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country have been suppressed by the Bulgarians.
Bosnia-Herzegovina had four metropolitans depend-
ing more or less on Constantinople, but since Austria-
Hungary has annexed that country they will no longer
be dependent. Lastly, the Island of Crete is now al-
most independent of Turkey, and in consequence its
metropolitan and his seven suffragan bishops have
gone over to the Holy Synod of Athens. From the
101 dioceses, therefore, we may deduct 17, viz., 10
metropolitan sees and 7 suffragan sees, which leaves
a total of 84 dioceses, 76 being metropolitan and 8
suffragan. Of these 84 dioceses, not including Con-
stantinople, 22 are in Asia Minor, 12 in the Archi-
pelago, and 50 on European soil. For want of re-
liable statistics, it is difficult to form an estimate of
their population. The Greeks in the Ottoman Empire
claim to number 6,000,000, but this figure is exag-
gerated. We shall be nearer the truth in computing
1,000,000 Greeks in Asia Minor, 400,000 in the Archi-
pelago, 1,500,000 in Turkey in Europe, including the
Albanians and Bulgarians. There are, moreover,
600,000 Slavs, either Bulgarians or Servians, who be-
long to the cecumenical patriarchate. All this gives
a grand total of 3, .500,000 souls. In consequence of
the independence of Bulgaria, of the annexation of
Bosnia by Austria-Hungary, and the secession of
Crete to Greece, the oecumenical patriarchate has
recently lost nearly a million subjects — namely, 700,-
000 in Bosnia, 200,000 in Crete, and from 70,000 to
80,000 in Bulgaria.
(b) The Church of Greece. — This Church dates back to 183.3, when 36 bishops proclaimed their inde- pendence of Constantinople and established a Holy Synod ; its authority was not recognized until 1 1 July, 1850, by the oecumenical patriarch. At the present time this Church is controlled by a Holy Synotl of five members: the Metropolitan of Athens as president and four bishops chosen in regular succession. The Hel- lenic Kingdom contains 32 dioceses, of which one — that of Athens — is a metropolitan see ; it is not, how- ever, rare to find one-third of the sees vacant for economic reasons. The Church of Greece numbers 2,500,000 members in Greece and many thousands of believers in other countries, especially in the United States. By an arrangement arrived at between Athens and Constantinople in 1908, all the Greek Churches of the dispersion, save that of Venice, must look to Athens as their head.
(c) The Church of Cyprus. — Ever since the Coun- cil of Ephesus, in 431, recognized its autonomy, which was confirmed in 488 by the Emperor Zeno, the Church of Cyprus has remained independent. The hierarchy consists of the Archbishop of Constantia and his three suffragans, the Bishops of Paphos, Cytion, and Cyrenia. Nearly ten years ago the archbishop died, and so far his successor has not been agreed on. The Church has about 200,000 adherents.
(2) Arabic Buzantines. — (a) Patriarchate of An- tioch.— The Ortiiodox population of this patriarchate is hardly Greek any longer. They are a Syrian race whose speech is Arabic, and as a rule the liturgical offices are celebrated in Arabic. Since 1899 the Greek element, which had up to then monopolized the superior clerical positions, has been definitively driven out of Syria. The patriarch lives at Damascus and governs with the aid of a Holy Synod and a mixed council. At the present time this Church has 13 dioceses, all of metropolitan rank, and numbers 250,000 souls.
(b) Patriarchate of Jerusalem. — This patriarchate was cut off from that of Antioch in 451. If it were not for the sanctuaries of the Holy Places, which draw so many pilgrims and such considerable alms, its importance would be nil. All the superior clergy are Greek, and, in accordance with a rule made in the early part of the eighteenth century, the clergy of Syrian birth and Arabic speech are eligible for the
lower clerical positions only, although the whole
membership of this Church is Syrian. There has been
a revolt recently against this slavery, and it is not
unlikely that before long the Greeks will be expelled
from Jerusalem as they have been already driven from
Antioch. The only extant dioceses are Jerusalem,
Nazareth, and St. Jean d'Acre, but a number of
titular metropolitans and archbishops aid the patri-
arch in the administration of his Church. The litur-
gical languages m use are Greek and Arabic; the
number of subjects of this patriarchate cannot exceed
50,000 souls.
(c) Patriarchate of Alexandria. — This patriarchate is made up of only one diocese under the personal care of the patriarch. According to decisions arrived at in 1867 he ought to be assisted by a Holy Synod com- posed of four members who were to be honorary Metropolitans of Pelusium, the Thebaid, Pentapolis, and Lybia. This synod is being formed. Church- membership numbers about 80,000 persons, made up mostly of strangers from Syria and Greece, among whom far from harmonious relations prevail. The liturgy is celebrated in either Greek or Arabic, but for the most part in Greek.
(d) Archbishopric of Sinai. — The titular of this see has jurisdiction over the convent of St. Catherine and about fifty Bedoums. Its autonomy was pro- claimed in 1575 and confirmed in 1782. At the pres- ent time the tendency is to consider it rather as a diocese in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
(3) Orthodox Georgians. — The various national Churches of Iberia, Mingrelia, and Imerethia no longer exist since Russia has extended her dominion over the Caucasus provinces. In the Liturgy the Georgian tongue has been replaced by the Slavonic. The number of dioceses was formerly twenty, but is now only four, all in the hands of the Russians. It has a metropolitan, with the title of Exarch of Georgia and three suffragan bishops. The number of the Orthodox in Georgia, inclucling the Russian colonists, is reckoned at about 1,600,000.
(4) Orthodox Slai's.—{a) The Synodal Church of St. Petersburg. — This is but a continuation since 1721 of the Patriarchate of Moscow, which had been estab- lished in 1589 by the Greek Patriarch of Constanti- nople, Jeremias II, who up to that time had ruled the Russian Orthodox Church. The Holy Synod institu- ted by Peter the Great and composed of seven mem- bers, is the head of this Church. The Russian Church counts 63 dioceses, ruled by 3 metropolitans, 13 arch- bishops, and 47 bishops. In many of the dioceses, where the distances are enormous, it is customary for the bishop to take one or more auxiliary bishops, known as episcopal vicars, for the governing of parts of the diocese. At the present time there are 44 of these episcopal vicars. The number of members of this Church must be about 70,000,000, or half the population of the Empire. There are at least 25,000,- 000 more believers who separated from the official church in the seventeenth century and make up the great Raskol sect (see Russi.\). The remainder of the population of Russia is made up of about 12,000,- 000 Catholics, together with Protestants, Armenians, Jews, Mussulmans, Buddhists, and even pagans.
(b) The Servian Chui-ch of Servia. — It was not till November, 1879, that this Church secured its independence of the (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Since then it. has been governed by a Holy Synod comprising the Metropolitan of Bel- grade and the four suffragan Bishops of Nich, Uchitz6, Timok and Chabatz. Its members number about 2,500,000 souls, and its liturgical language is the Slavonic. — The Servian Church of Montcnogro. — It is ruled by the Metropolitan of Ci'ltiiijr, who goes to Russia for consecration. Until 1X52 the bishop, or Vladika, was temporal as well as spiritual head of the principality. Since then the authority has been
