AUTONOMY AND THE MEANS BY WHICH IT IS
PROCLAIMED
The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox
Church concerned itself with the matter of
Autonomy and the Means by Which it is
Proclaimed. Therefore, the respective document,
which was submitted by the Fifth
Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference
(Chambésy, October 10-17, 2009) was
discussed and was approved with some minor
amendments as follows:
The questions of the text examined by the
Council addressed: a) the concept, nature,
and various forms of the institution of
autonomy; b) the prerequisites for a local
Church to request autonomy from the
autocephalous Church to which it belongs; c)
the exclusive prerogative of an
autocephalous Church to initiate and
complete the process of granting autonomy to
a certain segment of its canonical
jurisdiction – autonomous Churches shall not
be established in the geographical areas of
the Orthodox Diaspora; d) the impact of this
ecclesial act on the relations between the
proclaimed autonomous Church and with the
autocephalous Church to which it belongs as
well as with the other autocephalous
Orthodox Churches.
-
The institution of autonomy is a canonical
expression of the relative or partial
independence of a particular ecclesial
region from the canonical jurisdiction of
the autocephalous Church to which it
canonically belongs.
-
The implementation of this institution
through ecclesial praxis has given
rise to various degrees of dependence
with respect to the relationship of
the autonomous Church to the
autocephalous Church to which it
canonically refers.
-
The election of the Primate (First
Hierarch) of an autonomous Church is
approved or executed by the
appropriate ecclesiastical entity of
the autocephalous Church. The Primate
of the autonomous Church commemorates
and is canonically related to the
primate of the autocephalous Church.
-
In the application of the institution
of autonomy, we find various forms of
its implementation in ecclesial praxis
defined by the degree of dependence of
the autonomous Church on the
autocephalous Church.
-
In some forms of autonomy, the degree
of dependence of an autonomous Church
is also expressed through the
participation of its primate in the
Synod of the autocephalous Church.
-
The initiation and completion of the
process for granting autonomy to a region
within the canonical jurisdiction of an
autocephalous Church is the canonical
prerogative of the autocephalous Church.
The Church proclaimed autonomous refers to
the autocephalous Church. Accordingly:
-
A local Church that requests autonomy,
after showing that it has fulfilled
all necessary ecclesial, canonical and
pastoral prerequisites, may submit its
application to the autocephalous
Church to which it has its reference,
explaining the serious reasons
prompting such a request.
-
Upon receiving the application, the
autocephalous Church considers, in
Synod, all of the prerequisites and
reasons for the submission, and
decides whether or not to grant
autonomy. In the event of a favorable
decision, the autocephalous Church
issues a Tomos, which defines
the geographical boundaries of the
autonomous Church and its relationship
with the autocephalous Church to which
it refers, in accordance with the
established criteria of ecclesial
Tradition.
-
The primate of the autocephalous
Church informs the Ecumenical
Patriarchate and the other
autocephalous Orthodox Churches of the
proclamation of the autonomous Church.
-
The autonomous Church realizes its
inter-Orthodox, inter-Christian, and
inter-religious relations through the
autocephalous Church from which it
received autonomy.
-
Each autocephalous Church may only
grant autonomy within the borders of
its canonical geographical region.
Autonomous Churches are not
established in the region of the
Orthodox Diaspora, except by
pan-Orthodox consensus, upheld by the
Ecumenical Patriarch in accordance
with prevailing pan-Orthodox practice.
-
In the event that two autocephalous
Churches grant autonomous status
within the same geographical ecclesial
region, prompting contestation over
the status of each autonomous Church,
the parties involved appeal—together
or separately—to the Ecumenical
Patriarch so that he may find a
canonical solution to the matter in
accordance with prevailing
pan-Orthodox practice.
-
The implications for the autonomous Church
with respect to its relationship to the
autocephalous Church, following its
proclamation of autonomy, are as follows:
-
The Primate of the autonomous Church
only commemorates the name of the
primate of the autocephalous Church.
-
The name of the Primate of the
autonomous Church is not entered into
the Diptychs.
-
The autonomous Church receives holy
chrism from the autocephalous Church.
-
The bishops of the autonomous Church
are elected, appointed and judged by
its own appropriate ecclesiastical
organ. In the event that the
autonomous Church finds this
absolutely impossible, it receives
assistance from the autocephalous
Church to which it refers.
† Bartholomew of Constantinople, Chairman
† Theodoros of Alexandria
† Theophilos of Jerusalem
† Irinej of Serbia
† Daniel of Romania
† Chrysostomos of Cyprus
† Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece
† Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland
† Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All
Albania
† Rastislav of Presov, the Czech Lands and
Slovakia
Delegation of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate
† Leo of Karelia and All Finland
† Stephanos of Tallinn and All Estonia
† Elder Metropolitan John of Pergamon
† Elder Archbishop Demetrios of America
† Augustinos of Germany
† Irenaios of Crete
† Isaiah of Denver
† Alexios of Atlanta
† Iakovos of the Princes’ Islands
† Joseph of Proikonnisos
† Meliton of Philadelphia
† Emmanuel of France
† Nikitas of the Dardanelles
† Nicholas of Detroit
† Gerasimos of San Francisco
† Amphilochios of Kisamos and Selinos
† Amvrosios of Korea
† Maximos of Selyvria
† Amphilochios of Adrianopolis
† Kallistos of Diokleia
† Antony of Hierapolis, Head of the
Ukrainian Orthodox in the USA
† Job of Telmessos
† Jean of Charioupolis, Head of the
Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes
of the Russian Tradition in Western Europe
† Gregory of Nyssa, Head of the
Carpatho-Russian Orthodox in the USA
Delegation of the Patriarchate of
Alexandria
† Gabriel of Leontopolis
† Makarios of Nairobi
† Jonah of Kampala
† Seraphim of Zimbabwe and Angola
† Alexandros of Nigeria
† Theophylaktos of Tripoli
† Sergios of Good Hope
† Athanasios of Cyrene
† Alexios of Carthage
† Ieronymos of Mwanza
† George of Guinea
† Nicholas of Hermopolis
† Dimitrios of Irinopolis
† Damaskinos of Johannesburg and Pretoria
† Narkissos of Accra
† Emmanouel of Ptolemaidos
† Gregorios of Cameroon
† Nicodemos of Memphis
† Meletios of Katanga
† Panteleimon of Brazzaville and Gabon
† Innokentios of Burudi and Rwanda
† Crysostomos of Mozambique
† Neofytos of Nyeri and Mount Kenya
Delegation of the Patriarchate of
Jerusalem
† Benedict of Philadelphia
† Aristarchos of Constantine
† Theophylaktos of Jordan
† Nektarios of Anthidon
† Philoumenos of Pella
Delegation of the Church of
Serbia
† Jovan of Ohrid and Skopje
† Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral
† Porfirije of Zagreb and Ljubljana
† Vasilije of Sirmium
† Lukijan of Budim
† Longin of Nova Gracanica
† Irinej of Backa
† Hrizostom of Zvornik and Tuzla
† Justin of Zica
† Pahomije of Vranje
† Jovan of Sumadija
† Ignatije of Branicevo
† Fotije of Dalmatia
† Athanasios of Bihac and Petrovac
† Joanikije of Niksic and Budimlje
† Grigorije of Zahumlje and Hercegovina
† Milutin of Valjevo
† Maksim in Western America
† Irinej in Australia and New Zealand
† David of Krusevac
† Jovan of Slavonija
† Andrej in Austria and Switzerland
† Sergije of Frankfurt and in Germany
† Ilarion of Timok
Delegation of the Church of
Romania
† Teofan of Iasi, Moldova and Bucovina
† Laurentiu of Sibiu and Transylvania
† Andrei of Vad, Feleac, Cluj, Alba, Crisana
and Maramures
† Irineu of Craiova and Oltenia
† Ioan of Timisoara and Banat
† Iosif in Western and Southern Europe
† Serafim in Germany and Central Europe
† Nifon of Targoviste
† Irineu of Alba Iulia
† Ioachim of Roman and Bacau
† Casian of Lower Danube
† Timotei of Arad
† Nicolae in America
† Sofronie of Oradea
† Nicodim of Strehaia and Severin
† Visarion of Tulcea
† Petroniu of Salaj
† Siluan in Hungary
† Siluan in Italy
† Timotei in Spain and Portugal
† Macarie in Northern Europe
† Varlaam Ploiesteanul, Assistant Bishop to
the Patriarch
† Emilian Lovisteanul, Assistant Bishop to
the Archdiocese of Ramnic
† Ioan Casian of Vicina, Assistant Bishop to
the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the
Americas
Delegation of the Church of
Cyprus
† Georgios of Paphos
† Chrysostomos of Kition
† Chrysostomos of Kyrenia
† Athanasios of Limassol
† Neophytos of Morphou
† Vasileios of Constantia and Ammochostos
† Nikiphoros of Kykkos and Tillyria
† Isaias of Tamassos and Oreini
† Barnabas of Tremithousa and Lefkara
† Christophoros of Karpasion
† Nektarios of Arsinoe
† Nikolaos of Amathus
† Epiphanios of Ledra
† Leontios of Chytron
† Porphyrios of Neapolis
† Gregory of Mesaoria
Delegation of the Church of
Greece
† Prokopios of Philippi, Neapolis and
Thassos
† Chrysostomos of Peristerion
† Germanos of Eleia
† Alexandros of Mantineia and Kynouria
† Ignatios of Arta
† Damaskinos of Didymoteixon, Orestias and
Soufli
† Alexios of Nikaia
† Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Aghios Vlasios
† Eusebios of Samos and Ikaria
† Seraphim of Kastoria
† Ignatios of Demetrias and Almyros
† Nicodemos of Kassandreia
† Ephraim of Hydra, Spetses and Aegina
† Theologos of Serres and Nigrita
† Makarios of Sidirokastron
† Anthimos of Alexandroupolis
† Barnabas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis
† Chrysostomos of Messenia
† Athenagoras of Ilion, Acharnon and
Petroupoli
† Ioannis of Lagkada, Litis and Rentinis
† Gabriel of New Ionia and Philadelphia
† Chrysostomos of Nikopolis and Preveza
† Theoklitos of Ierissos, Mount Athos and
Ardameri
Delegation of the Church of
Poland
† Simon of Lodz and Poznan
† Abel of Lublin and Chelm
† Jacob of Bialystok and Gdansk
† George of Siemiatycze
† Paisios of Gorlice
Delegation of the Church of
Albania
† Joan of Koritsa
† Demetrios of Argyrokastron
† Nikolla of Apollonia and Fier
† Andon of Elbasan
† Nathaniel of Amantia
† Asti of Bylis
Delegation of the Church of the Czech
lands and Slovakia
† Michal of Prague
† Isaiah of Sumperk