Pavle remains Serbian patriarch

H/T: Again and Again

BELGRADE (B92) - The Holy Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) has not confirmed His Holiness Patriarch Pavle's plea to withdraw from his duties.

Beta reports that the Assembly did not take a vote on this issue, deciding instead that the ailing 94-year-old will remain at the helm of the Church until his death.

Some of Pavle's duties will be transferred to the Montenegrin and Lateral SPC Metropolitan Amfilohije, it was decided in Belgrade on Tuesday the news agency reported, adding that he has been given "somewhat broader powers than before".

The Assembly also failed to change the procedures for the selection of the patriarch.

Unofficial information says that the regular May 2009 session of the Holy Synod will adopt changes to that process, and the SPC Constitution.

The Assembly will continue its meeting on Wednesday.

However, officially, it has still not been confirmed whether this highest SPC body even decided to include the patriarch's request into the agenda of the session.

Earlier today, reports said that should the bishops at the Synod accept Pavle's plea, a new patriarch would be chosen, and one method that has been touted for doing so would be a random draw of the name of one of the three candidates who receive the most votes from their fellow bishops.

The most serious contenders, according to the Belgrade press, were Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro, Bishop of Niš Irinej, Bishop of Žiča Hrizostom, Bishop Grigorije of Zahumska-Hercegovina and Bishop Ignatije of Braničevo.

A liturgy led by Amfilohije and attended by all 46 bishops, was held this morning at Belgrade Cathedral to mark the opening of the SPC ordinary session. The Synod is taking place in the patriarchal chapel of St. Simeon Mirotočivi in Belgrade.

Since the news of the patriarch’s plea came out in public, an atmosphere of complete uncertainty has reigned not only in public, but among church officials too.

Bishop Irinej of Niš said that although under the SPC constitution the patriarch kept the position until his death, the same principle could be applied as the one applying to bishops.

“The election of bishops is for life, but it can be overturned either through canonic guilt or through proof of inability to perform one’s duties, or through personal choice to resign and receive a pension,“ Irenej explained.

“So, that’s how it works for bishops, but it can also be applied to the patriarch, as the patriarch is only the first among equals,“ he added.