Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Pravoslavie.ru The Patriarchate of Constantinople has promised to stop sending its emissaries to Ukraine without the consent of the highest authorities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and all Ukraine spoke of this in his speech to the UOC hierarchs’ meeting on January 29, as reported by a UOJ correspondent. According to the primate of the UOC, the question of unauthorized visits by representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was raised during the pre-Council meeting of the primates of the local Orthodox Churches in Chambesy. Representatives of the Patriarchate of Constantinople promised that ther…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity OCL has expressed the need for Orthodox Unity in the USA for many years.  OCL has kept the issue clearly visible for your consideration.  Here are 2 worthy items on the subject from the OCL Archives.  Do Old World Patriarchs Really Want Orthodox Unity? Source: The National Herald By George D. Karcazes Special to The National Herald The letter that Archbishop Kyril, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the “Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia” recently sent to Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, as Chairman of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox…

Source: Russian Orthodox Church – Department for External Church Relations The document is approved by the participants in the Synaxis of the Primates of Local Orthodox Churches on January 21 – 28, 2016, in Chambesy, except representatives of the Patriarchate of Antioch. It is published by the decision of the Synaxis of the Primates. Article 1 Introduction By the grace of the Holy Trinity, the Holy and Great Council is an authentic expression of the canonical tradition and perennial church practice as to the functioning of the conciliar system in One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and shall be convoked…

Source: Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Leaders of the Orthodox Church have concluded a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland in preparation for a historic pan-Orthodox Council scheduled to take place later in the year. Listen to this report by Philippa Hitchen:  The meeting, known as a synaxis, took place from January 21st to 28th and was chaired by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, spiritual leader of the Orthodox world. It brought together eleven primates of the autonomous Orthodox churches, with two others – Patriarch John X of Antioch and Metropolitan Sawa of Poland – unable to attend for health reasons and…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America SYNAXIS OF THE PRIMATES OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHES Chambésy, 21-28, 2016 COMMUNIQUÉ At the invitation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Synaxis of Primates of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches took place at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, from 21st to 28thJanuary, 2016. The following Primates attended: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem Patriarch Kirill of Moscow Patriarch Irinej of Serbia Patriarch Daniel of Romania Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria Patriarch Ilia of Georgia Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus Archbishop Anastasios of Albania Archbishop Rastislav of the…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity A PRAYER FOR ORTHODOX UNITY (OCL Pamphlet on Unity and Self Governance, 2000) O All Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we your faithful children beseech you to forgive us the sin of divisiveness, which is rooted in our hearts, our dioceses and land. Implant in our lives the holy vine of unity which only you can bestow on those who have come together in your name. Enlighten us with your grace, so that we may come to the knowledge of your truth and move our hearts to respond with trust and total obedience to…

Source: MYSTAGOGY The Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church will meet in June this year, according to the Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency (ANA-MPA). A decision was made as the Primates are gathered in a Synaxis at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambesy, Geneva, whose work is done under the presidency of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Of course, for the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church to meet in June, during the period of Pentecost (06/19/2016), the Primates in Geneva must definitely choose the themes and regulations. The decision to convene the Holy and…

Source: OrthodoxOutpost.com Posted by Andrew Estocin Pentecost 2016 will mark the opening of the Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church. It has been over 1,000 years since the Eastern Orthodox Church has held a Great and Holy Council. The world has certainly changed in the past millennium. Electricity, flight and the Western Hemisphere are all examples of things that were unknown to the participants in the last Council. Needless to say there is some catching up to do! Despite all of these changes, the question today is a simple one. Is the Church truly what it says it…

Source: Basilica.ro From 22 to 27 January 2016, at the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, the works of the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches are being carried out. At the opening of the event, His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, delivered a speech thanking the other Primates of the Orthodox Churches, as well as the delegations, for accepting to change the place of the Synaxis from the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s residence in Istanbul, Turkey, to the Chambésy Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is “meant for serving the pan-Orthodox unity, and which for…

Source: First Things by Paul L. Gavrilyuk Over the last two years, the Patriarchate of Constantinople has repeatedly announced that the much anticipated Great and Holy Council will take place around the Feast of Pentecost in June 2016. When it happens, this Council will be an event of considerable historical import, bringing together the leaders of all Orthodox Churches for the first time since 787. Unfortunately, not all Orthodox leaders are equally enthusiastic about the Council and some are even trying to prevent it. Why is the idea of the Council so controversial? Who are the main players in this…

Source: Ecumenical Patriarchate Your Beatitudes and beloved Brothers in the Lord, Primates of the local most holy Orthodox Churches and venerable representatives of brother Primates precluded from participating in this Synaxis, together with Your honorable entourages. Welcome to this sacred place of our most holy Church of Constantinople, this Center dedicated to the service of Pan-Orthodox unity, which has for decades hosted and continues to host numerous Inter-Orthodox and Pan-Orthodox encounters hammering out and advancing the unity of the most holy Orthodox Church. We wholeheartedly pray that Your sojourn here may prove for each of You satisfactory and pleasing in…

Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA NEW YORK—On the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Orthodox and Catholic Christians will join in prayer and public gathering to express their long-standing belief that all life is sacred. An official delegation of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States will participate in choir in the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Roman Catholic Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 21. The following day, January 22, Catholic and Orthodox bishops…