What is on the agenda for the Holy and Great Council?

The Holy and Great Council will address important issues of concern to Orthodox Christians and all people. This includes the mission of the Orthodox Church in the modern world, the Orthodox diaspora, autonomy, marriage, fasting and relations with other Christians. Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis tells why these are matters important not only to the Orthodox, but to the entire world.

The Holy and Great Council gathers in Crete in the latter part of June 2016. It is the first time in 1200 years that 14 autocephalous Orthodox churches are meeting. Approximately 500 individuals will be part of this historic gathering, with a common desire to reinforce their relations and address contemporary spiritual and social challenges in the world.

Council to Address Six Major Themes in Orthodoxy

For a selected bibliography, click HERE.

OFFICIAL ADVANCE DOCUMENTS

ΤΟ ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜΟΝ ΚΑΙ Ο ΤΡΟΠΟΣ ΑΝΑΚΗΡΥΞΕΩΣ ΑΥΤΟΥ

TO ΑΥΤΟΝΟΝΟΝ ΚΑΙ Ο ΤΡΟΠΟΣ ΑΝΑΚΗΡΥΞΕΩΣ ΑΥΤΟΥ

Ἡ Ἁγία καί Μεγάλη Σύνοδος τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας ἠσχολήθη περί τό θέμα «Τό Αὐτόνομον καί ὁ τρόπος ἀνακηρύξεως αὐτοῦ». Οὕτω, συνεζήτησε τά ὑπό τῆς E’ Προσυνοδικῆς Πανορθόδοξου Διασκέψεως (Σαμπεζύ, 10-17 Ὀκτώβριος 2015) παραπεμφθέντα αὐτῇ σχετικά κείμενα, ἐγκρίνασα αὐτά μετά τινων μικρῶν τροπολογιῶν, ὡς ἀκολούθως.

Τά ἀπασχολήσαντα τήν Σύνοδον θέματα τοῦ κειμένου ἀνεφέρονται: α) εἰς τήν ἔννοιαν, τό περιεχόμενον καί τά ποικίλα σχήματα τοῦ θεσμοῦ τοῦ Αὐτονόμου, β) εἰς τάς προϋποθέσεις τοπικῆς τινος Ἐκκλησίας διά νά ζητήσῃ τήν Αὐτονομίαν αὐτῆς ἐκ τῆς εἰς ἥν ὑπάγεται Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας, γ) εἰς τήν ἀποκλειστικήν ἁρμοδιότητα τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας νά κινήσῃ καί νά ὁλοκληρώσῃ τήν διαδικασίαν ἀποδόσεως τῆς Αὐτονομίας εἰς τμῆμα τῆς κανονικῆς δικαιοδοσίας αὐτῆς, Αὐτονόμων Ἐκκλησιῶν μή ἱδρυομένων εἰς τόν γεωγραφικόν χῶρον τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Διασπορᾶς, καί δ) εἰς τάς συνεπείας τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς αὐτῆς πράξεως διά τάς σχέσεις τῆς ἀνακηρυχθείσης Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας τόσον πρός τήν εἰς ἥν ἀναφέρεται Αὐτοκέφαλον Ἐκκλησίαν, ὅσον καί πρός τάς ἄλλας Aὐτοκεφάλους Ὀρθοδόξους Ἐκκλησίας.

Ὁ θεσμός τοῦ Αὐτονόμου ἐκφράζει κατά κανονικόν τρόπον τό καθεστώς τῆς σχετικῆς ἤ μερικῆς ἀνεξαρτησίας ἑνός συγκεκριμένου ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ τμήματος ἐκ τῆς κανονικῆς δικαιοδοσίας τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας, εἰς τήν ὁποίαν κανονικῶς ἀναφέρεται.
1. Κατά τήν ἐφαρμογήν τοῦ θεσμοῦ τούτου εἰς τήν ἐκκλησιαστικήν πρᾶξιν διεμορφώθησαν βαθμίδες ἐξαρτήσεως, ἀφορῶσαι εἰς τάς σχέσεις τῆς Αὐτονόμου πρός τήν Αὐτοκέφαλον Ἐκκλησίαν, εἰς τήν ὁποίαν αὕτη ἀναφέρεται.
2. Ἡ ἐκλογή τοῦ Πρώτου τῆς Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας ἐγκρίνεται ἤ διενεργεῖται ὑπό τοῦ ἁρμοδίου ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ ὀργάνου τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας, τόν Προκαθημένον τῆς ὁποίας οὗτος μνημονεύει καί εἰς τόν ὁποῖον κανονικῶς ἀναφέρεται.
3. Εἰς τήν λειτουργίαν τοῦ θεσμοῦ τοῦ Αὐτονόμου ὑφίστανται διάφορα σχήματα κατά τήν ἐφαρμογήν αὐτοῦ εἰς τήν ἐκκλησιαστικήν πρᾶξιν, τά ὁποῖα προσδιορίζονται ἐκ τῆς ἐκτάσεως τῆς ἐξαρτήσεως τῆς Αὐτονόμου ἀπό τήν Αὐτοκέφαλον Ἐκκλησίαν.
4. Εἰς σχήματά τινα ὁ βαθμός ἐξαρτήσεως τῆς Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας ἐκφράζεται καί διά τῆς συμμετοχῆς τοῦ Πρώτου αὐτῆς εἰς τήν Σύνοδον τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας.
Ἡ κίνησις καί ἡ ὁλοκλήρωσις τῆς διαδικασίας διά τήν ἀπόδοσιν τοῦ Αὐτονόμου εἰς τμῆμα τῆς κανονικῆς δικαιοδοσίας τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας ἀνήκει εἰς τήν κανονικήν ἁρμοδιότητα αὐτῆς, πρός τήν ὁποίαν ἀναφέρεται ἡ ἀνακηρυσσομένη Αὐτόνομος Ἐκκλησία. Oὕτως:
1. Ἡ ζητοῦσα τήν Αὐτονομίαν αὐτῆς τοπική Ἐκκλησία, ἐάν διαθέτῃ τάς ἀναγκαίας ἐκκλησιαστικάς, κανονικάς καί ποιμαντικάς προϋποθέσεις, ὑποβάλλει τό σχετικόν αἴτημα εἰς τήν πρός ἥν ἔχει τήν ἀναφοράν αὐτῆς Αὐτοκέφαλον Ἐκκλησίαν, ἐξηγοῦσα καί τούς σοβαρούς λόγους, οἱ ὁποῖοι ὑπαγορεύουν τήν ὑποβολήν τοῦ αἰτήματος αὐτῆς.
2. Ἡ Αὐτοκέφαλος Ἐκκλησία, δεχομένη τό αἴτημα αὐτῆς, ἀξιολογεῖ ἐν Συνόδῳ τάς προϋποθέσεις καί τούς λόγους τῆς ὑποβολῆς τοῦ αἰτήματος καί ἀποφασίζει διά τήν ἀπόδοσιν ἤ μή τοῦ Αὐτονόμου. Εἰς περίπτωσιν θετικῆς ἀποφάσεως ἐκδίδει τόν σχετικόν Τόμον, ὁ ὁποῖος καθορίζει τά γεωγραφικά ὅρια καί τάς σχέσεις τῆς Αὐτονόμου πρός τήν εἰς ἥν ἀναφέρεται Αὐτοκέφαλον Ἐκκλησίαν, συμφώνως πρός τά καθιερωμένα κριτήρια τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς παραδόσεως.
3. Ὁ Προκαθήμενος τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας ἀνακοινοῖ πρός τό Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον καί τάς ἄλλας Aὐτοκεφάλους Ὀρθοδόξους Ἐκκλησίας τήν ἀνακήρυξιν τῆς Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας.
4. Ἡ Αὐτόνομος Ἐκκλησία ἐκφράζεται διά τῆς ἐξ ἧς ἔλαβε τήν αὐτονομίαν αὐτῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας εἰς τάς διορθοδόξους, διαχριστιανικάς καί διαθρησκειακάς σχέσεις αὐτῆς.
5. Ἑκάστη Αὐτοκέφαλος Ἐκκλησία δύναται νά παραχωρῇ αὐτόνομον καθεστώς μόνον ἐντός τῶν ὁρίων τῆς κανονικῆς γεωγραφικῆς περιφερείας αὐτῆς. Εἰς τόν χῶρον τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Διασπορᾶς δέν ἱδρύονται Αὐτόνομοι Ἐκκλησίαι, εἰ μή μόνον μετά πανoρθόδοξον συναίνεσιν, ἐξασφαλιζομένην ὑπό τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριάρχου κατά τά πανορθοδόξως ἰσχύοντα.
6. Εἰς περιπτώσεις ἀπονομῆς αὐτονόμου καθεστῶτος εἰς τήν ἰδίαν γεωγραφικήν ἐκκλησιαστικήν περιοχήν ὑπό δύο Αὐτοκεφάλων Ἐκκλησιῶν, καί, ὡς ἐκ τούτου, ἐγειρομένης ἀμφισβητήσεως ἑκατέρου Αὐτονόμου, αἱ ἐμπλεκόμεναι πλευραί ἀναφέρονται, ὁμοῦ ἤ κεχωρισμένως, εἰς τόν Οἰκουμενικόν Πατριάρχην ἵνα οὗτος ἐξεύρῃ τήν κανονικήν λύσιν ἐπί τοῦ θέματος κατά τά πανορθοδόξως ἰσχύοντα.
Αἱ ἐκ τῆς ἀνακηρύξεως τοῦ Αὐτονόμου προκύπτουσαι διά τήν Aὐτόνομον Ἐκκλησίαν καί τήν σχέσιν αὐτῆς πρός τήν Αὐτοκέφαλον Ἐκκλησίαν συνέπειαι εἶναι αἱ κάτωθι:
1. Ὁ Πρῶτος τῆς Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας μνημονεύει μόνον τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Προκαθημένου τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας.
2. Τό ὄνομα τοῦ Πρώτου τῆς Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας δέν ἀναγράφεται εἰς τά Δίπτυχα.
3. Ἡ Αὐτόνομος Ἐκκλησία παραλαμβάνει τό Ἅγιον Μύρον ἐκ τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας.
4. Οἱ Ἐπίσκοποι τῆς Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας ἐκλέγονται, καθίστανται καί κρίνονται ὑπό τοῦ ἁρμοδίου ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ ὀργάνου αὐτῆς. Εἰς περίπτωσιν βεβαίας πρός τοῦτο ἀδυναμίας τῆς Αὐτονόμου Ἐκκλησίας, ἐπικουρεῖται αὕτη ὑπό τῆς Aὐτοκεφάλου Ἐκκλησίας εἰς ἥν ἀναφέρεται.

† ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Βαρθολομαῖος, Πρόεδρος

† ὁ Ἀλεξανδρείας Θεόδωρος

† ὁ Ἱεροσολύμων Θεόφιλος

† ὁ Σερβίας Εἰρηναῖος

† ὁ Ρουμανίας Δανιήλ

† ὁ Νέας Ἰουστινιανῆς καί πάσης Κύπρου Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Ἀθηνῶν καί πάσης Ἑλλάδος Ἱερώνυμος

† ὁ Βαρσοβίας καί πάσης Πολωνίας Σάββας

† ὁ Τιράνων καί πάσης Ἀλβανίας Ἀναστάσιος

† ὁ Πρέσοβ καί πάσης Τσεχίας καί Σλοβακίας Ραστισλάβ

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου

† ὁ Καρελίας καί πάσης Φιλλανδίας Λέων

† ὁ Ταλλίνης καί πάσης Ἐσθονίας Στέφανος

† ὁ Γέρων Περγάμου Ἰωάννης

† ὁ Γέρων Ἀμερικῆς Δημήτριος

† ὁ Γερμανίας Αὐγουστῖνος

† ὁ Κρήτης Εἰρηναῖος

† ὁ Ντένβερ Ἠσαΐας

† ὁ Ἀτλάντας Ἀλέξιος

† ὁ Πριγκηποννήσων Ἰάκωβος

† ὁ Προικοννήσου Ἰωσήφ

† ὁ Φιλαδελφείας Μελίτων

† ὁ Γαλλίας Ἐμμανουήλ

† ὁ Δαρδανελλίων Νικήτας

† ὁ Ντητρόϊτ Νικόλαος

† ὁ Ἁγίου Φραγκίσκου Γεράσιμος

† ὁ Κισάμου καί Σελίνου Ἀμφιλόχιος

† ὁ Κορέας Ἀμβρόσιος

† ὁ Σηλυβρίας Μάξιμος

† ὁ Ἀδριανουπόλεως Ἀμφιλόχιος

† ὁ Διοκλείας Κάλλιστος

† ὁ Ἱεραπόλεως Ἀντώνιος, ἐπί κεφαλῆς τῶν Οὐκρανῶν Ὀρθοδόξων ἐν ΗΠΑ

† ὁ Τελμησσοῦ Ἰώβ

† ὁ Χαριουπόλεως Ἰωάννης, ἐπί κεφαλῆς τῆς Πατριαρχικῆς Ἐξαρχίας τῶν ἐν τῇ Δυτικῇ Εὐρώπῃ Ὀρθοδόξων Παροικιῶν Ρωσσικῆς Παραδόσεως

† ὁ Νύσσης Γρηγόριος, ἐπί κεφαλῆς τῶν Καρπαθορρώσσων Ὀρθοδόξων ἐν ΗΠΑ

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Πατριαρχείου Ἀλεξανδρείας

† ὁ Γέρων Λεοντοπόλεως Γαβριήλ

† ὁ Ναϊρόμπι Μακάριος

† ὁ Καμπάλας Ἰωνᾶς

† ὁ Ζιμπάμπουε καί Ἀγκόλας Σεραφείμ

† ὁ Νιγηρίας Ἀλέξανδρος

† ὁ Τριπόλεως Θεοφύλακτος

† ὁ Καλῆς Ἐλπίδος Σέργιος

† ὁ Κυρήνης Ἀθανάσιος

† ὁ Καρθαγένης Ἀλέξιος

† ὁ Μουάνζας Ἱερώνυμος

† ὁ Γουϊνέας Γεώργιος

† ὁ Ἑρμουπόλεως Νικόλαος

† ὁ Εἰρηνουπόλεως Δημήτριος

† ὁ Ἰωαννουπόλεως καί Πρετορίας Δαμασκηνός

† ὁ Ἄκκρας Νάρκισσος

† ὁ Πτολεμαΐδος Ἐμμανουήλ

† ὁ Καμερούν Γρηγόριος

† ὁ Μέμφιδος Νικόδημος

† ὁ Κατάγκας Μελέτιος

† ὁ Μπραζαβίλ καί Γκαμπόν Παντελεήμων

† ὁ Μπουρούντι καί Ρουάντας Ἰννοκέντιος

† ὁ Μοζαμβίκης Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Νιέρι καί Ὄρους Κένυας Νεόφυτος

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Πατριαρχείου Ἱεροσολύμων

† ὁ Φιλαδελφείας Βενέδικτος

† ὁ Κωνσταντίνης Ἀρίσταρχος

† ὁ Ἰορδάνου Θεοφύλακτος

† ὁ Ἀνθηδῶνος Νεκτάριος

† ὁ Πέλλης Φιλούμενος

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Ἐκκλησίας Σερβίας

† ὁ Ἀχρίδος καί Σκοπίων Ἰωάννης

† ὁ Μαυροβουνίου καί Παραθαλασσίας Ἀμφιλόχιος

† ὁ Ζάγκρεμπ καί Λιουμπλιάνας Πορφύριος

† ὁ Σιρμίου Βασίλειος

† ὁ Βουδιμίου Λουκιανóς

† ὁ Νέας Γκρατσάνιτσας Λογγῖνος

† ὁ Μπάτσκας Εἰρηναῖος

† ὁ Σβορνικίου καί Τούζλας Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Ζίτσης Ἰουστῖνος

† ὁ Βρανίων Παχώμιος

† ὁ Σουμαδίας Ἰωάννης

† ὁ Μπρανιτσέβου Ἰγνάτιος

† ὁ Δαλματίας Φώτιος

† ὁ Μπίχατς καί Πέτροβατς Ἀθανάσιος

† ὁ Νίκσιτς καί Βουδίμλιε Ἰωαννίκιος

† ὁ Ζαχουμίου καί Ἑρζεγοβίνης Γρηγόριος

† ὁ Βαλιέβου Μιλούτιν

† ὁ ἐν Δυτικῇ Ἀμερικῇ Μάξιμος

† ὁ ἐν Αὐστραλίᾳ καί Νέᾳ Ζηλανδίᾳ Εἰρηναῖος

† ὁ Κρούσεβατς Δαυΐδ

† ὁ Σλαυονίας Ἰωάννης

† ὁ ἐν Αὐστρίᾳ καί Ἑλβετίᾳ Ἀνδρέας

† ὁ Φραγκφούρτης καί ἐν Γερμανίᾳ Σέργιος

† ὁ Τιμοκίου Ἱλαρίων

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Ἐκκλησίας Ρουμανίας

† ὁ Ἰασίου καί Μολδαβίας καί Μπουκοβίνης Θεοφάνης

† ὁ Σιμπίου καί Τρανσυλβανίας Λαυρέντιος

† ὁ Βάντ, Φελεάκ καί Κλούζ καί Κλούζ, Ἄλμπας, Κρισάνας καί Μαραμοῦρες Ἀνδρέας

† ὁ Κραϊόβας καί Ὀλτενίας Εἰρηναῖος

† ὁ Τιμισοάρας καί Βανάτου Ἰωάννης

† ὁ ἐν Δυτικῇ καί Νοτίῳ Εὐρώπῃ Ἰωσήφ

† ὁ ἐν Γερμανίᾳ καί Κεντρικῇ Εὐρώπῃ Σεραφείμ

† ὁ Τιργοβιστίου Νήφων

† ὁ Ἄλμπα Ἰούλια Εἰρηναῖος

† ὁ Ρώμαν καί Μπακάου Ἰωακείμ

† ὁ Κάτω Δουνάβεως Κασσιανός

† ὁ Ἀράντ Τιμόθεος

† ὁ ἐν Ἀμερικῇ Νικόλαος

† ὁ Ὀράντεα Σωφρόνιος

† ὁ Στρεχαΐας καί Σεβερίνου Νικόδημος

† ὁ Τουλσέας Βησσαρίων

† ὁ Σαλάζης Πετρώνιος

† ὁ ἐν Οὑγγαρίᾳ Σιλουανός

† ὁ ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ Σιλουανός

† ὁ ἐν Ἱσπανίᾳ καί Πορτογαλίᾳ Τιμόθεος

† ὁ ἐν Βορείῳ Εὐρώπῃ Μακάριος

† ὁ Πλοεστίου Βαρλαάμ, Βοηθός παρά τῷ Πατριάρχῃ

† ὁ Λοβιστέου Αἰμιλιανός, Βοηθός παρά τῷ Ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Ριμνικίου

† ὁ Βικίνης Ἰωάννης Κασσιανός, Βοηθός παρά τῷ Ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ ἐν Ἀμερικῇ

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Ἐκκλησίας Κύπρου

† ὁ Πάφου Γεώργιος

† ὁ Κιτίου Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Κυρηνείας Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Λεμεσοῦ Ἀθανάσιος

† ὁ Μόρφου Νεόφυτος

† ὁ Κωνσταντίας - Ἀμμοχώστου Βασίλειος

† ὁ Κύκκου καί Τηλλυρίας Νικηφόρος

† ὁ Ταμασοῦ καί Ὀρεινῆς Ἠσαΐας

† ὁ Τριμυθοῦντος καί Λευκάρων Βαρνάβας

† ὁ Καρπασίας Χριστοφόρος

† ὁ Ἀρσινόης Νεκτάριος

† ὁ Ἀμαθοῦντος Νικόλαος

† ὁ Λήδρας Ἐπιφάνιος

† ὁ Χύτρων Λεόντιος

† ὁ Νεαπόλεως Πορφύριος

† ὁ Μεσαορίας Γρηγόριος

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Ἐκκλησίας Ἑλλάδος

† ὁ Φιλίππων, Νεαπόλεως καί Θάσου Προκόπιος

† ὁ Περιστερίου Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Ἠλείας Γερμανός

† ὁ Μαντινείας καί Κυνουρίας Ἀλέξανδρος

† ὁ Ἄρτης Ἰγνάτιος

† ὁ Διδυμοτείχου, Ὀρεστιάδος καί Σουφλίου Δαμασκηνός

† ὁ Νικαίας Ἀλέξιος

† ὁ Ναυπάκτου καί Ἁγίου Βλασίου Ἱερόθεος

† ὁ Σάμου καί Ἰκαρίας Εὐσέβιος

† ὁ Καστορίας Σεραφείμ

† ὁ Δημητριάδος καί Ἁλμυροῦ Ἰγνάτιος

† ὁ Κασσανδρείας Νικόδημος

† ὁ Ὕδρας, Σπετσῶν καί Αἰγίνης Ἐφραίμ

† ὁ Σερρῶν καί Νιγρίτης Θεολόγος

† ὁ Σιδηροκάστρου Μακάριος

† ὁ Ἀλεξανδρουπόλεως Ἄνθιμος

† ὁ Νεαπόλεως καί Σταυρουπόλεως Βαρνάβας

† ὁ Μεσσηνίας Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Ἰλίου, Ἀχαρνῶν καί Πετρουπόλεως Ἀθηναγόρας

† ὁ Λαγκαδᾶ, Λητῆς καί Ρεντίνης Ἰωάννης

† ὁ Νέας Ἰωνίας καί Φιλαδελφείας Γαβριήλ

† ὁ Νικοπόλεως καί Πρεβέζης Χρυσόστομος

† ὁ Ἱερισσοῦ, Ἁγίου Ὄρους καί Ἀρδαμερίου Θεόκλητος

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Ἐκκλησίας Πολωνίας

† ὁ Λούτζ καί Πόζναν Σίμων

† ὁ Λούμπλιν καί Χέλμ Ἄβελ

† ὁ Μπιαλύστοκ καί Γκντάνσκ Ἰάκωβος

† ὁ Σιεμιατίτσε Γεώργιος

† ὁ Γκορλίτσε Παΐσιος

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Ἐκκλησίας Ἀλβανίας

† ὁ Κορυτσᾶς Ἰωάννης

† ὁ Ἀργυροκάστρου Δημήτριος

† ὁ Ἀπολλωνίας καί Φίερ Νικόλαος

† ὁ Ἐλμπασάν Ἀντώνιος

† ὁ Ἀμαντίας Ναθαναήλ

† ὁ Βύλιδος Ἄστιος

Ἀντιπροσωπεία Ἐκκλησίας Τσεχίας καί Σλοβακίας

† ὁ Πράγας Μιχαήλ

† ὁ Σούμπερκ Ἠσαΐας

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Convening of the Holy and Great Council of worldwide Orthodox Christianity – the first in over one thousand years, is a sign of hope and reassurance for not only Orthodox Christians, but for all people of faith around the globe. The remarkable and relentless pursuit of this Spirit-filled event is a signature characteristic of the life, mission and leadership of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. In convening the Great and Holy Council this June, during the holy celebrations of Pentecost, His All-Holiness is bringing to fulfillment the vision of his two predecessors, Athenagoras and Demetrios, both of blessed memory.

But more than the completion of a more than fifty-year dream, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has transformed the process beyond the mere structural process of the last fifty years, by adapting to the radically changed reality of Orthodoxy in the 21^st Century.

When the road to the Holy and Great Council was embarked upon, World War II was only fifteen years in the past, the atheist Soviet Union controlled the lives of most Orthodox Christians and the church institutions that struggled to minister to them, and the world was deep into the winter of the Cold War. Orthodox Christianity in the Diaspora was profoundly segmented, if not outrightly fragmented. The Ecumenical Patriarchate had – only five years before – suffered a massive and systematic persecution in Constantinople, displacing hundreds of thousands of its communicants. Mount Athos was turning one thousand years old, and though life on the Holy Mountain had scarcely changed over the centuries, the world at-large was bracing to change at a pace unknown in history.

The need for dialogue, thinking together, interconnection, and new perspectives was everywhere. At the same time the Orthodox were commencing a process that is now taking place on the Island of Crete (a sacred topos of Apostolic visitation!), Pope John XXIII was convening the Second Vatican Council, a council that would radically push the Roman Catholic Church – in many ways quite unprepared – into the latter half of the 20^th Century. Although the process has been much slower for the Orthodox Church to convene such a similar process, in retrospect we can see that the deliberate and slower pace has been more of an advantage, rather than the reverse.

Nearly half of the time that it has taken to finally arrive at the Holy and Great Council has occurred under the patriarchy of His All-Holiness Bartholomew, which coincided with the dissolution of the former Soviet Union and the resurgence of the Moscow Patriarchate under the autocracy that currently governs the Russian Federation. As the national aspirations of the Ukrainian, Estonian, Czech, and Slovak peoples have created conditions for national and autocephalous or autonomous Churches, it has been Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew who from a position of only spiritual strength, has steered the Ark of Salvation through the dangerous shoals of self-interest and power-seeking. From the Phanar, despite and perhaps because of the difficulties as a religious and ethnic minority that continue unabated, His All-Holiness seeks only the benefit of all the local (autocephalous) Churches, putting the good of all above the ephemeral desires of any one. This has manifested as the kind of leadership that leaves a legacy of unity and conciliarity in its wake, even as the naysayers and gainsayers give rise to fear and even paranoia.

The significance of this Holy and Great Council cannot be overstated. The fact that all the Autocephalous Churches have agreed to meet, to dialogue, to exchange view and position – this in itself is an accomplishment of historic proportions. There are those who would contradict the former statement, but let us remember, that this has not happened in centuries, and for Orthodoxy, there have been no serious doctrinal disputes in over six hundred years, since the Hesychast controversies of the 14^th Century.

Inasmuch as Orthodoxy is based in model of conciliarity under the aegis of the Holy Spirit, Hierarchy must be as much horizontal in its orientation as it is vertical, with consensus and unanimity forming the core of the process of adaptation. This is precisely why the Holy and Great Council is so necessary and so timely. As long as the local, autocephalous Churches are only speaking among themselves, each Church’s local culture, economy, language, and local traditions will limit its scope and perspective on is own mission. The Bishops must be in dialogue with one another in order to see the world from a differing perspective and consider the needs of their flocks from the holistic sense of the whole Body of the Church, whose Head is Christ.

The six preparatory documents: Autonomy, Diaspora, Ecumenical Relations, Fasting, Marriage, and Mission, address contemporary concerns of all the faithful. In doing so, the Bishops of the Church, under the guiding hand of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, are demonstrating the living, breathing vibrancy of the Spirit of God, that infuses the Church to be the living Body of Christ.

SUMMARY OF INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS

Autonomy

The Council will address the institution of Autonomy, which is a canonical status of relative or partial independence of an ecclesiastical segment from the canonical jurisdiction of the Autocephalous Church to which it belongs. The initiation and completion of the process for granting Autonomy is the canonical prerogative of the Autocephalous Church, which governs the area considering autonomy that must be within the boundaries of its own canonical geographical region. Note that Autonomous Churches cannot be established in the area of the Orthodox Diaspora, except by a pan-Orthodox consensus, secured by the Ecumenical Patriarch in accordance with prevailing pan-Orthodox practice. Currently, there are six Autonomous Churches: The Church of Crete, the Church of Finland, and the Church of Estonia under the Ecumenical Patriarchate; The Church of Sinai under the Jerusalem Patriarchate; and the Church of Japan and the Church of Ukraine under Moscow Patriarchate.

Diaspora

All of the most holy Orthodox Churches desire to resolve the problem of overlapping jurisdictions within the Orthodox Diaspora as swiftly as possible. Furthermore, the common will is to organize the Diaspora in accordance with Orthodox ecclesiology, as well as the canonical tradition and practice of the Orthodox Church. In the present circumstances, an immediate transition to the strictly canonical order of the Church – namely, the existence of only one bishop in the same place – is unachievable for well known historical and pastoral reasons. In order to address this, the Churches decided to create a transitional situation, namely Assemblies of Bishops in various regions, that will prepare the ground for a strictly canonical resolution of the problem. Each Assembly is charged to prepare a plan to present to the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, in order that the latter might proceed to a canonical solution of the problem.

Ecumenical Relations

The Orthodox Church, as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, firmly believes that it has a central place in the matter of promoting unity among Christians in the modern world. The Orthodox Church has always cultivated dialogue with those estranged from it, both far and near. It has even pioneered to restore unity among those who believe in Christ, and participated in the Ecumenical Movement since its inception, contributing to its formation and further development. While participating in ecumenical relations, the Church never sacrifices Her principles, and the positions She does take all have as their end the ultimate restoration of unity in true faith and love, the final goal of the process of all theological dialogues.

Fasting

Like a nurturing mother, the Orthodox Church has defined what is beneficial for salvation and established the holy periods of fasting as divinely-given “protection” for believers’ new life in Christ. In Her pastoral discernment, the Church has also established boundaries of philanthropic dispensation for the institution of fasting. This is why, in cases of physical infirmity or extreme necessity as well as of difficult circumstances, it has preordained an appropriate application of the principle of ecclesiastical dispensation, in accordance with the responsible judgment and pastoral care of the body of bishops in the local Churches. It is left to the discretion of the local Orthodox Churches to determine how to exercise philanthropic dispensation and clemency, relieving in these special cases any “burden” of the holy fasts. All this should occur within the aforementioned context and with the objective of not at all diminishing the sacred institution of fasting.

Marriage

The Orthodox Church proclaims the sacredness of marriage as a fundamental and indisputable teaching of the Church. Defending the sacredness of the mystery of marriage has always been especially important for the preservation of the Family, which radiates the communion of the persons yoked together both in the Church and in Society at large. Those members of the Church who contract a civil marriage must be approached with pastoral responsibility, which is mandatory in order for them to understand the value of the sacrament of marriage and the many blessings that result. The Church does not recognize same-sex unions or any other form of cohabitation for its members other than marriage. The impediments for marriage follow the canonical norms of the Church throughout history, with some allowance made for pastoral reasons.

Mission

The Church, drawing from the foretaste of the Heavenly Kingdom and the principles embodied in the entire experience of the patristic, liturgical, and ascetical tradition shares the concern and the anxiety of contemporary humanity with regard to fundamental existential questions that affect the world today, in its desire to contribute to these issues so that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7), reconciliation, and love may prevail in the world. As such, the Church is concerned with the dignity of the human person, the limits and implications of human freedom and responsibility, the nature of true peace, the cessation of war and violence, and social, political and economic justice. In service to the human family, the mission of the Church encompasses the full breadth of the human experience, ministering where necessary to the needs of each.