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SYNAXIS OF THE PRIMATES AT THE PHANAR, SATURDAY, 8 MARCH

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On Saturday the 23rd of February/8th of March 2014, the proceedings of the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches continued in the Church of St George, at the Phanar.

During this session, their Holinesses the Primates and their Attendants reviewed and completed the Proceedings Report, drafted by the Preparatory Committee and pertaining to:

I.                   The decisions

The most important decision is that the Great and Holy Synod of the Orthodoxy will be convened in Constantinople in 2016, and presided by the Ecumenical Patriarch. Each Church will be represented by twenty Bishops. Decisions will be made by consensus on the matters promoted for resolution, after these will have been reviewed by the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Committee in June 2014. The main among these matters are:

  1. The Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical movement
  2. The relations of the Orthodox Church with the rest of the Christian world
  3. The contribution of the Orthodox Church to the promotion of peace, justice and love among peoples and the elimination of racial and other discriminations

The matters pertaining to “Autocephaly in the Orthodox Church and the manner in which it is proclaimed” and the “Diptychs” shall be referred to the Holy and Great Synod, if the Preparatory Committee shall reach an agreement on them. If not, the Synod shall be convened without looking into these two matters.

II.                 The Message

The text was compiled by the Coordinating Committee and was submitted for completion and approval to the Plenary Session of the Primates’ Synaxis.

The review of the Message by the Plenary Session of the Primates’ Synaxis took place during Saturday’s morning and afternoon Sessions, and concluded with its approval, to be followed by its announcement during the Divine Liturgy of the Sunday of the Orthodoxy, namely the 24th of February/9th of March 2014.

On Saturday at noon, the Primates visited the Monastery of the Life-Giving Spring at Baloukli, resting place for the Patriarchs of Constantinople. There, a memorial was held for the repose of their souls, followed by lunch hosted by His Eminence Gennadios, Metropolitan of Sasima, the Monastery’s Spiritual Leader.

In the afternoon of the same day, His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, hosted an official dinner in honour of the Primates, their attendants and local guests at the Hilton Hotel, where the Delegates have been staying.

From the Secretariat-General