MEETING OF HEADS OF ORTHODOX CHURCHES MAY BE MOVED FROM ISTANBUL TO GENEVA
The Russian Orthodox Church (RPTs) still has not received official notification from the Constantinople patriarchate about the transfer of the place for conducting a meeting of primates of local Orthodox Churches from Istanbul to Geneva, RIA Novosti was told by the secretary for inter-Orthodox relations of the Department of External Church Relations (OVTsS) of the Moscow patriarchate, Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk.
Earlier the Greek news agency Romfeia reported
that Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew made a decision about
moving the meeting to Geneva so that representatives of all local
churches, without exception, would be able to participate. To
conduct the meeting of primates on 21 January in Istanbul, as
previously planned, is not feasible because of the recommendation
of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID) to citizens of
the RF to refrain from travel to Turkey.
"We still have not received an official letter about this, and notification in some other form also has not arrived," Yakimchuk said.
The representative of the OVTsS clarified that questions connected with the planning and agenda of the meeting, and also the format of the participation of the RPTs in it, will be decided after the receipt of a letter from the Constantinople patriarchate.
The news agency's interlocutor noted at the same time that, most likely, primates of local Orthodox churches may meet "in the Constantinople patriarchate's center in the Chambesy suburb of Geneva, where such events usually are held." He stressed that before receiving an official letter about the venue of the conference it is possible "only to suppose."
The conduct of the Pan-Orthodox Council, whose preparation began more than 50 years ago, had been scheduled preliminarily for 2016 in Istanbul. That decision was made at a meeting of the heads and representatives of all local Orthodox churches. At that time the hierarchs specified that the council will be held in the event that "it is not prevented by unforeseen circumstances." (tr. by PDS, posted 11 January 2016)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
If material is quoted, please give credit to the
publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit
this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please
include reference to the URL,
http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.