Synodus Episcoporum - X Ordinary General Assembly

[Hesychios]

SYNODUS EPISCOPORUM
X ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS

I found this interesting, and as the comments of this Eastern Catholic Patriarch touch upon relations with the Orthodox, and the Patriarchal ecclesiology still in use among the Orthodox, I thought it best to post this here.

As a matter of background, Pope John Paul II called an assembly of bishops. This Patriarch is apparently taking exception to the established protocol, which implies that the patriarchal office he holds and the (formerly Orthodox) Melkite Antiochian church is the result of a concession by the Papacy and not a church in it’s own right.

H.B. Grégoire III LAHAM, B.S., Patriarch of Antioch for the Greek-Melchites, Syria

http://www.opuslibani.org.lb/eglise/003/lahham.jpg

         "It is incorrect to include the Patriarchal Synod             under the title of Episcopal Conferences. *It is a completely             distinct organism*. The Patriarchal Synod is the supreme instance of the Eastern Church. It can legislate, elect bishops and Patriarchs, cut off those who differ.

          In No. 75, a "*particular honor*" given             to Patriarchs is mentioned. **I would like to mention that this             diminishes the traditional role of the Patriarch**, as well as             speaking about the honor and privileges of the Patriarchs in             ecclesiastical documents.

          It is not a question of honor, of privileges, of concessions. The patriarchal institution is a specific entity unique in Eastern ecclesiology.

          **With all respect due to the Petrine ministry, the             Patriarchal ministry is equal to it**, "servatis servandis",             in Eastern ecclesiology.

          Until this is taken into consideration by the             Roman ecclesiology, no progress will be made in ecumenical dialogue.

          Furthermore, **the Patriarchal ministry is not a Roman creation, it is not the fruit of privileges, conceded or granted by Rome**.

          Such a concept can but ruin any possible             understanding with Orthodoxy.

          We claim this also for our Patriarchal Melkite             Church and for all our Eastern Catholic Churches.

          We have waited too long to apply the decrees of Vatican Council II and the Encyclicals and letters by the Popes, and notably by Pope John Paul II.

          Because of this the good will of the Church of             Rome loses credibility regarding ecumenical dialogue.

          We can see the opposite occurring: **the CCEO has             ratified uses absolutely contrary to Eastern tradition and             ecclesiology**!"

04.10.2001
(emphasis where it occurs is mine)

It seems that the patriarch fears that his Melkite church (which began as an Orthodox church which agreed to share communion with the Papacy in 1724AD), is now being regarded by the Vatican as a subordinate entity (Episcopal Conference) rather than the Sister Church it was when it first agreed to communion.

For reference, I show a link to the Code of Canons for the Oriental Churches (CCEO) compiled by the Vatican (1990AD) for the use of Eastern Catholic churches, and also a link for the Canons of the Orthodox church which applied to the Melkites originally.

Has anyone any thoughts on this?

 

[ljubim]

This is interesting… I pray that the Patriarch doesn’t break away!! This could terribly hurt the long-awaited reunification between the church’s “two lungs” as they say. I guess the Vatican must be more sensitive towards this group? And yet why is he so upset about a simple naming issue? Interesting…

 

[Pons]

This is several years old.

 

[Hesychios]

This is several years old.

Yes, the event described is several years old. But the issue is the same and has been ongoing for many years.

I don’t think there is any danger of the Melkites breaking away en masse, but even if they did what would it matter?

• If the Patriarch is insisting that his office is equal to the Pope’s office, does that mean he does not believe in Papal Universal Jurisdiction?

For instance, in the first line he states"
“It is incorrect to include the Patriarchal Synod under the title of Episcopal Conferences. It is a completely distinct organism. The Patriarchal Synod is the supreme instance of the Eastern Church. It can legislate, elect bishops and Patriarchs, cut off those who differ.”

Clearly he is indicating that his Melkite Synod is not merely a national entity. to be pushed in place as “just one more of several”. His church could organize it’s own bishop’s conferences for differing states or regions. No doubt he would believe his church’s bishops’ conferences were the equivalent to Rome bishops’ conferences.

The problem here is that the Vatican apparatus cannot seem to bend it’s collective thinking around the concept.

The reason I thought this was relevant today is because of talk between Orthodox churches and the Papacy about shared communion. We observe these developments within the Papal community of churches and the results are disturbing.

It looks after all as though these two churches are no longer merely in communion with each other, but actually as if the Papacy and the Vatican apparatus is moving to take over this eastern church. It began at least since Vatican II (if not earlier) when the Vatican stripped the church of control over it’s overseas following.

During Vatican I, the Pope of the day, Pio Nonno, coerced the Melkite Patriarch to sign an agreement to it’s decrees (with this caveat: “all rights, privileges and prerogatives of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches being respected”). As the story goes, the patriarch bent down to kiss the Pope’s foot, and the Pope put his other foot on the back of the man’s head and stepped on him.

The Melkite church opposed the beatification of Pope Pius IX for one hundred years, their objections were brushed aside late in the reign of Pope John Paul II.

In the 1990’s, the patriarch and synod signed on to the Zoghby Initiative (an effort to bridge the churches by having open communion with the Orthodox and with Rome), although this was rejected by both the Orthodox church of Antioch and by Rome.

Finally in 2001, the patriarch was willing to attend this conference in order to make a public protest. Has anyone listened? How many people here have been aware of this internal strife? I know that these developments have been followed to some extent by Orthodox.

So then, what if my church, an Orthodox church, were to experiment with shared communion with Rome? Is this what we should expect to see down the road?

 

[Hesychios]

This is several years old.

Yes, the event described is several years old. But the issue is the same and has been ongoing for many years.

I don’t think there is any danger of the Melkites breaking away en masse, but even if they did what would it matter?

• If the Patriarch is insisting that his office is equal to the Pope’s office, does that mean he does not believe in Papal Universal Jurisdiction?

For instance, in the first line he states"
“It is incorrect to include the Patriarchal Synod under the title of Episcopal Conferences. It is a completely distinct organism. The Patriarchal Synod is the supreme instance of the Eastern Church. It can legislate, elect bishops and Patriarchs, cut off those who differ.”

Clearly he is indicating that his Melkite Synod is not merely a national entity to be pushed in place as “just one more of several”. His church could organize it’s own bishop’s conferences for differing states or regions. No doubt he would believe his church’s bishops’ conferences were the equivalent to Rome bishops’ conferences.

The problem here is that the Vatican apparatus cannot seem to bend it’s collective thinking around the concept.

The reason I thought this was relevant today is because of talk between Orthodox churches and the Papacy about shared communion. We observe these developments within the Papal community of churches and the results are disturbing.

It looks after all as though these two churches are no longer merely in communion with each other, but actually as if the Papacy and the Vatican apparatus is moving to take over this eastern church. It began at least since Vatican II (if not earlier) when the Vatican stripped the church of control over it’s overseas following.

During Vatican I, the Pope of the day, Pio Nonno, coerced the Melkite Patriarch to sign an agreement to it’s decrees (with this caveat: “all rights, privileges and prerogatives of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches being respected”). As the story goes, the patriarch bent down to kiss the Pope’s foot, and the Pope put his other foot on the back of the man’s head and stepped on him.

The Melkite church opposed the beatification of Pope Pius IX for one hundred years, their objections were brushed aside late in the reign of Pope John Paul II.

IN 1990 the Vatican promunlgated a new Code of Canons (CCEO, mentioned above) for the eastern churches and imposed this upon the Melkites in the diaspora. I am not sure if the Melkites in the ‘home territories’ are using it, but they are familiar with it, as indicated by the above comments of the Patriarch. He does not like it.

In the 1990’s, the patriarch and synod signed on to the Zoghby Initiative (an effort to bridge the churches by having open communion with the Orthodox and also with Rome), although this was rejected by both the Orthodox church of Antioch and by Rome.

Finally in 2001, the patriarch was willing to attend this conference in order to make a public protest. Has anyone listened? How many people here have been aware of this internal strife? I know that these developments have been followed to some extent by Orthodox.

So then, what if my church, an Orthodox church, were to experiment with shared communion with Rome? Is this encroachment what we should expect to see down the road?