Crete Council - June 24th press briefing

Posts will be slow into next week. My Internet service line lost a subterranean battle with a backhoe.

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Editorial note: This was one of the more contentious press conferences as there were a mix of repeated questions that had repeatedly already been answered and some questions that seemingly sought to make hay out of insignificant points to illicit quotable news bites. The conference ended rather explosively really with a reporter who didn't like the format. Also, blue jeans. Really?

Two documents being signed.

• The Importance of Fasting and Its Observance Today
• Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World

One document to be signed shortly.

• The Sacrament of Marriage and its Impediments - Editorial note: this document elicited a lot of discussion and reports from Pravoslavie.ru and elsewhere have stated that this document might not reach consensus so go unsigned.

Two announcements in development to be sent out at the end of the Council.

• The "message" of the council. Editorial note: Most people thought this would be out at the beginning of the Council, but I expect the last minute attendance changes threw a wrench in the prepared document.
• The Council encyclical.

The group was asked what the Council would say to the laity who weren't represented as their local Churches chose not to attend? The Council is a dialogue for the entire world - whether their patriarch attended or not or whether they are even Orthodox are not.

Are there 261 hierarchs or 290 hierarchs at the Council? There are 290 delegates.

Who signs the documents? The Primates or all the hierarchs? Each delegate can comment on the topics so each bishop can sign the documents. Not advisors, just bishops. Delegates of the local Churches meet before the vote and their primates vote, but these votes are reflective of the consensus of all from the local Church.

It seems that there is a decision that no bishops in the diaspora will be stripped of their titles to force conformity of the one bishop to one city rule. At the same time no new Archbishop of say Chicago can be made as there already is one. Grandfathered in.

One reporter asked for responses from the representatives at the press conference. She was quite severely rebuffed as the moderator felt it would be too time intensive. The journalist said this was ridiculous as, since there are all this people sitting there, there was no point in them even being there if they aren't going to answer questions. To her point this entire thing has been a Dn. John Chryssavgis / Met. Job tag team.

Her question was about the Patriarchates that didn't come. Met. Job responded quite simply (and deftly really): You come from a democracy. Everyone can vote. Now some people choose not to vote. Does that mean you don't live in a democracy?