Riamese Orthodox Church

Riamese Orthodox Church
Pakaraga Oradoka Ramio'i (Freician)
Riamese Orthodox Church; Pakaraga Oradoka Ramio'i (Freician)
	File:Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem coat of arms.png
Classification	Orthodox
Orientation	Riamese Orthodoxy
Scripture	Riamese Synodal Bible
Theology	Riamese Orthodox theology
Polity	Episcopal polity
Supreme Head	Diana II
Primate	Robert Ensor
Language	Common Language, Freician
Headquarters	Holy Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin, Guri
Territory	Riamese Federation, Hoterallia
Founder	The Apostles
Members	72,926,528 (baptised)
Official website	Template:Official URL

Structure

The Riamese Orthodox Church is hierarchically structured. At the lowest level, the church is organised into individual churches, headed by a priest. The general extent of a church's reach (the area in which it serves) is a parish, which is grouped with other parishes to form an diocese, presided over by a bishop. Unique to Riamese Orthodoxy, the structure of dioceses is loose, with each parish enjoying significant autonomy. Depending on the size of the diocesian, it may be governed by multiple bishops or only one.

Formally, the highest body within the church is the Holy General Synod (HGS), which is a tricameral body consisting of three councils: the Council of Bishops, the Council of Clergy, and the Council of the Laity. However, each of the three councils operate largely independently of each other, to the extent that their relationships with one another are only nominal. The HGS meets as a whole body only to elect the Primate.

The Council of Bishops (CoB) is composed of the bishops of each parish, and which constitutes the highest single body within the church. It is formally presided over by the Supreme Head (the Riamese monarch, but this duty is undertaken by the primate as Presiding Officer pro tempore. Most policy decisions relating to the church requires the approval of the CoB in order to be enacted into church law. The Council of Clergy (CoC) and the Council of the Laity (CoL) are representative bodies; they do not usually make laws, but rather make resolutions and remonstrances to be presented to the CoB. They offer a venue for the clergy and laity to express their opinions and to influence church policy.

The CoC and the CoL are each indirectly elected; the CoC is elected by each eparchy, which sends between two and eight priests to the council. The CoL is, likewise, elected by a general meeting of each parish, which selects lay members to attend the council.

Relationship with the Riamese monarchy

The Queen of the Riamese is Supreme Head of the church. Church law - the Book of Practices - describes the monarch as the "envoyee of our Holy Father the Almighty Lord God on Earth" and the "principal representative of Jesus Christ".