Metropolitan Hilarion Suggests Self-Government for Orthodox Church in Montenegro

It has emerged that during his recent Montenegro visit the Russian Orthodox Church's Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk suggested to Metropolitan Amfilohije (Radovic) of Cetinje that he should request some sort of self-governing status from the Serbian Orthodox Church for the Orthodox Church in Montenegro to help reduce the tensions between itself and the Montenegrin government. More here.

Chambesy Meeting Ends

The Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission has finished its meeting in Chambesy, coming to a unanimous agreement on the granting of autocephaly (that it should be studied further, but that in principle all the Local Orthodox Churches should sign a tomos granting autocephaly) and autonomy (that it is granted by the mother Orthodox Church) and failing to come to any agreement on the order of the diptychs. The Albanian and Polish Orthodox Churches both appealed for the establishment of a single order in the diptychs, whilst the Georgian and Cypriot Orthodox Churches appealed for an elevation in their rank.

All of the Local Orthodox Churches were represented by hierarchs with the exception of the Church of Romania, which sent the secretary of its Holy Synod. More here.

Consensus on Autocephaly, Autonomy Procedures; Diptychs Remain Unresolved

The Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission meeting in Chambesy, Switzerland, has confirmed that autonomy will be granted to a particular region by its mother Orthodox Church, whilst autocephaly shall be granted by the mother Orthodox Church following the receipt of the approval of all the first hierarchs of its sister Local Orthodox Churches. The main issue still under discussion at Chambesy at the moment would appear to be the ranking of the first hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches in the diptychs. More here.

Autonomous Churches of the Moscow Patriarchate Remain Autonomous

Despite accusations to the contrary the recent Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church did not amend or abolish the status of the autonomous Local Orthodox Churches that are under the Moscow Patriarchate. All live according to the tomoses that established them, which can only be amended under special conditions. As with other autonomous Local Orthodox Churches, those under the Moscow Patriarchate are required to commemorate the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', and to participate in the wider life of the Russian Orthodox Church worldwide. More here.

AFR Interview with Seyidna Philip

It seems like everything in the Church of Antioch is about the wording. There's no concern over the reality behind the words; that can change at any moment! What's important is that everyone be happy with the wording and that the wording itself be vague enough to mean whatever every individual involved wants it to mean.

That aside, the only other generally significant thing I got out of Ancient Faith Radio's rather disappointing interview with Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) was that there is no self-rule or autonomy or whatever you want to call it for the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. There is no real local synod and the next Metropolitan of New York of the Church of Antioch will not only be confirmed by the Holy Synod, he will be elected by it too. Seyidna Philip tried to dodge the question by saying no autonomous Local Orthodox Church elects its own first hierarch, but this simply is not true - the Japanese, Ukrainian, and Finnish Orthodox Churches as well as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia are all examples of this. The choices of their local synods are subject to the ratification of their holy synods, but they do not send their holy synods lists of nominees - they send them the name of the man they have elected.

It's pretty rich that the metropolitan of one of North America's Orthodox Christian jurisdictions best known for playing fast and loose with the canons can claim that in his metropolis "we practice the canons of the Church perfectly." God help us all if that's the case! And people are surprised when clergy and laity from the Church of Antioch on this continent leave for other jurisdictions and even for schisms...anyways, the whole interview with Metropolitan Philip can be found here. Please pray for the Archdiocese, which is close to my heart (I became a catechumen in an Antiochian Orthodox parish in high school), and for Bishop Mark of Toledo, who has endured much persecution in recent years for his good conduct as a shepherd of the flock God has given him.