ABSTRACT
Over the centuries during which the Byzantine Empire attempted to maintain or extend its boundaries, the Orthodox Church engaged in parallel missionary efforts. As a result, it is now made up of a number of socalled autocephalous churches, each with its own head, or patriarch. The largest is the Russian Orthodox Church, but it also includes the Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Serbian Orthodox churches, among others. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is recognized as the honorary primate of all of the Orthodox churches and stands as a living symbol of their unity and cooperation.
