You can almost feel the discomfort the Church of Greece has in handling this situation. It is almost exactly unlike the feeling a judge has when forced to fine a child for setting up an un-permitted lemonade stand in front of his house. Where little Timmy had no idea he was doing anything that would run afoul of municipal food safety laws, the Ecumenical Patriarch knew exactly how he was taking a tough situation and turning lemons into... more and possibly even less palatable lemons. Ff the tomos was not received well by at least some of the patriarchates, things were bound to go much as they have. And yet Greece acknowledges its close fraternal bonds with Constantinople and also holds to a greater and more wide-ranging role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate than its Slavic brothers would. Can the Greek Church consider this slower consultative path for her bag of lemons and end up offending fewer people (the Γλυκό λεμόνι του κουταλιού outcome) or is it destined to eventually take a side and the baleful looks that will come with it? Time will tell.
(Ronfea) - The issue of recognition of the status of Autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church appears to have been referred to the Holy Synod of the Hierarchy, following a decision by the Standing Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.
As characteristically noted in the announcement issued after the meeting, “Following the proposal of the Synodic Committees on Dogmatic and Legislative Issues and Inter-Orthodox and Inter-Christian Relations on the Ukrainian Issue, the Holy Standing Synod recognizes the Ecumenical Patriarch’s canonical right to issue the status of Autocephaly, as well as the privilege of the Primate of the Church of Greece to further deal with the question of recognition of the Church of Ukraine”.
It is worth noting that despite the fact that the Hierarchy’s agenda for next October has been announced since July, the issue of the recogniton of the Church of Ukraine is not included.
Concerning the other topics of the meeting, the Standing Holy Synod, following a recommendation from Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, and recognizing the need for a Spiritual Center of the Church of Greece and a pilgrimage of the Church of Christ the Savior at a panorthodox level, decided to activate the Committee to this end, on the occasion of the completion of 200 years since National Palingenesis.
It was also confirmed that Archimandrite Nicodemos Farmakis is the new Director of the Central Financial Services of the Church of Greece (EKIO), to whom the President and the Members of the Holy Synod wished good ministry.
Furthermore, it was approved that the relics of Hierarch Palaion Patron Germanos shall be transferred for a few days to Patras from Dimitsana where they lie for the festive events of the 200 years since the Revolution of 1821.
Finally, a memorial service was held for Metropolitan of Fthiotida, late Nikolaos, and Metropolitan of Lemnos and Saint Efstratios, late Hierotheos.
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Sometimes I am grateful for the inherent bureaucratic opportunity and/or impulse to form a committee...
ReplyDeleteThe Church of Greece knows very well that recognition of the schismatic Church raiders will cause their own internal schism. If they are in fear of the wrath of Constantinople, then they should continue to kick the can down the road while asking for a council to decide the matter. The worst thing they could do is recognize a group of non-ordained schismatics who beat the women and elderly while seizing their Churches. If they do this, it will cause massive division within their own ranks...and the Church as a whole.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, very well said Mikail. Couldn't have said it better myself.
DeleteI just hope the Church of Greece can stall the wrath of EPB long enough for the rest of the Church to call a council. If the Church of Greece joins itself to schism it will be a huge loss. Mt. Athos would be split and those (not a few) who oppose the schism would be thrown out into exile, and a wider schism in the Church around the world would be unleashed.
ReplyDeleteI just don’t know how we get through this without a schism though. If anyone calls a council without EP’s permission he will immediately break away, and he refuses to listen to everyone else who is desperately calling for one. Definitely a time to pray for God’s mercy on the Church.
Black Bart has put all the Orthodox churches in a terrible bind, just as his secular overlords have demanded of him. No one wants to call a Great ‘n’ Holy Council which phanariots and accomplices would certainly game as they did Crete ‘16. Yes, I am accusing the lot of them of bad faith. Only the Synod of Athens’ lily-livered trepidation here commends them at this point.
ReplyDeleteWhat Black Bart has done stymies the commonwealth of Orthodox churches worldwide. All efforts are now dedicated to avoiding spread of schism. While the Pope of Alexandria could instigate convening a Council the probable negative outcomes of even a single meeting among heads of local churches is so fraught with negative consequences that the whole project is a no-go. And perish the thought of another council convened at the connivance of the Phanar - certain to be nothing less than a Robber Council.