Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Lebanon
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 300,000-400,000 | |
| Languages | |
| Vernacular: Lebanese Arabic |
|
| Religion | |
| Christianity (Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) |
Greek Orthodox Christianity in Lebanon (Arabic: المسيحية الأرثوذكسية اليونانية في لبنان) refers to adherents of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in Lebanon, which is an Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and is the second largest Christian denomination in Lebanon after the Maronite Christians.
Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christians are believed to constitute about 8% of the total population of Lebanon. Most of the Greek Orthodox Christians live either in the capital city of Beirut, the Southeast (Nabatieh/Beqaa), and the North Governorate, in a region south of Tripoli.
Under the terms of an unwritten agreement known as the National Pact between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Deputy Prime Minister in Lebanon are obligated to be Greek Orthodox Christians.
The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch adheres to the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is composed of several autocephalous jurisdictions united by common doctrine and by their use of the Byzantine rite. They are the second largest Christian denomination within Christianity in Lebanon. Historically, these churches grew out of the four Eastern Patriarchates (Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople) of the original five major episcopal sees (the Pentarchy) of the Roman Empire which included Rome. The final split between Rome and the Eastern Churches, who came to oppose the views and claims of the Popes of Rome, took place in 1054. From that time, with the exception of a brief period of reunion in the fifteenth century, the Eastern Churches have continued to reject the claims of the Patriarchate of Rome (the Catholic Church) to universal supremacy and have rejected the concept of papal infallibility. Doctrinally, the main point at issue between the Eastern and Western Churches is that of the procession of the Holy Spirit and there are also divergences in ritual and discipline.
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