To summarize what is going on in one sentence: You want to invite unrecognized churches or needlessly complicate the situation by additions of churches who already have representation, we will invite those churches under our omophor. The contention of the Moscow Patriarchate is that the Ecumenical Patriarch is using collusion and chicanery to keep Moscow out of important events and then submit Constantinople's opinions with no Moscow to intervene.
Moscow, June 28, (Interfax) - The Bishops' Council proposed to change the principles of arranging inter-Orthodox meetings.
Thus, the Council believes it necessary to insist on representation of autonomous and self-governed Churches of the Moscow Patriarchate (the Ukrainian Church, the Japanese Church, the Latvian Church, the Estonian Church, the Moldavian Church, the Chinese Church, and the Russian Church Abroad) in all such meetings.
The Council, which is being held in Moscow these days, decided that the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America should also take part in the meetings.
Such initiative was caused by the position of the Constantinople Patriarchate as it believes that inter-Orthodox events can be attended by representatives of the so-called Estonian Apostolic Church generally unrecognized as an autonomous or independent Church.
The Moscow Patriarchate delegation was forced to leave the session of the Mixed Orthodox-Catholic Theological Commission held in Ravenna in October 2007 as representatives of "Estonian Apostolic Church" were among its participants. The Constantinople Patriarchate established this structure in 1996 on the canonical territory of the Russian Church.
A new conflict has been kindled between the Moscow and the Constantinople Patriarchates this June as the latter invited representatives of this uncanonical Estonian structure to participate in work of the Inter-Orthodox commission on Rhodes. Further to this step, the Russian Church delegation had to leave the session.
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Behold the not-so-grand experience of autocephalous polyarchy.
ReplyDeleteJust who is in charge or holds sway there?
Linguists quip that a language is a "dialect with an army and a navy"... Is that what it takes to hold sway and demonstrate power in the fallen Byzantine Empire? The biggest dog on the porch can call shots? Should their be a vast and miraculous (God answer my prayers and make it so!) conversion of Turkey back to Christianity, would the EP start to be a dog with some teeth again?
Indeed. Is precedence tied to numbers? Was New Rome and its patriarchate chosen solely on earthly influence? Can you claim collegiality on the one hand and Eastern Popery on the other an effectively care for the faithful?
ReplyDeleteDoes the popularity of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue decide whether or not it should continue? Said another way: If a lot of the faithful rail against movement towards unity is it the Church's responsibility to act pastorally and try and convince them or wait until they are "ready"?