“How could it happen that the Holy and Great Council on Crete called heterodox heretical communities ‘Churches?’” His Grace asked. “They said, wrote, and signed the term 'heterodox Christian Churches.' So now heretics have become a ‘Church?’ Then what oneChurch do we talk about in the Symbol of Faith?”

Met. Jeremiah noted that the Greek Church’s delegation at the Council breached its...

Declaration of His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemesou

Because of the confusion among faithful Christians concerning whether I finally signed the text of the Holy and Great Synod with the title “Relations of the Orthodox Church With the Rest of the Christian World”, I desire to inform those who are...

The following article was translated with the blessing of the author,Archimandrite Gregorios Stephan, Abbot of the Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Bkeftine, Lebanon.

The council was finally held. It should have been an Ecumenical Council for the Orthodox Church, but the shame of confessing Orthodoxy as the One Catholic Church which holds the fullness of the Faith pushed...

Statement of the Secretariat of the Holy Synod of Antioch

Balamand, 27 June 2016

At the end of the seventh extraordinary session which begun on May 25th 2016, the Holy Synod of Antioch convened on June 27, 2016 in Balamand. The Synod was presided by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, with the participation of the Bishops of the Holy See of Antioch,
The...

Various comments have been published related to the stance I took regarding the text of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church with the title: “Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World.” Some write that I didn’t sign it, others that I did but with reservations, and others that I did.

With this statement of mine, I confirm that in actuality...

A proposal by the Church of Greece was unanimously accepted by the Local Churches at the Council in Crete which removes any reference to "recognizing" the historical existence of other Churches.

Here is the statement of the Holy Synod of the Church Greece:

"Pertaining to the important text regarding the relations of the Orthodox Church to the rest of the Christian world, the...

The ROMFEA.gr news agency has published the response of the Metropolitan of Great Britain, Siluoan, of the Patriarchate of Antioch, to the official spokesmen of the Council in Crete. (See below for Greek text)

"The press representatives of the Synod of Churches in Crete insist on distorting the truth concerning the position of the Patriarchate of Antioch with respect of the Council," the...

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?

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?