Russian Orthodox Church to hold emergency meeting of its Holy Synod

Pravoslavie ^ | 06-08-2016 | RIA via Pravoslavie

[NRx]

Moscow, June 8, 2016

The Russian Orthodox Church will hold an emergency meeting of its Holy Synod to determine how to proceed in the situation where a number of Local Orthodox Churches have refused to participate in the Pan-Orthodox Council on Crete, and to decide about its own participation in it, the Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk told RIA-Novosti on Tuesday.

The Synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church published on Tuesday its decision refusing to participate in the Pan-Orthodox Council. Such a decision was also made last week by the Bulgarian Church.

The Russian Orthodox Church has called upon the Local Churches to summon an emergency pre-conciliar meeting in connection with this “extraordinary situation” which has arisen in the course of the preparations for the Council. In its turn, the Patriarchate of Constantinople announced that “no institutional structure can re-examine the conciliar process already begun.”

“I think we need to have another meeting of the Holy Synod in order to understand how to proceed in such a situation, because the fundamental positions, which we stated throughout the pre-conciliar process, are now being practically ignored. We need to respond somehow,” said Metropolitan Hilarion.

The Pan-Orthodox Council, which has been being prepared for more than fifty years, is expected to become the first gathering of primates and representatives of the Orthodox Churches in more than a thousand years. However, in the words of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the impending Council will not be “Ecumenical,” because “it has not been called to resolve dogmatic questions, or to introduce something new into the liturgical life of the Church or to its canonical order.”

Translated by Jesse Dominick

Pravoslavie.ru

08 / 06 / 2016

[Kolokotronis]

“The Synod of the Antiochian Orthodox Church published on Tuesday its decision refusing to participate in the Pan-Orthodox Council. “

That’s not what the Antiochians said, though it may come to that. I wonder why Moscow feels it necessary lie?

[NRx]

Actually they did say that they are not coming. In theory one could say their decision is not unconditional. But barring a dramatic about face by the EP, they are in fact withdrawing from the Council.

[Mount Athos]

The Antiochians explicitly said they will not attend the conference if there is no postponement.

The EP representative said there will be no postponement.

The two facts together don’t exactly make it a lie to say the Antiochian Patriarchate will not attend, in fact it makes it obvious and common sense.

So why do you feel it is necessary to lie Kolokotronis?

[Kolokotronis]

The Antiochians statement is clear. Their comments about not coming are conditional but Moscow chose to spin it, to lie.

[Larry Lucido]

I can’t decide if I’m Pro-ochian or Anti-ochian.

[NRx]

You want to be pro...

[NRx]

“2. The Antiochian Church will not participate in the Holy and Great Council until the reasons, which prevent participating in the Holy Eucharist during the Council, disappear. And this, through finding a final solution to the violation of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of the canonical jurisdictional boundaries of the Antiochian See, which led to breaking the communion with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem;”

That sounds pretty clear to me. Since the EP has already refused to address Antioch’s concerns until after the Council, I don’t see any reasonable interpretation other than “we aren’t coming.” Moscow may have their own motives (they don’t call us Orthodox “byzantine” for nothing) but this was no lie.

[cloudmountain]

Antioch on the Orontes (Syrian Antioch) was an ancient Greek – Roman city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. Its ruins lie near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey, and lends the modern city its name.
Antioch was founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals.

=============================================

How does the modern Orthodox Church tie in with these Arab (Syrians), Turk, Greek and Roman pasts? Just curious.

[Kolokotronis]

The Church of Antioch is the same Church of which St. Peter was the first Bishop. The Liturgy it uses is the 4th century Liturgy of St. John Chrysostomos, the same one we use. BTW, St. John Chrysostomos was Patriarch of Antioch before he was Patriarch of Constantinople. To this day, Orthodox Christians who are members of the Church of Antioch are designated on their ID cards over there as Greek Orthodox.

[cloudmountain]

Thank you for the explanation.
Very interesting, especially about the Orthodox Christians who are members of the Church of Antioch and are thereby designated on their ID cards as Greek Orthodox. That would confusing as heck for the uninitiated.