Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia


Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia
Pravoslavná církev v Českých zemích a na Slovensku (Czech)
Pravoslávna cirkev v českých krajinách a na Slovensku (Slovak)
TypeAutocephaly
ClassificationChristian
OrientationEastern Orthodox
Scripture
TheologyEastern Orthodox theology
PrimateRastislav of Prešov
Bishops6
Parishes172
LanguageChurch Slavonic,
Czech and Slovak
HeadquartersPrague, Czech Republic
Prešov, Slovakia
Territory Czech Republic
 Slovakia
Possessions
FounderSs. Cyril and Methodius (as mission to the Slavs)
Gorazd Pavlík (as Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Moravia and Silesia)
Origin1921
Independence1951
1998
RecognitionAutocephaly recognised in 1951 by the Russian Orthodox Church and in 1998 by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Separated fromCzechoslovak Church (1924)
Members75,000 (2021)
Official websiteCzech official website
Slovak official website

The Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia (Czech: Pravoslavná církev v Českých zemích a na Slovensku; Slovak: Pravoslávna cirkev v českých krajinách a na Slovensku), sometimes abbreviated OCCLS, is a self-governing body of the Eastern Orthodox Church that territorially covers the countries of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The current primate of the Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church is Rastislav of Prešov (born Ondrej Gont), Metropolitan of the Czech Lands and Slovakia since 2014. The church has approximately 75,000 followers, of whom 50,000 live in Slovakia and 23,000 in the Czech Republic.