Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, also known as the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, is a member of the Eastern Orthodox Communion, with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem as its head. It is regarded by Orthodox Christians as the mother church of all of Christendom. Christians believe that it was in Jerusalem that the Church was established on the day of Pentecost with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus Christ and that the Gospel of Christ spread from Jerusalem. The Church celebrates its liturgy in the Byzantine rite, whose original language is Greek, and follows its own calendar of feasts, preserving the Julian calendar (that is thirteen days behind the Western (Gregorian) calendar). The number of Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land are estimated at about 100,000 people. A majority of Church members are Palestinian Arabs, and there are also many Russians, Romanians, and Georgians. The Church's hierarchy is dominated by Greeks, which in effect excludes the Arab-speaking majority from the Church's upper ranks.