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

In some cases, autocephaly was simply declared by the church in question and then eventually recognized:* The [[Church autocephaly of Russia]] declared independence from the [[Church of ConstantinopleCyprus]] in 1448 and then in 1589 styled its primate as ''was recognized at the [[patriarchThird Ecumenical Council]]''(431).* The [[Church of GreeceJerusalem]] was declared autocephaly in 1833 but was not granted a ''tomos'' for it by [[Church of Constantinople|ConstantinoplePatriarchate]] until 1850.* The [[Church with primacy in its area (over the claims of Romania]] declared its autocephaly in 1865 with strong protests from [[Church the bishop of Constantinople|Constantinople]], who eventually recognized Caesarea) at the autocephaly in 1885.* The [[Church of AlbaniaQuinisext Council]] claimed its autocephaly (the council "in 1922Trullo", which was recognized by [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]] in 1937.* The [[Church of Georgia]]'s autocephaly was abolished by the Russian authorities in 1811 (after Georgia had been annexed by Tsarist Russia692) and then later restored ''de facto'' in 1917. This restoration wasn't recognized by , which established the [[Church canons of Russia]] until 1943 or by the [[Church of ConstantinopleSixth Ecumenical Council]] until 1989. 

Other churches became autocephalous largely from governmental declarationSometimes, eventually recognized by other portions of the Church:* The [[Church of Serbia]] autocephaly was ''de facto'' autocephalous in 1832, but not recognized granted by the [[one mother Church of Constantinople]] until 1879. Some claim that Serbia's autocephaly goes back to 1219.* The [[a daughter 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 But there were also cases, it was granted by an [[Ecumenical Council]]:* The autocephaly of in which two different Churches both claimed to be the [[mother Church of Cyprus]] was recognized at the [[Third Ecumenical Council]] (431).* The [[same daughter and both granted autocephaly to that same daughter 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]] .different times:

In still otherssome cases, it autocephaly was granted simply declared by one mother church to a daughter church:* In 466, the [[Church of Antioch]] elevated the bishop of Mtskheta to the rank of Catholicos of Kartli, thus rendering 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 question and then eventually recognized by many of the older autocephalous churches).others:

== Analysis ==* The notion that [[Church of Russia]] declared autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] has in 1448 because the sole authority Russian Metropolitan appointed by Constantinople had accepted the Union of Florence and converted to grant Catholicism. In 1589, Russian autocephaly is largely based on an interpretation was recognized by the four Patriarchs existing at the time, and the Metropolitan of Canon 28 Moscow was also proclaimed a Patriarch, fifth in rank behind the others.* The [[Church of Greece]] declared autocephaly from the [[Fourth Ecumenical Council|Council Church of ChalcedonConstantinople]] (451) stating that the Ecumenical Patriarch has authority in "barbarian lands." However1833, that is argued by many to refer only to certain areas on following the borderlands Greek Revolution against Ottoman rule. The autocephaly of the ancient Church of Greece was only recognized by Constantinople in 1850, and a ''[[Roman Empiretomos]] and having nothing whatsoever to do with the modern world some 1500 years later'' was granted at that time. Historically (see above), many * The [[Church of today's autocephalous churches were originally under Romania]] declared autocephaly from the authority [[Church of Constantinople by virtue of geographical proximity or a tradition of Constantinopolitan missionary activity]] in 1865. There were strong protests from Constantinople, but Romanian autocephaly was recognized in 1885. So what may seem like a clear pattern * The [[Church of ecclesiastical order to some is argued by others to be merely coincidental and not Albania]] declared autocephaly from the [[ecclesiology|ecclesiologicalChurch 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, then was re-incorporated into the Church of Constantinople in the 11th century, historically and canonicallythen 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 development, and they continue to developin 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 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]].

==External links== *[http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8131.asp Unity and Autocephaly: Mutually Exclusive?], by Dr. Lewis J. Patsavos, a canonist at [[Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts)]]* [http://www.ocagoarch.org/pagesen/ourfaith/orth_chriarticles/Q-article8148.asp The Origins and-A_OLDAuthority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church], by [[Demetrios Constantelos|Demetrios J. Constantelos]]* [http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/PatAlexisCanon28.shtml A Letter To The Ecumenical Patriarch Concerning The Situation Of The Diaspora], by Patr. [[Alexei II (Ridiger) of Moscow]]* [http://www.oca.org/Autocephaly-1970QAindex-QAautocephaly.html asp?SID=3 Questions and Answers on Autocephaly], an ''apologia'' for the [[OCA]]'s autocephaly by Fr. [[Thomas Hopko]] (1971)