The canonical structure of today’s fifteen local Orthodox Churches derives their form from two major sources: the monarchic episcopal principle and the collegial principle that operate at different levels of governance, which are evident in the history and theology of the Church. The first is derived iure divino (by divine law) from apostolic foundations. The monarchic level consists of one leading bishop who rules as the head of a local church with presbyters (priests) delegated to parishes, and who are all in canonical communion with other independent local churches and their ruling bishops. The monarchic episcopate is self-contained within the jurisdictional boundaries of each patriarchate, of which there are five currently: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Moscow. Each of these primates has no “supreme power” above the others, no direct influence over others, no interference in the affairs of the others, except within their own local Church. Councils, when they are confirmed at the ecumenical level by all the local Churches’ first hierarch through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, become the highest authority in the Orthodox Church. While local Churches remain independent in administrative responsibilities, they are canonically in communion with each other and they all preserve Orthodoxy.
The second principle derives collegiality from “primus inter pares” or the first among equals, as the first in honor is among a ruling family. Groups of dioceses or larger regions of canonical territory are further ruled through patriarchates, metropolia, and archdioceses, which come into being iure ecclesiastico (by ecclesiastical law). The majority of Orthodox Christians in the world ~94% live in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. That fact brings the canonical structure of the church into the political events of European history and modern geopolitics. Much of the change in structure and anomalies, which are mentioned by Metropolitan Hilarion, have arisen because of the first two world wars.
The differences in canonical structure between Orthodox and Catholics and Protestants seem largely due to how they understand church and state relations. Orthodoxy views the state with a distinct set of work (justice, material welfare, physical protection of people, supporting religion) from God’s providence and the church with a distinct set of work from above (mysteries, canons, missions, liturgy, sanctification of people). Both church and state have a common work, yet distinct roles in society, which is the idea of symphonia or harmony taught by church fathers. When the church becomes a state or the state becomes a church, or either one is deposed or disdained in society, we find a multitude of confusion, sects, schisms and different versions of Christianity incompatible with Orthodoxy. Sooner or later, as we have read in the examples from history outlined in this volume, the church and the state will intersect a culture that opposes the laws and values along with the virtues and canons of the Orthodox Church. St. Augustine wrote about how there will be a civitas terrena (earthly city) that stands opposed to the civitas dei (city of God) until the end of time. Although Orthodoxy does not, nor ever had in history or theology, a single primate or supreme head as judge over conflicts and doctrine, Orthodox bishops through the prayers of our holy fathers in the holy synods have preserved the canonical structure and faith through the Holy Spirit.