Posted by George Patsourakos
on 6/6/2009, 6:02 pm
Several Antiochian Bishops from America, who recently met with His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius in Damascus, Syria, were told by the Patriarch that they will continue to serve as Auxiliaries to the American Antiochian Primate, Metropolitan Philip.
Patriarch Ignatius met with each Bishop individually, as well as with all of them together, in order to have a clearer understanding of the current situation in the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America.
An anonymous source within the Patriarchate with knowledge of the details of the group meeting spoke to the Antiochian.com on the condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to reveal this information.
This source said that the Antiochian Bishops expressed their obedience to the Holy Synod decision to make them Auxiliaries, but they were disappointed in the way this decision was made.
Patriarch Ignatius told the Bishops that they will remain Auxiliary Bishops, but doing so will not reduce their status insofar as what they were consecrated to do; that is, to assist the Metropolitan Archbishop in his Archdiocese.
Patriarch Ignatius also made it very clear to the Bishops that there will be no change in their status as Auxiliaries, and that the upcoming meeting of the Holy Synod will reaffirm this decision.
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