Holy and Great Council

Orthodox Churches mark 10th anniversary of historic Holy and Great Council of Crete

Tuesday, June 16, marks the tenth anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of Crete, the only gathering of its kind held by the Orthodox Church in the 21st century. The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church brought together hierarchs from ten of the fourteen autocephalous Orthodox Churches on the island of Crete.…

Jun 16, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Nine years since the Holy and Great Council: Romanian Orthodox Church’s consistent contribution

Monday marks nine years since the opening of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which brought together hierarchs from ten autocephalous Orthodox Churches in Crete. The Romanian delegation included 25 hierarchs. The Council took place between June 16–26, 2016, preceded by a preparatory working committee from June 9–16. Key topics addressed included:…

Jun 16, 2025Aurelian Iftimiu

6 years since the Holy and Great Council: Professing the true faith with humility and Christian love

Last Sunday marked six years since the conclusion of the works of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which brought together hierarchs of ten of the fourteen autocephalous Orthodox Churches on the island of Crete. Both before and after the Council, the Patriarch of Romania explained that its works did not focus…

Jun 28, 2022Aurelian Iftimiu

Five year anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

Five years ago, on June 16, began the writing of ‘a new chapter in the history of the Church’ as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the meeting of the Local Orthodox Churches that took place on the island of Crete. The Council took place from June 16 to June 26, 2016, at the Orthodox Academy of…

Jun 16, 2021basilica.ro

Four year anniversary of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

Four years ago, on June 16, began the writing of ‘a new chapter in the history of the Church’ as Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew called the meeting of the Local Orthodox Churches that took place on the island of Crete. The Council took place from June 16 to June 26, 2016, at the Orthodox Academy of…

Jun 19, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

Holy and Great Council Minutes to be published soon, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew announces

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople has announced that the minutes of the Holy and Great Council held on the island of Crete in the summer of 2016 will soon be published. The news came in the form of a message delivered to the 8th International Conference of Orthodox Theology on the theme, “The…

May 31, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Download “On the Holy and Great Council of Crete – Q&A” eBook (English, Russian)

With the blessing of the Holy Synod, the Basilica Publishing House of the Romanian Patriarchate has recently published a brochure On the Holy and Great Council of Crete – Questions and Answers. The volume includes answers to 53 frequently asked questions regarding the Holy and Great Council, convened in Crete on 19-26 June 2016. The…

Nov 17, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

VIDEO | Ecumenical Patriarch intends to attend Bucharest’s National Cathedral consecration ceremony. ‘We are proud of the Romanian Church’

We follow from the Phanar, from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the great and varied activity of the Holy Church of Romania, His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said in an exclusive Trinitas TV interview, adding that we are proud of our once a daughter, and now the sister Church of Romania, to which I convey a special…

Aug 23, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

Faculty of Orthodox Theology holds Seminar in Bucharest on the Holy and Great Council

The Patriarch Justinian Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest organized Thursday a seminar entitled Reception of the decisions of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church. Professors of Theology presented reports in which they analyzed the official documents adopted by the Council of Crete. The event marked the first anniversary of the Holy…

Jun 16, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

Communique: Any clarification regarding faith must be made in ecclesial communion, not in disunion

Please find below the position of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church about recent evolutions in Romania regarding reception of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (Crete, 2016): During the working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, gathered on Friday, 16 December 2016, under the chairmanship…

Dec 22, 2016Aurelian Iftimiu

Father Raphael Noica about the Holy and Great Council: Nothing was done on the line to sell Orthodoxy

Son of the famous Romanian philosopher Constantin Noica, Father Raphael Noica is renowned as one of the greatest Romanian contemporary elders. Father Raphael has recently given an interview for Doxologia.ro, speaking about the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which took place this June in Crete. Nothing was done on the line to…

Dec 8, 2016Aurelian Iftimiu