Last year, the dilemma that Orthodoxy faced, centered around the vaccinated and the deniers of the Pandemic. So now with the new year coming, the dilemma shifted in line “with the Ecumenical Patriarchate or with Moscow”, an issue, which will occupy us in the upcoming months.
The Patriarchate of Alexandria claims that the Ecumenical Patriarchate should convene a Synod of the Presbyterian Patriarchs (of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem) and the Archbishop of Cyprus as a Church resulting from the Ecumenical Synod.
My loyal readers will recall the time when I wrote that the Ecumenical Patriarchate does not wish for a convocation of a Pan-Orthodox Synod to be held, as the Russians desire.
On the one hand, because they consider that the Russians “missed out on their opportunity in Crete” and, on the other hand, because with any possible involvement of all Orthodox players (Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia, etc.), the balances are not so in favor of Phanar.
At a Synod among the Presbyterian Patriarchates, the score between Phanar and Moscow (the stance of which side will prevail) is 3 in favor of Phanar (Ecumenical, Alexandria, Cyprus), 1 for sure in favor of the Russians (Antioch) and 1 (Jerusalem) that still… is thinking about it . It is most likely that Theophilos of Jerusalem will move against the adoption of harsh measures at the expense of the Moscow Patriarchate.
And all of that would have to be the case, given that this convocation of the Presbyterian Patriarchates will finally take place. The real object here is, that the unity might be so badly damaged, that even if they want to, neither side might not be able to “save the day”.
The Ecumenical Patriarch appears to be unyielding, but that doesn’t mean, that the Russian side is pulling back. There is a long and difficult way in the quest for unity in Orthodoxy.
However, it was also said by Mohamed Ali, one of the leading boxers: “The most exhausting thing is not the mountains which lie ahead of you, but the gravel inside your shoes.”
And on the road to unity inside the Church, gravels abound.
From the column of Greek edition orthodoxtimes.gr, Melchizedek
