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The encyclical officially announcing and convening the pan-Orthodox Synod scheduled to take place in Crete from 18 to 17 June, has been written by “Bartholomew, by the grace of God Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch”.
“The path of opposing lies with the truth,” the Patriarch writes, “is the path that the Church has followed from the beginning throughout the course of its history, and this was nothing more than that of collegiality. The discernment between truth and lies, between orthodoxy and heresy, is not always easy. Even the heretics believed and believe they follow the truth and there will always be those that will characterize those who do not agree with their point of view as ’heretics’. The Orthodox Church in this case recognizes one, single authenticity: the Synod of its canonical Bishops.”
“Without a decision by the Synod,” Bartholomew continues, “discernment between orthodoxy and heresy is not possible. All the dogmas of the Church and its sacred canons bear the seal of synodality. Orthodoxy is the Church of collegiality. The Orthodox Church has always emphasized this ecclesiological principle and applied it faithfully locally. This was the case for many centuries even at the ecumenical and pan-Orthodox level, however, it was then interrupted for a long time due to historical circumstances”.
It is possible that, with these words, the Patriarch of Constantinople may have intended to set the record straight with regard to the attempts of extremist fringes within the Orthodox world to brand Catholics and Christians of other denominations as “heretics”. It is also possible, however, that the strong emphasis on synodality, aside from being a pointer regarding the future direction of the Church, may be a response to the document issued by the Russian Orthodox Church which, in January 2014, clarified its own position on papal primacy, stating that in the first millennium, the primacy of Rome was “honorary” and “of human order”, a sort of coordinating centre. What Bartholomew seems to be saying, in very simple terms, in his encyclical, is that Constantinople does not need to take lessons from Moscow when it comes to synodality.
“The main purpose and importance of this pan-Orthodox Synod,” the Patriarch goes on to say, “is to demonstrate that the Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, united in the Mysteries and of course in the Divine Eucharist and in the Orthodox faith, but also in synodality. Holy and Great Synod of the whole Orthodox Church This is why its preparation has required such a long period of time a long period of time, through a series of Preparatory Committees and Pre-Synodal councils, so that the documentation of its decisions and reasoning would transpire as reached in unity, expressed with one voice and with one heart.”
The “Holy and Great Synod” of the Orthodox Church will be dedicated “mainly to issues relating to the structure and the external life of the Orthodox Church, which are in immediate reorganization, such as issues concerning relations with the remaining Orthodox Christian world and the mission of the Church in our time”.
Bartholomew recognises “that the world is waiting to hear the voice of the Orthodox Church on many of the burning issues that concern mankind today.” However, he explains that the Orthodox Church “must” first “look to the issues within its own home”. Bearing this in mind, the Patriarch says that the first pan-Orthodox Synod to be held in many centuries, “is the first and decisive step which is expected that, through the grace of God, not long after others will follow.”
“Times are difficult,” Bartholomew concludes, “and the unity of the Church must be an example of unity of humanity which has been torn apart by division and conflict. The success of the Holy and Great Synod concerns all members of the Church, who are also called to show a willingness to achieve this.”
The encyclical was signed by Bartholomew and the 12 metropolitan bishops representing the Churches of the Orthodox diaspora. The bishops are elected each year on a rotating basis by the permanent Synod of the Church of Constantinople.
