Browsing: Governance & Unity News

Source: Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America Archbishop Demetrios of America, Chairman of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, has issued the following statement in response to the temporary withdrawal of the Hierarchs of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America from their participation in the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America. The Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch, in October 2013, decided to temporarily withdraw from all Assemblies of Canonical Orthodox Bishops around the world because of a jurisdictional issue in the Middle East. The statement…

Source: MYSTAGOGY By His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou At times, as in our days, there arises the issue of the privilege of honor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the so-called Primacy, which is not just an honor of politeness, but it has specific canonical responsibilities. It is known that the primacy of honor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is safeguarded by the Ecumenical Synods. In the 3rd Canon of the Second Ecumenical Synod it was ruled: “The Bishop of Constantinople, however, shall have the primacy of honor after the Bishop of Rome; because Constantinople is New Rome.” Canon…

Source: Pravmir.com Originally posted on January 16, 2014 From the Editors: On Tuesday, December 9, 2013, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, during a regular meeting, deliberated on the results of the previous September’s Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America. During the discussion regarding the proposal to reorganize the Orthodox dioceses in North and Central America, the President of the Synod of Bishops stressed that the Russian Church Abroad is under the canonical authority of its dear and great Mother, the Russian Orthodox Church, and is obligated to minister to…

Source: Orthodox Church in America BETHLEHEM, PA [OCA] – His Grace, Bishop Mark of Baltimore, was nominated to fill the vacant Episcopal See of the Diocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania at a special Diocesan Assembly at Saint Nicholas Church here on Friday evening, January 17, 2014. Bishop Mark has served as the Diocese’s Administrator since 2012. His name will be forwarded to the Holy Synod of Bishops for canonical election. His Grace, Bishop Melchisedek, Bishop of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania and Locum Tenens of the Diocese, called the Assembly to order, after which Archpriest John Jillions, Chancellor of the…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – For the third time in as many years, the chancellors and treasurers of the Orthodox Church in America’s dioceses gathered at the Chancery here on January 14, 2014 for a meeting with His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon and the Church’s officers. The day began with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by Metropolitan Tikhon and Protodeacon Joseph Matusiak, after which the chancellors and treasurers were welcomed. In his opening remarks, Metropolitan Tikhon noted that the “challenge” for the Church today is “to live who we are as the Orthodox Church in America.”  This,…

Source: Orthodox Christian Laity (West Palm Beach, FL)  His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios – Atlanta, GA (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese – GOA) and His Grace Bishop Antoun – Miami, FL (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese – AOCA) celebrated the Feast of Theophany in an Inter-Orthodox Service ON January 11 at Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, West Palm Beach, FL. Clergy and Laity from South East Florida gathered together with the Hierarchs for the celebration.  This is the first time a hierarch from a jurisdiction other than the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was invited to serve. The invitation and the concelebration are symbolic of efforts…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] – In response to a letter from the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia, dated January 13, 2014, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, sent a congratulatory message to Sister Church’s newly elected Primate, Metropolitan-elect Rastislav, Archbishop of Presov and Slovakia. Metropolitan-elect Rastislav was elected at the 13th General Assembly of the Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia on January 11, 2014. “I accept this result of the elections as my service to our Orthodox community which, after the abdication of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Christopher, found itself in a challenging ecclesial…

Source: Asia News by NAT da Polis (January 7, 2014) Meeting to set guidelines and time frame for Preparatory Commission of the Pan-Orthodox Synod . But also to highlight the need to go beyond “localisms” and undertake joint initiatives . Zizioulas: self-marginalization the greatest danger of the Christian world today. Istanbul (AsiaNews ) – The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has convoked the patriarchs and archbishops of all the Orthodox Churches to a meeting in Istanbul, next March, for an exchange of views on the guidelines and time frame for the Preparatory Commission of the Pan-Orthodox Synod, scheduled for 2015. Thus far,…

By Abed Alloush Source: Greek Reporter The Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church addressed a call to the Greek people to preserve the cohesion of the family by following Christian principles. In a recent proclamation, the Holy Synod has made it clear that it considers modern types of family – single parents, civil weddings, cohabitation agreements and so-called same-sex couples – as “diverging” from the holy institution of marriage. In the proclamation, they underline that “with the cohabitation agreement, the institution of marriage is degraded, as the family is no longer a holy task for all Christians. Moreover, the cohabitation agreement…

Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Protocol Number 187/13 December 25, 2013 The Nativity of Christ For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given…. (Isaiah 9:6) To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the culmination of this blessed season with…

Source: Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Franics has sent a Message to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, His Holiness, Bartholomew I, to mark the feast of the Patron of the Church at Constantinople, St. Andrew the Apostle. Common concern for the plight of Christians in many parts of the world, and especially in the Middle East, was a central focus of the Holy Father’s reflections. Below, please find the official English text of the Message. ****************************************** To His Holiness Bartholomaios I Archbishop of Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarch “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and…

Source: Orthodox Church in America SYOSSET, NY [OCA] At their Fall 2013 meeting, members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America approved and issued a revised Policy, Standards, and Procedures on Sexual Misconductwith the goal of providing a safe and healthy environment for all of the faithful. A new page featuring detailed information and resources is now available on the OCA web site athttp://oca.org/about/sexual-misconduct.  Among the accessible resources are Policies, Standards, and Procedures of the Orthodox Church in America on Sexual Misconduct, a Summary and checklist of responsibilities and procedures, and Annual Parish Compliance Report forms. The site also offers…