THE PARTICIPATION OF THE LOCAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES IN THE PREPARATORY PROCESSOFTHE HOLYAND GREAT SYNOD – PREREQUISITE FOR THE RECEPTION OF ITS DECISIONS

VIOREL IONIȚĂ, Rev. Professor, Bucharest/Geneva

Studia Theologia Orthodoxa, 1 (2017), pp.5-16

ABSTRACT. In this paper the author emphasises the preparation, the proceedings and the reception process of the Holy and Great Council, that is one of the most complex radiographies of the Orthodox Church evolution out of a late Middle Ages to the present postmodern challenges. All these challenges have shown that the identity of the Orthodox Church is ensured through her faith transmitted through the Orthodox worship, which is the written expression of the Holy Tradition. Keywords: Holy and Great Council, participation, preparation, reception, Pan‐ Orthodox Conferences. I. The Preparation, the proceedings and the reception process of the Holy and Great Synod is one of the most complex radiographies of the Orthodox Church evolution out of a late Middle Ages to the present postmodern challenges. Preceded by changes in the life of the Orthodox Churches during the second half of the nineteenth century, the preparation of this Synod began in the third decade of the last century through a series of consultations between the local Orthodox Churches, then emerged formally in 1961 through the first Pan‐ Orthodox Conference at Rhodes and entered the practical Preparation in 1976 at the first Pan‐Orthodox Pre‐Conciliar Conference. During this period of one and a half century, the Orthodox Church went through unprecedented organizational changes in the emergence of new Autocephalous Churches and elevating some of them to the rank of Patriarchate. 

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