primacy - AOI Observer

Holy Cross Faculty Weighs in on ‘Distinctive Prerogatives’ of Ecumenical Patriarch

May 10, 2009 9:22 PM

The Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Mass., released a "Faculty Statement on the Ecumenical Patriarchate" on April 30 and posted it on the school's Web site on May 8. HT: Andrew. Text follows: The Leadership of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Significance of Canon 28 of Chalcedon The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is the preeminent Church in the communion of the fourteen Autocephalous Orthodox Churches. Reflecting the witness of St. Andrew, the First Called Apostle, the enduring mission of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is to proclaim the salutary Gospel of Jesus Christ in accordance with the Apostolic and Orthodox Faith. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has a particular responsibility to strengthen the unity of the Orthodox Churches and to coordinate their common witness. At the same time, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has a specific responsibility to care for the faithful in lands beyond the borders of the other Autocephalous … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: Autocephalous Churches, Canon 28, canon law, Ecumenical Councils, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarchate, Great and Holy Council, History, holy cross greek orthodox school of theology, News, Orthodox Church, Orthodox Unity, Patriarch Photios, primacy, Russian Orthodox, Synaxis of Orthodox Primates, Theology, Tome of Autocephaly

Bishop Hilarion: Ecumenical Patriarchate seeks to impose Roman Catholic model of primacy

April 11, 2009 4:53 PM

From Interfax: Moscow Patriarchate disagrees with Constantinople desire to play special role in Orthodoxy MOSCOW (April 10) -- Bishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's external church relations department, has criticized the Constantinople Patriarchate's intention to control all church communities within the Orthodox diaspora. "I see the situation in the inter-Orthodox relations surrounding the Constantinople Patriarchate's claim to have some special role in the Orthodox Church as one of the key challenges today," Bishop Hilarion said at a press conference at the Interfax main office in Moscow on Friday. "What is happening is in fact an attempt to impose a model existing in the Catholic Church on the Orthodox Church to have as centralized church power as possible, with one bishop leading it as the head of the Ecumenical Church," he said. "There has never been such a model in the Orthodox tradition," Bishop Hilarion said. He … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: Cyprus, diaspora, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, ecumenical patriarchate, Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Hilarion Alfaeyev, interfax, Moscow Patriarchate, News, Orthodox Church, orthodox ecclesiology, Patriarchate of Constantinople, primacy, Roman Catholic, Theology

Met. Methodios implicity criticizes Met. Jonah’s rebuke of EP primacy claim (presumably)

April 11, 2009 5:56 AM

It's hard to know for sure because it's an oblique reference, but a betting man might wager that Met. Methodios' criticism that other "Orthodox presences...do anything but foster love and cooperation in this land" referred to Met. Jonah's rebuke of the address given by the emissary of the Ecumenical Patriarch several weeks ago. Speaking at Holy Cross Seminary Met. Methodios said that, "One must always watch one's tongue and be careful of what he says...because of the internet, television, cameras, those comments are sent around the world and do a great deal of harm." These words, it seems, could just as easily be applied to the emissary. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, greek orthodox church, Hellenism and Orthodoxy, Met. Methodios, Metropolitan Jonah, Orthodox Church, Orthodox Unity, primacy, Theology

Met. Jonah: Episcopacy, Primacy, and the Mother Churches

November 28, 2008 2:06 PM

In June, Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Church in America delivered a talk on "Episcopacy, Primacy, and the Mother Churches: A Monastic Perspective" at the Conference of the Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius at St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary. The audio of the talk is available on Ancient Faith Radio along with the other presentations from the conference. The PDF version of Metropolitan Jonah's presentation is available on the OCA site, where the Church is also archiving his articles and speeches. On the subject of the Mother Churches and the “Diaspora,” Metropolitan Jonah has this to say: ... almost all national Churches have extended their jurisdictions beyond their geographic and political boundaries to the so-called diaspora. But Orthodox Christians who are faithful to the Gospel and the Fathers cannot admit of any such thing as a diaspora of Christians. Only ethnic groups can be dispersed among other ethnic groups. Yet the essential principle of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Observer Tagged With: American Orthodox, autocephalous, diaspora, episcopacy, Essays, History, Metropolitan Jonah, nationalism, Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church in America, papacy, phyletism, primacy, religious freedom, st. vladimir's orthodox theological seminary, Theology