The decision to convene the Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church in Crete, rather than at the headquarters (Constantinople) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, was dictated by the "exceptional objective circumstances" (i.e. the recent Russo-Turkish crisis), which basically prevents the Moscow Patriarch Kyrill and his delegation from visiting the City. That is why this Synaxis of Primates is meeting in Geneva and not in the Phanar, as originally planned.
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He expressed concerns about the actions taken by some hierarchs of the Constantinople patriarchate, who express their support to the schismatics, allegedly on behalf of the Constantinople patriarchate, during visits to Ukraine thus causing division among believers.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill suggested the possibility of a Pan-Orthodox Council on the Holy Mount Athos - spokesman for the ROC priest Alexander Volkov.
The silver icon is dated back to the first half of the 14th century. It has been hypothesized that it was made in the then Bulgarian capital Tarnovgrad, today’s Veliko Tarnovo.
Referring to the fact that even before the meeting of the Holy and Great Synod, some “fighters for Orthodoxy” call it a robber council, the Ecumenical Patriarch asked what kind of authority will its decisions have, and what will be the canonical consequences for disobeying the decisions.