Posted by from Bishop Mark
on 6/20/2009, 2:16 pm, in reply to "Statement from the Holy Synod of Antioch"
6.20.09
The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese
OF NORTH AMERICA
Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest
2656 Pemberton Drive, Toledo, OH 43606
Telephone (419) 535-1390 * Fax (419) 535-7999
Website: www.antiochian.org/midwest
* Email: Mutron.Mark@sbcglobal.net
June 20, 2009
Dear to God,
Christ is in our midst! I received the following copy of the Decision of the Holy Synod of Antioch. The Holy Synod upholds the Canonical understanding that the Episcopate
is one and no bishop is the inferior of another, i.e., all Bishops are equal according to the Holy Canons. Bishops answer to Synods. As Bishops consecrated for specific Dioceses we were called to assist the Metropolitan Archbishop, but were not consecrated as assistant
bishops, i.e., as auxiliary bishops as such would be an anomaly to Orthodox Ecclesiology.
The Holy Synod of the See of Antioch, after long discussion and deep deliberation of the Synodal decision of February 24, 2009, and with the recommendations of His beatitude, the patriarch, it affirms that the nature of the Episcopate is one and the same to all those who are consecrated as bishops, The Holy Synod of Antioch affirms and reminds that all bishops of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America are bishops
who assist the Metropolitan, And that , furthermore, any diocese of the one united Archdiocese , under any circumstances, cannot be considered independent Archdiocese .
The Holy Synod of Antioch alone has the prerogative to establish Archdioceses in the
See of Antioch. Issued June,17, 2009
(Editor's note: A copy of the Arabic original follows in the Bishop's original text. )
Responses:
