The Romfea.gr News Agency has published the June 23rd response of the Patriarchate of Georgia*to the June 17th Letter of the Patriarch of Constantinople seeking a reversal of the Georgian Church's Synodical decision to not attend the Council.

The letter of the Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia, explains once again that the reasons for not participating are entirely on dogmatic grounds and in no way...

June 20, 2016

In addition to discussing the six documents prepared beforehand at previous conferences, participants at the ongoing council, begun yesterday on the Great Feast of Pentecost on the island of Crete, are also to deliberate over and publish the official "Message" of the...

June 18, 2016 Length: 16:51

Archpriest Patrick B. O'Grady offers an Antiochian perspective on the "Holy and Great Council" currently taking place in Crete. Fr. Patrick is the pastor of St Peter the Apostle Antiochian Orthodox Church in Pomona, California, and Associate Fellow of The Antiochian Orthodox Institute, La Verne, California. A pdf transcript is also provided.

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Source: Ancient Faith Radio

Can the texts be changed at the Council? Aren't the bishops attending expected to contribute to the revision of the documents?

On What Basis Were the 24 Bishops of Each Church Selected to go to the Council?

The Myth of Pan-Orthodox consensus

QUESTION 1: So, are you saying that there is no PAN ORTHODOX SUPPORT for the Council without decisions by the HOLY SYNODS?

Why were some Churches so late in expressing their opposition to the Texts?

QUESTION:

Is it true that the Churches which refuse to agree to the final texts at the Council will still have to sign the texts, for the sake of Orthodox Unity?

Published on Jun 17, 2016

Question:
What is happening with the Council? We hear that several Orthodox Churches have pulled out and are not going to the Council. But, did not all of the 14 Autocephalous Churches agree to the Council? Why are they pulling out at the last minute?

June 1, 2016 the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church decided not to take part in the “Holy and Great Council” on Crete. The liberal Bulgarian media saw in it “the hand of Moscow.” Metropolitan Gabriel (Dinev) of Lochev reflects on what dogmatic considerations stood behind their decision and why it could not have been made under Moscow influence, how Bulgarians relate to Russians and...