www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West An Official Recognition of the 8th and 9th Ecumenical Synod

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/01/an-official-recognition-of-8th-and-9th.html

Statement of the Sacred Metropolis of Piraeus

December 16, 2013

It is common knowledge, that the Standing Sacred Synod during the Synodal period 2010-2011 voted on the issue, during the regular convening of the Sacred Synod of the Hierarchs of the Church of Greece, regarding the subject of a proposal to the Secretariat for the convening of a future Pan-Orthodox Synod for the recognition in the rubrics with Universal prominence of the 8th and 9th Ecumenical Synods of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church which met in Constantinople in the years 879-880 and 1341-1351 A.D. as indeed Ecumenical Synods, and in blatant disregard to the Incorporated Charter of the Church of Greece, this procedure has eroded to the celebrated "calends" [forever postponed].

Thus the matter was considered humanly expired but the Lord of the Church and Her Builder, through His wondrous intervention in a unique way which He alone knows, without any communication or any contact whatsoever, inspired the God-loving heart of the congenitally blind yet majestic and unctuous deacon of Theology and of the ancestral musical tradition, the late music teacher Apostolos Papachristou, who wrote and composed the hymnography and hymnology of the juxtaposed Services of the Holy 8th and 9th Ecumenical Synods, which he sent just five days before his blessed separation from this world and his entrance into the imperishable blessedness of the Kingdom of God.

Hence justified we received the event as a divine sign, to repeat the scriptural words: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29), and reached the decision that in our Sacred Metropolis these two Ecumenical Synods will be honored of course on a local level, and we will hold the memory of the late Apostolos Papachristou and the synthesized Sacred Services by him in the God-loving hearts of the pious brethren, keeping the form of their publication or any new Services of the Ecumenical Synods offered, as always, without receiving payment.

In this, we bring to the attention of all the inspired Introductions of those designated by the Standing Sacred Synod, His Eminence Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou and His Eminence Jeremiah of Gortynos and Megalopolis, for those who have not recognized among the sacred Body of Hierarchs, and ultimately the relative judgement of experts, regarding the Ecumenicity of these Synods.

THE METROPOLITAN
+ Seraphim of Piraeus

This is GREAT news for me as an Oriental and a Catholic.

This act would render meaningless the absolute necessity of recognizing an EXACT number of Ecumenical Councils as a condition for reunion. Now, OO can no longer be accused of recognizing only 3 Ecum Councils, and CC can no longer be accused of having more Ecum Councils than the EO. It might have some ramifications for the ACOE also.

Blessings,
Marduk

Christ is in our midst!!

Can someone fill me in about what this is about?

I thought the Orthodox Church only recognized what I've seen referred to as "The Seven Binding Ecumenical Councils."

Please forgive for missing soemthing here.

Bob

Bob,

I think that's the point--this one metropolitan has been pushing to get these other councils recognized as well, and since the synod has rejected the idea, he is saying, "well, at least in my metropolis they're recognized!"

I'm not sure, but his motivation seems to be to make it that much more difficult for Constantinople to re-unite with Rome.


Marduk,

That sounds great, but I don't think it's the case at all--an agreement about the EXACT number of Ecumenical Councils will ALWAYS be a go/no-go condition for reunion, and it appears to me that that's EXACTLY what Metropolitan Seraphim is looking for: a water-tight barrier against any possibility of reunion with Rome.

In fact, if anyone knows of another reason for his taking this action, I'd really like to hear it!


Peace,
Deacon Richard