Pre-Conciliar Document: "Autonomy and the Means of Proclaiming It"

Source: Mospat.ru

Decision taken by the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference, Chambésy, October 10-17, 2015 
Published in compliance with the resolution of the Synaxis of Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Chambésy, January 21-28, 2016. 
Upon completing the work based on the text “Autonomy and the Means of Proclaiming It” that had been agreed upon and adopted by the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission at its session in Chambésy on December 9-17, 2009, the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference considered ecclesiological, canonical and pastoral aspects of the institution of autonomy and arrived at a unanimous Pan-Orthodox position on the matter.
The issues considered by the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference, derived from the topics of the text adopted by the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission, related to: 
a) the concept, nature and various forms of the institution of autonomy;
b) the prerequisites, on the basis of which a local Church petitions the Autocephalous Church to which it belongs to grant it autonomy;
c) the exclusive prerogative of the Autocephalous Church to initiate and complete the process of granting autonomy to a certain part of its canonical jurisdiction, provided that no autonomous Churches shall be established in the territory of the Orthodox diaspora; and
d) the impact of this ecclesiastical act on relations of the proclaimed Autonomous Church both with the Autocephalous Church to which it belongs, and with the other Autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
1. The institution of autonomy is a canonical expression of the status of relative or partial independence that a certain ecclesiastical area has from the canonical jurisdiction of the Autocephalous Church to which it canonically belongs.

a) The application of this institution in church practice has resulted in varying degrees of dependence of an Autonomous Church upon the Autocephalous Church to which it belongs.
b) The election of the head of an Autonomous Church shall be approved or carried out by the competent ecclesiastical authority of the Autocephalous Church, the primate of which the Autonomous Church shall commemorate and be in canonical relationship to. 
c) Functioning of the institution of autonomy implies that it shall be used in church practice in various forms, as defined by the degree of an Autonomous Church’s dependence on the Autocephalous Church.
d) In some forms of autonomy, the degree of dependence of an Autocephalous Church shall be expressed through its primate’s participation in the Synod of the Autocephalous Church.
2. The initiation and completion of the process of proclaiming autonomy to a part of its canonical jurisdiction, to which the Church belongs, having been proclaimed autonomous, is the canonical prerogative of the Autocephalous Church. Accordingly, 
a) If a local Church requesting autonomy fulfills all necessary ecclesiastical and pastoral prerequisites, it shall appeal to the Autocephalous Church to which it belongs, explaining the serious reasons prompting such an appeal.
b) Upon receiving the appeal, the Autocephalous Church shall consider all its prerequisites and reasons, and make a decision whether or not to grant autonomy. Should the decision be favorable, the Autocephalous Church shall issue a Tomos defining the territorial boundaries of the Autonomous Church, as well as its relations with the Autocephalous Church to which it belongs, in accordance with the established criteria of ecclesiastical Tradition.
c) The primate of the Autocephalous Church shall inform the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Autocephalous Orthodox Churches of the proclamation of the Autonomous Church.
d) The Autonomous Church maintains inter-Orthodox, inter-Christian and inter-religious relations via the Autocephalous Church that granted it autonomy.
e) Each Autocephalous Church may only grant autonomy to a Church that acts within its geographical boundaries. No Autonomous Church shall be established in the territory of the Orthodox diaspora, except by pan-Orthodox consent mediated by the Ecumenical Patriarch in accordance with pan-Orthodox procedure.
f) Should two Autocephalous Churches grant autonomous status within one and the same geographical ecclesiastical area, with resulting disagreements concerning these autonomies, the parties involved shall appeal, together or separately, to the Ecumenical Patriarch to come to a canonical solution to the question in accordance with pan-Orthodox procedure. 
3. The implications arising from the proclamation of autonomy concerning the Autonomous Church and its relationship with the Autocephalous Church are as follows:
a) The head of the Autonomous Church shall only commemorate the primate of the Autocephalous Church;
b) The name of the head of the Autonomous Church shall not be included in the Diptychs;
c) The Autonomous Church shall receive Holy Chrism from the Autocephalous Church; 
d) Bishops of the Autonomous Church shall be elected and appointed by its own competent ecclesiastical authority. In the event that the Autonomous Church finds this absolutely impossible, it shall receive assistance from the Autocephalous Church to which it belongs.
Chambésy, October 15, 2015

Pre-Conciliar Document: "Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World"

Source: Mospat.ru

Draft document of the Pan-Orthodox Council, adopted by the 5th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference in Chambésy on October, 10-17, 2015.

Published in compliance with the decision of the Synaxis of Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Chambésy, January, 21-28, 2016.
The Orthodox Church, being the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, in her profound ecclesiastical consciousness firmly believes that she occupies a central place in matters relating to the promotion of Christian unity within the contemporary world.
The Orthodox Church grounds her unity on the fact that she was founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as on the communion in the Holy Trinity and in the Sacraments. This unity is manifested through the apostolic succession and the patristic tradition and to this day is lived within her. It is the mission and duty of the Orthodox Church to transmit and proclaim the truth, in all its fullness, contained in the Holy Scripture and the Holy Tradition, the truth which gives to the Church her catholic character.
The responsibility of the Orthodox Church and her ecumenical mission with regard to the unity were expressed by the Ecumenical Councils. These, in particular, stressed the indissoluble link existing between true faith and the sacramental communion.
The Orthodox Church, which unceasingly prays “for the union of all,” has always promoted dialogue with those separated from her, both far and near, playing a leading role in seeking ways and means to restore the unity of believers in Christ, participating in the ecumenical movement since its inception, and contributing to its formation and further development. In addition, the Orthodox Church, due to the ecumenical spirit and love for mankind by which she is distinguished and in accordance with the divine dispensation to “have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), has always fought for the restoration of Christian unity. Therefore, the Orthodox participation in the movement for the restoration of Christian unity does not run counter to the nature and history of the Orthodox Church. It is the consistent expression of the apostolic faith and Tradition in a new historical context.
The bilateral theological dialogues that the Orthodox Church conducts today, as well as her participation in the movement for the restoration of Christian unity, are grounded in her Orthodox consciousness and the spirit of ecumenicity, and are aimed at seeking the lost Christian unity on the basis of the faith and tradition of the ancient Church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
The unity by which the Church is distinguished in her ontological nature is impossible to shatter. The Orthodox Church acknowledges the existence in history of other Christian Churches and confessions which are not in communion with her, and at the same time believes that her relationships with them should be based on a speedy and more accurate elucidation by them of all ecclesiological topics, especially the teaching on Sacraments, grace, priesthood, and apostolic succession as a whole. Accordingly, for theological and pastoral reasons, she has been favorably disposed to dialogue with various Christian Churches and confessions, and to participation in the present-day ecumenical movement in general, in the belief that she thus bears her active witness to the plenitude of Christ’s truth and her spiritual treasures before those who are external to her, and pursuing an objective goal – to tread the path to unity.
It is in this spirit that today all the Holy Local Orthodox Churches take an active part in official theological dialogues, and most of them participate in the work of various national, regional and international inter-Christian organizations, despite a serious crisis in the ecumenical movement. Such manifold activities of the Orthodox Church derive from the sense of responsibility and from the conviction that mutual understanding, cooperation and common efforts towards Christian unity are of fundamental importance, so as not to “hinder the gospel of Christ” (1 Cor 9:12).
While conducting dialogue with other Christians, the Orthodox Church by no means underestimates the difficulties arising from it, but is aware of the obstacles lying on the path to a common understanding of the tradition of the ancient Church. It is her hope that the Holy Spirit Who “welds together the whole institution of the Church” (Stichera at Vespers of Pentecost) “will heal what is infirm” (a prayer during ordination). In this regard, the Orthodox Church, in her relations with the rest of the Christian world, relies not only on the human efforts of those involved in the dialogue, but, by the grace of God who prayed “that… all may be one” (Jn 17:21), first and foremost, on the help of the Holy Spirit.
The participation in the current bilateral theological dialogues announced at the Pan-Orthodox Conferences is the result of a unanimous decision of all Holy Local Orthodox Churches whose duty is to always take an active and lasting part in their work so as not to interfere in the unanimous witness of Orthodoxy to the glory of the Triune God. In the event that a certain Local Church resolves not to send her representatives to a dialogue or its session, the dialogue continues, provided that this decision is not Pan-Orthodox. Prior to the dialogue or its session, an Orthodox commission must discuss the absence of the Local Church, thus expressing the solidarity and unity of the Orthodox Church.
The problems arising during theological discussions within joint theological commissions are not always sufficient grounds for a Local Orthodox Church’s unilateral recall of its representatives and withdrawal from dialogue. As a rule, it is necessary to avoid a Church’s withdrawal from dialogue and to make the necessary efforts on the inter-Orthodox level to ensure that the Orthodox theological commission participating in the dialogue is fully represented. Should one or more Orthodox Churches refuse to take part in the sessions of the joint theological commission of a certain dialogue for serious ecclesiological, canonical, pastoral and moral reasons, this Church, or these Churches, shall notify the Ecumenical Patriarch and all the Orthodox Churches in written form of their refusal, in compliance with pan-Orthodox practice. In the course of a subsequent pan-Orthodox discussion, the Ecumenical Patriarch shall seek a consensus of the Orthodox Churches as to what actions to follow, including the possibility of reevaluating the progress of that theological dialogue, should it be unanimously found necessary.
The methodology of conducting theological dialogues is aimed at overcoming traditional theological differences or at revealing possible new disagreements and seeking the common ground of the Christian faith. These methods imply that the entire Church is kept informed of the dialogue’s progress. In the event that it is impossible to overcome some theological difference, the theological dialogue may continue, while the discovered difference shall be recorded and brought to the notice of all the Local Orthodox Churches for further necessary action.
It is evident that the goal of all theological dialogues is the complete restoration of unity in true faith and love. However, the existing theological and ecclesiological differences make it possible to reveal a certain hierarchy of difficulties lying on the path towards attaining the objectives set at the pan-Orthodox level. The specificity of the problems of any bilateral dialogue points to the differentiation of applied methods, but not of goals, for all dialogues pursue one common goal.
If necessary, efforts should be made to coordinate the work of different inter-Orthodox theological commissions, considering that the indissoluble ontological unity of the Orthodox Church is to be revealed and manifested in this sphere as well.
Any officially declared dialogue ends with the completion of the relevant work of the Joint Theological Commission when the chairman of the Inter-Orthodox Commission submits a report to the Ecumenical Patriarch, who, with the consent of the primates of the Local Orthodox Churches announces the end of the dialogue. No dialogue is considered complete until the moment when a decision on its completion is announced on the pan-Orthodox level.
Upon the successful conclusion of a theological dialogue, a decision, based on the consensus of all Local Orthodox Churches, shall be made on the pan-Orthodox level, concerning the restoration of ecclesiastical communion.
One of the principal bodies in the history of the ecumenical movement is the World Council of Churches (WCC). Some of the Orthodox Churches were among the Council’s founding members, and later on all the Local Orthodox Churches became its members. As a structured inter-Christian body, the WCC, along with other inter-Christian organizations and regional bodies, such as the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Middle East Council of Churches, despite the fact that they do not include all Christian Churches and confessions, carry out an important mission, promoting the unity of the Christian world. The Georgian and Bulgarian Orthodox Churches withdrew membership from the WCC: the former in 1997, and the latter in 1998. They have their own particular opinion on the work of the World Council of Churches and, hence, do not participate in the dialogues conducted by the WCC and other inter-Christian organizations.
The Local Orthodox Churches which are members of the WCC participate fully and equally in the structure of the World Council of Churches and with all the means at their disposal, contribute to the witness of truth and promotion of unity of Christians. The Orthodox Church hailed the WCC’s decision to respond to her request concerning the establishment of the Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC, which was done in fulfillment of the mandate of the Inter-Orthodox Conference held in Thessaloniki in 1998. The Special Commission laid down the criteria proposed by the Orthodox and adopted by the WCC, which led to the establishment of the Permanent Commission for Consensus and Cooperation. The criteria were approved and included in the WCC Constitution and Rules.
Faithful to her ecclesiology, to the identity of her internal structure and to the teaching of the ancient Church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, the Orthodox Church, while organizationally participating in the WCC, does not accept the idea of the “equality of confessions” and cannot accept Church unity as an inter-confessional compromise. In this spirit, the unity which is sought within the WCC cannot simply be the product of theological agreements alone; it must also be the fruit of a unified faith, sacramentally preserved and lived in the Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox member Churches of the WCC consider sine qua non for their participation in the WCC the key article of its Constitution which states that only those Churches and confessions that acknowledge Jesus Christ as God and Savior, according to the Scriptures, and believe in God glorified in the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, according to the Nicean-Constantinopolitan Creed, may become WCC members. It is their firm conviction that the ecclesiological presuppositions of the 1950 Toronto Statement on the Church, the Churches and the World Council of Churches, are of paramount importance for Orthodox participation in the Council. It is therefore clear that the WCC is not and by no means can be a “super-Church.” “The purpose of the World Council of Churches is not to negotiate unions between Churches, which can only be done by the Churches themselves acting on their own initiative, but to bring the Churches into living contact with each other and to promote the study and discussion of the issues of Church unity” (Toronto Statement, § 2).
The prospects for conducting theological dialogues between the Orthodox Church and other Christian Churches and confessions shall always be derived from the canonical criteria of established Church Tradition (canon 7 of the Second Ecumenical Council and canon 95 of the Quinisext Ecumenical Council).
The Orthodox Church wishes to support the work of the Commission for Faith and Church Order and with particular interest follows its theological contribution to this day. On the whole, the Church has a favorable view of the theological documents adopted by the Commission with the participation of and valuable contribution from Orthodox theologians, regarding the adoption of those documents as an important step towards the rapprochement of Christians. However, the Orthodox Church does not express full agreement with the interpretation of fundamental issues of faith and order made in these documents.
The Orthodox Church believes that any attempts to shatter Church unity, undertaken by individuals or groups under the pretense of preserving or defending true Orthodoxy, must be condemned. As evidenced by the whole life of the Orthodox Church, the preservation of the true Orthodox faith is only possible thanks to the conciliar structure which since ancient times has been for the Church the strong and final criterion in matters of faith.
Common to the Orthodox Church is the awareness of the necessity for conducting inter-Christian theological dialogue and therefore believes that dialogue should always be accompanied by witness to the world through the acts of mutual understanding and love, which reflect the joy unspeakable of the Glad Tidings (1 Pt 1:8), excluding any practice of proselytism or any outrageous manifestations of inter-confessional antagonism. In the same way, the Orthodox Church deems it important that we all, Christians, inspired by common fundamental principles of our faith, make efforts to willingly give a unanimous response to those difficult problems posed to us by the contemporary world. This response is to be grounded in the ideal model of a new man in Christ.
The Orthodox Church is aware of the fact that the movement for the restoration of Christian unity takes new forms in response to new circumstances and new challenges. It is necessary that the Orthodox Church continues to bear her witness to the divided Christian world on the basis of the apostolic Tradition and her faith.

We pray that all Christians work together in order to bring nearer the day in which the Lord will fulfill the hope of the Orthodox Churches, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (Jn 10:16).

Chambésy, October 15, 2015

Pre-Conciliar Document: "The Importance of Fasting and its Observance Today"

Source: Mospat.ru


Draft document of the Pan-Orthodox Council, adopted by the 5^th Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference in Chambésy on October 10-17, 2015.

Published in compliance with the decision of the Synaxis of Primates of the Local Orthodox Churches, Chambésy, January 21-28, 2016.

1. Fast is God’s commandment (Gen 2:16-17). According to St Basil the Great, fasting is as old as humanity itself; it was prescribed in Paradise (On Fasting, 1,3). It is a great spiritual endeavour and the foremost expression of the Orthodox ascetic ideal. The Orthodox Church, in strict conformity with the precepts of the holy apostles, the rules of the Councils and the patristic tradition as a whole, has always proclaimed a great significance of fasting for people’s spiritual life and salvation. The annual cycle of liturgical celebrations fully reflects the patristic teaching on fasting, as well as the teaching on the necessity of constant unrelaxing watchfulness and on how to succeed in spiritual endeavours. The Triodion praises fasting as bringing the light of grace, as the invincible arms, the beginning of spiritual warfare, the perfect path of virtues, the nourishment for the soul, the source of wisdom, the life imperishable and imitation the angelic life, the mother of all blessings and virtues, and as the image of the life to come.
2. As an ancient institution, fasting was mentioned already in the Old Testament (Deut 9:18; Is 58:4-10; Joel 2:15; Jonah 3:5-7) and affirmed in the New Testament. The Lord Himself fasted for forty days before entering upon His public ministry (Lk 4:1-2) and gave to people instructions on how to practice fasting (Mt 6:16-18). Fasting as a means of abstinence, repentance and spiritual growth is presented in the New Testament (Mk 1:6; Acts 13:3; 14:23; Rom 14:21). Since the apostolic times, the Church has being proclaiming a profound importance of fasting, having established Wednesday and Friday as fast days (Didache, 8,1) and the fast before Easter (St Irenaeus of Lyons in Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 5, 24). In church practice that has existed for centuries there has always been a variety with regard not only to the length of fast before Easter (St Dionysius of Alexandria, Letter to Basilides, PG 10, 1278), but also to a number and content of other periods of fasting which became customary under the influence of various factors, primarily, of the liturgical and monastic traditions, with the view of proper preparation of people for great feasts. Accordingly, the indissoluble link between the fast and the liturgy indicates an extent and a purpose of fasting and emphasizes the spiritual nature of the fast, with all the faithful called to observe it, each to the best of his or her abilities and in respect to this sacred precept: See that no one make thee to err from this path of doctrine… If thou art able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, thou wilt be perfect; but if thou art not able, what thou art able, that do. But concerning meat, bear that which thou art able to do (Didache, 6, 1-3).
3. As a spiritual endeavour, the true fast is inseparable from unceasing prayer and genuine repentance. Repentance without fasting is fruitless (St Basil the Great, On Fasting, 1,3); fasting is also fruitless without deeds of mercy, especially nowadays when the unequal and unjust distribution of benefits deprives entire nations of their daily bread. While fasting physically, brethren, let us also fast spiritually. Let us loose every knot of iniquity; let us tear up every unrighteous bond; let us distribute bread to the hungry, and welcome into our homes those who have no roof over their heads… (Stichera at Vespers on Wednesday of the First Week of Lent; cf. Is 58:6-7). Fasting shall not be reduced to simple and formal abstinence from certain foods. So let us not be selfish as we begin the abstinence from foods that is the noble fast. Let us fast in an acceptable manner, one that is pleasing to God.(cf. Phil 4:18). A true fast is one that is set against evil, it is self-control of the tongue. It is the checking of anger, separation from things like lusts, evil-speaking, lies, and false oaths. Self-denial from these things is a true fast, so fasting from these negative things is good (St Basil the Great. On Fasting, 7).

Abstinence from certain foods during the fast and temperance in choosing what and how much to eat constitute a visible aspect of this spiritual endeavour. In the literal sense, fasting is abstinence from food, but food makes us neither more nor less righteous. However, in the spiritual sense, it is clear that, as life comes from food for each of us and the lack of food is a symbol of death, so it is necessary that we fast from worldly things, in order that we might die to the world and after this, having partaken of the divine nourishment, live to God(St Clement of Alexandria, Eclogae. PG 9, 704-705). Therefore, the true fast refers to the life, in all its fullness, of believers in Christ and is crowned by their participation in the liturgy, particularly in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

4. The forty-day fast of the Lord sets an example for the faithful in fasting, making them participants in the obedience of the Lord, in order that we might recover by keeping it that which we had lost by not keeping it (St Gregory the Theologian, The Second Oration on Easter, 28). St Gregory Palamas summarizes the Christocentric understanding of the spiritual dimension of fasting, of Lent in particular, characteristic of the whole patristic tradition, When you fast like this you not only suffer with Christ and are dead with Him, but you are risen with Him and reign with Him forever and ever. If through such a fast you have been planted together in the likeness of His death, you shall also share in His resurrection and inherit life in Him (St Gregory Palamas, Homily 13, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent. PG 151, 161).
5. According to the Orthodox Tradition, the measure of spiritual perfection is the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph 4:13), and all who want to attain it should strive and grow. For this very reason, the ascesis and spiritual endeavour, like the perfection of the perfect, are endless in this life. Everyone is called to strive to the best of his or her abilities to meet the requirements of the lofty Orthodox criteria and attain deification by grace. And those who attain it, albeit they do all the things that they were commanded, never vaunt themselves, but confess that they are unprofitable servants and have done that which was their duty to do (Lk 17:10). According to the Orthodox understanding of spiritual life, all people ought to persist in fighting their good fight of fasting, and even while permitting some indulgences, to rely upon God’s mercy in remorse and awareness of their unworthiness, for the Orthodox spiritual life is unattainable without the endeavour of fasting.
6. Like an affectionate mother, the Orthodox Church has defined what is necessary for people’s salvation and established the sacred periods of fasting as God-given protection of the new life of believers in Christ from every snare of the enemy. Following the example of the Holy Fathers, she preserves now, as she did in the past, the holy apostolic precepts, the conciliar rules and the sacred traditions, always offering fasts to the faithful as the best ascetic path leading to spiritual perfection and salvation, and proclaiming the necessity to observe all the fasts prescribed in the year of the Lord, that is, Lent, Wednesday and Friday, which are established in the sacred canons, as well as the Nativity, the Apostles’ and the Dormition fasts, one-day fasts on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, on the eve of the Theophany and on the commemoration day of the Beheading of St John the Baptist, as well as the fasts established for pastoral reasons or observed at the wish of the faithful.
7. At the same time, the Church, for pastoral reasons, has set limits of her loving oikonomia concerning the rules of fasting. Therefore, it is to the cases of physical infirmity, extreme necessity or difficult times that she has ordained to apply the principle of ecclesiastical oikonomia, in accordance with the discernment and pastoral care of the episcopate of the Local Churches.
8. The fact is that many faithful today do not observe all the prescriptions concerning fasting, either for faint-heartedness or because of their living conditions, whatever is meant by this. However, all cases of non-observance of the sacred prescriptions concerning fasting, either general or individual, should be treated by the Church with pastoral care, for God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live (Ezek 33:11). At the same time, the importance of fasting should not be diminished. Therefore, it is left to the Local Orthodox Churches to define an extent of her loving oikonomia and indulgence towards those who have some difficulties in observing the existing rules of fasting, be it for their personal reasons (illness, military service, conditions of work, etc.) or for more general reasons (climatic conditions, social and economic situation in some countries, for instance, lack of fasting foods), and to ease in these special cases the “burden” of fasting, as stated above, by no means diminishing the importance of the sacred institution of fasting.

The Church should show the compassionate indulgence with all prudence and, undoubtedly, to a greater extent when it comes to those fasts, with regard to which the ecclesiastical tradition and practice have not always been uniform. It is good to fast, but may the one who fasts not blame the one who does not fast. In such matters you must neither legislate, nor use force, nor compel the flock entrusted to you; instead, you must use persuasion, gentleness and the word flavoured with salt (St John of Damascus, On the Holy Fasts, 7).

9. Moreover, all the faithful children of the Church ought to observe the holy fasts and abstain from food since midnight to prepare properly for partaking of the Holy Communion which is the most profound expression of the essence of the Church. They also ought to fast to show repentance, to fulfil spiritual vows, to succeed in achieving particular spiritual goals, at a time of temptations, when they apply to God in supplication, before baptism (for adults) or ordination, when penances are imposed, and also during pilgrimages and in other similar cases.

 Chambésy, October 16, 2015

Pre-Conciliar Document: "The Sacrament of Marriage and its Impediments"

Source: Mospat.ru

The document is approved by the Synaxis of the Primates of Local Orthodox Churches on January 21 – 28, 2016, in Chambesy, with the exception of representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Antioch and Georgia.

It is published by the decision of the Synaxis of the Primates.

1. Orthodox marriage

1) The institute of family is threatened today by such phenomena as secularization and moral relativism. The Orthodox Church asserts the sacral nature of marriage as her fundamental and indisputable doctrine. The free union of man and woman is an indispensable condition for marriage.

2) In the Orthodox Church, marriage is considered to be the oldest institution of divine law since it was instituted at the same time as the first human beings, Adam and Eve, were created (Gen. 2:23). Since its origin this union was not only the spiritual communion of the married couple – man and woman, but also assured the continuation of the human race. Blessed in Paradise, the marriage of man and woman became a holy mystery, which is mentioned in the New Testament in the story about Cana of Galilee, where Christ gave His first sign by turning water into wine thus revealing His glory (Jn. 2:11). The mystery of the indissoluble union of man and woman is the image of the unity of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:32).

3) The Christ-centered nature of marriage explains why a bishop or a presbyter blesses this sacred union with a special prayer. In his letter to Polycarp of Smyrna, St. Ignatius the God-Bearer stressed that those who enter into the communion of marriage “must also have the bishop’s approval, so that their marriage may be according to God, and not after their own lust. Let everything be to the glory of God” (Poly. 5).The sacred nature of the God-established union and its lofty spiritual content explain the Apostle’s affirmation: Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure (Heb. 13:4). That is why the Orthodox Church condemned any defilement of its purity (Eph. 5:2-5, 1 Thes. 4:4, Heb. 13:4ff).

4) The union of man and woman in Christ constitutes ‘a small church, an image of the Church’. Clement of Alexandria affirms: “Who are the two or three gathered in the name of Christ in whose midst the Lord is? Does he not by the "three" mean husband, wife, and child?” (Stromata, 3.10, PG 8, 1169 В). Through God’s blessing, the union of man and woman is elevated, for communion is above individual existence as it introduces the spouses to a life in the image of the Kingdom of the Holy Trinity. A necessary condition for marriage is the faith in Jesus Christ to be shared by a bridal pair, husband and wife. The foundation of unity in marriage is unity in Christ, so that the marital love blessed by the Holy Spirit may reflect the love of Christ and His Church as a mystery of the Kingdom of God and the eternal life of humanity in the love of God.

5) The protection of the sacral nature of marriage has always been of crucial importance for the preservation of the family which reflects the communion of those tied by conjugal bonds both in the Church and in the whole society. Therefore, the communion accomplished in the sacrament of marriage is not simply a natural conventional relationship but a creative spiritual force realized in the sacred institution of the family. It is the only force that can ensure the protection and education of children both in the spiritual mission of the Church and in the life of society.

6) It was always with necessary strictness and proper pastoral sensibility, in the manner of St. Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles (Rom. 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 7:12-15, 39) that the Church treated both positive conditions (the difference of sexes, legal age, etc.) and impediments (kinship by blood and affinity, spiritual kinship, an already existing marriage, difference in religion, etc.) for the conclusion of a church marriage. Pastoral sensibility is necessary not only because the biblical tradition links marriage with mystery of the Church, but also because the church practice did not exclude certain principles of the Greek-Roman natural law, which stressed that the conjugal bonds between man and woman is “a communion of the divine and the human law” (Modestin) and are compatible with the sacred nature attributed by the Church to the mystery of marriage.

7) In today’s situation so unfavourable for the sacrament of marriage and the sacred institution of family, bishops and priests should actively develop pastoral work to protect the faithful by supporting them, asserting the institution of family on a solid foundation that cannot be destroyed either by rain or streams or winds, since this foundation is the rock which is Christ (cf. Mt. 7:25).

8) Marriage is the heart of the family, and the family is realization of marriage. In today’s world, a real threat to Orthodox Christians is constituted by the pressure to recognize new forms of cohabitation. The deepening crisis of marriage is a matter of profound concern for the Orthodox Church not only because of negative consequences for the whole society and a threat to internal family relationships, the principal victims of which are married couples and, in the first place, children because regrettably they usually begin to martyr innocently from their early childhood.

9) A civil marriage between a man and a woman registered in accordance with the law lacks the sacramental nature and as a legalized cohabitation differs from a marriage blessed by God and the Church. The members of the Church who contract a civil marriage should be treated with pastoral responsibility necessary to make these people become aware of the value of the sacrament of marriage and its blessing.

10) The Church does not deem it possible for her members to contract same-sex unions or enter into any other form of cohabitation except marriage. The Church exerts all possible pastoral efforts so that those of her members who enter into such unions may come to true repentance and love blessed by the Church.

11) The grave consequences brought about by the crisis of the institutions of marriage and family are expressed in the offensive growth in the number of divorces and abortions and in the increase of other problems of family life. These consequences constitute a great challenge to the mission of the Church in the modern world. Therefore, the pastors of the Church should exert all possible efforts to address these problems. The Orthodox Church with love calls upon her faithful, men and women and all people of good will, to safeguard the fidelity to the sacred nature of the family.

2. On impediments to marriage

1. Concerning the impediments to marriage due to kinship by blood, kinship by affinity and adoption and spiritual kinship, the prescriptions of canons (Canons 53 and 54 of the Council of Trullo) and the church practice derived from them are valid as applied today in the autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches and determined and described in their Statutes and respective decisions of their Synods.

2. A marriage that is not completely dissolved or annulled and a third marriage constitute an absolute impediment to the conclusion of marriage in conformance to the Orthodox canonical tradition which categorically rejects bigamy and the fourth marriage.

3. In accordance with the acribia of holy canons, the entering into a church marriage after monastic vows is forbidden (Canon 16 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council and Canon 44 of the Council of Trullo).

4. Priesthood constitutes an impediment to marriage in accordance with the canonical tradition in force (Canon 3 of the Council of Trullo).

5. Concerning mixed marriages of Orthodox Christians with non-Orthodox Christians or non-Christians:

a) The marriage of an Orthodox Christian with a non-Orthodox Christian is forbidden in accordance with the canonical acribia and is not celebrated in the Church (Canon 72 of the Council of Trullo). It can be blessed out of indulgence and love of man if the children from this marriage are to be baptized and raised in the Orthodox Church.

b) The marriage between Orthodox Christians and non-Christians is categorically forbidden in accordance with the canonical acribia.

6. The practice used in application of the church Tradition with regard to impediments to marriage should take into account the prescription of the state legislation in force without going beyond the limits of the church oikonomia.

7. The Holy Synod of each autocephalous Orthodox Church should practice church oikonomia in conformance with the principles established in church canons, in the spirit of pastoral discernment for the service of the salvation of man.

Chambésy, 27 January 2016

Pre-Conciliar Document: "Organization and Working Procedure of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church"

Source: Mospat.ru

The document is approved by the participants in the Synaxis of the Primates of Local Orthodox Churches on January 21 – 28, 2016, in Chambesy, except representatives of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

It is published by the decision of the Synaxis of the Primates.

Article 1
Introduction

By the grace of the Holy Trinity, the Holy and Great Council is an authentic expression of the canonical tradition and perennial church practice as to the functioning of the conciliar system in One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and shall be convoked by His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch with the consent of their Beatitudes the Primates of all the universally recognized autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches. It shall consist of members appointed to the memberships of their delegations.

Article 2
The convocation of the Council

The convocation of a Council shall be announced by Patriarchal Letters issued by the Ecumenical Patriarch to all the Primates of autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches in which he shall:

1) announce the completion of the pre-council preparation of the items on the Council agenda decided on the pan-Orthodox level;

2) fix the date and venue of the Council with the consent of their Beatitudes Primates of all the autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches, and

3) ask the autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches, in conformance with the pan-Orthodox agreements reached at the Meetings of their Beatitudes the Primates, to appoint their representatives to the Council;

Article 3
Memberships of the Council

Members of the Council shall be the hierarchs appointed by each autocephalous Orthodox Church as its representatives:

1) the number of members has been fixed by the Meeting of the Primates of all the autocephalous Local Orthodox Churches in March 2014 at Fanar;

2) the delegations may be accompanied by special consultants: clergy, monks or lay people, but their number cannot exceed 6 (six) persons. Invitations are also given to assistants numbering 3 from each autocephalous Orthodox Church;

3) Special consultants may attend the Council’s plenary sessions without the right to speak or to vote and they shall assist the Council Secretariat or Council Commissions in their work with the right to speak and exercise special functions assigned to them;

4) During the Council, each Primate may have with him one or, if possible, two hierarchs – members of the Church’s delegation. Due to his numerous duties, the Chairman may have two such members and one secretary; all the consultants shall sit behind their Primates;

5) If it is impossible for the Primate of a particular Local Church to attend the Council or one of its sessions in person, he shall be replaced by another hierarch of his Church, in accordance with its practice.

Article 4
Chairmanship of the Council

The chairmanship of the Council shall be exercised by

1) the Ecumenical Patriarch. The Primates of other Local Orthodox Churches shall be placed on his right and left according to the diptychs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate;

2) The members of the Local Orthodox Churches delegations shall sit according to the order of the diptychs in places assigned to them at the Council’s meeting hall, with special consultants of each delegation placed next to them to facilitate cooperation;

Article 5
The powers of the Chairman

The Chairman of the Council shall

1) declare the opening and closing of the work of the Council;

2) work together with the Primates of autocephalous Orthodox Churches to plan the work on items of the Council’s agenda and to immediately settle any matter of procedure or function of the Council; 

3)  approve the program of liturgical celebrations to be held during the Council;

4) guide the discussions at each session by making brief remarks depending on the circumstances in order to ensure the greatest consistence of discussions with the tasks of the Council:

5) give the floor to members of the Council and guarantee the strict observance and correct application of the principles of the present Procedure in order to ensure the good progress and proper church order of the work;

6) coordinate the work of the pan-Orthodox Secretariat of the Council.

Article 6
Secretariat of the Council

The Secretariat of the Council is a pan-Orthodox body, i.e.:

1) it shall consist of one hierarch from each delegation as well as a secretary for the preparation of a Holy and Great Council, who supervises the work of the pan-Orthodox Secretariat:

2) members of the Secretariat shall be assisted in their work by ad hoc advisers: clergy, monks or lay persons who are chosen from among the consultants of the delegations of the Local Orthodox Churches and shall support the manifold work of the pan-Orthodox Secretariat. The number of such advisers cannot exceed two persons from each delegation.

Article 7
Terms of Reference of the Secretariat of the Council

The terms of reference of the Secretariat of the Council shall be as follows:

1) to compile files with materials of the pre-Council progress for drafting texts on items on the Council’s agenda in the official working languages;

2) to take the Minutes of the Council’s sessions;

3) to assist in the work of plenary sessions and the Council’s Commissions;

4) to ensure the proper organization of simultaneous translation of the Council’s discussion into the official languages;

5) to set up Special Committees for both drafting Reports for immediate information of the public on the progress of the Council and for preparing its Message;

6) to properly inform the present observers from other Christian churches or confessions by providing them with appropriate files with items on the Council’s agenda; and

7) to solve immediately all other unforeseen practical or procedural problems.

Article 8
The Work of the Council

The work of the Council shall begin and end with the celebration of the pan-Orthodox Divine Liturgy presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarchate with the participation of all the Primates of autocephalous Orthodox Churches or their representatives in accordance with the diptychs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate;

1) It shall be carried out in the form of plenary sessions or/and Council’s Commissions in accordance with the elaborated program of studies on the agenda items the texts of which were unanimously approved by the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conferences and Meetings of the Primates of autocephalous Orthodox Churches;

2) there can be no introduction of texts or new issues which were not unanimously approved by the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conferences and Meetings of the Primates, except theMessage of the Council. The draft of it will be prepared by a special pan-Orthodox commission a week before the convocation of the Council and will be subject to approval by the Primates of the Orthodox Churches;

3) with the exception of the opening and closing sessions of the Council, all other sessions shall be closed.

Article 9
Discussions

1) discussions shall be held in the official languages of the Council, namely, Greek, Russian, French and English as well as Arabic as a working language. Simultaneous translation will be provided;

2) items shall be considered in the order in which they stand on the Council agenda. Discussion shall be strictly restricted to the theme approved for each session;

3) any off-topic intervention shall be forbidden, otherwise the floor shall be taken from the speaker, except for the cases where the intervention is justified and concerns a proceduralor personal matter; therefore, in this case he who asks for the floor should indicate which provision of the Procedure is breached.

Article 10
Participation of members in discussions

Speaking from the floor at the Council is free, but nobody can speak without asking for and receiving a permission of the Chairman of the Council.

1) a member of the Council who wishes to participate in a discussion on a particular item shall give a written notice to an appropriate member of the Secretariat of the Council who makes the list of priority order for those who wish to speak and presents it to the Chairman of the Council;

2) the duration of an intervention for each speaker cannot exceed 10 (ten) minutes and in case of a reprise and explanations are needed or the Chairman of the Council deems it necessary or useful, it cannot exceed 5 (five) minutes. The Primates of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches shall have twice as much time at their disposal for their interventions;

3) all the controversial dialogues and all the personal disputes between members of the Council shall be forbidden since such are not only alien but also contrary to the tasks of the Council.

Article 11
Amendments to texts

Formulated during the discussion on each theme, proposals for amendments, corrections and additions to the texts on the Council’s agenda unanimously approved by the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conferences and Meetings of the Primates, as well as the text of the Message of the Council

1) shall be submitted by delegations of the Orthodox Churches to the Secretariat for the Chairman to present them to a plenary session for ratification by an official decision by the Council;

2) the approval of these amendments after their consideration is completed shall be expressed in accordance with the established pan-Orthodox procedure of consensus of all the autocephalous Orthodox Churches. It means that the amendments which were not approved unanimously shall not be passed.

Article 12
Voting and approval of texts

The voting on the results of a discussion or review of a Council’s text on an agenda item

1) shall be effected by autocephalous Orthodox Churches, not an each particular member of the delegations represented at the Council, in accordance with the unanimous decision of the Meeting of the Primates of Orthodox Churches;

2) the voting of a Church at the Council, not a member of a delegation, does not exclude a possibility for one or a few hierarchs in the delegation of a particular autocephalous Church to take a negative position towards introduced amendments or a text in general. The fact of disagreement shall be registered in the Minutes of the Council;

3)  the evaluation of such disagreement is an internal affair of that Church to which the hierarchs belong. The Church may vote from the principle of internal majority expressed by its Primate and for this reason it should be accorded the place and time necessary for considering this issue within the delegation.

Article 13
Adoption and signing of texts

The unanimously approved texts on the agenda of the Council shall be produced in the four official languages and shall be equally valid. They

1) shall be signed by the initials of all the Primates of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches on each page and in all the official languages of the Council and on the final page by the Chairman and all members of the Council;

2) the Council’s signed decisions as well as the Message of the Holy and Great Council shall be sent out by Patriarchal letters of the Ecumenical Patriarch to the Primates of the autocephalous Orthodox Churches who shall bring them to the notice of their Churches. These documents shall have a pan-Orthodox authority.

Article 14
Participation of observers

The observers from other Christian churches or confessions as well inter-Christian organizations shall be present at the opening and closing sessions of the Council without the right to vote or speak.

Article 15
Preparation of Minutes

The Minutes of the work of the Council shall be transcribed and edited in accordance with the established order for publication in the official languages and sent out to all the autocephalous Orthodox Churches by the Pan-Orthodox Protocol Commission of the Council’s Secretariat appointed by the decision of the Primates of all the autocephalous Orthodox Churches.

Article 16
Information for the press

1) by the decision of the Chairman and with the consent of the Primates of other Orthodox Churches a Council Commission shall be set up consisting of fourteen members of the Council (one from each Church) and to be assisted by special advisers. The commission shall inform the mass media on the progress of the Council on a regular basis;

2) only those journalists who are appropriately accredited in the Secretariat for the Preparation of the Holy and Great Council can be present at the opening and closing sessions of the Council.  

Chambésy, 27 January 2016