Posted by Leo on 3/29/2008, 1:36 pm
In the past on this forum, the question was raised about why The OCA Synod has to 'second-guess' the floor vote of the All-American Council - lay parish representatives and clergy - for Primate.
Well, I recently made the connection in my own head anyway: By the late first millennium, election (or confirmation) and translation of Bishops was pretty much the job of the Provincial Synods in the Eastern Empire of the Romans, the earliest localized and "democratic" approach having largely been superceded. In fact, in the Patriarchates, Patriarchal Synods had the right to confirm, and later even elect, Provincial Primates (the original "Metropolitans").
In The OCA/Metropolia, I believe they've always elected Primates from among candidates who were already Bishops. Translation (ie, "transfer") of Bishops is up to Synods because in theory a Bishop is "married" to his See for life, and should only be translated to another in cases of some hugely overriding need, no matter what "the people demand." And even if the Council floor voted for a priest, deacon, subdeacon, monk, or layman, ultimate responsibility is in the hands of the other Bishops of the Synod, and so they need to be able to exercise discretion for it to be in keeping with Orthodox Holy Tradition.
I think this is why, theoretically, anyway....
--Leo
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