Archbishop Elpidophoros of America presided over an extraordinary session of the Holy Eparchial Synod today, which was held via teleconference.
During the meeting:
A) A letter from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was reviewed, conveying that:
The Holy Eparchial Synod’s proposals to add the Archimandrites Gedeon Varytimos, Meletios Gianniodis, Ioannikios Gregoriadis, and Spyridon Chatzis to the list of eligible candidates for episcopal election have been accepted.
The proposal to incardinate Bishop Athenagoras of Nazianzos as a hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has also been accepted — with his canonical release to be sent from the Phanar.
By decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Metropolitan Evangelos of Sardes has been added to the list of eligible candidates.
B) A letter from Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta was also reviewed, in which His Eminence submitted his formal resignation as the Shepherd of the Holy Metropolis of Atlanta.
Consequently, the decision was made to forward this letter to the Mother Church, requesting that upon its acceptance, the Throne of this Holy Metropolis of the Sacred Archdiocese of America be declared vacant and the procedures provided by the Charter of the Archdiocese be initiated to fill the vacancy.
Read below the updated list of candidates eligible for election to the episcopacy of the Archdiocese of America.
