InEastern Orthodoxy, autonomy designates a type of limited self-government of a church (group) toward its mother church. An autonomous church is self-governing in some aspects, which differentiates it from a non-autonomous church. The aspects on which the autonomous church is self-governing depends on the decision of the mother church. A church that is autonomous has its highest-ranking bishop, such as an archbishopormetropolitan, approved (orordained) by the primate of the mother church.[1][2][3]
Kephale (κεφαλή) means "head" in Greek,[4] whereas nomos (νόμος) means "law".[5] Hence, autocephalous (αὐτοκέφαλος) denotes self-headed,[6] or a "head unto itself"; and autonomous denotes "self-legislated".
There are in addition several Churches which, while self-governing in most respects, do not possess full independence. These are termed 'autonomous' but not 'autocephalous'
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