[HotDolly]

http://www.orthodoxie.com/2009/06/le...b%C3%A9sy.html

This is in French but there is Greek and Russian links. Anyone like to help out an undereducated American understand what happened in Chambésy?

[FalHaitle]

This is in French but there is Greek and Russian links. Anyone like to help out an undereducated American understand what happened in Chambésy?

A quick and and not too dirty summary of what was decided:

The conference expressed the common will of the Orthodox churces to resolve the problem of canonical organisation in the Orthodox diaspora, in conformity with the ecclesiology, tradition and practice of the Orthodox Church.

The conference decided to create new Episcopal Assemblies in certain parts of the world to regulate the Diaspora question, namely that of the Orthodox faithful living in regions outside the traditional boundaries of local Orthodox churches. These assemblies will be headed by the premier bishop in the respective region and, in his absence, by those bishops following him in the order of the churches' Dyptics.

All Orthodox bishops exercising a pastoral ministry in the regions in question will be members of the relevant assembies, whose mission will be to manifest and promote the unity of the Orthodox Church, jointly exercise the pastoral diaconate for the faithful in their region and to make a common witness to the world.

Decisions by the Episcopal Assemblies will be taken in conformity with the principle of the unanimity of those churches represented in the assembly.

The conference also approved the draft document for the regulation of these assemblies, setting out the fundamental principles of their organisation and operation.

The conference did not decide on the method by which autocephaly and autonomy are to be proclaimed, nor the order of the Dyptics. These matters are to be dealt with by susequent meetings of inter-Orthodox preparatory commissions and submitted for approval to subsequent pan-Orthodox, preconciliar conferences.

[Q0KmoR8K]

My French is rusty, but it seems to me that they have put forward the idea of setting up local "Episcopal assemblies" in the diaspora as an effort to promote Orthodox unity. Bishops connected to the EP will preside over these assemblies; in their absence, the bishops follow the order of the diptychs (according to the ranking of the Patriarchs, I think). I'm not sure how many people agree with this plan or how close it is to being implemented.

[FalHaitle]

Anyone know what happened to my translation?

[redDoodia]

This is my own very poor attempt at a translation.
Happy feast!
In Xp, Alex

------------

IV Pre-conciliar Pan-orthodox Conference
Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarch
Chambésy, 6-12 June 2009
Communiqué


At the invitation of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, following the consensus of their Beatitudes the Primates of the most holy local Orthodox Churches, as expressed during their meeting held in the Phanar from 10th to 12th October 2008, the Fourth Pre-conciliar Pan-orthodox Conference met at the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, from 6th to 12th June 2009.

The work of the Conference began with the pan-orthodox con-celebration of the Divine Liturgy, on the day of Pentecost. They were held under the chairmanship of His Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon, delegate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with the contribution of Secretary for preparation of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Jeremias of Switzerland. The Conference was attended by delegates of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches, at the invitation of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

The Primates of Local Orthodox Churches greeted the participants at the Conference by messages sent or forwarded by their delegates. The members of the Conference have sent letters to all the Primates of the local Churches, asking their prayers and their blessings for the accomplishment of their task.

In accordance with the wishes of the Primates and representatives of the local Orthodox Churches expressed in the message published at the end of their meeting at the Phanar (October 2008), the Fourth Pre-conciliar Pan-orthodox Conference was charged to examine the question of the canonical organization of the Diaspora Orthodox. The Conference decided its agenda at the opening meeting of its work.

The Conference reviewed the documents prepared by the preparatory inter-orthodox commission at its two meetings in Chambésy, i.e. that of 10th to 17th November 1990 and 7th to 13th November 1993 and the document prepared by the Canonists’ Congress meeting at Chambésy from 9th to 14th April 1995. These documents, specified, corrected and supplemented, have been approved unanimously.
The Conference expressed the willingness of Orthodox Churches to solve the problem of the canonical organisation of the Orthodox Diaspora, conforming to ecclesiology, tradition and canonical practice of the Orthodox Church. The Conference decided to create new episcopal assemblies in some regions of the world to order the question of the Diaspora, i.e. the Orthodox faithful installed in areas beyond the traditional boundaries of the local Orthodox Churches. The presidents of the Assemblies are bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the given region, and in their absence, the bishops in accordance with the order of the Diptichs of the Churches. All the bishops of the Orthodox Churches who exercise their pastoral ministry in the communities existing in each of these regions are members of these Assemblies. The Episcopal Assemblies are for the mission to manifest and promote the unity of the Orthodox Church, to exercise pastoral diakonia to the faithful of the region and to render to the world their common witness. The decisions of the Episcopal Assemblies are taken in accordance with the principle of unanimity of the Churches represented within these Assemblies by bishops.

After amended and supplemented, the Conference also approved the Proposed Regulations of Episcopal Assemblies by defining the fundamental principles of organization and operation thereof.
The remaining topics of the holy and great Council, i.e. the method of proclaiming of autocephaly and autonomy, and the order of Diptichs, will be discussed in future meetings of the preparatory inter-orthodox commission and will be submitted for approval to the following Pre-conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conferences.

Chambésy on 12th June 2009.

The President of the Conference
â€* John of Pergamon

[AnetTeilor]

How are the decisions of IV Chambesy being put into practice?

I am aware that the Americans are calling an Episcopal Assembly next Spring but have any of the other 12 regions began to organise theirs? I notice that the Chambesy documents are published in English and are on the website of the Greek Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, so presumably His Eminence Archbishop Gregorios will be calling the one covering Britain and Ireland-he is after all the senior Bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Britain and Ireland.

[casinobonusfrees]

I came across this from the Orthodoxnews.com website home page and I haven't heard of anything about such a meeting taking place or rumours of one. Does anyone know what this is in reference to?

"Prayer for the Episcopal Assembly At its February meeting, the Board members of Orthodox Christian Laity unanimously concurred that the most effective support Orthodox Christians in North and Central America – Hierarchs, Clergy and Laity, can provide to the more than 60 bishops who shepherd this land mass, as they move forward to develop a plan for manifesting the unity of the Orthodox Christian Church of the Americas, is to fervently pray every day for the successful convening and conclusion of the first Episcopal Assembly. This Assembly will take place in the week following the feast of Pentecost. Therefore, during this period of the Great and Holy Fast and the season of the Resurrection and Pentecost which follows, let us pray:

Lord, hear our prayers that our Holy Fathers grow in wisdom and strength, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and increase in love and Christian fellowship for each other and with their flock, so that they can make the conciliar decisions needed to create a canonically ordered Orthodox Christian Church of the Americas.

That their work to develop a plan for manifesting unity be guided by the Decision and the Rules of Operation for the Episcopal Assembly that were established by the Conference convened by the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the consensus of all Their Beatitudes, the Primates of the Most Holy Orthodox Churches in the world.


That all the Hierarchs, Clergy and Laity familiarize themselves and be informed by the Decisions and the Rules of Operation in order that they might appropriately participate and support their bishops in their mandated work.


Furthermore, we ask that God Bless the work of all His People, working together in Him, for the building up of His Holy Orthodox Church of the Americas. AMEN!
Developing a plan that manifests the unity of the Orthodox Christian Church of the Americas will require the vigilance of all the People of God in this area and beyond. This process is truly the work of all the People. It is our duty to know the rules and to provide our Holy Fathers with all the assistance, tools and input they need to work to successfully bring about a canonically ordered Orthodox Christian Church of the Americas in accordance with the tradition and practice of the Orthodox Christian Church. "

--Jason H

[casinobonusfrees]

I came across this link from the Orthodox Christian Laity website:

https://www.trustedpartner.com/docs/...%20message.pdf

[jeaccatty]

This US Assembly is the local assembly referred to in the above post. According to those who know, this assembly will supersede and replace SCOBA.

Fr David Moser

[casinobonusfrees]

So this new assembly will replace SCOBA and become what? Sorry, I'm many years behind on all of this as I only converted in 2006.

[ButKnillinoi]

It is not really defined at this moment as to what exactly will replace SCOBA, but most likely it will be a Synod of ruling bishops meeting in council similar to what ROCOR does now.

[jeaccatty]

I think, Herman, it might be way less formal than that. I get the impression that it will be more a "coordinating committee" much like SCOBA was initially meant to be but without the subtext of creating a single jurisdictional entity.

Fr David Moser

[casinobonusfrees]

Fr. David, excuse my ignorance but, from what I perceived from the OCL statement is that this group, that will be formed out/away from SCOBA, will be the forming committee to finally establish an American Orthodox Church. Am I reading this completely wrong?

[ButKnillinoi]

I think, Herman, it might be way less formal than that. I get the impression that it will be more a "coordinating committee" much like SCOBA was initially meant to be but without the subtext of creating a single jurisdictional entity.

Fr David Moser

Father bless,

I hope and pray that is not true. The whole idea (as I understand it) is EXACTLY to create one jurisdiction and not just another "coordinating committee" that is "like SCOBA". That is the last thing the Church in America needs.

While the initial assembly will not necessarily be the ultimate Synod, I pray that it will be the bridge forward to form it, that we might have one united and coordinated Orthodox Church in America while preserving ethnic diversity in forms of worship, but united in action to create parishes uniquely American, with the purpose, not of preserving other cultures, but of creating a new vivifying American Orthodox culture to truly bring the Faith out of the ghettos and into mainstream America. To get the tree of Orthodoxy out of the little cultural greenhouses scattered here and there and let it adapt and grow in American soil and spring up rampant all over the place. I know it is a very scary thought to some, but I long and pray for such a day, to God be the Glory.

Herman the rampant Pooh

[casinobonusfrees]

Ditto to what Herman said!

-Jason

[JessiPollo]

Certainly my (limited) experience of the aims and nature of the committees being formed in Europe echoes what Fr David has said. There are no pretensions that this will be a jurisdictional melting pot aimed to create a single jurisdiction; rather, it is a standardised form of episcopal cooperation and coordination between local churches in common territories.

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[casinobonusfrees]

Anyone friends with a Bishop or Metropolitan to get more insight on this?

[jeaccatty]

Well, I am friends with a number of bishops, including a Metropolitan or two. I offered my insight to this. Fr Matthew, who also gave his insight serves in a parish where the bishop resides. My insight, however, doesn't come strictly from bishops but rather from the head of inter-Orthodox relations of ROCOR.

Fr David Moser

[Kiliunjubl]

Well, I am friends with a number of bishops, including a Metropolitan or two. I offered my insight to this. Fr Matthew, who also gave his insight serves in a parish where the bishop resides. My insight, however, doesn't come strictly from bishops but rather from the head of inter-Orthodox relations of ROCOR.

Fr David Moser

I would say that qualifies

[casinobonusfrees]

I'm just curious as to exactly when and where this will take place. For me this seems to be a rather huge development for Orthodoxy in America. But that is just my humble opinion.