The principal truths of faith in Orthodoxy are the statements contained in the Apostolic Creed (the earliest confession of faith of the Catholic Church).
For the Orthodox, the supreme authority in matters of faith is not the pope but the universal council. Soborism in church administration is the main feature that distinguishes Orthodoxy from other denominations.
Another unique feature of the Orthodox Church is that all bishops are equal. The metropolitan or patriarch is "first among equals."
A feature of the external system of the Orthodox Church is autocephaly, or the independence of the local Church as a separate entity that is part of the whole Universal Church. All local Orthodox churches are united by a common faith, common canon law and liturgical worship.
