ROC rejects pan-Orthodox status of Crete Council

The Council which took place in Crete on June 20-25 cannot be regarded as pan-Orthodox, said the head of the Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations Vladimir Legoyda, commenting on the results of a Synod meeting. This is reported by RIA Novosti.

The meeting attendees acknowledged that the Council, which was attended by abbots and hierarchs from ten out of the 15 Orthodox Churches "was an important event in the history of the Orthodox Church council process. At the same time, consensus has always been the underlying principle of the pan-Orthodox cooperation throughout this process, whereas conducting a Council in the absence of assent from a number of Orthodox Churches violates that principle", the Synod said.

It was decided that the documents, which were discussed by the Council in Crete, should be handed over to the Synodal Biblical and Theological Commission, which will study them and present its conclusions with the Synod.

Recall that Bulgarian, Antiochian, Georgian, Serbian and Russian Churches called for postponing the Council in order to settle the disagreements and finalize its draft documents. However, the Constantinople Patriarchate rejected the initiative and insisted on it be held within the set timeframe. As a result, the Churches, who represent the minority of the episcopate, clergy and believers of the Orthodox world, participated in the forum.

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