Greek Orthodox Church

right|thumb|300px|Seal of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
right|thumb|150px|St Sophia's Church, Sydney, Australia
The Greek Orthodox Church (, ) is the body of several churchesDemetrios J. Constantelos, Understanding the Greek Orthodox Church, Holy Cross Orthodox Press 3rd edition (March 28, 2005)L. Rushton, Doves and magpies: village women in the Greek Orthodox Church Women's religious experience, Croom Helm, 1983Paul Yuzyk, The Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada, 1918-1951, University of Ottawa Press, 1981 within the larger communion of the Orthodox Church, sharing a common cultural tradition and whose liturgy is traditionally conducted in Koine Greek,Demetrios J. Constantelos, The Greek Orthodox Church: faith, history, and practice, Seabury Press, 1967 the original language of the New Testament.Daniel B. Wallace: Zondervan, 1997.
==Churches where the Greek Orthodox term is applicable== 
The churches where the Greek Orthodox term is applicable are: 
the four ancient Patriarchates: 
* the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who is also the "first among equals" of the Eastern Orthodox Communion
* the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
* the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch
* the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem
two national autocephalous churches:
* the Orthodox Church of Greece,
* the Orthodox Church of Cyprus
and
* the Orthodox Church of Mount Sinai
and four eparchies of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople:
* the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
* the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy and Malta 
* the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 
* the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia 
The Orthodox Church of Albania, whose liturgy is conducted in Koine Greek only in certain areas of Albania, has also been incorrectly described as the Greek Orthodox Church of Albania,Victor Roudometof, Collective memory, national identity, and ethnic conflict, Greenwood Press , 2002Presveia (U.S.). Grapheio Typou kai Plerophorion, Published by Foto Olympic, 1995Assembly of Captive European Nations 1956, ACEN (Organization), 1956 however the church is autocephalous since 1922 and its autocephaly recognized by the Patriarcate in 1937.
Note: The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America should not be confused with the Orthodox Church in America, whose autocephaly—granted by the Russian Orthodox Church—is not recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and many other churches of the Eastern Orthodox Communion.
== History of the term ==
Historically the term Greek Orthodox has also been used to describe all Eastern Orthodox Churches, since the word "Greek" in the phrase "Greek Orthodox" can be used to refer to the Greek heritageByzantium in Encyclopedia of historians and historical writing Vol. 1, Kelly Boyd (ed.), Fitzroy Dearborn publishers, 1999 ISBN 9781884964336Edwin Pears, The destruction of the Greek Empire and the story of the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, Haskell House, 1968 of the Byzantine Empire. Since during 8 centuries of Christian history most major intellectual, cultural, and social developments in the Christian church took place within the Empire or in the sphere of its influence,Tanner, Norman P. The Councils of the Church, ISBN 0824519043The Byzantine legacy in the Orthodox Church‎ by John Meyendorff - 1982 thus, most parts of the liturgy, traditions, and practices of the church of Constantinople were adopted by all and still provide the basic patterns of contemporary Orthodoxy.Hugh Wybrew, The Orthodox liturgy: the development of the eucharistic liturgy in the Byzantine rite - 1990The Christian Churches of the East, Vol. II: Churches Not in Communion with Rome‎ by Donald Attwater - 1962J Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology: Historical Trends and Doctrinal Themes (1987) The term "Greek" was however abandoned by Slavic and other national orthodox churches,Joan Mervyn Hussey, The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire, 1990A. P. Vlasto, Entry of Slavs Christendom‎ - 1970 who had proceeded to assist to the purposes of their peoples national awakenings, from as early as the 10th century A.D.Andreĭ Lazarov Pantev, Bŭlgarska istorii︠a︡ v evropeĭski kontekst‎ - 2000Joan Mervyn Hussey, The Orthodox Church in the Byzantine Empire, 1990A. P. Vlasto, Entry of Slavs Christendom‎ - 1970
==See also==
*East–West Schism
*Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
*Eastern Orthodox Church
*History of the Eastern Orthodox Church
*Pentarchy
*Ecumenism
==References==
Category:Greek Orthodoxy
Category:Christianity in Europe
Category:Eastern Orthodoxy
de:Griechisch-orthodoxe Kirche
el:Ελληνική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία
eo:Greke ortodoksa eklezio
it:Chiesa greco-ortodossa
ja:ギリシャ正教
nl:Grieks-orthodoxe Kerk
pt:Igreja Ortodoxa Grega
uk:Грецька православна церква