Holy and Great Council

Evaluation of the Holy and Great Council in Crete, by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria

The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria Presided over by His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa , following extensive discussion announces the following: 1. We express glory and praise to the Triune God, who deemed us worthy to participate in the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox…

Nov 18, 2016Aurelian Iftimiu

Conclusions of the Holy Synod regarding the proceedings and the decisions of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (Crete, 16-26 June 2016)

After the discussions carried during the working session of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, chaired Saturday, 29 October 2016, by His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, the Synodal Fathers formulated and expressed the following conclusions related to the proceedings and the decisions of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (Crete, 16-26…

Oct 31, 2016Aurelian Iftimiu

Let us keep the peace and unity of the Church!

Lately, there have been public manifestations held by certain persons, who, in a worldly and aggressive manner, accused and slandered the hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church, who participated in the Synod held in Crete, in June 2016, where over 200 hierarchs from ten sister Orthodox Churches took part. Those who promote such a negative…

Sep 9, 2016Aurelian Iftimiu

Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos on the Delegation of the Romanian Patriarchate at the Council of Crete: Well Prepared and Firm on Stand

The website cuvantul-ortodox.ro has recently published the translation of a letter signed by His Eminence Hierotheos Vlachos, Metropolitan of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios, on the position and performance of the delegation of the Romanian Orthodox Church at the Holy and Great Council of Crete. We render below the text of the letter (see here the…

Aug 19, 2016Iulian Dumitraşcu

Synodality Manifested at Sacramental Level. Orthodox Primates Concelebrated at the End of the Holy and Great Council

On the Sunday of All Saints (26 June 2016), the Primates of the Autocephalous Orthodox Churches manifested the sacramental unity once more, concelebrating at the end of the Holy and Great Council. The Divine Liturgy celebrated in Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles church in Chania, Crete, was chaired by His Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of…

Jun 28, 2016Iulian Dumitraşcu

The Mission of the Orthodox Church in Today’s World (Final document)

The contribution of the Orthodox Church in realizing peace, justice, freedom, fraternity and love between peoples, and in the removal of racial and other discriminations. For God so loved the world that he gave his Only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). The Church of Christ…

Jun 27, 2016Gheorghe Anghel

The Sacrament of Marriage and its Impediments (Final document)

I.On Orthodox Marriage The institution of the family is threatened today by such phenomena as secularization and moral relativism. The Orthodox Church maintains, as her fundamental and indisputable teaching, that marriage is sacred. The freely entered union of man and woman is an indispensable precondition for marriage. In the Orthodox Church, marriage is considered to…

Jun 27, 2016Gheorghe Anghel

The Orthodox Diaspora (Final document)

The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church concerned itself with the matter of the canonical organization of the Orthodox Diaspora. Therefore, the respective documents were discussed concerning the Orthodox Diaspora and the Rules of Operation of Episcopal Assemblies in the Diaspora, which were submitted by the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference (Chambésy, 2009), and…

Jun 27, 2016Gheorghe Anghel

Autonomy and the Means by Which it is Proclaimed (Final document)

The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church concerned itself with the matter of Autonomy and the Means by Which it is Proclaimed.  Therefore, the respective document, which was submitted by the Fifth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference (Chambésy, October 10-17, 2009) was discussed and was approved with some minor amendments as follows: The questions of…

Jun 27, 2016Gheorghe Anghel

The Importance of Fasting and its Observance Today (Final document)

Official Documents of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church: The Importance of Fasting and Its Observance Today   Fasting is a divine commandment (Gen 2:16-17). According to Basil the Great, fasting is as old as humanity itself; it was prescribed in paradise (On Fasting, 1, 3. PG 31, 168A). It is a great…

Jun 27, 2016Gheorghe Anghel

Message of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

To the Orthodox people and to all people of good will To God, “the Father of mercies and all comfort,” we address a hymn of thanksgiving and praise for having enabled us to gather during the week of Pentecost (18-26 June 2016) on Crete, where the Apostle Paul and his disciple Titus preached the Gospel…

Jun 26, 2016Gheorghe Anghel