Panorthodox Synod : PATRIARCHAL ENCYCLICAL FOR HOLY PASCHA 2023

Panorthodox Synod : PATRIARCHAL ENCYCLICAL FOR HOLY PASCHA 2023:       Οικουμενικόν Πατριαρχείον + B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecume...

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Visits Saudi Arabia - revised

On 10 May 2022,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Barthlomew departed Constantinople (Istanbul,Turkey) for Riyadh,Saudi Arabia,the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a news release.The flight takes between four and four-and-a-half hours non-stop.He had received a kind invitation from the Forum for the Promotion of Common Values among Religious Believers to address the opening of the international conference which they organised called "Meeting for the Promotion of Common Values among Religious Believers."* The Patriarch is accompanied by His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon;Third-Ranking Patriarchal Deacon Kallinikos;and Archon Hartophylax Mr.Panteleimon Vigas,a close advisor and friend of His All-Holiness.His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Apostolos of Derkoi was appointed Patriarchal Commissioner to serve during Patriarch Bartholomew's absence. The Ecumenical Patriarch plans to return to the Phanar on Thursday afternoon.*

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Concelebrate with Archbishop of Cyprus

On 8 March 2020,His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy for the first Sunday of Lent,the Sunday of Orthodoxy,with His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II of New Justiniana and All Cyprus at the Patriarchal Church of St.George in the Phanar,the Patriarchal compound in Constantinople.It will be the first time they have concelebrated since the Ecumenical Patriarchate bestowed autocephaly on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine,and,indeed,the first time Archbishop Chrysostomos has met with Patriarch Bartholomew at all since that proclamation.*
Patriarch Bartholomew will also celebrate Great Vespers on 7 March at the Church of St.George.*
Analysis:The visit of Archbishop Chrysostomos and his concelebration with Patriarch Bartholomew shows that the Church of Cyprus is intent on maintaining its close ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate,unlike the Patriarchate of Moscow.*
Archbishop Chrysostomos recently had liver cancer surgery in the US state of Florida.*

Ukraine Update:Tomos Schedule Revealed;Map Shows How Many Parishes Have Left Moscow

In an interview with Ukrainian TV channel Priamyi,His Beatitude Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kiyiv and All Ukraine has laid out the schedule for the Tomos events in Constantinople:
5 January - His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Epifaniy will conduct a prayer service of thanksgiving in the Church of St.George at the Patriarchal compound,the Phanar.Then Patriarch Bartholomew will sign the Tomos of Autocephaly.
6 January - Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Epifaniy will concelebrate their first Divine Liturgy together as the First Among Equals and the first Primate in the history of the new autocephalous Church.After the solemn liturgy,Patriarch Bartholomew will present the Tomos to Metropolitan Epifaniy.*
A map showing how many parishes have transferred from the Moscow Patriarchate to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has been posted on Google Maps.It currently shows that 25 parishes have changed their allegiance so far-even before the Tomos has been granted.There is a cluster around the Vinnitska Oblast with 10 parishes.The easternmost parish on the map is in Rubanivske,Dnipropetrovska Oblast,Ukraine;while the westernmost parish is in Minai,Zakarpatska Oblast,Ukraine.
The easiest way to find the map is to go to my Twitter page @Businessblogger.If you click on the church icons that are on the map,you can view the details about each parish in the Ukrainian language.*
The Patriarchate of Georgia says it has provisionally approved of the granting of autocephaly to Ukraine,but will not make a final decision until the Tomos is actually presented.

Ukrainian Orthodox Church Reunited to Constantinople,Restored to Communion - but the process continues

His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France,flanked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate's two exarchs to Ukraine,Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton,read a press release today in the Phanar,the Patriarchate of Constantinople's compound in Istanbul,Turkey.It said that,by decree of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,the Patriarchate,the Mother Church,has been reunited with the two schismatic Ukrainian Orthodox groups.Their hierarchy and faithful have been restored to canonical status and readmitted to communion with the Orthodox Church.*
In addition,the Patriarchate has re-established its metochion,or representative church,in the Ukrainian capital Kiev,which had customarily existed there and in other major Ukrainian cities;while the agreement that,by the exercising of ekonomia,had allowed the Patriarchate of Moscow to ordain the Metropolitan of Kiev,has been canceled.
All concerned were admonished to behave in a peaceful,non-confrontational manner.
The decision to grant autocephaly,or independence,was reaffirmed;yet,as His Eminence Metropolitan Arsenios of Hungary noted,the actual granting of a Tomos of Autocephaly has been postponed until the appropriate time.*
Analysis:The aspiring Church must now hold an assembly and elect a primate,someone who can receive such an important document as a Tomos of Autocephaly.

Bulletin:Ecumenical Patriarch Tells Patriarch Kirill Autocephaly for Ukraine Is Our Decision to Make

According to a number of sources,on 31 August 2018,His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with Ecumencial Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople for two and a half hours in a brotherly spirit at the Phanar,the Patriarchal enclave in Istanbul.Accompanied only by a translator and His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk,Chairman of the Department of External Church Relations,he spoke privately with Patriarch Bartholomew and His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France.
In the course of the meeting,Patriarch Kirill suggested holding a scientific conference to reveal the sources of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's decision to grant autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.He also suggested a dialogue on the topic.
Patriarch Bartholomew stood firm:
Thank you,but the decision on autocephaly was the Ecumenical Patriarchate's to make and they are moving forward with it.
In the event,the small delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church left immediately after the talks,foregoing a dinner invitation.They made no statement.*
Metropolitan Emmanuel of France reportedly said that the decision was made in April.The same process is underway for other cases.The Synaxis of Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne meets from 1-3 September,but lacks the authority to implement the decision.Only the Holy and Sacred Synod can implement it,and their next meeting is in October.*
Patriarch Kirill got to greet several of the Ecumenical Patriarchate hierarchs who had arrived for the Synaxis,including His Eminence Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey and His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America.

Constantinople Update:Patriarch Kirill to Visit Ecumenical Patriarchate - plus the Synaxis of the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne

The Chief Secretary of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has issued a communique informing us that,on 31 August 2018,His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia,in accordance with his own wishes,will visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate with his entourage to discuss matters of mutual interest.The meetings with His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the competent bodies will be conducted with a view to unity.*
Following Patriarch Kirill's visit,the Synaxis of the Hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne,led by Patriarch Bartholomew,will commence.In another communique,the Chief Secretary says that,before the start of the Synaxis,the hierarchs will worship together on 1 September,the Ecclesiastical New Year of the Orthodox Church,invoking the grace of God for a blessing on the Holy Church and for the peace of the whole world,through the prayers of the Panagia Pammakaristos,referring to the Byzantine mosaic icon of the Most Holy Theotokos that survived the Ottoman onslaught of the fifteenth century and beyond,and is today enshrined in the Patriarchal Church of St.George in the Phanar,the Patriarchal complex in Istanbul.1 September is also the feast day of this icon.
The purpose of the Synaxis,which will run from 1-3 September,is to exchange views on ecclesiastical topics and enhance the bonds with the Mother Church,the communique explains.