America is putting pressure not to hold an election of the new Archbishop on Saturday

By Romfea.news

After the second day of its sitting, the Council of the Holy Archdiocese of America sent a letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, asking him not to hold an election of the new Archbishop on Saturday.

In particular, in this letter, the Council is surprised to learn on May 9 that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has afforded the Archdiocese only until 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on May 10, to commence and complete the advisory process required by the Archdiocesan Charter and Regulations–“a time frame that makes it impossible for us to complete this task”.

It asks the Ecumenical Patriarchate for at least 30 days in order to complete the required advisory process, “with appropriate speed and dilligence.”

It is also mentioned that the Council asks the Ecumenical Patriarchate to consider a member of the “esteemed and beloved Holy Eparchial Synod” for the election of the new Archbishop.

In the interim, the Council asks that, in accordance with the Charter, “the most senior member of our Holy Eparchial Synod, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, be designated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to serve as locum tenens, until the completion of a meaningful advisory process and subsequent election”.

Election of a new archbishop

As Romfea.news mentioned earlier, on Thursday, the Ecumenical Patriarchate requested in writing from the Archdiocesan Council to produce a list of five candidates until Friday afternoon to be considered by the Holy Synod before its meeting in the Phanar on Saturday.

According to information of ANA-MPA, at the meeting of the Archdiocesan Council, there was a briefing on the statute and the “uniform regulations”. Pursuant to the regulations “a special delegation will be appointed to personally deliver the consultation to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.” The regulations also provide who will constitute this committee – of seven members – while, at the same time, provides that “within 10 days it will have to report to the Archdiocesan Council on the content of its talks with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the results.”

In order to observe the Statute of the Archdiocese, the time given for the election of the new Archbishop of America this Saturday is not enough.

Under Article 12 of the Statute, the appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarch must be the oldest member of the Provincial Holy Synod – in this case Metropolitan Methodios of Boston- and in the case of declaring himself unable the next in rank.

The letter of the Council of the Archdiocese of America to the Ecumenical Patriarch

May 9, 2019

His All Holiness
Archbishop of Constantinople
New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch
BARTHOLOMEW

At the Phanar

Your All Holiness,

Christ is Risen!

We extend to you our love and greetings in the name of our Risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We recognize the exclusive privilege and canonical right of our beloved Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to elect the next Archbishop of America and pray that the Grace of the Holy Spirit guide you in that election. The layperson members of the Council’s Executive Committee have asked us to humbly submit this letter.

First, we express our gratitude to our Mother Church for its wisdom in granting the Church in America an Archdiocesan Charter, and approving Archdiocesan Regulations, that provide our beloved Holy Eparchial Synod and the Archdiocesan Council with a specific, meaningful and substantive advisory role in the election of the Archbishop of America.

To our surprise and concern, we were informed today, May 9, 2019, that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has afforded the Archdiocese only until 2:00 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow, May 10, to commence and complete the advisory process required by the Archdiocesan Charter and Regulations–a time frame that makes it impossible for us to complete this task. We stand ready to complete the required advisory process, with appropriate speed and diligence, should we be permitted a reasonable time period of at least thirty (30) days to conduct the process. In the interim, we respectfully ask that, in accordance with the Charter, the most senior member of our Holy Eparchial Synod, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, be designated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to serve as locum tenens, until the completion of a meaningful advisory process and subsequent election.

In the meanwhile, we respectfully ask the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to give every possible consideration, for election to the office of Archbishop of America, a member of our esteemed and beloved Holy Eparchial Synod.

We pray that the election decision will serve to strengthen the sacred bond between our Holy Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church in America and promote and preserve the unity and order of our Holy Archdiocese.

With deepest respect and love,
Your servants in the Risen Christ

George Tsandikos, Vice President

Catherine Bouffides Walsh, Secretary

Elaine Allen, Treasurer

Dimitrios Moschos, Former President

Constantine Caras, Administration Committee Chair

You can read the resolution of the Council of the Archdiocese of America below:

RESOLUTION OF THE ARCHDIOCESAN COUNCIL

ATLANTA, MAY 10, 2019

WHEREAS: We recognize the exclusive privilege and canonical right of our beloved Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to elect the next Archbishop of America;

WHEREAS: We, her faithful children in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, are grateful to our Mother Church for its wisdom in granting us an Archdiocesan Charter, and approving Archdiocesan Regulations, that provide to our beloved Holy Eparchial Synod and to the Archdiocesan Council a specific, meaningful and substantive advisory role in the election of the Archbishop of America;

WHEREAS: We wholeheartedly share the trust that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has placed in our Holy Eparchial Synod, the members of which have lovingly and devotedly cared for our Church in America under the guidance of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew;

WHEREAS: The many decades of collective wisdom, experience and dedication of the Metropolitans of our Holy Eparchial Synod, in shepherding their flocks through the unique challenges facing the Church in America, and the increasingly secular society and culture of the United States, cannot be overstated;

WHEREAS, we the members of the Archdiocesan Council are and know our Holy Eparchial Synod to be totally committed to the sacred bonds we share with our Ecumenical Patriarchate, and, also to the preservation of unity within the Archdiocese;

WHEREAS, our Holy Eparchial Synod and the Archdiocesan Council are required, via the process set forth in the Archdiocesan Charter and Regulations, to provide an advisory opinion with respect to the list of no fewer than five (5) candidates to be presented to the Ecumenical Patriarchate for consideration;

WHEREAS, we have been informed on May 9, 2019 that the Ecumenical Patriarchate has afforded us, only until 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on May 10, 2019, to commence and complete the Advisory Process, a time frame that makes it impossible for us to fulfill our responsibilities to the Holy Eparchial Synod and Ecumenical Patriarchate.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That we, the members of the Archdiocesan Council, stand ready to complete, with appropriate speed and diligence, the fulfillment of the advisory consultation process required by the Archdiocesan Charter and Regulations (the “Advisory Process”) and ask for a reasonable time period of thirty (30) days to complete such process diligently, with prayer and thoughtfulness;

FURTHER RESOLVED: That, in accordance with the Charter, the most senior member of our Holy Eparchial Synod, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, be designated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to serve as locum tenens until the completion of the Advisory Process and subsequent election.

FURTHER RESOLVED: That we humbly beseech the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to give every consideration to the list of no fewer than five (5) candidates that will be ultimately be provided, after the Advisory Process is completed and presented to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as required by the Archdiocesan Charter and Regulations; and

FURTHER RESOLVED: That we further ask the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to give every consideration to the esteemed and beloved members of our Holy Eparchial Synod, who have proven themselves worthy of the honor, as candidates for election to the position of Archbishop of America.

We pray that the Grace of the Holy Spirit be with the Ecumenical Patriarchate as it fulfills its awesome task.