Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Interview of Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis by Gayle E. Woloschak, Ph. D Congratulations to the Patriarchate for convening the meeting. In this age of communication we hope that this is the first of yearly meetings of the Patriarchs or their representatives. Why not propose that the Orthodox Patriarchs set up a Secretariat where all of them employ their representatives to work on matters on a daily basis. The world would know where they can call the Orthodox Church and the Church will not be seen as fragmented? One of the anticipated goals of this Council is…
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Source: Press Office of the Holy and Great Council Several events of the Holy and Great Council, an historic gathering for the Orthodox Christian Churches and the first of its kind in 1200 years, are available to the public via livestreaming. The following events will be available at https://www.holycouncil.org/live at the listed times in local Crete (UTC +3): Sunday, June 19, 8:00 — Orthros and Divine Liturgy of Holy Pentecost Monday, June 20, 11:00-14:00 — Opening Session of the Holy and Great Council Saturday, June 25, 17:00-19:30 — Closing Session of the Holy and Great Council Sunday, June 26, 8:00…
Source: Press Office of the Holy and Great Council His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew highlighted the importance of the Holy and Great Council at an official dinner hosted 16 June by Nikos Kotzias, minister of foreign affairs for the Hellenic Republic, for the Primates of the Orthodox Church who are presently in Crete. His All Holiness emphasized that the “world is turning its attention with great expectations to the Orthodox Church, the ark of the pure Christian tradition, in order to find support and consolation, because Orthodoxy has managed to preserve, up to today, regardless of the rapid technological…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America CHANIA, Crete (Greece) – The people, the island and the Church of Crete welcomed warmly His-All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who arrived in Chania International Airport yesterday, June 15 to convene the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which will take place June 19-26. At hand for the welcome were His Eminence Archbishop Irinaios of Crete, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece Yiannis Amanatidis, the Governor of Crete Stavros Arnaoutakis, the Chief of Protocol Ambassador Aghi Balta, high ranking officers of the Armed Forces, local officials and clergy. Upon his…
Source: Press Office of the Holy and Great Council The Primates of the Orthodox Church arrived in Crete on June 16, 2016, to carry out their sacred mission, the convocation of the Holy and Great Council. They expressed their gratitude to the Greek people for hosting this historic meeting. The Holy and Great Council will be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete. The Orthodox Primates decided five months ago in Geneva, during their Synaxis, to realize a vision of many years and proclaim the unity of the Orthodox Church. As His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of Romania arrived in Crete,…
Source: Press Office of the Holy and Great Council On 16 June, leaders of the Orthodox Churches continued to arrive in Crete for the Holy and Great Council. His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos, stated this afternoon at the airport of Chania, Crete, that His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theofilos, His Beatitude Patriarch of Serbia Irinej, and His Beatitude Archbishop of Albania, Anastasios, have all arrived, in order to participate in the Holy and Great Council, fulfilling a great mission. “We will make every effort to see to and approach the problems of all the world, of our…
Source: Ecumenical Patriarchate The arrival of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at Chania airport for the Holy and Great Council in Crete. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrives at Chania airport in Chania, Crete accompanied by members of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America, for the Holy and Great Council. Στο αεροδρόμιο των Χανίων αφίχθη πριν από λίγη ώρα ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος συνοδευόμενος από μέλη της Αγίας και Ιεράς Συνόδου του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου και τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Γέροντα Αμερικής κ. Δημήτριο. Ο Οικουμενικός Πατριάρχης Βαρθολομαίος θα προεδρεύσει των εργασιών της Αγίας…
Source: Pravoslavie.ru Alexandria – Theodoros II, the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, appealed to all Local Orthodox Churches to participate in the Pan-Orthodox Council on Crete, reports Sedmitsa.ru, with reference to Romfea. In an interview given to radio station 98.4, Patriarch Theodoros regarded as an historical Church Council that which is to take place in June 2016 on the island of Crete. The Alexandrian Patriarch stated that “the Orthodox Church should be far from political, national, and racial affiliations. “It’s impossible to imagine that it would be possible in the last minutes to not come to the Church Council, in…
Source: Russia Today The landmark meeting of the heads of all Orthodox Christian churches could be postponed as five out of 14 churches have pulled out. The head of external relations at the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Hilarion, explains the situation to RT. After decades of preparation, the historic Pan-Orthodox Council was scheduled for June 16-25 in Crete, but several churches have either refused to attend, or called for the event to be postponed, including the Antiochian, Bulgarian, Georgian and finally Russian. “There are many problems among various Orthodox Churches… These disagreements might seem small but, for historical churches, these…
Source: Holy and Great Council Kolymvari, Crete, Greece – The Messaging Committee for the Holy and Great Council convened for the fourth day at the Orthodox Academy of Crete. His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilohije of Montenegro, a senior Metropolitan of the Church of Serbia, presided this morning over the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery of “Gonia”. His Eminence Metropolitan Amphilohije explained to the congregation about the importance of the Holy and Great Council which will “gather in the same place” 20-25 June in the Orthodox Academy of Crete. He added that the Council will convene with the participation of…
Source: Holy and Great Council Kolymvari, Crete, Greece June 11, 2016 Orthodox Churches Plant Seeds for Unity Despite Tough Conditions Messaging Committee Convenes in Communion The budding fruits of the upcoming Holy and Great Council began forming when the “Messaging Committee” convened. Τhe Messaging Committee is a gathering that expresses faith in collective roots despite a rocky history, which stretches across hundreds of years and unimaginably diverse cultures. The Orthodox Churches of the world are working together to unite perspectives of the Message, showing unprecedented collaboration by simply gathering to talk together at a table. His Eminence Metropolitan George of Paphos presided…
Source: Sputnik News Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk has not departed for Crete to attend the Pan-Orthodox Council on the Greek island of Crete after the church decided to suspend its participation following the refusal of several orthodox churches to take part, a church source told RIA Novosti Friday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, also known as the Pan-Orthodox Council, is a planned synod of the bishops of all autocephalous local churches of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The Council is set be held on the Greek island of Crete on June 16-27, after more than 50 years of preparations. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church,…