Mesogeian Apostolic Church
| Mesogeian Apostolic Church | |
|---|---|
| File:Mesogeian Apostolic Church coat of arms.png Coat of arms of the Church | |
| Classification | Eastern Christian |
| Orientation | Oriental Orthodoxy |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Primate | Archbishop of Alexandropolis and Patriarch-Catholicos Matthaios IX |
| Bishops | 125 |
| Monastics | ~5,841 |
| Monasteries | 508 |
| Region | Mesogeia |
| Language | Greek |
| Founder | St Marius the Illuminator, Apostles Andrew and Matthaios |
| Origin | 1st century AD |
| Members | 51,195,894 adherents (2020) |
The Mesogeian Apostolic Church is the national church of the Mesogeian empire. Possessing a heritage that dates back two thousand years, the Church of Mesogeia is considered to be one of the most ancient christian institutions with its traditions and practices contrasting and or running parallel to its sister church the Fabrian Catholic Church, with whom it severed ties with in the late 7th century AD following disputes over the Mesogeian emperor's continued polygamy and its support of the Patriarch in Alexandropolis over the Bishop in Sydalon.
The church has about 51 million adherents, and is one of the larger churches in Belisaria. The church is sometimes referred to by foreigners as the Church of the Orient.
Structure
The primate of the church and its overall head is His Holiness, the Most Beatitude, Matthaios IX, the Patriarch-Catholicos of the Mesogeian church. The Patriarch-Catholicos chairs the Holy Synod as its presiding head. The Holy synod functions as supreme authority on ecclesiastical matters in Mesogeia dealing with such issues partaining to liturgy, marriage, and general church questions.