Browsing: Governance Top Stories

Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America convened for a second day of meetings on Wednesday in Dallas, Texas. The session opened with a special video message from His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the members of the Assembly. “We are addressing you because the time has surely come for us to move beyond words to actions . . . We are called to put our theory and theology into policy and practice. We are called to move beyond what is ‘mine’ and what is…

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Source: Orthodox Church in America [Syosset, NY]  A Preliminary Response of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America to proposals with regard to canonical restructuring, a topic of discussion at the fifth meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America in Dallas, TX September 15-19, 2014, was issued and distributed to all bishops on September 17. The text of the Preliminary Response reads as follows. PRELIMINARY RESPONSE OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA TO THE PROPOSALS FOR CANONICAL RESTRUCTURING September 17, 2014 “The light of…

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Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America More than 35 members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America joined in celebrating the Divine Liturgy Tuesday morning, September 16, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, Texas. At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the bishops offered a memorial service for the repose of the soul of Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. The bishops are gathered in Dallas for the fifth annual meeting of the Assembly of Bishops. In opening remarks following the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Demetrios,…

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Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in a special video message presented during today’s opening session, addressed the members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. “All of the Primates of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches look to your Assembly with hope and optimism, recognizing with spiritual joy and pride that you comprise the largest in number and broadest in representation of our Churches,” His All-Holiness remarked.  “As you gather in Dallas over the next days, remember that . . . you are visibly and tangibly expressing both the unity and…

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Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America Dallas, TX — The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America commenced its fifth annual meeting Monday, September 15, with a Pan-Orthodox Clergy-Laity Gathering in Dallas, Texas. Some two hundred people attended, including more than 30 bishops representing the member jurisdictions of the Assembly. The evening began with a Doxology—a service of thanksgiving—presided over by the Chairman of the Assembly, Archbishop Demetrios of America.  His Eminence welcomed those in attendance, remarking that the Doxology was an opportunity to thank God for all His gifts and…

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Source: Orthodox Christian Laity July 21, 2014 The Most Reverend JOSEPH Metropolitan of New York and North America Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America P.O. Box 5238 Englewood, NJ 07631-5238 Your Eminence, Metropolitan JOSEPH, “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” The Members and Board of Directors of Orthodox Christian Laity congratulate you on your election as Metropolitan of New York and North America of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. We ask your blessing. The Holy Synod of Bishops of the ancient Patriarchate of Antioch, and the faithful…

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Questions for consideration by the Assembly of Bishops as they continue to work for Canonical Order in the USA submitted by George Karcazes, Executive Committee Member of Orthodox Christian Laity Article 28 of the Chambesy documents  of the Meeting of the Patriarch in 2008  challenges Assemblies  of Bishops to meet and develop blueprints “to bring the Church in their respective territories into Canonical Order.”  What does this mean in the context of America, where we have overlapping “jurisdictions” based on Old World ethnic ties and multiple bishops in the same “cities” or territories?  Chambesy said: “Come up with a plan..…

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Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America has released an interview with Metropolitan John of Pergamon. Metropolitan John was the Chairman of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference at Chambésy in 2009 and one of the signers of the Chambésy Decision. The conference in Chambésy led to the creation of 13 Orthodox Episcopal Assemblies around the world, including the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States. The interviewed can be viewed here. The Assembly hopes that this interview with Metropolitan John will help clarify the…

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Source: Orthodox Church in America KYIV, UKRAINE [OCA] With the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, the Orthodox Church in America was represented at the Enthronement of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and All Ukraine by His Grace, Bishop Michael and His Grace, Bishop Irénée on Sunday, August 17, 2014. Metropolitan Onufry was elected to the See of Kyiv and All Ukraine at a special session of the Bishops’ Council convened at the Lavra of the Kyiv Caves on August 13. He succeeds His Beatitude, Metropolitan Volodymyr, who fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 78 on July…

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Source: The National Herald BY GEORGE E. MATSOUKAS The theme of the 42nd Clergy Laity Congress “The Orthodox Christian Family: A Dwelling of Christ and A Witness of His Gospel,” is very appropriate for us in this time of transition. For it is truly within the home that the Orthodox faith will be learned, and will survive and grow by the example and actions of each of us. However, for many, parish life and archdiocesan settings are an antithesis to the theme of the 42ndCongress. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE On September 18, 1999 His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios was enthroned as the sixth Archbishop…

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Editor’s Note: First Open Forum of Clergy and Laity at the Assembly of Bishops September 15, 2014 is the first meeting of Bishops, Clergy and Laity in an Open Forum related to developing a blueprint for a unified Orthodox Church in the USA.  The “Clergy-Laity gathering” will take place following a doxology at Holy Trinity Church, Dallas,Texas.   The bishops will welcome questions and answers from those gathered to exchange ideas.  The Very Reverend Archimandrite Dr. Nathanael Symeonides, Director of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of  America, will moderate the Forum.  His email is: frnathanael@goarch.org. Father Christopher Constantinides is the…

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Source: Orthodox Christian Laity On Monday, September 15, 2014 at 7:00 pm at  Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 13555 Hillcrest Road, DALLAS, TX, there will be an OPEN FORUM with the Assembly of Bishops.  Check the Assembly of Bishops website and the OCL website for more details as they develop.  Plan to attend and discuss the Unity Blueprint with the Bishops.

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