Russian Orthodox Church spokesman
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk has not departed for Crete to
attend the Pan-Orthodox Council on the Greek island of Crete
after the
church decided to suspend its participation following the refusal of
several orthodox churches to take part, a church source told RIA Novosti
Friday.
MOSCOW
(Sputnik) — The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, also
known as the Pan-Orthodox Council, is a planned synod of the bishops
of all autocephalous local churches of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
The Council is set be held on the Greek island of Crete on June 16-27,
after more than 50 years of preparations. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church,
the Antiochian Orthodox Church, and the Serbian Orthodox Church refused
to participate in the Council.
"Metropolitan Hilarion is currently in Moscow.
Given that a number of churches does not find it worthwhile sending its
representatives to take part in composing the message of the
Pan-Orthodox Council, the Russian church has decided that the
participation of its representative is untimely as long as issues of the
feasibility of convening the council itself are unresolved," the source
said.