For the first 1000 years of Christianity the world did not know any other Church, but Catholic, and she included all five autocephalous Patriarchates, not just the one under the Bishop of Rome.
The fact that the western Church, after she left the Patriarchal communion with the other four in the 11th century, continued to call herself Catholic in the western world is a different story. The Eastern Church continued to call herself Catholic and Orthodox all along. That never changed.
The Church has apostolic authority by virtue of the apostolic succession, and only the catholic Church has that authority (which is why the Protestants assail apostolic succession). The fact that the Catholic Church is internally divided on some points of theology and ecclesiology does not mean that any of her parts are not catholic. It only means that some are not fully orthodox.
The Russian Orthodox represent like 50% of the total of all the 10 separate national churches which are identified as the) the Eastern Orthodox
Don't embarrass yourself with easily verifiable information. There are about 250 to 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, the second largest single "denomination" in the world, and the Russian Church has 80% of those under its jurisdiction.
30 Days Magazine 1992
Patriachate of Russian (Russian Orthodox) - 85 million
Patriachate of Romania - 17 million
Patriachate of Greece - 9.025 million
Patriachate of Serbia- 8 million
Patriachate of Bulgaria - 8 million
Patriachate of Constantinople - 3.5 million
4 other Patriachates together - 2.36 million
I stand corrected, the 85 million Russian Orthodox represent 64% of all of the separate churches of the Schismatic Eastern Orthodox.
Makes no diffrence:
Dear, Kosta 50; The_Reader_David;Kolokotronos; Cronos;ArrogantBustard,
Have the honesty to find a title for your national churches that does not hide behind what the WORLD has always identified as the Catholic Church, or a Catholic.
The Russian Orthodox represent like 64% of the total of all (the 10 separate national churches which are identified as the) the Eastern Orthodox. The Russian Orthodox are one religion that can really call itself united, and they are just 85 million people. A religion of 85 million does not dictate and re-define what THE WORLD has always called Catholic, and Catholic Church, a religion of 1100 million!
Have the intellectual honesty to find yourselves a proper title.
God Bless