Is the “all-Orthodox Sobor” a Hairsbreadth Away from Failure? Bulgarian Patriarch Will Only Take Part if ALL Canonical First Hierarchs Participate in the Synaxis

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In Genève, from 21 to 28 January 2016, a Congress (Synaxis) of the First Hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches supposedly will prepare the final agenda for a so-called “all-Orthodox Sobor”, awaited for about a century in certain Church (especially modernist) circles. However, differences amongst the local Orthodox Churches, the refusal of certain First Hierarchs to take part in the Synaxis to prepare the “all-Orthodox Sobor”, and more importantly, the fervent prayers of believers, following the teachings of Holy Fathers and Confessors of the 20th century condemning the putative Sobor as apostasy, could lead to a complete breakdown of the meeting, since all decisions at the Sobor and the Synaxis would be via consensus, and if any of the First Hierarchs were absent, that would render that impossible.

On 12 January 2016, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Sofia and all Bulgaria referred to the principle of consensus in making a number of conditions specifying their conditions for allowing Patriarch Neofit Dimitrov to take part in the meeting in Genève. In particular, the Synod stated that the lack of an agenda for the Synaxis and the likely presence at the said meeting of uncanonical representatives of the PCČZS/PCČKS (Orthodox Church of Czechia and Slovakia) is unacceptable. Apparently, they mean the so-called “Archbishop” Simeon Jakovlevič of Olomouc and Brno (supported by the EP), the pretender to the seat of First Hierarch Metropolitan Rastislav Gont of Prešov. Moreover, the Bulgarian Holy Synod declared the fundamental importance of the principle of consensus in the coming Synaxis, and that such consensus could only exist if the all the First Hierarchs of the Local Orthodox Churches are present.

In this connection, the Bulgarian Synod ruled that the Patriarch Neofit could only take part in the Genève meeting if “the Patriarch and the Holy Synod promptly receive the agenda of the meeting and if all outstanding disputes receive resolution before convoking the meeting in Chambésy”. Besides this, on 15 January, the Church of Athens and all Greece decided definitively that Archbishop Ieronymos Liapis wouldn’t take part in the upcoming Synaxis, sending instead a delegation consisting of Metropolitans Germanos Paraskevopoulos of Elis and Oleni, Chrysostomos Zafyris of Peristeri, and Chrysostomos Savvatos of Messinia. Orthodox media reported that amongst the reasons for this decision was pressure put on Archbishop Ieronymos… including political pressure… by the EP from the moment it became known that the First Hierarch of the Church of Greece wouldn’t be at this meeting.

17 January 2016

Inform Religia

http://www.inform-relig.ru/news/detail.php?ID=11333

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1 June 2014. Moscow IS the CENTRE of the Orthodox World…

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Unlike the Phanar, nestled in a set of dilapidated buildings in an Istanbul neighbourhood, the Centre is the bustling beating heart of the Orthodox World. For instance, in the top image, HH meets the Catholicos-Patriarch of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Dinkha IV Khanania. In the next, we see HH with Patriarch Neofit Dimitrov of Sofia and all Bulgaria, a fellow First Hierarch. Then, he’s with Archbishop Antonios Chedraoui Tannous of Mexico (Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East). In the last, he’s with Metropolitan Amvrosios Lenis of Kalavrytas (Church of Athens and all Greece). In short, Moscow is THE CITY… remember:

“Old Rome fell to the axes of the barbarians, Constantinople New Rome fell to the infidel Turk… Moscow is the Third Rome, and a Fourth, there never shall be!”

In short, Bart’s pretensions and “agreements” in Jerusalem with Frankie were LESS than nothing. Will HH meet with the “Bag o’ Donuts?” No… Rome refuses to call off its Uniate attack dogs… THAT has its price. Pope Francisco is a sincere human being with proper social justice stands (which HH shares, by the way)… but there are no real concessions on his part in the Church realm, so, a meeting can’t take place. That’s the long n’ the short of it…

By the way, ignoranus Western sources claim that HH is cool towards V V Putin. Nothing could be further from the truth. As the above images indicate, he’s a BUSY man… his role as First Hierarch of the Patriarchate of Moscow and all the Russias takes up a HUGE amount of time. After all, he’s the leading Orthodox leader in the world, and that doesn’t leave him much time for secular politicking… he leaves that to his able satrap for the Diocese of Moscow, Metropolitan Yuvenaly Poyarkov (who DOES show up at the proper venues at the proper times). Oh yes… one last thing… the RCs, Uniates, and “Ukrainian Orthodox” are crowing about a UOC/MP priest concelebrating with Denisenko’s crank schismatical crew. Yes, that happened, and Metropolitan Onufry Berezovsky of Kiev came down on him like a ton of bricks… the guy got a one-month suspension, with a warning that if he did it again, he’d get le sabot. They ARE outside the Church, after all…

BMD

Patriarch Neofit: Our Kids Need to Know the ABCs of Orthodoxy

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Patriarch Neofit Dimitrov stated that Bulgarian kids should have the opportunity to learn about their Orthodox Christian heritage. On Sunday, Neofit addressed clergy and believers on the 60th anniversary of the restoration of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. The message, read out by Bishop Naum Dimitrov of Stob, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, made a strong case for the introduction of religion as a subject in school, with a special emphasis on Orthodox Christianity. It also reflected on the last 60 years of history for Orthodoxy in Bulgaria. Neofit wrote, “The past decades weren’t easy, but with God’s help, immutably led by the spirit of truth, all of us, according to the measure of our powers, bore witness to the resurrection of Christ. Today, we call for, and will continue to call for, more mission and witness to eternal salvation in our dear homeland and beyond her confines. What’s been accomplished isn’t little, but it isn’t enough either”. Patriarch Neofit also reflected on the “spiritual crisis” that Bulgarian society is going through, which is deeper than any financial and political troubles, saying, “There is a crisis of values, a crisis in thinking through the eternal truths about God, the world, and humanity”.

19 May 2013

Novinite.com

Sofia News Agency

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=150534

Metropolitan Iosif Bosakov Quits as Bulgarian Orthodox Leader in the USA, Canada, and Australia

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According to Bulgarian media sources, Metropolitan Iosif Bosakov, the head of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia, resigned. According to the newspaper Dneven Trud, Metropolitan Iosif wants to return home and has already picked his successor. Bulgarian Holy Synod sources told dnevnik.bg that Vladyki Iosif has thought of resignation for quite some time. Metropolitan Iosif is very close with newly-elected Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch Neofit Dmitrov and is likely to head his Chancery.

26 February 2013

Novinite.com

Sofia News Agency

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=148207