15. June 2016 - 16:03
THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Syn. No. 840
Syn. No. 840
15th June 2016
C O M M U N I Q U E
Ελληνικά
In
brotherly love, while with responsibility and hopes preparing for the
participation in the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church,
which, God willing, is to be held at the Orthodox Academy at Crete
around the Pentecost, from 17 until 26 June 2016, the Holy Synod of
Bishops in its broader composition at its session held at the Serbian
Patriarchate in Belgrade, on June 15, 2016, regarding the situation
created after the ordinary convocation of the Holy Assembly of Bishops
of the Serbian Orthodox Church, passes the following decision:
First
of all, having in mind the importance and significance of the Council,
our Church wants, in a spirit of ecclesial upbuilding, to contribute in
the way that also this Holy and Great Council fulfills criteria and the
measure of true Councils in the history of the Orthodox Church and
justifies its title.
On the other hand, our Church requests that
problems and matters not only of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but also
of the other most Holy Churches that cancelled their participation in
the Council, be considered at that Council.
With this aim in mind,
the Holy and Great Council should last as long as these questions have
not been considered, and it cannot be a hostage of in advance layed out
and accepted rules. Exclusively with the full consensus the Council can
be considered as Holy and Great Council.
At last, our Church
insists that the gathering on the island of Crete be a beginning of a
Conciliar process, that the matters in question should be solved during
its working process, but in the spirit of synodic tradition of the
Church of Christ.
In case that the Churches present at the
Council, with the Ecumenical Patriarchate at head, persist in the
position that the absent Churches without a real reason boycott the work
of the Council, and in case that the already present Churches reject to
take into consideration all the matters in question, problems and
disagreements, the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the
Council will be, regretfully, forced to leave the sessions of that
Council and in that way join the Churches that are already absent.
This
is by no means a threat or ransom, but a consequent implementation of
the position and decisions of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the
Serbian Orthodox Church held in May 2016.
In the spirit of our
ecclesial and pastoral responsibility, we present these positions hoping
in the illuminating action of the All-Holy Spirit.
Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade - Karlovci
and Serbian Patriarch
President of the Holy Assembly of Bishops
sign. I R I N E J
and Serbian Patriarch
President of the Holy Assembly of Bishops
sign. I R I N E J