Cyprus on Council: "Those who are complicit - knowingly or unknowingly - in disrupting this unity will bear the burden,"

Nicosia, June 10 (Interfax) - The Orthodox Church of Cyprus opposed the idea to postpone the convocation of the Pan-Orthodox Council, which has been prepared for over half a century and has been slated to take place on Crete in late June, the message of the Archbishop Chrysostom of Cyprus said.

"We invite all of the local Orthodox Churches to participate in the work of the Holy and Great Council with a spirit of love, humility, and common mind, so that our witness to the world may be fruitful and effective," the message said.

The document said that earlier the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches decided to convene the Council without any objection being raised, which ensures "unity and unanimity."

The Archbishop said that any other initiatives at the last moment "jeopardize this unity."

"Those who are complicit - knowingly or unknowingly - in disrupting this unity will bear the burden," he said.

The Serbian Church said on June 9 that it sees obstacles to participation in the Pan-Orthodox Council and proposes postponing it for the time being. Previously, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Antiochian Church refused to participate. Thus, the convocation of the Council and ways of settling issues during the preparation for it have been brought into question.

Recently the Moscow Patriarchate proposed the holding of an urgent Pan-Orthodox pre-council conference not later than June 10. It pointed out that the non-participation of even one local church in the Council makes the convocation of it impossible. It also said that several churches and monasteries of Athos proposed amendments to the draft documents of the Council that are in sync with the proposals of the Russian Church, and "require fundamental consideration for the purposes of finding Pan-Orthodox consensus."

However, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which is responsible for coordination of the preparations for the Council, declined the proposal to discuss the problems obstructing the convocation of the Council and said that it will take place regardless of the refusal of several Churches to participate in it.