Source: Orthodox Observer New York, NY – The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, wanting to strengthen the role of the largest Eparchy of the Mother Church with a new vision and a new Charter suitable for the evolving and changing modern pastoral needs of American society, decided to place the current Charter (2003) of the Holy Archdiocese of America into abeyance. Temporarily, until the issuance of the new Charter, the administrative structures of the Archdiocese, i.e., the Holy Eparchial Synod, the Executive Committee, the Archdiocesan Council, the Clergy-Laity Assembly, as well as the respective structures of the Metropolises will…
Browsing: Ecumenical Patriarchate
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America New York, NY – His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros departed for Istanbul following the celebration of the Dormition of the Theotokos at the eponymous Church in Southampton. This will be His Eminence’s first visit of 2020, the last time he was there was for the Feast of the First-Called Apostle Andrew in November of 2019. The Archbishop will remain abroad through the Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year (September 1st) and will be at the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the Feast of the Indiction. This feast also includes the the annual observance of the “Day of Environmental…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA (July 10, 2020) As was expected, there was the very sad news today that Hagia Sophia will be a mosque again. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/hagia-sophia-converted-into-mosque-as-erdogan-signs-decree-156455 Late this afternoon, the Council of State, Turkey’s highest administrative court, issued its decision. Minutes after the announcement of the decision, Turkey’s President Erdoğan signed a decree making Hagia Sophia a mosque. The Hurriyet, Turkey’s largest newspaper, reported in the foregoing link the following: The court based its verdict on the fact that the Hagia Sophia was a property of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han Foundation and registered to be used only as a…
Source: Public Orthodoxy by Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian In the midst of an unprecedented crisis, it is often hard or even impossible to think about what comes next, after the crisis ends. What will our life after lockdown look like? What will happen to our personal dynamics after social distancing? And what about our spiritual life after not going to Church for what feels like an eternity? All these questions, and many more, are legitimate. Every crisis gives rise to a judgment. In a way, that is the role that crises play in history, sorting out the chaff from the wheat…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Letter from Archbishop Elpidophoros shared by His Eminence, Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco New York, March 18, 2020 Your Eminence, It is with brotherly joy but also with much agony that I communicate with Your Eminence in these critical and unsettling times when all of humanity is in turmoil over this sudden pandemic of COVID-19. As Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, I am informing you of the just-issued decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod concerning the pastoral measures which must be taken for the protection of the flock of the Mother Church throughout…
Source: Orthodox Christian Laity Archon Harry Spell is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Angeline, and their distinguished son, Archon William H. Spell, Archon Laosynaktis; their daughter, Barbara Dovolis (Gregg); and their grandchildren, Nichole, Harry, Gregg, Andrew, and Anne. He is a graduate of Minneapolis West High School. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with an electrical engineering degree, and completing the NROTC program, he was commissioned into the Navy as an officer. He served on the cruiser USS Wilkes Barre in the Pacific during World War II. In 1950, he was recalled to the Navy, serving during the Korean War aboard the…
Source: Orthodox Times The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate elected unanimously today three new assistant bishops to the Archdiocese of Canada at the request of Archbishop Sotirios of Canada. Archimandrite Dimitrios Antonopoulos was elected Bishop of Zinoupolis, Archbishop Nektarios Mostratos was elected Bishop of Keramos and Archimandrite Alexandros Salmas was elected Bishop of Patara.
Source: The Russian Orthodox Church On 17th October 2019, during a session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, a statement was adopted concerning the situation that arose in the Greek Orthodox Church after it convened on 12th October 2019 the extraordinary Council of Hierarchs on the Ukrainian church issue (Minutes No. 125). Members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church have acquainted themselves with the published in the mass media documents of the extraordinary Council of Hierarchs of the Greek Orthodox Church held on 12th October 2019, in particular, with the communiqué of the Council and the report…
Source: Orthodox Christianity Prespa, North Macedonia — “There is a sense that the Patriarchate of Constantinople will launch formal talks on autocephaly,” Metropolitan Peter of Prespa-Pelagoniski of the schismatic “Macedonian Orthodox Church” (MOC) told reporters recently, as reports Romfea. There have been no official contacts or meetings yet, the MOC hierarch stressed, though he said there has been an informal expression of a desire by Patriarch Bartholomew himself to resolve the issue of the Serbian-Macedonian schism. “There is a disposition by the Patriarchate of Constantinople to resolve the issue of the autocephaly of our church in one of the future sessions of the…
Source: Orthodox Christianity [PARIS] His Eminence Archbishop John of Chariopoulis, the head of the Archdiocese of Russian Churches in Western Europe, published an open letter to his clergy and laity yesterday, laying out his canonical and legal arguments against the recent decision of the Patriarchate of Constantinople to canonically release him and move the Archdiocese’s parishes under the local Greek metropolitans, including under Metropolitan Emmanuel of Gaul in France. The communiqué is published in French on the Archdiocese’s official website. Abp. John opens by characterizing Met. Emmanuel’s letter to the clergy and laity as “falsely alarming about the reality of the legal situation…
Source: Peter Anderson, Seattle USA The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate held a meeting at the Phanar on August 29 and 30. The press release concerning the results of the meeting was posted today (Saturday). https://www.facebook.com/ecumenicalpatriarchate/?__tn__=kCH-R&eid=ARCT1A3O6dAskvFf0ErJbFzhmpS-zkbxs6v_KkfWrsdlDqjDVGWmFku5vJ8J-roM5_ttDWTqYUX0B0vx&hc_ref=ARTsNzwPjolkEHRPNLm-QSwZq98tdu4TmBYM4oj2fjRpMI6kD44dNy3HoJI9gFhBMMM&fref=nf An English-language summary can be read at https://www.romfea.news/the-decisions-of-the-holy-synod-of-ecumenical-patriarchate/. The latter states: During the meeting, it was decided to discharge Archbishop Ioannis [John] of Harioupolis from the Apostolic and Patriarchal Ecumenical Throne, personally and only to him, thereby relieving him of the responsibility of the Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox parishes of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe. As a consequence, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France is now…
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America September 1, 2019 Prot. No. 582 + B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To All the Plenitude of the Church Grace, Peace and Mercy from the Maker of All Creation Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ Dearest brother Hierarchs and beloved children in the Lord, With the goodness and grace of the all-bountiful God, today marks the 30th anniversary since the Holy Great Church of Christ established the feast of Indiction and first day of the ecclesiastical year…