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Source: Analele tiinifice ale Universitii Alexandru Ioan Cuza din Iai. Teologie Ortodox

Scientific Annals of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi - Orthodox Theology

Location: Romania
Author(s): Emilian-Iustinian Roman
Title: The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality
The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality
Issue: 2/2010
Citation Emilian-Iustinian Roman. "The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality". Analele tiinifice
style: ale Universitii Alexandru Ioan Cuza din Iai. Teologie Ortodox 2:159-167.

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The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality

Emilian-Iustinian Roman

PhD.Cand.
Faculty of Orthodox Theology,
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iai, ROMANIA

Abstract:
In this study, the author approaches the concept of autocephaly both from a
historical point of view and as an ecclesiastical reality. The autocephaly is an ongoing
issue in the ecclesiastical life, having always demanded a canonical approach as well.
The autocephaly is a trait of the universal Orthodoxy that relies on the ecclesiastical
teaching as it has been passed on to us. It can only be achieved within the fundamental
canonical principles that provide cohesion and coherence to the ecclesiastical
organization of the Church.

Keywords: autocephaly, canon, sobornity, synodality, local Church, ecumenical

Orthodoxy

The year 2010 was proclaimed a tribute year to Romanian

Autocephaly (1885-2010) by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox
Church on the 18th of June 2009.
Spread throughout the entire world, nowadays the Orthodoxy is
regarded as a communion of autocephalous churches (The Ecumenical
Patriarchate of Constantinople, seated in Istanbul, Turkey; The
Patriarchate of Alexandria, seated in Alexandria, Egypt; The Patriarchate
of Antioch, seated in Damask, Syria; The Patriarchate of Jerusalem,
seated in Jerusalem, Israel; The Russian Patriarchate, seated in Moscow;
The Serbian Patriarchate, seated in Belgrade; The Romania Patriarchate,
seated in Bucharest; The Bulgarian Patriarchate, seated in Sofia; The
Patriarchate of Georgia, seated in Tbilisi; The Church of Cyprus, seated in
Nicosia; The Greek Orthodox Church, seated in Athens; The Orthodox
Church of Albany, seated in Tirana; The Orthodox Church of Poland,
seated in Warsaw; The Orthodox Church of the Czech Republic and
Slovakia, seated in Prague), made up of different peoples, with different
national traits, administratively independent, equal to the other sister

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160 Emilian-Iustinian Roman

churches, yet united from the point of view of dogmas, canons and
worship.

1. The Autocephaly. A historical Approach

The institution of autocephaly has long been of interest for the
Sister Orthodox Churches and is still being debated nowadays. Even if the
modern meaning of the word autocephaly has been testified ever since
the beginning of the ecclesial life, it has continually changed, transformed
with the administrative and hierarchical organization of the Church.
Canonically speaking, autocephaly means the administrative and
judicial independence of an Orthodox church unity, attained on synodal
basis, from another unity attained in the same manner within the
ecumenical Orthodoxy (Stan 1956: 373). The source of this institution is
the synodal principle that was agreed upon through the canons of the first
millennium (can. 34 Ap., 5 I Ec., 2 II Ec., 1 III Ec.). In this regard, can. 34
Ap. is revealing:
The bishops of every nation must acknowledge him who is first
among them and account him as their head, and do nothing of
consequence without his consent but neither let him (who is the first) do
anything without the consent of all; for so there will be unanimity
(Floca 2005: 27).
The autocephalous church has its own ruling, the Holy Synod
together with the Head of the Bishops (Patriarch, Metropolitan or
Archbishop) (Farrugia 2000: 93). Every autocephalous Church has all the
rights that ensure completely independent ruling in the exertion of the
clerical power at least from three points of view: the teaching power, the
consecration power and the ruling power. In the exertion of the teaching
power: it may compile and distribute only in its jurisdiction, books of
doctrinaire character, it may organize theological education etc; in the
exertion of the consecration power: it may ordain clergymen, consecrate
the Holy Great Myrrh, sanctify holy men, establish holidays, organize
typical religious ceremonies, etc., in the exertion of the jurisdictional
power: it may organize the Church from the administrative and territorial
point of view, choose its own bishops, judge its members, clergymen and
laymen, exert jurisdiction on the diasporas, establish relationships with
the other sister churches and the State, etc. (Floca 1990: 323).

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The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality 161

The local churches founded by the Holy Apostles were

autocephalous (Apoc. 1, 4; 11). Ever since their beginnings, they were
guided by the ethical, the cultural or the territorial principle. The canons
of the first millennium, together with the local and universal church
history, contain examples of local churches that became autocephalous in
different ways. We can speak of the following types: those that were
founded by the Holy Apostles, through the creation of the metropolitan
system, those founded on ethical principles (can. 34, 35, 37 etc.), through
the foundation of the dioceses as autocephalous church units (can. 4, 5, 6,
7, 17 I Ec.; 2, 3, 8 III Ec.; 9, 12, 17, 28 IV Ec.; 38, 39 VI Ec.), the
organization of patriarchies or through the either tacit or outspoken
agreement of the autocephalous Churches.
Autocephaly is a trait of the universal Orthodoxy, relying on the
ecclesiastical teachings as they have been kept and transmitted through
the canonical tradition and the life of the church. It can only be achieved
within the fundamental canonical principles, the principle of autocephaly
being one of them.
Revising the important moments of the development of our people,
we notice that it developed alongside with the expansion of the
Christianity. Therefore, we may speak of four periods during which the
church organization had to adapt to changing historical and political
conditions. The first period is that of the foundation of the principalities:
of Muntenia, by Alexandru N. Basarab (1342-1365), in 1359 and the
appointment of Iachint Critopol of Vicina as Metropolitan; of Moldavia,
by Alexander the Good (1400-1432) with the appointment of Iosif as
Metropolitan, in Suceava, in 1401. Obviously, this organization lasted
only throughout this period.
The second period is that of the union between Muntenia and
Moldavia in 1859 under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859-1866) and
of the state independence in 1877. Art. 21 from the first Romanian
Constitution from 1866, issued during the reign of Carol I, stipulate the
principle of the autocephaly. The same Carol I enacted the Law for the
election of the Metropolitans and Bishops and for the Institution of the
Holy Synod of the Holy Autocephalous Romanian Orthodox Church from
the 14th of December, 1872 (The Official Monitor, no. 280, 19th
Decembrie 1872; The Organic Law and The Holy Synod Regulations

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162 Emilian-Iustinian Roman

1872-1883 1889: 7-15). The Metropolitan of Ungro-Vlahia, the head of

the oldest bishops chair that had the residence in the capital of the
country, was proclaimed as the Primate Metropolitan of Romania.
The third period is between the conquest of the state independence
in 1881 and the Union of December, 1918. The proclamation of the
Kingdom in 1881 represents a special moment. The conquest of the state
independence led to greater authority for the Church so that the
Ecumenical Patriarchate had to acknowledge its autocephaly (Pcurariu
1987: 349).
The fourth period is between 1885, the year of the
acknowledgement of the autocephaly, and 1925, the year when the
Romanian Orthodox Church became Patriarchate.
Ever since the beginning, the churches of the Romanian
principalities enjoyed internal administrative independence that was a
type of autocephaly sui generis (erbnescu 1965: 247). The attributions
of the Patriarchate of Constantinople were limited to spiritual matters, the
confirmation of the law issued by the rulers, hierarchs, clergymen. The
content of the autocephaly of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was by
no means diminished; on the contrary, as Nicolae V. Dur asserts, the
status of autocephaly that had characterized our Church ab antique was
thus expressed (Dur 1987: 289). Also, we must clearly state that no
autocephalous church may claim universal jurisdiction because the
Church belongs entirely to the one who built it, therefore to Christ (Marga
2008: 196).

II. The Autocephaly Nowadays

The Statute for the Organization and Functioning of the Romanian
Church stipulates the principle of autocephaly:
Article 2 (1) The Romanian Orthodox Church, of apostolic
origin, is and remains in communion and dogmatic, liturgical and
canonical unity with the universal Orthodox Church.
(2) The Romanian Orthodox Church is autocephalous and unitary in
its organization and pastoral, missionary and administrative work.
Article 5 (2) The Romanian Orthodox Church is national and in
majority according to its apostolic age, tradition, number of the faithful
and its special contribution to the life of the Romanian people. The

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The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality 163

Romanian Orthodox Church is the Church of the Romanian nation (The

Statute for the Organization and Functioning of the Romanian Church
2008: 13-14).
From the point of view of the orthodox ecclesiology, the local
church in its narrowest meaning possible is the community of the
faithful led by a canonical Orthodox bishop. He is the icon of Christs
presence in the Church and the guarantor of the Orthodoxy and the
Orthopraxis in the church communion from a certain territory as well as a
sign of belonging to the world-wide church. (Vlaicu 2008: 207).
The importance of the autocephaly of the local churches is clearly
underlined in the first of the four conclusions of the preparatory Inter-
Orthodox Commission from Chambesy, 13th November 1993:
The institution of autocephaly expresses in the most authentic way
one of the fundamental aspects of the Orthodox Church tradition
regarding the relations between the local and universal Church of God.
This profound connection between the canonical institution of the church
autocephaly and the orthodox ecclesiological teachings regarding the
local church justifies both the sensitivity of the autocephalous local
churches to the regulation of the problems connected to the correct
functioning of the institution and their will to participate in making the
most of this institution for the use of the Church (Papandreou, trans.
Dasclu 1998: 173-174).
The principle of autocephaly is therefore considered a new trait of
the Universal Orthodox church due to the special status of the church
unity, relying on the principle of the equality and parallelism of the sister
churches that are not subordinate to one centre (Ciobotea 1987: 270).
Even if he has an honorific primate, the ecumenical patriarch does not
have a universal jurisdictional right over the other autocephalous churches
or the right to interfere in their internal organization and ruling, to make
decisions on behalf of the entire Orthodoxy without the consent of the
other Orthodox autocephalous churches. The honorific hierarchies that
first appeared among the bishops and differentiated them are the result of
a combination of spiritual, political, economic and cultural elements. The
strength of faith and the competence with which some of the bishops
carried out their mission led to special honours for the city they were
running. The fact that in that city that was the bishops residence one or

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164 Emilian-Iustinian Roman

another of the Holy Apostles preached, thus becoming apostolic throne,

and that the city enjoyed special political, economic and cultural favours
in the state administrative system led to the foundation of higher ranks of
ecclesiastical nature. But these did not influence the organization of the
ecclesiastical life of the Orthodoxy according to the principle of the
multiple autocephaly (communion of churches that were equal from the
canonical point of view), excluding the principle of the monocephaly or
universal jurisdiction (Ciobotea 1987: 270).
Even so, nowadays the Orthodoxy is as unitary as it was during the
apostolic period. The unity of the church, according to its essence, is of
spiritual nature and consists in the unity of faith that all those who want to
be members of the church, with the same worshiping life and universal
canonical norms that are acknowledged and respected by the all the other
Churches, confess to. This springs from the concept of Gods unity, one
in being, and three in person. The combination between the local and
ecumenical aspects of the Orthodox Church brings about the functional
relation between the administrative organization and the unity of the
Church. That is why there is total agreement with regard to the place of
the autocephalous institution in the life of the church (Papandreou, trans.
Dasclu 1998: 174).
Saint Cyprian of Carthage clearly explains the unity of the church in
his De unitate ecclesiae:
We must hold on to and defend this unity, especially us, the
bishops who run the Church, in order to point out that the bishop himself
is one and undivided. Let no one blind our brethren with lies; let no one
dig the true faith by ignoring his duties. The Bishopry is one that
everyone individually and together share the same way the Church is One
although It spreads by multiplying and It splits in parts (Hanc unitatem
firmiter tenere et vindicare debemus, maxime episcopi, qui in ecclesia
praesidemus, ut episcopatum quoque ipsum unum atque indivisum
probemus. Nemo fraternitatem mendacio fallat, nemo fidei veritatem
perfida praevaricazione corrumpat. Episcopatus unus est, cuius a singulis
in solidum pars tenetur; ecclesia quoque una est, quae in multitudine
latius incremento fecunditatis extenditur).
We strongly believe that the autocephaly of the local Churches does
not affect in any way the unity of the Orthodoxy. Moreover, one of the

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The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality 165

attributes of the Church is sobornity (a term of Slavic origins; the Greek

term is catholiki universality in the sense of sobornity. The Church
has a catholic character in the sense of universality, pointing out to both
the ecumenical opening and its missionary dynamism) (Bria 1981: 83) so
that it can adopt any type of organization and ruling according to its
mission.
The means through which the autocephaly of a local church is
acknowledged by the mother-church and the other autocephalous
Orthodox Church was very difficult to enact outside the Pentarchy (The
hierarchy was established through can. 36 of the 4th Ecumenical Synod
that underlines can. 3 of the 2nd Synod and can. 28 of the 4th Ecumenical
Synod. The Bishop of Rome is considered to be primus inter pares. Every
patriarch had a limited and local jurisdiction while their participation to
an ecumenical synod was an extraordinary (meaning not ordinary). In
1054, Rome withdrew and there only four left (the five historical
patriarchies, each being led by a Patriarch).
A series of debates among the pan-orthodox autocephalous
Churches were issued on this topic. For instance, the Ecumenical
Patriarchy, the Patriarchy of Alexandria, the Patriarchy of Jerusalem and
the Church of Greece that sustain the authority of the ecumenical Synods,
relying on the unanimous canonical tradition of the ecumenical Synods
period and its consistent practice till today. On the other hand, there are
the Church of Russia, the Church of Romania, the Church of Bulgaria and
the Church of Poland that sustain that each local autocephalous Church
has the authority of proclaiming the autocephaly of a part of its
administrative jurisdiction as long as the requirements are fulfilled,
meaning the acknowledgement of the unilateral decision of declaring
ones autocephaly by the others (Papandreou, trans. Dasclu 1998: 144
and 157). The local synod of the mother-church checks the fulfillment of
the requirements for autocephaly, gives its consent and then sends its
proposal to the Ecumenical Patriarchy for pan-orthodox consent. This
consent is expressed through the unanimous decision of the synods of the
other local autocephalous churches.
In the case of its proclamation by the mother-church, it is the one
that carries out the act in the name of the Ecumenical Church due to the
fact that it holds the power in solidarity with the whole Church. Worthy

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166 Emilian-Iustinian Roman

of mention is the fact that, among the Heads of the autocephalous

Churches, there are no differences concerning either hierarchies and rights
or their synods. Only a hierarchy of honour is admitted, being established
through canonical norms. As His Excellency Justinian, the Patriarch of
the Romanian Orthodox Church, pointed out, through autocephaly, the
ancient orthodox tradition of the Ecumenical Church and constitutional
spirit of the Orthodoxy which does not allow for the concentration of the
leading powers in the hands of only one hierarch with the rights of a
monarch, is obeyed. (Apostolat Social: vol. VI, 59-60)
Once proclaimed, the local Church is a member with full rights and
enjoys all the canonical privileges put forth by the pan-orthodox practice.
(diptychs, commemoration, inter-orthodox relations etc.).
The Romanian Orthodox Church is autocephalous, being in
communion with the other Orthodox churches as well as in dogmatical,
liturgical and canonical unity with the universal Orthodoxy.
The official acknowledgement of the autocephaly on the 25th of
April 1885 was followed by another important event, that is the rising to
the rank of Patriarchy of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Dealing with the organization principles of the Orthodox Church
and especially the one of the autocephaly implies an interdisciplinary
approach in the new pan-orthodox context as well as an active and
responsible involvement of every local Church in the unspoilt
preservation of the premises of a unitary manifestation of the ecumenical
Orthodoxy.

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The Autocephaly an Ecclesiastical Reality 167

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