Cairo, November 24, 2016
While in Orthodox Greece the final documents of the Crete Council have provoked sharp debate and the demand of some bishops to refuse their approval by the Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church, in the Alexandrian Patriarchate the adopted declarations caused no objections and were unanimously approved at the recent meeting of the Alexandrian Holy Synod on November 16, 2016, reports Russian Folk Line, with reference to the official site of the Alexandrian Patriarchate.
In the Alexandrian Church’s synodal decision on the matter it is noted that preparations for the Crete Council lasted many years, and while disagreements persisted until the very beginning of the gathering, nonetheless, the Council witnessed to the unity of the Orthodox world.
In this connection the members of the Synod expressed especial gratitude to Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople for the work carried out in organizing the Council on Crete.
Moreover, the Patriarchate of Alexandria recognized the existence of different points of view in the Orthodox world on a whole number of Church questions, but said that “various approaches to questions of Church life for us do not represent a deviation from the truth of Orthodoxy, but an adaptation to the African reality.”
For Africa and the Alexandrian Church today missionary work and dialogue with the non-Orthodox is very important. Unlike many Local Orthodox Churches, the Alexandrian bishops do not have today their traditional flock and have to conduct their pastoral work surrounded by infidels. Namely, that is why the Alexandrian Church, as opposed to the Georgian Church, does not have such a strict attitude towards the World Council of Churches, but seeks ways to alleviate their situation, including through inter-Christian dialogue.
“The Alexandrian Church will continue to actively participate in inter-Christian and inter-religious dialogues, despite any difficulties and problems which sometimes arise. Besides our participation in the World Council of Churches, we intend to increase our activity in the Pan-African Council of Churches,” the Alexandrian Synod says in its declaration.
However, it does not mean that Alexandrian Patriarch Theodoros has entered upon the path of ecumenism—nothing is said about Orthodoxy having union with other Christian communities in Africa. On the contrary, the goal of the Alexandrian Patriarchate is the active preaching of Christ amongst the African population.
