DECISIONS OF THE HOLY AND SACRED SYNOD OF THE PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM

On Thursday, the 18^th of November/2^nd of December 2016, the Holy and Sacred Synod convened under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The Synod looked at various topics regarding the Patriarchate and approved the following:

1. His Beatitude proposed that Acting Dragoman, Archimandrite Mathew, be appointed a member of the Holy and Sacred Synod, after which Archimandrite Mathew, made the necessary oath, thanked the Patriarch and received His blessing and the blessings of the members of the Synod.
2. The Synod finalized the process of accession to the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood of Joachim, former Metropolitan of Zambia, having canonically left the Patriarchate of Alexandria, conferring upon him the title of Metropolitan of Helenoupolis.
3. His Beatitude appointed Hieromonk Euphrosynos as teacher at the Patriarchal School of the Holy Sion.
4. The Synod appointed Archimandrite Nephon, hegumen in Remli, as President of Jerusalem’s Ecclesiastical Court of First Instance.
5. The Synod decided that Hierodeacon Onuphrios, serving at Mount Sarantarion, and deacon Psara Dahabra, serving in Amman, be ordained as Presbyters.
6. The Synod divested deacon Synesios from the rank of a deacon and demoted him to the order of laymen, for having arbitrarily left the brotherhood.

From the Secretariat-General