Natallia Vasilevich, Smilen Markov, sobor2016.churchby.info
According to the “Organization and Working Procedure of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church“,
adopted by the Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches at their
Synaxis, which was held 21-28 January 2016 in Chambésy,
the Council “is
convened by His All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch, with the
consent of Their Beatitudes, the Primates of all the universally
recognized autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches“.
By the same governing body, consisting of ALL Primates of the
Orthodox Church (and those who were not able to attend were represented
by officially authorized delegates) came to the consensus agreement that
the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church to be held at the
Orthodox Academy of Crete from June 16th to 27th, 2016 (See: Communique of the Sinaxis).
If we follow the logic of consensus as a basic principle of taking
decisions in the framework of the pre-conciliar and conciliar process,
once undertaken by the consensus, the decision can be amended, modified,
cancelled – only be the consensus, and if at least one local church
does not agree with the amendment or new decision, the decision is
vetoed and can not be adopted. Coming to the recent events of some
churches’ proposals or claims to postpone the Holy and Great Council,
even if 13 Local Churches decide upon the necessity to postpone, and
only one Local Orthodox Church will continue to follow the initial
decision, the others shall act in accordance with the unanimously
adopted decision.
CONCLUSION: The logic of consensus does not leave any room
for the Local Churches to withdraw from the participation, neither it
let to postpone the Holy and Great Council, unless new unanimous
decision is taken on this matter.