Eastern Orthodoxy in Saudi Arabia

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Eastern Orthodoxy in Saudi Arabia is a Christian minority consisting of people of various nationalities that are adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The percentage of Saudi Arabian citizens who are Christians is officially zero.[1] The Saudi Arabian Mutaween (Arabic: مطوعين), or Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (i.e., the religious police) prohibits the practice of any religion other than Islam.[2] The Greek Orthodox have some numerical strength.[3] Major nationalities in Saudi Arabia include Egyptians, Syrians, Palestinians and Lebanese.[4]

In 2018, it was reported that the religious police had stopped enforcing the ban on Christians religious services. It was also reported that a Coptic Mass was openly conducted for the first time in Riyadh during the visit of Ava Morkos, Coptic Bishop of Shobra Al-Kheima in Egypt.[5][6] Morkos was originally invited to Saudi Arabia by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in March 2018.[6]

References

  1. ^ Central Intelligence Agency. "Saudi Arabia". The World Factbook.
  2. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2008 - Saudi Arabia
  3. ^ Kjeilen, Tore. "Greek Orthodox Church". LookLex Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  4. ^ United States Department of State 2009 report
  5. ^ Coptstoday.com, December 1, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "For First Time Ever, Christian Mass Held Openly In Saudi Arabia (Special dispatch 7795)". memri.org. 6 December 2018. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2018.

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  1. ^ The ROC severed full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2018, and later severed full communion with the primates of the Church of Greece, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and the Church of Cyprus in 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Autocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized.
  3. ^ UOC-MP was moved to formally cut ties with the ROC as of May 27th 2022.
  4. ^ a b Semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church whose autonomy is not universally recognized.
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