The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate gathered today for exceptional meeting under the chairmanship of His All-Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, concerning convening with the God’s grace of already imminent the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church.

The Holy Synod, with surprise and aporia was informed about the latest expressed positions and opinions of some of the Orthodox Sister Churches, and having evaluated them, came to the conclusion that there is no institutional framework that requires the reconsideration of the already in place conciliar procedure. Thus, it is expected, that the Primates of the Holy Orthodox Churches, in accordance with the Organization and Working Procedure of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church to submit “proposals to amend, correct, or append the Synodal texts that were unanimously approved by the Pan-Orthodox Preconciliar Meetings and by Synaxes of the Primates”(see Art. 11) with the aim to finalise and make decisions during the process of the Holy and Great Council, with intercession of the Most Holy and Leading Spirit.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, as primary responsible Church for securing the unity of Orthodoxy, invites everyone to attend the work of the Holy and Great Council despite all, as scheduled according to unanimous decision, signed on the pan-Orthodox level both by the Primates at their Synaxis, by each delegation, having the relevant authority during the long preparatory process of the Council.

Ecumenical Patriarchate, 6 June 2016
Chancellor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Unofficial translation from Greek according to the Official web-site of the Ecumenical Patriarchate