Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The Orthodox Catholic Church: A major Christian communion derived from the Byzantine Church, adhering to Byzantine liturgical rites and traditions. It is one of the three main historical branches of Christianity, alongside Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. It is also commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Usage

• The term "Orthodox Catholic Church" is used as a proper name to refer to the entire communion of autocephalous (self-governing) churches, such as the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church.
• It is used in formal, historical, and theological contexts to discuss doctrine, history, or comparative religion.

Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Patriarch of Constantinople is considered the "first among equals" in the Orthodox Catholic Church.
  • Theology and practice in the Orthodox Catholic Church are deeply rooted in the early church fathers and the first seven ecumenical councils.
  • Many immigrants brought the traditions of the Orthodox Catholic Church to new countries.

Advanced Usage

• "Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church": A fuller name sometimes used to emphasize its geographical and historical Eastern heritage in distinction from the Roman Catholic Church.
  • The schism of 1054 formally separated the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church from the Roman Catholic Church.

Variants and Related Words

• Eastern Orthodox Church (n): The most common synonym for the Orthodox Catholic Church.
• Orthodoxy (n): The body of beliefs and practices characteristic of the Orthodox Catholic Church; also refers to the state of conforming to established doctrine.
• Byzantine Rite (n): The system of liturgical practices used by the Orthodox Catholic Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches.

Synonyms

• Eastern Orthodox Church
• Orthodox Church
• Greek Orthodox Church (Note: This can refer specifically to the church in Greece or, informally, to the broader communion in some contexts.)

Notes

• The term "Catholic" in "Orthodox Catholic Church" means "universal" and should not be confused with the Roman Catholic Church. The full name asserts the church's view of itself as the continuation of the original universal Christian church.
• It is not standard to use phrasal verbs or idioms with this proper noun.

Noun

1. derived from the Byzantine Church and adhering to Byzantine rites