Eastern Orthodoxy in the Philippines

Eastern Orthodoxy in the Philippines,also known collectively as thePhilippine Orthodox Church,refers to theEastern Orthodoxpresence in thePhilippinesas a whole.

Overview

In 1989, Adamopoulos saw the need to establish the first Greek Orthodox church in the Philippines and thus established the Hellenic Orthodox Foundation, Inc., but he died in 1993 before the church was completed. The Annunciation Orthodox Cathedralin Sucat,Parañaque,Metro Manila,was finished in 1996 and was consecrated byEcumenical PatriarchBartholomew I of Constantinoplein 2000.

Since then, other autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches have established their presence in the Philippines, particularly inMindanao.Alongside the local Greek community, a small community of Serbians and Russians living in the Philippines conduct services here.

In March 2024, the Apostolic Orthodox Church established the Diocese of Bohol and Philippines, which has sent missions to Quezon City, Tacloban City, Samar, Caloocan, and Bulacan.

There is an estimated number of 2,500 Eastern Orthodox Christians living in the country. Those E.O. belong to theMoscow Patriarchate,to thePatriarchate of Antioch,and to theEcumenical Patriarchate.

Churches

There are threeautocephalousEastern Orthodox churches with a presence in the country, the jurisdictions of which overlap with each other. These are:

• theAntiochian Orthodox Christian Mission in the Philippines,under theAntiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and the Philippinesof the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East;
• theExarchate of the Philippines,under theOrthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asiaof theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople;and
• thePatriarchate of Moscow,the jurisdiction of which is divided into:
  • theDiocese of the Philippines and Vietnam,under thePatriarchal Exarchate in Southeast Asia;and
  • thePhilippine Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia,under the semiautonomousRussian Orthodox Church outside Russia.

There are also groups in the country which use the termorthodoxin their names but are not in communion with any of the fourteen toseventeen recognized autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches.

• The Apostolic Orthodox Church - Diocese of Bohol and Philippines has the following church missions:
  • St. Gregory of Nazianzen Orthodox Church - Tacloban Mission inTacloban City,
  • St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church Mission inMarabut, Samar,
  • and mission satellites inCaloocanandBulacan.

See also

• Religion in the Philippines
• Christianity in the Philippines