[[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 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|Constantinople]] until 1850.* The [[Church of RomaniaPatriarchate]] declared its autocephaly in 1865 with strong protests from [[Church of Constantinople|Constantinople]], who eventually recognized the autocephaly primacy in 1885.* The [[Church of Albania]] claimed its autocephaly in 1922, which was recognized by [[Church area (over the claims of Constantinople|Constantinople]] in 1937.* The [[Church the bishop of Georgia]]'s autocephaly (originally granted in Caesarea) at the fifth century by [[Church of Antioch|AntiochQuinisext Council]]) was abolished by (the Russian authorities council "in Trullo", 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 Authority [[Church of Constantinople===The notion that Russia]] declared autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] has in 1448 because the Russian Metropolitan appointed by Constantinople had accepted the sole authority 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.

There is, howeverAnd finally, a good deal more historical evidence to suggest that Constantinople has a sort of missionary authority in the areas outside those territories which there have been explicitly defined Churches that received autocephaly, then lost it (by pan-Orthodox synods to constitute autocephalous churches.[http://www.goarchbeing incorporated into other Churches), then received autocephaly again.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8148.asp] This claim It is disputed particularly by the [[Church a matter of Russia]] and its daughter and dependency churchescontroversy whether it is legitimately possible to abolish autocephaly after it has been granted,[httpor whether "losses" of autocephaly represent abuses of power://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles5/PatAlexisCanon28.shtml] especially as an expression of the idea that Moscow is the [[Third Rome]].

===Patterns * The [[Church of Autocephaly===FurtherBulgaria]] received autocephaly from the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 927, even then was re-incorporated into the idea that any mother church can grant Church of Constantinople in the 11th century, then declared autocephaly again in 1186 (recognized in 1235), then lost autocephaly again, then was declared autocephalous by a daughter church decree of the Ottoman Sultan in 1872. 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 is not supported was recognized by history or Constantinople for the canons as they now standthird time in 1945. * The modern conception [[Church of Serbia]] received autocephaly postdates from the primary formation [[Church of Constantinople]] in 1219, but the Orthodox canonical tradition by some centuriesOttoman Turkish authorities prevented the Serbs from electing a Patriarch between 1463 and 1557, and so then abolished Serbian autocephaly entirely in 1766 (incorporating the canons don't currently directly address Serbian flock into the question Church of Constantinople). The Church of how one obtains Serbia received autocephaly again from Constantinople in 1879.* The autocephaly of the 21st [[Church of Georgia]] (originally granted in the 5th centuryby [[Church of Antioch|Antioch]]) was abolished by the 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 [[Church of Russia]] in 1943 and by the [[Church of Constantinople]] in 1989.

The truth is that==New autocephalous Churches==Regardless of ''how'' a Church becomes autocephalous, historically the normal and canonically, there historical procedure for a ''new'' autocephalous Church is no one way to attain autocephaly. Why? It is because there is no "theology of autocephaly" to be found in formally recognized as autocephalous by the [[Church Fathers|Fathers]] or the [[Holy Scripture]]. Indeed, the very idea of autocephaly probably would have seemed which it was originally a little odd to part (the [[apostles]]"mother Church"). That doesn't mean Following that , it is wrong, but autocephalous and [[autonomy|autonomous]] churches are not essential to be formally recognized by all of the nature of other Orthodox Churches in the [[Church]]world. That is, they are This does not require the blessing of any single particular bishop and certainly not inherently an official gathering of an [[ecclesiology|ecclesiologicalEcumenical Council]] matters. They are a practical, administrative, canonical development, and they continue to develop, though within the context of ecclesiology.

==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.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8148.asp The Origins and Authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church], by [[Demetrios Constantelos|Demetrios J. Constantelos]]