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This weekend a local Hellenic Orthodox Church hosts its popular annual "Hellenic Festival". I went as I do almost every year. This year I sat in the church for the "tour" as the young priest stood before the icon screen and explained everything about the church in marvelous detail.

In explaining the significance of the bishop's throne, I was surprised to learn that it was not the Orthodox equivalent of the Catholic "cathedra", but instead a remnant of imperial days, and that the throne, once upon the time, was for the emperor's use. As time went by and the empire faded, the throne became the bishop's seat, apparently.

It only dawned on me after leaving that the church was not a cathedral, and so I was not able to ask the priest why a bishop's throne would be erected in an ordinary parish church. And so, ignorant Roman Catholic that I am, I pose the question here.

Also, why on earth would every church have had, once upon a time, a throne for the emperor? Was he apt to just pop in unannounced?

Finally, is there any difference at all between the distinction "Greek Orthodox" and "Hellenic Orthodox" or is it simply tomayto-tomahto?

In early Churches, both East and West, most of which used the basilica floor plan, the eastern end stood on a raised platform separated from the nave by a low railing. In the apsidal end of the sanctuary there would be a row of wooden or stone benches (Synthronon), and in the center of all these, a large throne.

The throne was the place where the bishop sat; the presbyters sat on either side of him, and the deacons below the presbyters. Until the fourth century, the bishop was considered the ordinary minister of the Eucharist, hence he presided at all liturgies. After the fourth century, it was decided to limit episcopal sees to cities and the larger towns, suppressing the "country bishops" who had been the celebrants in village churches. Instead, presbyters were habitually delegated by the bishops to celebrate in their place.

However, in the Eastern Churches the Thronos (Bishop's Throne) remained in the center of the apse, behind the Holy Table. When the bishop is present, he sits there; when he is absent, the seat is left vacant, but at the Little Entrance (when the bishop would have entered into the sanctuary), the celebrant goes behind the Holy Table and blesses the Thronos. This symbolizes the spiritual presence of the bishop, who remains the ordinary minister of the sacrament. Moreover, the use of the Antimension (an altar cloth with a relic sewn into it, signed by the reigning diocesan bishop) also indicates the presbyter is merely the deputy of the bishop, without whose blessing he cannot celebrate the liturgy.

The story of the Thronos being for the Emperor is untrue, though the Emperor did, once upon a time, have the privilege of participating in the Liturgy from inside the sanctuary, and receiving the Eucharist with the clergy. This practice gradually disappeared, though canons against laymen receiving at the altar indicates that some noblemen insisted on continuing the practice after the Fall of Constantinople.

Stuart,

I think he refers to the Throne that is is the nave of Greek churches. From what i have seen, when a bishop is present at parish service, he presides much like a hegumen does in a monastery. He reads Psalm 103, for instance. He participates outside the alter, in Mandyas from that throne. In Slav churches, no such permanent throne is set up, but rather a temporary one is set up in the middle of the church (where he vests). It's a reminder that the bishop is the really the pastor of the local church, and it's a visible reminder of the community of the diocese at large. At any rate, it seems that either the throne is in the altar (like the synthronon), or it's in the Nave, but not both.

In Christ,
Adam

If the bishop is present but not celebrating, he does indeed sit in a seat of honor outside the iconostasis, whence, vested in Mandyas, he blesses the actions of the celebrant and deacons.

If the bishop is celebrating, he initially stands in the nave and only enters the sanctuary at the Little Entrance. And when the clergy sit, he then sits on the Thronos in the Synthronon.

Since the Honor Seat is generally quite large and elaborate, it's usually just left in place, generally on the south side of the nave.

This throne was outside the icon screen, but very near it, off to the immediate right of the icon screen(looking at the icon screen from the pews). It was very large and had a canopy, very much like a Roman Catholic bishop's "cathedra", only in the place where an RC bishop's coat of arms would normally be displayed, there was an icon of Christ dressed in a (bulbous)miter and(Eastern)episcopal vestments, instead.

I wonder why the priest would have said that the bishop's throne was once upon a time the emperor's throne if it wasn't so. Strange.

Roman,

Are you talking about Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation? If so, I would guess you're talking about Fr. Perry; if so, he is a wonderful priest, it was a blessing to have the opportunity to work with him in the Campus Ministry Association at the University at Buffalo.

Ed

Erie Byz:

Small world. Yes, that's the church I was referencing. I honestly couldn't tell you what the priest's name was. He was young, thin, cleanshaven, and wore glasses.

I returned to the festival again today. I want to go to the church some Sunday to experience one of their liturgies; I'll bet they're breathtaking. The church is so beautiful.

Interesting, so Slavic Churches don't tend to have one, but Greeks do?

There was one at the Greek Orthodox cathedral I used to attend, but not at my current Ruthenian parish, and sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint where to attribute the differences.

Do Melkite churches tend to have these?

Ours does. I have been to a couple of Russian Orthodox liturgies where a bishop was present but did not celebrate. He sat in the Thronos behind the Altar throughout.

There was, it is believed, a throne for the Emperor on the south side of Hagia Sophia. However, the real precedent for the Bishop's Throne on the south side of the iconostas is monastic practice. In monastic churches, there are stalls ("stasidia") for monks along the walls of the church, as well as stalls and a stand for the cantors. There is usually a special ornate stall reserved for the abbot. This stall is used by the bishop when he is present. Moving from a monastic to a parish setting, the stalls are usually abbreviated to the stall ("throne") for the bishop and stalls for the cantors.

Thus, in the Greek tradition, when a bishop "presides" from outside the altar, he is presiding as he would at a monastery. That is why he reads certain psalms and chants certain hymns in the context of Vespers, Matins, Liturgy, etc. For example, the bishop, abbot or eldest ranking monk will read Psalm 103, the prayer "Grant us this evening, O Lord", and the Prayer of Simeon at Vespers. At Liturgy, he will read the Creed and the Lord's Prayer.

In Slavic churches, I have seen bishops preside from a chair placed on the kliros, or from a chair placed within in the altar. I've never seen a bishop preside from the throne behind the altar, but I don't see why it wouldn't be done in some places. Metropolitan Nicholas, of blessed memory, when simply attending services at his cathedral, would usually sit in the chair to the north of the Throne behind the altar. On more formal occasions, he would preside from the throne to the south of the iconostas.

Fr. David

So what would have happened when both Archbishop and Emperor were present at the same Liturgy? Does anyone know?

I once saw a painting of Tsar Nicholas II receiving communion inside the Altar. Does this scene imply that the Emperor spent the duration of the Liturgy in the Altar? Or was he invited up at the time of reception by the clergy? And by way of one final question, if the Tsar did enter the Altar to receive at some point after the start of Liturgy, would he have used the Royal Doors?

My understanding is that the bishop's chair was at the East side, in the centre of the apse, at the back. That wouldn't have conflicted with the emperor's seat if it was on the south side of the basilica.

Carved into stone, over the main doors of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Houston (on Yoakum Bl. in the Montrose district) are the words "Hellenic Eastern Orthodox Church." I always figured that to some folks "Hellenic" sounds more high-falutin' than "Greek."

Thus it is at our GOA parish in Cedar Rapids. I don't think it's any more high falutin' than "Greek", but since the Greece in Greek is "Hellas" and Greeks are "Helleni," maybe it's more correct. I always thought of "Greek" as Hellenic culture, but not limited to the Hellenes. In a sense, it included Arabs, Copts, Italians, and Slavs.