Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Heads of all canonical Orthodox Churches to meet in Constantinople

Patriarch Bartholomew has invited the heads of all canonical Orthodox Churches to a meeting in Constantinople (Istanbul) on March 9 2014, for the planning of the organization of [the] Pan-Orthodox Council for the next year. As said by the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the meeting should be a serious effort toward the unity of the Christian world and improve cooperation of the local Orthodox Churches. At the meeting will also be discussed the issue of uniformity of the calendar for all Orthodox Christians.
Source.

11 comments:

Visibilium said...

Let's hope that the Old Calendar dies a dignified death.

The Anti-Gnostic said...

They've been invited, and it's five weeks from now.

Antioch and Jerusalem are in schism. And +Kyrill leaving his august See to sit in some apartments in Istanbul is the Mountain to Muhammad.

But, maybe it happens.

John (Ad Orientem) said...

I don't think Vis was advocating for the death of the Old Calendar. Rather I think he was predicting the triumph of the modernist, er I mean reformed one.

John (Ad Orientem) said...

On a side note I suspect that the real reason for this proposed summit is to calm some troubled waters. As noted above, relations between some of the churches have gotten testy of late.

Visibilium said...

Actually, I am hoping for the Old Calendar's death. The Russian army's showing up 13 days late during the Napoleonic period has been sufficient provocation.

John (Ad Orientem) said...

LOL!

But consider the benefits of the Old Calendar. When the end of the world comes we will have 13 days to to prepare.

Visibilium said...

John, that's a decent argument. For opposing the Old Calemdar, I'd have 13 days to prepare for brimstone.

Archpriest David Thatcher said...

Under the calendar jesting above, I'd say that there's a truth about calendars.

There's supposed to tell time. The unrevised Julian calendar doesn't do that so well. Thirteen days is a lot of, well, watch-winding.

The problems with the present revision of the Julian calendar are: (1) It was not done in a truly ecumenical manner, embracing all the Orthodox Churches; (2) It effected on the fixed feasts, not touching the Paschalia cycle, thus creating the equivalent of the old saw about the camel: "a horse created by a committee." (in my opinion, of course)

Visibilium said...

My rehab experience is having a beneficial effect on my cellmates. I was invited to a lunch today, and one of the old ladies at my table told me that she was a Baptist. I told her that I was Orthodox. She asked me if my church financed missionaries. I told her that I enjoyed being a missionary to Americans and other misguided folks.

Unknown said...

This is a bit old news and according to the Greek news agency Romfea, three Patriarchs are not expected to attend: Antioch, Moscow and Romania. Antioch is in conflict with Jerusalem and has sided with Moscow over the schism in the Czech and Slovak Church so that will make Patriarch John's presence in Constantinople doubly uncomfortable.

The Primate of the Czech and Slovak Church is not recognized by Constantinople so he will surely not be there. OCA is not recognized by Constantinople as an autocephalous Church at all so Met. Tikhon will certainly not be there either.

Another two Patriarchs are said to be waiting until the last minute to decide if they will attend or not: Bulgaria and Serbia.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem will be in attendance as will the Archbishop of Athens. The Archbishop of Tirana will almost certainly attend.

No word yet on the rest of the Primates: the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Georgia, the Archbishop of Cyprus and the Metropolitan of Poland.

The Anti-Gnostic said...

Basically, a Greek confab.