Orthodoxy in brief
The Orthodox Church is ancient, from the time of our beloved Apostles of Christ. The word "orthodox" is derived from the Greek word meaning "right worship and right belief". The Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, bearing the 4 marks of a true church of Christ. It has collectively about 300 million believers today, making it the second largest Christian group in the world. The Orthodox faith is NOT denominational, but rather, pre-denominational.
It all started when the Apostles founded historic churches throughout continental Europe, Africa, and Asia. The major centers of Christianity were in Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and Constantinople, led by Patriarchs, for the first 1000 years.
By the 4th century, the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, after the first 300 years of persecution from the Romans. The early Church fathers met in a series of ecumenical councils, led by the Holy Spirit, to seal the fundamental truths of Orthodoxy, such as the Nicene Creed, to dispel the heretical attempts throughout the early years.
Various reasons caused the rift of the Western (Rome) and the Eastern Churches, which culminated in the Great Schism of 1054 AD. The Orthodox Church continued unbroken right up to today in its fullness of faith, expressed through a reverence and adherence to Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. The Western Church went through further schisms since the 16th century with the Protestant reformation.
The Orthodox Church is sacramental, and recognizes the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Confession (or reconciliation), Unction (healing of the sick), Ordination, and Matrimony. We celebrate the Eucharist regularly through the Divine Liturgy, which is in 2 parts - (1) Liturgy of the Word (which includes Scriptural readings and a homily), and (2) Liturgy of the Faithful (which is the Eucharist). The Church stays true to the ancient and primitive faith and practices, while remaining relevant in the contemporary world, by being the rock and the anchor in the stormy seas of relativism.
The Orthodox Church is a global communion independently ruled by bishops, and the head of the Church is Jesus Christ our Lord, without a central hierarchical system or head of the church (unlike Rome). Each bishop is equal in ecclesiastical status and authority as the next bishop in the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church is united through Christ our Lord, and the Orthodoxy of its theology and adherence to Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. The Bible, which many Christians refer to today, came from the Ecumenical Councils in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, and the Orthodox (and the Roman) Churches retain the FULL texts.
We at Saint Flannan's pray for, respect and honor all apostolic equals in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, including His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope of Rome, Patriarch of the West (Primus inter pares), His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch, First Hierarch of the Holy Orthodox Church, His Holiness Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, His Beatitude Ignatios IV, Patriarch of Great Antioch and All the East, and His Beatitude Theofilos III, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, and all historic, regional and national patriarchal and metropolitan sees, and diaspora.
An Ancient Orthodox tradition
The Celts were converted to Christianity from an early time just after the time of Christ, especially from the Copts (pre-Chalcedonian Eastern or Oriental traditions). As with the rest of our Orthodox brethren, it is also pre-denominational.
The Celtic civilization, whose people were Gauls, were spread throughout southern Russia, Europe and later the British Isles. The Apostles James and John had the greatest influence on the Celts. St James preached the Gospel after the Pentecost to the Jews in Sardinia (part of Spain), then Spain and northwards. His preaching was heard by the Celtic and Iberian folk, including those in Galicia (northwest Spain), which became the portal to Ireland for many centuries. St John preached throughout Asia Minor (now Turkey), and many people believed, including the Galatians in Cappadocia (Celts). The Celts, like the Jews, were family centered and communicative, and the Gospel spread throughout families. Around 150 AD, the Gauls, who were Christians, asked the Church for a bishop, and St. Irenaeus was sent. St. Irenaeus was taught by St. Polycarp, the disciple of St. John the Theologian.
By the 2nd century, history showed that the British Isles was converted to Christianity, and by the 4th century, Christianity permeated to most of the Celts. The first missionaries to the British Isles are documented to have been with St. Joseph of Arimathea, commissioned by St Philip the Apostle (who held the Ephesian See at Hierapolis, Greek for "holy city"), around 47 AD. The early Christian monastic communities there followed those of the pre-Chalcedonian Eastern or Oriental traditions (North Africa, Middle East and India). An example of such a rite was the Stowe (Lorrha) Missal. The first Christian monastic community was documented to be at Glastonbury (then Yniswitrin), attributed to King Arvirargus of Somerset and sons Coilus and Marius. Christian monasticism grew peacefully in British Isles until the Bishops of Rome sent Saints Patrick and Augustine of Canterbury to unify the sacraments to the Western tradition.
Celtic Christianity is Orthodox, liturgical, and ancient, rooted in Old Testament and Gospel traditions, especially that of Saint John. Traditionally, the Celts' daily office has extensive Scriptural readings, with a celebration and deep appreciation for God's creation. The Celts are apophatic in their theology in alignment with Orthodox traditions, in a deep appreciation for the unknowable nature of God (rather than the Cataphatic theology of believing that God can be known through human reason). Celtic Christianity is rooted in the teachings of the Desert Fathers of the Orthodox tradition, such as those of St. Antony of Egypt. The Celtic tradition is deeply admired for its many saints such as St Columba (Columcille), St Ninian, St Patrick, St Aidan, and so on. The immense dedication to the faith also gave us the famous illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Kells, Lindisfarne Gospels, and many Psalters. The Celts were carved many stone High Crosses, such as the Clonmacnoise Cross of Scriptures in Ireland.
Brief timeline
This is a brief timeline from the Pentecost right up to current traditions. The Orthodox Church has maintained the primitive and orthodox faith in Scripture and Tradition from the beginning, unbroken, to now.
