[Magdalen] The Orthodox World.

[Kate Conant]

Here's the latest I've received about the Holy and Great Council in Crete:


*GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA*8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY
10075-0106 * Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0237
www.goarch.org    - Email: communications at goarch.org

Contact:
*PRESS OFFICE*Stavros Papagermanos
pressoffice at goarch.org

Date: June 6, 2016

*ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE **ON THE HOLY AND GREAT SYNOD*

*NEW YORK –* The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has received today
the text of an important announcement from the Ecumenical Patriarchate
about the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church, which is presented
below:

*ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE*

*Communiqué*

An extraordinary session of the Sacred *Endemousa* Synod of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate took place today under the presidency of His All-Holiness
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in order to review the progress of the
Holy and Great Council to be convened by the grace of God in just a few
days.

The Sacred *Endemousa* Synod was informed with surprise and wonder of the
positions and opinions expressed recently by some sister Orthodox Churches
and, after evaluating these, ascertained that no institutional framework
allows for the revision of the Synodal process already under way.
Therefore, it is expected that the Primates of the most holy Orthodox
Churches will bring, in accordance with the *Organization and Working
Procedure of the Holy and Great Council*, any “proposals to amend, correct,
or append the Synodal texts that were unanimously approved by the
Pan-Orthodox Preconciliar Meetings and by *Synaxes* of the Primates
pertaining to the agenda topics” (see Article 11) for final formulation and
decision during the sessions of the Holy and Great Council, with the
invocation and inspiration of the All-Holy Spirit.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, which bears the first responsibility for
safeguarding the unity of Orthodoxy, calls all to rise to the occasion and
participate, on the pre-determined dates, in the sessions of the Holy and
Great Council, as was decided and signed on a pan-Orthodox level both by
the Primates during the Sacred Synaxes, as well as by those authorized by
each Delegation during the entire lengthy preparatory process of the
Council.

At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on the sixth of June, 2016

>From the Chief Secretariat

As it is evident from the Announcement of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the
Holy and Great Synod of all the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches will take
place as scheduled, with the possibility for discussion and decision on the
various views that were recently raised.

== 30 ==

------------------------------


"What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk
humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8

On Mon, Jun 6, 2016 at 4:09 PM, Ian Gomersall <ian.gomersall at gmail.com>
wrote:

> All rather like the churches of the West were doing in the 16th and 17th
> centuries...
> :(
>
> Ian
>
>
> *Ian Gomersall*
>
>
>
> On 5 June 2016 at 15:36, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > "Part of this may be due to the fact that the Patriarchate of Moscow
> likes
> > to remind the other Churches that ut us by far the largest of them amd so
> > ought to be the dominant voice."
> >
> > Tail wagging the dog, so to speak.
> >
> > On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 2:38 AM, Roger Stokes <
> > roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > On 05/06/2016 05:27, Cantor03--- via Magdalen wrote:
> > >
> > >> The Byzantine East:
> > >>   The periodic infighting among the denominations/churches of the West
> > >> pale in comparison with the ongoing squabbles of the Orthodox in
> > Europe.
> > >>   The 14 members of the Pan-Orthodox Council are periodically at each
> > >> other's
> > >> throats, it seems.  Currently the Orthodox Patriarchs of  Antioch,
> > >> of Bulgaria and of Moscow and their respective churches are at odds.
> > >>
> > >
> > > Part of this may be due to the fact that the Patriarchate of Moscow
> likes
> > > to remind the other Churches that ut us by far the largest of them amd
> so
> > > ought to be the dominant voice.
> > >
> > > Ironically, the Pan-Orthodox Council is usually held up as a symbol of
> > the
> > >> unity of the Orthodox.  Not this year.
> > >>
> > >
> > > When the disagreements mean that it can't meet in Constantinople, the
> > > usual meeting place for these occasional Councils and the seat of the
> > > Ecumenical Patriarch.
> > >
> > >> A friend monitors the Orthodox with a special interest in ecumenism
> > >> with the Roman Catholic Church, and his coverage of these squabbles
> > >> has been heavy with infighting recently.  The disputes center on  a
> > >> variety of subjects, both jurisdictionally and doctrinally.
> > >>   Orthodox relations with the RCC seems to be at a low point
> currently,
> > >> with the Orthodox lumping them in with the Protestants of the West as
> > >> heretics.
> > >>
> > >
> > > Against that we need to remember that a few months ago the Pope met one
> > of
> > > the Patriarchs in Cuba.  More recently he was with the Greek Orthodox
> > > Patriarch visiting migrants in Lesbos and the Greek Orthodox helped
> with
> > > selecting the small group he took back to Rome with him.
> > >
> > > Roger
> > >
> >
>