Communique of the Holy Eparchial Synod
Today, June 15, 2022, upon the invitation of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America convened via videoconference in order to review current matters concerning the life of the Church.
The Archbishop informed the Synod of his recent pilgrimage to the Phanar and of his collaborative work with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as well as his work with the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Synodal Committee on the Eparchies of the Throne Abroad. During these working sessions, it was found that due to the objective difficulties brought about by the pandemic— in addition to other factors — the commencement of the review process on the Charter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese was delayed. The result of this delay was a lack of any significant progress toward the review process on the Charter so that it might be presented for consultation to both the Archdiocesan Council and to the upcoming Clergy-Laity Congress. In practical terms, this means that the final outcome of the review process on the Charter will take place, God willing, at the 2024 Clergy-Laity Congress. As the Charter of the Archdiocese had been placed into abeyance by the decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on October 8, 2020, the duration of time in total for the Charter to remain in abeyance would approach nigh on four years. Despite the fact that the Charter of the Archdiocese continues to be practiced and observed regardless of its status — a fact that the Holy Eparchial Synod has repeatedly decided and communicated — the Archbishop suggested to the Holy Eparchial Synod that the Archdiocese submit a request to the Mother Church, asking that the current Charter be lifted out of abeyance and be formally returned to its normal status until the time at which the review process on the Charter would reach its completion.
The Holy Eparchial Synod unanimously accepted the suggestion of the Archbishop and decided to immediately send such a request to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in the spirit of the aforementioned.
Finally, with sentiments of joy and gratitude toward the Mother Church, the Holy Eparchial Synod was informed of two matters from the Ecumenical Patriarchate: a.) that the list of eligible candidates for ordination to the episcopacy has been approved, and b.) that the Very Rev. Archimandrite Alexander Belya, Archiepiscopal Vicar of the Slavic Orthodox Vicariate, was elected today as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese with the episcopal title of the once renowned Diocese of Nicopolis. The date of his Ordination to the Holy Episcopacy will take place at the Cathedral of St. Matrona of Moscow in Dania Beach, FL, on Saturday, July 30 of this year.
From the Chief Secretary of the Holy Eparchial Synod
