THE ROLE OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE IN GRANTING AUTOCEPHALY TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN UKRAINE: A CANONICAL PERSPECTIVE

 DR. LEWIS J. PATSAVOS, ''The Role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Granting Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine: A Canonical Perspective'', in  The Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ukraine Autocephaly, Evagelos Sotiropoulos, Editor, May 2019, ORDER OF SAINT ANDREW THE APOSTLE, ARCHONS OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE, pp. 66-72.

THE SYNODAL STRUCTURE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

Lewis J. Patsavos

 Ecumenical Patriarchate Press Office

Theological Basis[1]

Basic to the ecclesiology of the Orthodox Church is the concept of conciliarity. The Church is, in fact, at her core always synod, the literal meaning of the word "Ekklesia." The concept of conciliarity, i.e., the conciliar or synodal approach to managing the Church's affairs, is not confined solely to convening various types of synods, but also includes every expression of ecclesiastical life.