Churches, Eastern
Churches, Eastern
All ancient churches which were originally under the jurisdiction of one of the four great Eastern patriarchates of Alexandria , Antioch , Constantinople , and Jerusalem . They comprise numerous bodies in eastern Europe and Asia and a few divisions, the result of immigration, in America , Africa, and other parts of the world. They are divided into Uniats of which there are nine groups, all united to Rome, and non-Uniats consisting of eight groups of churches which have long been separated from Rome as a result of the Eastern schisms and heresies.