Eastern Orthodox

The Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Eastern Rite Churches preserve many elements from the earliest form of Christianity.

The original sacred language of Christianity was Greek, not Latin. All of the books of the New Testament were written or preserved in Greek. The first eight [[ Councils of the Church]] were all held in Greek territory under the patronage of the Roman Emperor, whose capital was in Constantinople after 325 AD.

• Twelve Great Feasts form the basis of the Orthodox liturgical year, which begins on September 1. Each feast is preceded by a time of fasting.