Chambésy, 21-28, 2016

COMMUNIQUÉ

At the invitation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Synaxis of Primates of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches took place at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, from 21st to 28th January, 2016. The following Primates attended:

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria
Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow
Patriarch Irinej of Serbia
Patriarch Daniel of Romania
Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria
Patriarch Ilia of Georgia
Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus
Archbishop Anastasios of Albania
Archbishop Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia

The following Primates were unable to attend: Their Beatitudes Patriarch John X of Antioch and Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, for health reasons, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, for personal reasons. Nevertheless, all three were represented by official delegations of their Churches.

The Primates of the Orthodox Churches convened to finalize the texts for the Holy and Great Council. In the framework of the Synaxis, on Sunday, 24th January, a Divine Liturgy was held at the Holy Stavropegic Church of St. Paul. Along with the Ecumenical Patriarch, who presided, Their Beatitudes and Heads of the delegations of the Orthodox Churches concelebrated the Liturgy, with the exception of the Head of the delegation of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

During the Synaxis, whose sessions were held in the apostolic spirit of “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4.15), in concord and understanding, the Primates affirmed their decision to convene the Holy and Great Council. The Council will be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete from June 16th to 27th, 2016. To this end, the Primates humbly invoke the grace and blessing of the Holy Trinity and fervently invite the prayers of the fullness of the Church, clergy and laity, for the period leading to and the sessions of the Holy and Great Council.

The items officially approved for referral to and adoption by the Holy and Great Council are: The Mission of the Orthodox Church in the Contemporary World, The Orthodox Diaspora, Autonomy and its Manner of Proclamation, The Sacrament of Marriage and its Impediments, The Significance of Fasting and its Application Today, and Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World. By decision of the Primates, all approved documents will be published.

The Primates also discussed and determined the establishment of a Panorthodox Secretariat, the by-laws of the Council, the participation of non-Orthodox observers in the opening and closing sessions, and the budgetary costs related the Council.

Moreover, the Primates expressed their support for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East and their ongoing concern for the abduction of the two Metropolitans, Paul Yazigi of the Patriarchate of Antioch and Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Archdiocese.

The proceedings of the Synaxis concluded on Wednesday evening, January 27th, 2016, with the closing address by its President, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.



At the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

in Chambésy-Geneva, 27th January, 2016

From the Secretariat of the Sacred Synaxis

NEW YORK – His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will convene under his chairmanship, Jan. 21-28, 2016, a Synaxis of the Primates of the local Orthodox Churches at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva.

The Synaxis will deal with matters related to preparation for the Holy and Great Council, which has been decided to convene this year. His Eminence Geron Archbishop Demetrios of America will be a member of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The official announcement of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, issued yesterday January 18, 2016, follows:

ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
COMMUNIQUÉ

The Ecumenical Patriarchate announces that, following an invitation by His All-Holiness to Their Beatitudes the Primates of the local most holy Orthodox Churches, he will chair a Synaxis at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, from January 21st to 28th, 2016.

All of the Primates have declared that they will attend the Synaxis in person, with the exception of Their Beatitudes Patriarch John X of Antioch and Metropolitan Sawa of Poland, who are prevented for health reasons, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, for personal reasons, while all three will be represented by officially authorized representatives.

The Synaxis will deal with matters related to preparation for the Holy and Great Council, which has been decided to convene this year. In the framework of the Synaxis, an Inter-Orthodox Divine Liturgy will be held in the Holy Stavropegic Church of St. Paul, with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew presiding and Their Beatitudes the Primates participating.

At the deliberations of this Sacred Synaxis, the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate will comprise His Eminence Geron Archbishop Demetrios of America and His Excellency Archbishop Job of Telmessos, while His All-Holiness will be accompanied by Their Eminences Geron Metropolitan John of Pergamon and Emmanuel of France as his advisors.

At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on January 18, 2016
From the Office of the Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod

NEW YORK-- On the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Orthodox and Catholic Christians will join in prayer and public gathering to express their long-standing belief that all life is sacred.

An official delegation of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States will participate in choir in the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the Roman Catholic Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 21. The following day, January 22, Catholic and Orthodox bishops will jointly offer prayer to begin the March for Life at 12 noon on the National Mall.

As he reflected upon the importance of this year’s sanctity of life events, His Eminence Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York and chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), said: “While we lament the tragedy of abortion in our land, our Lord continues to show us how good can come from evil. Our collaborative and prayerful efforts with our Orthodox brothers and sisters have certainly been a sign of hope in our combined efforts to build a culture of life.”

Highlighting the importance of prayer when addressing the issue of abortion, His Eminence Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, chairman of the Committee for Church and Society of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in the U.S., stressed the need to “pray not only for those who are currently considering an abortion, but also those who have already undergone the procedure and may despair of God’s love and mercy.”

The faithful and all people of good will are invited to attend both the Prayer Vigil and the March for Life Rally. For more information, please visit: www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/resources/index.cfm and http://marchforlife.org/mfl-2016/

The following statement was signed by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the USCCB; His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, chairman of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops; Cardinal Dolan; and Metropolitan Savas:

 
Seeking Life, Mercy, and Healing
A Common Statement by Orthodox and Catholic Bishops
on the 43rd Anniversary of Roe v. Wade



On January 22, Catholic and Orthodox Christians will once again stand in solidarity on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. As our communities firmly believe in the sanctity of life, the faithful—along with many people of other traditions and good will—lament the legal circumstances that facilitate abortion and the cultural phenomena that present abortion as the only choice for expectant mothers experiencing difficult conditions.

We recognize that the choice to abort an unborn child ultimately reflects the broken condition of humanity.

We remind the world of our common teaching that life begins at the earliest moments of conception and that life, at all stages of its development, is sacred. We denounce the termination of a life as a response to unwanted pregnancies or as a method of overcoming social and economic challenges. We embrace the mothers and the couples who, in spite of difficulties, choose to bring their pregnancy to term. At the same time, however, we invite those who may have undergone or facilitated an abortion to turn to Christ with contrite hearts, seeking to overcome their grief through His forgiveness, mercy and healing.

Why do we bless houses (and almost anything else that we can sprinkle) with water?

Many years ago, when I was yet a deacon, I was visiting with some non-Orthodox friends who were inquirers into Orthodoxy (they sadly, never followed through with their interest – or even their promise to become Orthodox) and we were discussing this topic in the context of blessing their house. I look at it like this. This world, this creation, is in captivity; it is enemy held territory. The evil one, having enslaved all of creation at the fall, has laid claim to every nook and cranny of this earth. And for a while it looked as though he might be able to hold onto it. But then he reached too far and attempted to enslave the Master of All and to bind Life with the chains of death and his power was broken. But creation is still fallen, it is still contested land in the spiritual battle.

We, as Christians, are engaged in this struggle to reclaim fallen nature for the Kingdom of God. We often talk about this in terms of our own salvation, but the Church, addressing all of creation in a wholistic manner, also reaches out and reclaims a bit here and a bit there of creation in general. We do this in order that we might restore the usefulness of creation for working out our own salvation. Hence we bless anything that might help us in our salvation – and by blessing it we reclaim it for the Kingdom of God.

There are few things more vital to our lives than our homes. In our homes we pray, we work, we talk to others, we order our lives, we work out our marriages, etc. What more important place to reclaim for the Kingdom of God – or is it better to continue living in a place which is occupied by the enemy. For the most effective working out of our salvation, we must drive the enemy out of our homes, and keep him at bay by our prayers, our righteous life, and the annual sprinkling by Holy Water at Theophany.
​
(From a Post to the Orthodox mailing list, dated April 30, 1996 by Priest David Moser
St Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church, 872 N 29th St, Boise ID
Used with permission)