretics and in honor of the im- perial patrons, the prelates, and martyrs of the Church.