The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church in Crete or “Meeting in Crete”? Current Ecclesiological Dilemmas of the Orthodox World

  • Krzysztof Leśniewski The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Faculty of Theology
Keywords: the Holy and Great Council in Crete; Orthodox Ecclesiology; Conciliarity; Unity; Orthodox Church

Abstract

An important event for the Orthodoxy: The Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church took place in Crete (June, 18–26.2016). It was attended by official delegations from ten local Orthodox Churches. Four local Orthodox Churches, namely: Patriarchate of Antioch, Moscow Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Georgia, and the Bulgarian Patriarchate withdrew from the participation in the Council. The incomplete representation of the Orthodox Churches at the Council is an evidence of unsolved problems and differences in the approach to canonical and theological issues. The article synthetically presents the history of activities aimed at convening Pan-Orthodox Council and ecclesiological problems, which caused the withdrawal of four local Orthodox Churches from the Council in Crete. Presented arguments may be helpful in understanding of existing theological differences and tensions in mutual relations of local Orthodox Churches.

References

Bouwen Frans: Première Conférence panorthodoxe préconciliaire (Chambésy, 21-28 novembre 1976), „Proche orient chrétien” 27 (1977), fasc. 1-2, s. 95-130.

Chryssavgis John: Toward the Holy and Great Council: Retrieving a Culture of Conciliarity and Communion, New York, NY: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 2016.

Commission Interorthodoxe Préparatoire: La diaspora Orthodoxe (Chambésy, 13 novembre 1993), „Epis” 24 (1993), nr 498, s. 22-23.

Commission Interorthodoxe Préparatoire: L’autocéphalie et la manière de la proclamer (Chambésy, 13 novembre 1993), „Epis” 24 (1993), nr 498, s. 23-24.

Communication of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia to the Clerics and Faithful, New York, 13 April 2016, http://www.synod.com/synod/eng2016/20160413_ensynodposlaniye.html (18.02.2017).

Communiqué of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches, http://www.spc.rs/eng/communique_primates_orthodox_churches (18.02.2017).

Declaration of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on the Council of Crete (2016) and the Text „Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World”, Sofia, November 29, 2016, http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/99098.htm (20.02.2016).

Dejaifve Georges: La troisième conférence panorthodoxe de Rhodos (1-er nov.-15 nov. 1964), „Nouvelle revue théologique” 97 (1965), nr 2, s. 113-131.

Delegations, https://www.holycouncil.org/delegations (20.02.2016).

Dumont Christophe J.: La troisième conférence panorthodoxe (Rhodos, 1-15 novembre 1964), „Vers l’unité chrétienne” 17 (1964), nr 8-9, s. 74-75.

Duprey Pierre: Les résultats de la conférence inter-orthodoxe de Rhodes. Le programme du future prosynode, „Proche orient chrétien” 11 (1961), fasc. 4, s. 351-378.

Harakas Stanlay S.: Something is Stirring in World Orthodoxy: An Introduction to the Forthcoming Great and Holy Council of the Orthodox Church, Minneapolis, Minn.: Light and Life Pub. Co. 1978.

Ἡ Σύνοδος τῆς Κρήτης: Ἁγία καί Μεγάλη Σύνοδος. Ἐπισημάνσεις καί Σχολιασμοί ἐν Συνειδήσει καί Ἀληθείᾳ [‘Ē Sýnodos tēs Krētēs: ‘Agia kaí Megálē Sýnodos. Episēpmánseis kai Scholiasmoí en Syneidēsei kai Alētheía], Trikala 2016, passim (dzieło to również dostępne jest jako e-book: http://online.fliphtml5.com/scwn/waci/#p=1 (20.02.2016).

Hovorun Cyril: The Fragile Promise of the Pan-Orthodox Council, “The Catholic World Report”, March 14, 2014, http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/3001/the_fragile_ promise_ of_the_panorthodox_council.aspx (17.02.2017).

Ionită Viorel: Towards the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church: The Decisions of the Pan-Orthodox Meetings since 1923 until 2009, tłum. Remus Rus, Fribourg: Reinhardt 2014.

Kałużny Tadeusz: Nowy Sobór ogólnoprawosławny. Natura, historia przygotowań, tematyka, Kraków: Dehon 2008.

Казарян Николай: Всеправославный собор: формирование новой православной геополитики, „Государство, религия, церковь в России и за рубежом” [Kazaryan Nikolay: Vsepravoslavnyy sobor: formirovaniye novoy pravoslavnoy geopolitiki, „Gosudarstvo, religiya, tserkov’ v Rossii i za rubezhom”], 34 (2016), № 1, s. 102-126.

Krivochéïne Basile: La deuxième Conférence panorthodoxe à l’ille de Rhodos, „Messager de l’Exarchat du Patriarche Russe en Europe occidentale” 12 (1964), nr 45, s. 5-25.

Кукуджанова Инна: Эксперты увидели политический аспект в отказе церкви Грузии от собора на Крите [Kukudzhanova Inna: Eksperty uvideli politicheskiy aspekt v otkaze tserkvi Gruzii ot sobora na Krite], http://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/284739/ (21.02.2017).

Leśniewski Krzysztof: Zaangażowanie prawosławia w ruch ekumeniczny, „Arche” 3-4(1998), s. 9-13.

Leview-Sawyer Clive, Bulgarian Orthodox Church withdraws from Pan-Orthodox Council in Crete, „The Sophia Globe”, http://sofiaglobe.com/2016/06/01/bulgarian-orthodox-church-withdraws-from-pan-orthodox-council-in-crete/ (20.02.2017).

Martzelos George, Why the Great Synod of Orthodoxy is necessary today, http://www.greatsynod.omhksea.org/assets/martzelos-great-synod.pdf (20.02.2017).

Moga Ioan: Erwartungen und Anfragen an die Heilige und Grosse Synode der Orthodoxen Kirche, „Catholica” 69 (2015), s. 197-207.

Моисеев Михаил: Критика документов и регламента Всеправославного собора. Основные направления и ключевые персоны [Moiseyev Mikhail: Kritika dokumentov i reglamenta Vsepravoslavnogo sobora. Osnovnyye napravleniya i klyuchevyye persony], http://www.odigitria.by/2016/07/04/kritika-dokumentov-i-reglamenta-vsepravoslavnogo-sobora-osnovnye-napravleniya- i-klyuchevye-persony/ (21.02.2016).

Orędzie Świętego i Wielkiego Soboru Cerkwi Prawosławnej, przeł. Anatol Szymaniuk, „Cerkiewny Wiestnik. Kwartalnik Polskiego Autokefalicznego Kościoła Prawosławnego” 53 (2016), nr 4, s. 5-22.

Протокол заседания Священного Синода Грузинской Православной Церкви от 10 июня 2016 года, Перевод с грузинского – Благовест-инфо [Protokol zasedaniya Svyashchennogo Sinoda Gruzinskoy Pravoslavnoy Tserkvi ot 10 iyunya 2016 goda, – Perevod s gruzinskogo – Blagovest-info], http://sobor2016.rublev.com/mneniya/protokol_zasedaniya_svyashchennogo_sinoda_gruzinskoy_pravoslavnoy_tserkvi_ot_10_iyunya_2016_goda/ (21.02.2017).

Russian Patriarch says Crete meeting is not pan-Orthodox, http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/5721/0/russian-patriarch-says-crete-meeting-should-prepare-full-pan-orthodox-council-later (20.02.2016).

Statement of the Secretariat of the Holy Synod of Antioch, Balamand, 27 June 2016, http://antiochpatriarchate.org/en/page/1448/#English (18.02.2017).

Symeonides N. (ed), Toward the Holy and Great Council: Decisions and Texts, New York, NY: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 2016.

Священный Синод: О ситуации, возникшей в связи с отказом ряда Поместных Православных Церквей от участия в Святом и Великом Соборе Православной Церкви [Svyashchennyy Sinod: O situatsii, voznikshey v svyazi s otkazom ryada Pomestnykh Pravoslavnykh Tserkvey ot uchastiya v Svyatom i Velikom Sobore Pravoslavnoy Tserkvi], http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4538241.html (20.02.2017).

Шишков Андрей: Спорные экклезиологические вопросы повестки Всеправославного собора и проблема верховной власти в Православной церкви, „Государство, религия, церковь в России и за рубежом” [Shishkov Andrey: Spornyye ekkleziologicheskiye voprosy povestki Vsepravoslavnogo sobora i problema verkhovnoy vlasti v Pravoslavnoy tserkvi, „Gosudarstvo, religiya, tserkov’ v Rossii i za rubezhom”], 34 (2016), № 1, s. 210-254.

The Orthodox Church in the Ecumenical Movement. Documents and Statements 1902-1975, ed. Constantin G. Patelos, Geneva: World Council of Churches 1978.

Tofiluk Jerzy: O przygotowaniach do Soboru Wszechprawosławnego, http://www.psd.edu.pl/files/artykuly/przygorowanie_do_soborupanpraw.pdf (7.02.2017).

Troisième Conférence Panorthodoxe Préconciliaire (1986), „Epis” 17(1986), nr 369, s. 6-26.

Vasileios Archimandrite, Apropos of the Great Council of the Orthodox Church, Montreal: Alexander Press 2016.

Published
2019-12-17
Section
Articles