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Canon Law, liturgy, and faith of the Orthodox Church that we now have to consider are common to all these sixteen bodies. Although they are independent of one another, and, in spite of their quarrels, they all recognize each other as sister-Churches in Christ, all use the same rites (in different languages) and the same formulas of belief. A priest of any one of these Churches can celebrate the Holy Liturgy, and the faithful can receive Holy Communion at the altars of any other one. In short they make up together one great body, which habitually speaks of itself as the Orthodox Church. The hierarchy of this Church consists of the Patriarchs, other bishops, priests, deacons, and clerks; there are also monks and nuns.

Various Turkish reforms in the 19th century have considerably modified the position of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Although he is still the official head of the "Roman nation," neither he nor any other bishops now have civil jurisdiction; in their place certain so-called mixed tribunals are established. A "national assembly" of the Roman nation