Orthodox Eastern Church community of Christian churches whose chief strength is in the Middle East and E Europe. Their members number over 250 million worldwide. This repudiation of the papal claims is the principal point dividing the Orthodox from Roman Catholics. It is sometimes called the Greek rite, because the original language was Greek, but the liturgy has been adapted into Slavonic, Arabic, Estonian, and many other languages. The liturgy is not usually celebrated daily as in the West, and it is always sung.
Infants receive communion and confirmation.
The frequency of confession varies in the different self-governing churches. The number of Orthodox churches recognizing one another as such is indefinite because of the fluid state of the relations of Orthodox bishops in countries to which communicants have emigrated. There are many churches apart from those directly under the patriarchs. A unique, ancient church is that of Mt. Sinai, made up of the monastery of St. Catherine and its subject houses. The archbishop is also abbot.