Council Message could codify four new Ecumenical Councils

June 20, 2016

    

In addition to discussing the six documents prepared beforehand at previous conferences, participants at the ongoing council, begun yesterday on the Great Feast of Pentecost on the island of Crete, are also to deliberate over and publish the official "Message" of the council.

A draft of the document covers an array of topics including the questions of remarriage and marriage to non-Orthodox, the oneness and unity of the Church in the holy Eucharist, the importance of the Patristic Tradition, and the Church's vision of conciliarity which places no one bishop over all others, among other matters, according to a source familiar with the document.

While the document mainly "states the obvious" on such topics in terms that all the Local Churches can agree on, the draft document, in large part prepared by theologians of the Greek and Serbian Churches, does contain some more noteworthy passages.

In it, the current gathering is referred to as a preparatory council for a further series of councils, rather than a one-time event, noting that the absence of four Local Churches is properly speaking the failure of all involved, and that the issues preventing certain Churches from participating in the current council are to be resolved before the convening of the next, that all might attend in good conscience.

Notably, the draft document currently under consideration also recognizes as ecumenical the Photian Council of 879-880, already sometimes referred to as the Eighth Ecumenical Council, which condemned the Latin addition of the Filioque into the Nicene Creed; the hesychast councils of Constantinople held between 1341 and 1351, already sometimes collectively referred to as the Ninth Ecumenical Council, which upheld the distinction between the essence and energies of God and man's ability to commune with these energies; the 1642 Council of Iași (Jassy) which countered certain Catholic and Protestant heresies which had exercised some degree of influence on Orthodox theology; and the 1672 Council of Jerusalem which refuted Calvinism and also rejected the Filioque.

Regarding these councils, the document especially notes their statements against Western scholasticism and the imbalanced emphasis on reason as obstacles to unity, and in light of the Councils of Iași and Jerusalem, states that the Catholic and Protestant confessions in no way make up a part of the Church, while avoiding the use of the word "heretic."

The overall atmosphere at the current council is one of a favorable impression of the document, according to the source. However, it is as yet a draft document and it remains to be seen what precise message the participating bishops and Churches will release.

6/20/2016

See also
Pentecost Homily of His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew on Crete Pentecost Homily of His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew on Crete
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Pentecost Homily of His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew on Crete Pentecost Homily of His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew on Crete
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
A joyful day has now dawned, in which we celebrate the historic manifestation of the institution of the Church, which is constituted by the Holy Spirit, and we Orthodox brothers, who represent all the local Orthodox Autocephalous Churches, have gathered together in a liturgical assembly, so that we may carry out the duty and responsibility of the one Orthodox Church to the people and to the world today, by convening our Holy and Great Council.
The work of the Small Synaxis of the Primates has begun. The Message of the Holy and Great Council will be addressed today The work of the Small Synaxis of the Primates has begun. The Message of the Holy and Great Council will be addressed today The work of the Small Synaxis of the Primates has begun. The Message of the Holy and Great Council will be addressed today The work of the Small Synaxis of the Primates has begun. The Message of the Holy and Great Council will be addressed today
This morning, at 09.00 a.m., the heads of Orthodox Churches arrived at the Monastery of Our Lady of Gonia, in Kolymbari, Crete, where they said a prayer in the opening of the Small Synaxis, the last synaxis of the primates prior to the Holy and Great Council.
Just before the Holy and Great Council Just before the Holy and Great Council
Met. Hierotheos Vlachos
Just before the Holy and Great Council Just before the Holy and Great Council
Met. Hierotheos Vlachos
Many texts have been written recently by experts and non-experts, by those who are competent and those who are not, on this great event. Unfortunately, as I have pointed out in another text, in some of them we see that theology is mixed with politics, or rather, various ecclesiastical elements get involved knowingly or unknowingly in the aspirations of politicians, and politicians, too, use various ecclesiastical elements in order to implement their plans through the Church.
Comments
Paul Ewasko6/22/2016 10:28 pm
Reading this statement reiterates the Orthodox smug stance that those of us who are not Orthodox are in error and not members of the "true Church". Medievalism still thrives in the Orthodox Church - how arrogant and so sad!
NunHelen6/22/2016 4:13 pm
Lord Jesus Christ Son of the Living God have mercy upon me a sinner and upon us all!

Prayer for the Council Fathers!

Let us all re-read and ponder Jesus' priestly prayer in the Gospel of John.
Rev. James L. Mengel III6/21/2016 11:46 pm
Can we all now agree to Jesus Christ's simple command: Follow (and act in) the unselfish, unconditional, everlasting, agape LOVE of the Holy Spirit of God in Jesus Christ", and let the rest of doctrine, practice and tradition be a matter of non-violent, personal opinion??? Simply be and act with LOVE to everyone--babes in "straw", mothers in "labor", fathers in positions of "strength and support"--and ALL in JOY, FAITH, HOPE, true LOVE and non-violent PEACE! Google: for our 10-minute video--and each reader do a video of your own--for PEACE! Go viral with God's aggressive WORD of LOVE!
Martha6/21/2016 3:58 am
I don't understand how this Council can write and present anything as "The Orthodox Church" when key patriarchs were not able to attend for what appears to be valid reasons. Antiochians in particular have a valid issue. What "universal" value can be achieved under these circumstances.
Costa Hadjipavli6/20/2016 11:51 pm
May Christ be the head of the council,
And may the Holy Spirit speak!
Amen
Carol murrin6/20/2016 7:23 pm
Glory be to God for all things.
Here you can leave your comment on the present article, not exceeding 4000 characters. All comments will be read by the editors of OrthoChristian.Com.
Enter through FaceBook
Your name:
Your e-mail:
Enter the digits, seen on picture:

Characters remaining: 4000

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×