by Andreas Loudaros*, from Amman, Jordan
For the first time ever in inter-Orthodox meetings, there is no provision for the press. Although the whole Orthodox world – not exclusively, of course – has an interest in such an initiative, the organizers appear to treat it like something that needs to be done and completed and leave with the smallest possible mark.
When we asked about this issue, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, who is usually in charge of the Press of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said he was unauthorized while noting that “another committee is in charge of these matters.”
Peter Welby, who appears to be in charge of press matters, is not in the official chart of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Further, when we requested that the meeting program and other documents with pertinent information, which were provided to the press at any such meeting, whether ecclesiastical or political, should be notified, Peter Welby responded that nothing would be notified since the meeting was “in camera” and no information would be divulged to the press except for a press release which might be issued at the end of the meeting.
This stance reinforces the scepticism that such behavior is in no way consistent with the central idea of the gathering which, according to its inspirer, at least, aims to bring peace to the Orthodox Church.
*The article was originally published in Greek at orthodoxia.info