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The Sunday of Orthodoxy is celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent and commemorates the triumph of the veneration of icons following the end of the Iconoclastic Controversy (8th–9th centuries). This feast not only marks a historic event—the restoration of icons in 843 AD—but also reaffirms the Orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation, emphasizing that matter can be sanctified and used in the worship of God. The Synodikon of Orthodoxy, a special liturgical proclamation made on this day, solidifies the Church's commitment to the true faith and condemns heresies.
1. Historical Origins: The Iconoclastic Controversy
The Iconoclastic Controversy (from the Greek ikonoklasmos, meaning "image-breaking") was one of the most divisive theological and political conflicts in Church history. It spanned from 726 AD to 843 AD, divided into two distinct periods of iconoclasm.
First Period of Iconoclasm (726–787 AD)
Began under Emperor Leo III (r. 717–741), who issued edicts against the veneration of icons, viewing them as idolatrous.
He was influenced by Islamic and Jewish prohibitions against images and saw icon veneration as a cause of divine punishment (e.g., military defeats).
Icons were forcibly removed, destroyed, or painted over, and iconophiles (eikonodouloi, "icon-venerators") were persecuted.
The most famous defender of icons was St. John of Damascus (675–749), who wrote theological treatises defending their veneration, arguing that since Christ took on a visible human nature, He could be depicted in images.
The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787 AD) and the First Restoration
Convened by Empress Irene, the Second Council of Nicaea (787) affirmed the veneration of icons as essential to Orthodox belief.
It distinguished between adoration (latreia), which is due to God alone, and veneration (proskynesis), which is a form of honor given to saints and sacred images.
The Council condemned iconoclasm as a heresy and reinstated the use of icons in Christian worship.
Second Period of Iconoclasm (815–843 AD)
A renewed wave of iconoclasm arose under Emperor Leo V (r. 813–820) and continued under his successors, including Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842).
Iconophiles were again persecuted, monasteries were destroyed, and sacred images were replaced with crosses or abstract designs.
Final Triumph: The Restoration of Icons (843 AD)
After the death of Theophilos in 842, his widow, Empress Theodora, and the Patriarch of Constantinople, St. Methodios, formally restored the veneration of icons.
On March 11, 843, a solemn procession of clergy, monks, and faithful reinstated the icons in the Hagia Sophia, proclaiming the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
This victory became a permanent liturgical celebration, observed annually as the Sunday of Orthodoxy.
2. Theological Significance of the Sunday of Orthodoxy
A. The Incarnation and the Defense of Icons
The central theological argument for the veneration of icons is based on the Incarnation of Christ:
John 1:14 – "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
Since God became visible in the person of Jesus Christ, He can be depicted in sacred images.
To deny this is to deny the reality of the Incarnation, falling into the heresy of Nestorianism or Monophysitism.
B. Icons as a Witness to the Transfiguration
Icons manifest the deification (theosis) of human nature, showing the restoration of humanity in Christ.
They reflect the reality of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), where Christ’s divine glory was visibly revealed to His disciples.
C. The Role of Icons in Worship
Icons are not worshiped but venerated as windows to the divine.
They serve as a means of teaching, especially in a time when many were illiterate.
The presence of icons in Orthodox worship emphasizes that matter can be sanctified, contradicting dualistic or Gnostic heresies that rejected the material world.
3. The Synodikon of Orthodoxy: Proclamation of True Faith
A key part of the Sunday of Orthodoxy service is the reading of the Synodikon of Orthodoxy, a declaration that reaffirms Orthodox doctrine and anathematizes heresies. It was originally compiled in 843 AD but later expanded to include other heresies that arose in Church history.
Structure of the Synodikon
Begins with praise to God, the Theotokos, and the saints.
Declares: "This is the faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the faith of the Orthodox, this faith has established the universe!"
Includes anathemas (curses) against heretics, including:
Iconoclasts who reject the veneration of icons.
Arians, Nestorians, Monophysites, and other heretics from earlier centuries.
Later additions included condemnations of Protestant and rationalist influences.
Concludes with a prayer for the Orthodox faithful, affirming that icons are integral to the true faith.
4. Liturgical Celebration of the Sunday of Orthodoxy
A. Divine Liturgy
The primary hymn of the day is the Kontakion, which summarizes the feast’s significance:
"The uncircumscribable Word of the Father was circumscribed when He took flesh of thee, O Theotokos, and restored the sullied image to its pristine state, filling it with divine beauty. Confessing salvation, we depict it in word and deed."Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-12:2 – Celebrating the faith of the righteous.
Gospel: John 1:43-51 – "Come and see"—a call to behold the truth of Christ.
B. The Procession with Icons
In many Orthodox churches, a solemn procession of clergy and laity carrying icons takes place, recalling the original restoration of icons in 843 AD.
The faithful hold icons as a sign of victory over heresy.
C. The Rite of the Synodikon
The proclamation of Orthodoxy is read, reaffirming the Church's teachings and condemning heresies.
5. The Sunday of Orthodoxy Today
The Sunday of Orthodoxy is not just a historical commemoration but a living testimony to the truth of the Orthodox Christian faith. It reminds the faithful that:
The Incarnation is central to salvation.
Matter is sanctified in Christ, and icons are a means of divine grace.
The Church remains steadfast against heresy and upholds the true faith.
Spiritual vigilance is necessary—the same way icons were once banned, faith itself is constantly under attack.
In modern Orthodox practice, this Sunday serves as a renewal of faith and a call to unity in Christ. The triumph of Orthodoxy is not simply about icons, but about the victory of the true faith over falsehood—a victory that continues in every generation.
Selected Hymnography
Tone 6 (from the Lenten Triodion)
O Lord, Whom nothing can contain or grasp,
from all eternity You shone forth from the Father
before the morning star.
The Prophets, inspired by the Holy Spirit,
foretold that You would take flesh and assume the form of a child,
from her who is ever-virgin.
You lived among men;
You were seen by material creation.
Through the prayers of the Prophets, O compassionate One,
make us worthy to receive Your light,//
for we sing praises to Your glorious Resurrection!
The Prophets bore the fruit of eternal life;
they prepared the way of the Lord.
By their words they proclaimed You; by their deeds they honored You:
they would not worship creation instead of You, the Creator.
As Your Gospel commands, they renounced the world.
They foretold Your Passion by suffering themselves.
Through their prayers, O Lord,//
enable us to pass over the battlefield of Lent without sin!
You are infinite in Your divine nature, O Master;
in these latter days You accepted the limitations of the flesh.
By assuming our body, You accepted all its weaknesses.
Therefore we make images of Your form;
we venerate them, having You in mind.
We fall down before You in love;
by so doing we follow the tradition of the Apostles
and are given the grace of healing.
Today the Church of Christ receives honorable adornment:
the holy icons of Christ our Savior, the Theotokos, and all the Saints.
The Church exults in their grace!
We lift them up with joy and gladness!
We glorify God, the Lover of man,//
Him Who patiently suffered for our sake!
Tone 2 (from the Lenten Triodion)
Grace and truth have shone forth.
The predictions of old have been clearly fulfilled.
Behold, the Church adorns herself with the form of Christ incarnate!
The icons of the new creation transcend the adornments of the old.
As the Ark of the Covenant held the presence of God,
so now the icons reveal the presence of the One we adore.
By honoring them we will never go astray.
It is our glory to fall down and worship Christ in the flesh.
Come, O faithful, venerate His image and cry out:
O Lord, save Your people, and bless Your inheritance!
Tone 2 (from the Lenten Triodion)
Advancing from false doctrine to true faith,
illumined with the light of knowledge,
let us clap our hands and offer grateful praise to God in song!
With due honor let us venerate the holy icons of Christ,
of the all-pure Virgin, and of all the saints,
depicted on walls or panels or sacred vessels,
rejecting the godless teaching of the heretics!
For as Saint Basil says:
“The honor shown to the image passes to its prototype.”
By the prayers of Your pure Mother and of all the saints,
we beseech You, O Christ our God, to grant us great mercy!
Conclusion
The Sunday of Orthodoxy marks the victory of truth over heresy, affirming that the veneration of icons is integral to Christian faith. Rooted in the Incarnation of Christ, this feast is a powerful proclamation that Orthodoxy is the fullness of truth, passed down from the Apostles through the Church Fathers. Through the Synodikon of Orthodoxy, the Church renews its commitment to defending the faith, ensuring that the light of Christ continues to shine in the world.
The Synodikon of Orthodoxy (Proclaimed on the Sunday of Orthodoxy)
On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Church solemnly proclaims the Synodikon of Orthodoxy, a declaration of faith that affirms the triumph of the Orthodox Church over heresies, particularly Iconoclasm. It is chanted during the Divine Liturgy or following the procession of icons.
The Proclamation of the True Faith
"As the Prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received, as the teachers have dogmatized, as the universe has agreed, as grace has shone forth, as truth has been proven, as falsehood has been dissolved, as wisdom has presented, as Christ has awarded…
Thus we declare, thus we assert, thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor His saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in icons; on the one hand worshiping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord, and on the other hand honoring the true servants of the same Lord of all and accordingly granting them veneration.
This is the faith of the Apostles, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the faith of the Orthodox, this faith has established the universe!"
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