autocephalous
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˌɔːtəˈsɛfələs/
- Specialized
:
autocéfalo
- The autocephalous nature of the church allows it to operate independently from other religious bodies.
- autocephalous church
Examples
-
It was a slow process by which the Orthodox Churches, as a body of several patriarchates and autocephalous Churches, became active members in the World Council of Churches.
Academic text (2014) -
But, as Fr. Robert Barringer has noted, this dialogue needed to be pursued not only between the pope and patriarch but also "between the Roman Catholic Church and each of the autocephalous communities that make up the Orthodox Church."
Academic text (2013) -
This is the canonical question and issue of management decisions of the autocephalous Orthodox Church.
Blog text (14) -
Having power, like that held by Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Page and Sergey Brin, is about being autocephalous.
Blog text (10) -
By 1965, all the autocephalous and autonomous Eastern Orthodox churches had become members, thus greatly strengthening the Orthodox presence at the Uppsala assembly.
Academic text (2018) -
In 1969, the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) celebrated its 750th anniversary of being independent as an autocephalous or national church.
Academic text (2015) -
It is already the largest of the fifteen autocephalous, or self-governing, Orthodox churches, and unification will strengthen its already active dialogue with the Russian state, the Vatican, European institutions, and the public.
Academic text (2007) -
The autocephalous church governs its own affairs without interference from external authorities.
-
Many autocephalous Orthodox churches have established their own leadership and administration.
Synonyms
4
4.7
Able to make its own rules and run its own affairs without outside control
How Self-Governing
Surface Forms
Morphology
autocephalous = auto + cephal + ous
Although the word is historically built from classical elements meaning 'self' and 'head,' the middle element is not a transparent modern English base, and the ecclesiastical sense is not readily guessable for an average learner.
Etymology
The word autocephalous comes from the Greek parts auto- 'self' and kephale 'head', so it literally means 'self-headed'. That's why an autocephalous church or organization rules itself and has its own head instead of being led by an outside authority.