Back to the beginnings of Christianity:

            After the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-4) the Apostles (disciples of Christ), endowed with the Holy Spirit, went out preaching the "Good News" of Christ's Resurrection and His redemption of the hu­man race.   From the preaching of the Apostles, espe­cially Saints Peter and Paul, many believed and many local churches were established in the various cities throughout the Roman Empire e.g., Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, etc.   In fact, it was in Antioch that the followers of Christ were called "Christians" for the first time (Acts 11: 26).   In each of these churches, the Apostles ordained successors called "bishops" (see 1 Tim. 3: 1-2).   The original lan­guage of the Church was Greek, the language of the people of the Roman Empire.   The Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul were written in Greek.   The Christian Church eventually spread throughout the Roman Empire and was called Catholic (=universal).   It was also called the Orthodox Church ( orthodox means, of correct belief and worship)   to distinguish it from the many heresies which sprang up at different times ( heresy is a teaching and/or practice other than that which the Apostles taught).  

            The Orthodox Church today is that same church of the Apostles, Catholic and Apostolic , un­changed both in its teachings and its practices .   Within the fold of the Orthodox Church there are many eth­nic groups.   One of them, the Greek Orthodox Church, is usually made up of people of Greek descent and usually uses the original Greek language of the Apostolic times in its services.   In its beliefs and prac­tices, however, the Greek Orthodox Church is the same as the other ethnic churches, as for example the Russian Orthodox, the Antiochian Orthodox, or the Jerusalem Orthodox.   Here in Cyprus the lan­guage of worship is the original New Teastament Greek language.  

            The leaders of the Orthodox Church are di­vided into three ranks according to their responsibili­ties.   The highest rank is that of the "bishop" (overseer). The Apostles ordained the first bishops by "the laying on of hands" and the invocation of the Holy Spirit.   Those bishops ordained in the same way their successors and so the succession continues until today.   All the Orthodox bishops are successors of the Apostles. All bishops are equal in authority.   Then comes the rank of the "priest"   or "presbyter" (elder) (for presbyters, see 1 Tim. 5: 17) and then that of the "deacon" (server) (see 1 Tim. 3: 8).   Priests and deacons are ordained by the bishops by "the laying on of hands" and the invocation of the Holy Spirit and their function is to assist the bishops in their duties.   The Orthodox bishops (the successors of the Apostles) have as their main responsibility the overseeing of the affairs of the Church, the teaching of the faith and making sure that the teachings of Jesus Christ (as handed down by the Apostles), as well as the practices taught by the Apostles, are preserved undefiled throughout the centuries.   It was these same bishops who formulated the Creed of the Christian Faith (the Nicene Creed) at the Ecumenical Councils and de­cided which books to include in the Bible (the same Bible all Christians use today) and which not to.   The Bible is indeed a product of the Orthodox Church's Life and Tradition.

  What is the Roman Catholic Church?  

            The church of Rome was initially one of the lo­cal Orthodox churches.   It was an important church because Rome (then Capital of the Roman Empire) was a politically important and wealthy city, that assisted the other local churches in their ma­terial needs.   Rome lost its importance, however, when the Empire center was moved to Constantinople in 323 A.D.   Unfortunately, with the divi­sion of the Roman Empire between East and West by the fifth century came also a gradual separation between the church of Rome and the Eastern churches.   This separation led to an alienation in language, culture, and finally even theology.   Things became worse with the invasion of the West by the barbarians and the subjugation of the western Romans to the Franks and others.   The bishop of Rome gradually aquired more power (both political as well as ecclesiastical) than he ever had in the West.   Finally, in 1054 A.D., the bishop of Rome (who was himself not a Roman) claimed authority over the entire Christian Church and attempted to introduce changes in the Nicene Creed and the ancient practices of the Eastern churches.   This was rejected by the churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and the others churches of the East, that believed and still believe that (i) all bishops are equal , (ii) all doctrinal decisions should be made by the council of bishops, (iii) all doctrinal decisions of the council of bishops must be accepted by the entire body of Christians and that (iv) the original Faith, Creed and practices should remain unchanged.  

            So, after 1054 A.D., the church of Rome, claim­ing that its bishop (the Pope) is the sole ruler of all Christians, and appropriating the title "Catholic" for those under his authority, went its own way.   Since one error breeds another, this resulted in further cor­ruption and then finally a revolt from within.

  Who are the Protestants?

            The revolt within the Roman Catholic Church, which began with Martin Luther in the early 16 th cen­tury, resulted in the formation of many churches in the West.   Their members called themselves Protestants because they were protesting against the wrong practices and abuses within the Roman Church.   Many Protestant teachers arose and still do, each claiming to have the truth and the correct teaching.   They are in fact emphasizing only certain aspects of the Christian Truth, and they lack historical and theological continuity with the Christian past.   One can easily detect their preoccupation against Roman Catholic teachings and practices, but also their ignorance concerning the fifteen centuries of Orthodox Church life and teaching preceding the Protestant Reformation.  

            What we would like all of these people to do, is to stop and think historically and theologi-cally.   We would like them to examine and expe­rience closely the Orthodox way of life and worship.   They will then discover the original church of Christ and His Apostles in the Orthodox Church .   They will then realize that they do not have to start their own.

            We invite all of you to come and worship with us and experience Christian worship unchanged by time, the worship of the Church founded by the Apostles on the authentic teachings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ still preserved undefiled:   the Orthodox Church .

The Orthodox Informer