Katholikon

Not to be confused withCatholicosorCatholic.

The katholikon atZographou monasteryonMount Athos

Akatholikonorcatholicon(Greek:καθολικόν) orsobor(Slavonic:съборъ) refers to one of three things in theEastern Orthodox Church:

• Thecathedralof adiocese.
• The majorchurch building (temple)of amonasterycorresponding to aconventual churchinWestern Christianity.
• A large church in a city at which all the faithful of the city gather to celebrate certain important feasts rather than go to their local parish church.

The name derives from the fact that it is (usually) the largest church where all gather together to celebrate the majorfeast daysof theliturgical year.In Russia, it is common for a katholikon to have a smaller church in the basement which can be more easily heated in the winter. Akatholikonmay have special architectural features in it, such as akathedra(episcopal throne), or both anesonarthex(inner-narthex) andexonarthex(outer narthex), used for special services such as thePaschal vigilor ality.

The wordkatholikonis often translated into English as cathedral rather than assembly and that can cause confusion. InSaint Isaac's CathedralinSaint Petersburg, Russia,for example, there is a placard in Russian and in English describing the building as having been "кафедральный собор", rendered in English as the "cathedraly cathedral". However an Eastern Orthodox diocese may have several katholikons, only one of which is the bishop's cathedral, other important churches being known as katholicons. Therectorof such churches is usually anarchpriest.