Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos Originally published on February 22, 2025 BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has proceeded with the recomposition of the Holy Synod of the Phanar for its next six-month period, from March 1, 2025, to August 31, 2025. From the Archdiocese of America, the newly elected Metropolitan of Atlanta, Sevastianos, will participate in this Synodal period. The Holy Synod consists of twelve members, following the model of Christ’s disciples, and convenes once a month at the Phanar under the presidency of Patriarch Bartholomew, who determines the agenda. The duration of the meetings depends on the…
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Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has dismissed Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago from his position on the Holy Synod of the Phanar through a pittakion—an official Patriarchal letter—without providing any explanation, The National Herald has learned. The Patriarchal letter, exclusively obtained by The National Herald, states: “Most Reverend Metropolitan Nathanael of Chicago, beloved brother in the Holy Spirit and co-liturgist of Our Modesty, grace to Your Eminence and peace from God. Through these Patriarchal Letters, we inform Your Eminence that, for reasons held by Our Modesty, we relieve you of your Synodal duties,…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver has resigned and the Synod of the Phanar in Constantinople, with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presiding, has elected him Metropolitan of Lystra, an honorary position. The National Herald in its publication on Friday, March 15, 2024, titled ‘Eparchial Synod Meets, Elect Two new Bishops for Archdiocese of America’ also reported on other matters addressed by the Synod and revealed, among other things, the following: “Extensive discussion took place regarding Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, who has been residing for several months now at the Monastery of the Archangels in…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The Chairman of Leadership 100, Demetrios Logothetis, is traveling to Constantinople to deliver a letter from the organization in of support for Archbishop Elpidophoros of America. Logothetis is expected to meet with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Friday morning, December 1, 2023 at the Phanar to personally deliver the letter and speak in support of the Archbishop. According to information obtained by The National Herald, members of Leadership 100 from three different parts of the United State were informed about this initiative by members of the Executive Committee of Leadership…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Phanar Synod thwarted the plans of Archbishop Elpidophoros during the session of the Synod held in Constantinople on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, as they reportedly caught him engaging in lies and misinformation. We reveal here that the Metropolis of New Jersey will not be abolished and attached to the Direct Archdiocesan District as Elpidophoros had planned, but in the next Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the end of July, a Metropolitan of New Jersey will be elected. This also means that the existing Charter remains…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – The Ecumenical Patriarchate strongly rejected the proposals and attempts of Archbishop Elpidophoros to change the Charter of the Archdiocese of America. The message was conveyed during a meeting that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had with four of the seven members of the Eparchial Synod of the Archdiocese on Wednesday, April 5, in Constantinople at the Phanar. The Metropolitans who participated were Methodios of Boston, Savas of Pittsburgh, Gerasimos of San Francisco, and Nathanael of Chicago. Also present at the meeting were Archbishop Elpidophoros, Metropolitan Emmanuel Geron of Chalcedon, Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira…
Source: The National Herald By Christopher Tripoulas It’s a new year, but the Archbishop’s recent meeting at the Phanar regarding amendments to the Archdiocese of America’s Charter is more like a blast from the past. This on-again, off-again process, which began in the fall of 2019 with the sudden suspension of the Charter by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, was thought to have ended last June when the Patriarchate restored the Charter at the “request” [sic] of the Archdiocese. However, no sooner did this thoroughly botched matter seem to have been resolved, when it was awkwardly revisited, following a cryptic announcement by…
Source: The National Herald By Theodore Kalmoukos BOSTON – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has appointed Metropolitan Evangelos of Sardis as a member of the Holy Synod of the Phanar for a one-year tenure starting March 1, 2023. Archbishop Elpidophoros is also a member of the Synod during the current Synodic period. Metropolitan Evangelos served as the duly and canonically elected Metropolitan of the Metropolis of New Jersey for seventeen years, from his election and enthronement on May 11, 2003, until October 8, 2020. Under his leadership the Metropolis of New Jersey, for the first time, acquired its Metropolis Center in the…
Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Originally published on December 20, 2021 by Kirill Aleksandrov The Phanar received Macedonian schismatics. What is this – revenge to the Serbian Church for non-recognizing the OCU or a global policy of legalizing all schismatics? On 16 December, Patriarch Bartholomew received a delegation from the so-called Macedonian Church at the Phanar. Does this mean the start of another Tomos for the schismatics, and how might this affect the entire Orthodoxy? The delegation of the “Macedonian Orthodox Church” at the Phanar. Photo: religija.mk Analyzing the visit of the Macedonian schismatics to the Phanar, three points should be noted: The delegation…
Source: The National Herald CONSTANTINOPLE – His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew celebrated his name day on June 11 at the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Constantinople. In his homily he said among other things that, “from this Martyr Throne, we feel the sacred obligation urgently as we minister the affairs of the Holy Church by means of our works and words, through the special responsibilities which the sanctified action and the theoretical approach of the Holy Fathers entrusted to us, specifically to Constantinople.” His All-Holiness continued: “We have, and we recognize that we have, a unique responsibility to the…
Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Elena Konstantinova According to the Greek professor Kyriakos Kyriazopoulos, an experiment is underway to papalize Ukraine through the “autocephalous church” led by Epiphany. Kyriakos Kyriazopoulos, a professor of church law at the Law Faculty of Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, believes that the Patriarchate of Constantinople has created the OCU with the aim of ecumenically uniting Catholicism with the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches. It is reported by Pravoslavie.ru with reference to the Greek site Oukraniko. According to Kyriakos Kyriazopoulos, the goal of creating the OCU led by Epiphany is “to weaken the Moscow Patriarchate to enable the unification of Ukrainian Uniates…
Source: Union of Orthodox Journalists Kirill Aleksandrov What role influential Greek clans play in strengthening the power of Phanar and what relation they have to Ukraine. With the fall of Constantinople under the pressure of the Ottoman Turks in 1453, the situation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople underwent significant changes: on the one hand, it turned from the dominant one into only tolerable in the Muslim country, and on the other hand, administrative functions of the Greek population living in the Ottoman Empire (rum millet), unusual for the Church, were transferred to it. Affluent laymen, who received the name of…