Autocefalia în Biserica Ortodoxă: prevederi canonice, dezvoltări subsecvente și realități ecleziale actuale
Autocephaly in the Orthodox Church: Canonical Rules, Subsequent Developments, and Current Ecclesial Realities

Summary/Abstract: The concept of autocephaly in the Orthodox Church is a fundamental canonical principle, derived from the ecclesiology of Trinitarian communion. Autocephaly represents the responsible freedom of a local Church to self-administer, while preserving at the same time dogmatic, canonical, and liturgical unity with the entirety of Orthodoxy. The study employs a historical-canonical methodology and is structured into three main parts. First, the canonical provisions of the first millennium that substantiate ecclesial autonomy are examined, ranging from the eparchial level to its maximum expression in autocephaly, underscoring its immutable link with synodality. The second section follows the historical evolution of autocephaly in the second Christian millennium (1054-1923), evaluating the developments of ecclesial dynamics after the Great Schism and, particularly, the impact of the Ottoman period, during which the Ecumenical Patriarchate assumed the leading role of the Rum Millet. The third section investigates the complex ecclesiastical realities of the 20th and 21st centuries, marked by geopolitical changes, the emergence of the Orthodox diaspora, and the subsequent development of conflicting tendencies between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate regarding the understanding of ecclesial primacy. Ecclesiological issues are critically evaluated, such as Constantinopolitan claims of jurisdiction over the diaspora and of a universal right of appeal, as well as new forms of church organization („Self-governing Churches”) within the Russian Orthodox Church. The granting of autocephaly in 2019 to a part of the Orthodox community in Ukraine is analyzed as an emblematic case study for the consequences of actions that ignore synodal consensus. These recent developments, especially unilateral decisions and primatial claims, represent a departure from canonical tradition and from the principle of synodality, generating deep divisions and a crisis in contemporary Orthodoxy. The study emphasizes the necessity of revitalizing synodality at all levels – from regular Synaxes of the Primates to the Pan-Orthodox Council – as the only canonical path for resolving current challenges, especially the problematic organization of the diaspora, and for restoring Eucharistic communion.

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