autocephalous

Autocephaly is a status in certain Christian churches in which the church governs itself independently of a higher-ranking ecclesiastical authority. The term combines the Greek auto- “self” and kephale “head,” reflecting the idea of a church with its own head and a self-contained hierarchy.

In practice, an autocephalous church has its own synod of bishops and a primate—usually a patriarch, archbishop, or metropolitan—who presides over its territory. It exercises full authority over liturgy, canon law, clergy, and administration within its jurisdiction and does not report to a higher church authority. This contrasts with autonomous churches, which govern themselves but remain under the jurisdiction or spiritual supervision of a mother church for certain matters.

The creation or recognition of autocephaly typically involves a canonical decision by and among existing autocephalous churches or by a mother church. Recognition may depend on consensus within the wider ecclesial community and can be the source of negotiation or dispute when jurisdictions border on one another or when historical claims differ.

Prominent examples of autocephalous churches in the Eastern Orthodox tradition include the Russian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Church of Cyprus, and the Church of Antioch. The status is a central concept in the internal organization of these communions, distinguishing fully self-governing national churches from those that are autonomous or function under a broader metropolitan structure.