Patriarch Daniel: “The Future Pan-Orthodox Synod represents an Important Historical Event for the Development of Conciliarity on a Pan-Orthodox Level”

    

Source: Basilica News Agency

January 23, 2016

Address of His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, delivered in the opening of the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches, January 22, 2016, Chambésy, Switzerland:

Your Holiness,

Your Beatitudes,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Dear brothers in Christ,

First, we give thanks to God for this blessed event that allows us to express our co-responsibility for the life of the entire Orthodox Church and to collaborate for the assembly of the future Holy and Great Orthodox Synod.

We are grateful to His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for inviting us to this Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches held at the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Switzerland.

Furthermore, we appreciate the works undertaken by the representatives of the Orthodox Churches during the last meetings of the Special Commission for Preparing Documents of the Holy and Great Synod and during the fifth Pre-Synodal Conference, even though there are still several aspects regarding the final form of the documents that need to be clarified or dealt with.

The introductory report of the Ecumenical Patriarch indicates that the final preparation of the Holy and Great Orthodox Synod represents a difficult task, but not an impossible one when we ask the help of God and collaborate with great responsibility.

The entire world has already been informed regarding the summoning of the Holy and Great Orthodox Synod later this year, in the month of June.

On the other hand, there are some Orthodox theologians, monastics and lay people who consider the Pan-Orthodox Synod unnecessary for the moment, or that it has not been sufficiently prepared (although over 50 years were dedicated to its preparation).

In order to emphasize the necessity of the meeting of the future Holy and Great Synod, we must recall that conciliarity represents a canonical norm of the ecclesial life in every Autocephalous Orthodox Church. However, synodality must also become a rule for universal Orthodoxy, by regular Synodal meetings (every 5, 7 or 10 years). From this point of view, the future Holy and Great Synod must not be considered an eschatological event, but rather an important historical event for the development of synodality on a Pan-Orthodox level. More precisely, other Pan-Orthodox Synods must successively follow the future Pan-Orthodox Synod, in order to discuss the themes on which consensus has not been yet reached, or other new themes related to current problems in the life of the Church or society, such as: family life; parish and monastery life against the phenomenon of secularization; massive migration, especially caused by armed conflicts or by economic crises; solidarity with persecuted Christians all over the world, and other major themes related to the pastoral and social ministry of the Church in the world.

Therefore, we must have a dynamic pastoral view on conciliarity, manifested in successive or regular stages every five, seven or ten years, for the benefit of the entire Orthodox Church.

†DANIEL

Patriarch of Romania

See also
Keynote Address By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew To the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches (Geneva 22-01-2016) Keynote Address By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew To the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches (Geneva 22-01-2016)
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Keynote Address By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew To the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches (Geneva 22-01-2016) Keynote Address By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew To the Synaxis of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches (Geneva 22-01-2016)
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
"Indeed, every Synaxis that gathers us together, as entrusted with by God’s grace and mercy with the leadership of His most holy Church, is sacred. However, this particular Synaxis has a very special character because it is bound to the fundamental ecclesiological principle of the Church’s conciliarity inasmuch as it its primary objective is to prepare the forthcoming convocation, God willing, of the Holy and Great Council of our most holy Orthodox Church."
An urge to be faithful to Christ and His Church – Co-responsibility and co-operation An urge to be faithful to Christ and His Church – Co-responsibility and co-operation An urge to be faithful to Christ and His Church – Co-responsibility and co-operation An urge to be faithful to Christ and His Church – Co-responsibility and co-operation
Facing the contemporary challenges related to the phenomena of secularization, migration and all types of violence which generate different feelings and attitudes for and against the Church, as servants of our Saviour Jesus Christ among men, we must mainly resort to spiritual patterns represented by the Holy Fathers of the Church and by the Romanian Spiritual Fathers, who went through many trials and tribulations, but, by prayer and patience, wisdom and hope, conveyed to us a dynamic missionary work and a peaceful, lively and luminous Romanian spirituality.
"Christ Our Savior Alleviates the Sorrow and Sadness of the Mourning"
Patriarch Daniel of Romania
"Christ Our Savior Alleviates the Sorrow and Sadness of the Mourning"
Commentary on the Raising of the Widow's Son (Luke 7:11-16)
Patriarch Daniel of Romania
“Therefore, we learn from the attitude of Jesus Christ that we ought to be near to all mourning people who cry for their lost ones,” the Patriarch of Romania said underlining that “we show, through our presence near to the grieving that the merciful love of Christ our Savior works through us.”
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