Encyclical of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church

ENCYCLICAL
OF THE HOLY AND GREAT COUNCIL
OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Crete 2016

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

With a hymn of thanksgiving, we praise and worship God in Trinity, who has enabled us to gather together during the days of the feast of Pentecost here on the island of Crete, which has been sanctified by St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and his disciple Titus, his "true son in the common faith" (Tit 1.4), and, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to conclude the sessions of this Holy and Great Council of our Orthodox Church – convened by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, by the common will of Their Beatitudes the Primates of the most holy Orthodox Churches – for the glory of His most holy Name and for the great blessing of His people and of the whole world, confessing with the divine Paul: "Let people then regard us thus: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor 4.1).

Number 1.

OFFICE OF THE PANORTHODOX SECRETARIAT

English Version
Tuesday, 21 June, 2016
Number 1.

HOLY AND GREAT COUNCIL OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

Orthodox Academy of Crete 18-27 June 2016

He divided the nations.
When He distributed the tongues of fire, He called all to UNITY.
And with one voice we glorify the All-Holy Spirit.
(Kontakion of Pentecost)

Press Briefing: Monday, June 20, 2016

His Beatitude Patriarch Irinej of Serbia speaks at the Opening Session of the Holy and Great Council, convened from June 19-26, 2016.

Headed by His Holiness Irinej, the Serbian Patriarch, the delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church arrived to Crete today, on 16 June 2016, where the session of the Holy and Great Council is to be held during the forthcoming days. His Holiness is accompanied by Their Eminences and Their Graces hierarchs: Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid, Metropolitan Dr. Porfirije of Zagreb-Ljubljana, Bishop Dr. Irinej of Backa, Bishop Dr. Ignjatije of Branicevo, Bishop Lukijan of Budim and Bishop Jeronim of Jegar.

1. Message of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church concerning the convocation of the Holy and Great Council to be held on Crete on the occasion of the feast-day of the Holy Trinity, from 17th to the 27th of June 2016.

The Holy Assembly of Bishops of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
№ 62/min. 164
25. Мay 2016
Belgrade

МESSAGE OF THE HOLY ASSEMBLY OF BISHOPS
OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
to Primates and Holy Synods of the Local Orthodox Churches

In the days of the most joyful Christian Feast, which fills every human being and all of creation with catholic meaning and good tidings of salvation in Christ, we welcome the summoning of autocephalous Orthodox Churches to the Holy and Great Synod which, if God allows it, will be held at the Orthodox Academy in Crete, on Pentecost, from 17 to 26 June 2016.

THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Syn. No. 840

15th June 2016

C O M M U N I Q U E

In brotherly love, while with responsibility and hopes preparing for the participation in the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which, God willing, is to be held at the Orthodox Academy at Crete around the Pentecost, from 17 until 26 June 2016, the Holy Synod of Bishops in its broader composition at its session held at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, on June 15, 2016, regarding the situation created after the ordinary convocation of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, passes the following decision:

On 25 May 2016 the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church elected by acclamation Bishop Irinej of Australia and New Zealand to the Throne of Bishops of Eastern America following the election of His Grace Bishop Mitrophan of Eastern America to the Throne of Bishops of Canada.

This year the church in Belgrade's municipality of Vozdovac celebrated its Patrons Saint-day (slava), the feast of Holy Emperor Contantine and Empress Helen the Equal-to-the-Apostles.

His Grace the Right Reverend Irinej (Dobrijevic), a graduate of both St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary and St Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary, was recently elected to serve as bishop of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Currently, His Grace is bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand, a diocese that, like the diocese to which he is newly elected, is under the authority of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate.