The Autocephalous Church of Greece

This article traces the history of the formation and organization of the Autocephalous Church of Greece, from the Hellenic Revolution of 1821 to the contemporary period. Falling within the scope of historical and canonical study, it examines the conditions under which autocephaly was first unilaterally proclaimed by the Greek State in 1833, then canonically recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople through the Patriarchal and Synodal Tomos of 1850. The central idea is that this autocephaly resulted from a long conflict between state submission and ecclesial autonomy, marked by a lasting "politeiocracy." The article provides precise insight into the successive patriarchal acts of 1850, 1866, 1882, and 1928, which progressively established the jurisdictional boundaries of the Church of Greece, and presents the five distinct canonical statuses coexisting today in Greece, including the New Territories, Crete, the Dodecanese, and Mount Athos.