Posted on 10/11/2018 2:11:39 PM PDT by NRx
Announcement (11/10/2018).
Presided by His All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Holy and Sacred Synod convened for its regular session from October 9 to 11, 2018, in order to examine and discuss items on its agenda.
The Holy Synod discussed in particular and at length the ecclesiastical matter of Ukraine, in the presence of His Excellency Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and His Grace Bishop Hilarion of Edmonton, Patriarchal Exarchs to Ukraine, and following extensive deliberations decreed:
1) To renew the decision already made that the Ecumenical Patriarchate proceed to the granting of Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine.
2) To reestablish, at this moment, the Stavropegion of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Kyiv, one of its many Stavropegia in Ukraine that existed there always.
3) To accept and review the petitions of appeal of Filaret Denisenko, Makariy Maletych and their followers, who found themselves in schism not for dogmatic reasons, in accordance with the canonical prerogatives of the Patriarch of Constantinople to receive such petitions by hierarchs and other clergy from all of the Autocephalous Churches. Thus, the above-mentioned have been canonically reinstated to their hierarchical or priestly rank, and their faithful have been restored to communion with the Church.
4) To revoke the legal binding of the Synodal Letter of the year 1686, issued for the circumstances of that time, which granted the right through oikonomia to the Patriarch of Moscow to ordain the Metropolitan of Kyiv, elected by the Clergy-Laity Assembly of his eparchy, who would commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch as the First hierarch at any celebration, proclaiming and affirming his canonical dependence to the Mother Church of Constantinople.
5) To appeal to all sides involved that they avoid appropriation of Churches, Monasteries and other properties, as well as every other act of violence and retaliation, so that the peace and love of Christ may prevail.
At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the 11th of October, 2018
From the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod
#BlackBart-notmypope.
This is fantastic news! The Ukrainians, and the Ukrainian Orthodox, have suffered enough abuse and tyranny at Russian hands. The Russian patriarch is less a religious leader, and more a political stooge of Putin.
So glad to see this finally resolved. And kudos to Constantinople for making the right call, despite Russian pressure and financial blackmail.
It is far from resolved. The EP is violating more church canons than I can name and his actions have been criticized or condemned by almost all of the world’s canonical Orthodox churches. His behavior is all but certain to precipitate a very serious schism.
Yeah, it’s not even debatable from my point of view, the orthodox have been down this road before with Photios and there are reams of councils explicitly forbiding what the EP just did unilaterally.
In an odd way it’s a good thing that what he did was so blatantly against the canons
(because it’s not a close or conflicted call for the orthodox in my opinion)
WRONG!!!! Many Eastern European Orthodox outside of Russia regard Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as an EU/globalist puppet, and Russian Patriarch Kirill as a true spiritual leader.
The real problem is the very weak position of the Ecumenical Patriarchate—a small enclave in muslim Turkish Istanbul, subject to many crippling restrictions. It’s hard to avoid being a globalist puppet under those circumstances.
The botched “Council” in Crete (VERY disappointing to American Orthodox) shows just how weak and pro-globalist (even pro-”gay”!) the Ecumenical Patriarchate has become. Lord have mercy!!!!
Indeed. Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and all Africa (and coincidentally the next in line after Constantinople in the diptychs) has been crystal clear that he is having none of Barts papal pretensions and that as far as he is concerned there is only one canonical church in Ukraine until Moscow says otherwise.
O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth
who are in all places and fillest all things:
Treasury of good things and Giver of life:
Come and dwell in us and cleanse us from every stain,
and save our souls, O good One.
If there is a total schism in the Orthodox Church the list of those who attended vs. those who did not attend the Council of Crete may serve as a preview:
Churches that attended
Church of Constantinople (Ecumenical Patriarchate)
Church of Alexandria
Church of Jerusalem
Church of Serbia
Church of Romania
Church of Cyprus
Church of Greece
Church of Poland
Church of Albania
Church of Czech Lands and Slovakia
Churches that did not attend
Church of Antioch
The Antiochian Church pulled out due to the dispute over the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Qatar that is also claimed by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.[31]
Church of Georgia
The Georgian Orthodox Church pulled out due to disagreements about several of the Synod’s documents, in particular “The Relation of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World”.[
Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) was not invited due to the lack of recognition of her autocephaly by other autocephalous Churches.
Russian Church
The Russian Orthodox Church pulled out because of her belief that the council is not truly “pan-orthodox” without the Antiochan, Bulgarian, or Georgian churches.
Church of Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church pulled out due to disagreements on some of the texts already approved for the Synod meeting, and specifically that those texts would not be subject to editing in the course of discussions.
+ + +
The true wild card is the OCA, not embraced by either the EP or MP. It may emerge as the “bridge church” or as totally isolated and without canonical standing.
The OCA has already called for an urgent pan-Orthodox synaxis to address the Ukrainian situation.
As did the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA during their meeting in Cleveland, OH last week.
The picture of the assembled hierarchs is worth 1000 words: Metropolitan Joseph (AOA) beside Archbishop Demetrios (GOA) and on the left flank, Metropolitan Savas (GOA) next to Bishop Thomas (AOA).
"...for the well-being of the holy churches of God and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord"
The Serbian Church was forced to attend the Council, and it disowned many of its conclusions!
“Forced” by whom?
Churches that recognize th OCAs autocephaly:
Recognition of autocephaly:
Currently, the Russian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Polish, Serbian, and Czech and Slovak churches recognize the autocephaly of the OCA, though the Bulgarian, Russian, and Serbian patriarchates continue to maintain parishes inside the OCA’s claimed jurisdiction.
Among the churches that do not recognize it is the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, which argues that the Russian Church did not have the authority to grant autocephaly, partly because the Russian Church at the time was considered to be heavily influenced by the Soviet government. The Ecumenical Patriarch also cites Canon 28 of the Council of Chalcedon, which asserted the jurisdiction of the bishop of Constantinople in dioceses located “among the barbarians” (i.e. outside the Roman Empire), as the source of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s authority in the matter.
Apologists for the OCA’s autocephaly claim that the decree did not need the approval of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, as it was an internal matter for the Russian Orthodox Church to decide. Many autocephalous churches, the Russian Church included, were not recognized as such for many years, albeit their autocephaly was granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Church_in_America#Recognition_of_autocephaly
Not sure. At least the EP.
http://www.spc.rs/eng/communique_12
(An earlier article said that the Serbs would not attend the Council, following the lead of Bulgaria. ) ????
I don't see the Ukrainians having suffered spiritually or religiously under the Russians or the Russian patriarch, but just as the Serbs have their own Patriarch and autocephalous church, why not the Ukrainians?
Seriously - since the various churchs remain true to the orthodox faith and are only split by political countries, why not a separate ukrainian autocephalous church
NRx you talk of Patriarch Theodore II -- he's in charge of another enclave in Alexandria of 50K people -- whereas 95% of Egyptians Christians are under the Coptic Pope
you also have the Orthodox Church of Poland -- again a Political creation, created by the Patriarch of Constantinople and he HAD a point
I really don't see how you can agree to having separate autocephalous Orthodox churchs of Serbia, Poland etc. and not grant an autocephalous church of Ukraine
Yeah! Thanks for that.
One was a good guy, the other was not. I cannot remember why.
I have spent more time on the illness in America, I suppose. No one seems to care about that beyond the parish level. At least not yet. Pride and politics and cash.
More prayer is needed.
Theodore is the Orthodox Primate of all Africa, His omiphorion extends over the entire continent and includes millions of Orthodox faithful. It is true that in Egypt his flock is quite small. But outside of Egypt, Orthodoxy is among the fastest growing religious faith groups in the continent.
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