Crucea.ro

With the sending of letters of invitation to all the heads of the Orthodox
Churches for the two preparatory meetings for the grand pan-Orthodox synod,
scheduled for June and December of this year, Bartholomew has set in motion the
decisions made at the recent pan-Orthodox meeting in October, held in
Constantinople, and attended by deceased patriarch of Moscow Alexy as his last
act in life.

Bartholomew has stepped up the pace for the convening of the grand synod, which
has the objective of responding to all of the problems that have built up over
the course of centuries, and continue to plague relations among the Orthodox
Churches, with extensive repercussions for the dialogue between Orthodox and
Catholics as well. The schism of 1054, with all of its grave consequences for
the universal Church, also deprived the Orthodox Church of the necessary impetus
and ability to be constantly present in the course of history.

In the recent past, a first initiative for the convening of a pan-Orthodox synod
was undertaken by Patriarch Ioakim III in 1901. He wanted to smooth over the
tensions among the autocephalous Orthodox Churches, in the conviction that only
an Orthodox Church engaged in a constant and constructive inner dialogue could
face the challenges of the contemporary world and act with one voice and one
heart. This initiative did not succeed, in part because the Orthodox Churches,
which had recently emerged from Ottoman rule, were seeking their identity in an
exaggerated identification with the nation, and the full breadth of the
Christian message was not instilled in their clergy.

After various mishaps, in 1961 a pan-Orthodox conference was convened in Rhodes,
with significant pressure from patriarch Athenagoras, for the purpose of
preparing an Orthodox synod. This conference was also followed by numerous
obstacles, because as theologian Giorgos Tetsetis observes, the local Churches
did not have a clear idea of what they wanted from the Synod.

Now, the letters sent for the two preparatory meetings to be held in June, in
Cyprus, and in December, in a place to be determined, present the following
topics: 1. The Orthodox diaspora, where the jurisdiction over the Orthodox flock
beyond national borders will be defined. According to the canons now in effect,
before the growth in the phenomenon of emigration the faithful outside of their
home country belong to the ecumenical patriarchate. 2. The manner of recognizing
the status of autocephalous Church. 3. The manner of recognizing the status of
Church autonomy. 4. Dypticha, meaning the rules of mutual canonical recognition
among the Orthodox Churches. 5. Establishing a common calendar for feasts. For
example, some Churches celebrate the Nativity on December 25, others 10 days
later. 6. Impediments and canonicity of the sacrament of matrimony. 7. The
question of fasting in the contemporary world. 8. Relationships with the other
Christian confessions. 9. The ecumenical movement. 10. The contribution of the
Orthodox in affirming the Christian ideals of peace, fraternity, and freedom.

The first four questions were the cause of friction in 1993 and 1999 with the patriarch of Moscow, because of participation in the work of the autonomous Estonian Church, with Moscow does not recognize.

“It is time,” says Fr. Tetsetis, a theologian for the ecumenical patriarchate, “that our Church finally realize that it is doing poorly as a whole. The Church needs an open and sincere dialogue. Because it is only then, with its rich tradition as a compass, that it will be able to emerge from its blind alley and together face its existential problems, which are becoming increasingly severe and complicated. It is only then that the importance of the Ecumenical Patriarch’s initiative can be understood.” According to the journalist Aris Viketos, the letter from Bartholomew is being well received in the Orthodox world.

By NAT da Polis

Gheorghe Vanau