What is the Eastern Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church is one of the three main Christian groups (the others being Roman Catholic and Protestant). It is made up of a number of self-governing Churches which are either 'autocephalous' (meaning having their own head) or 'autonomous' (meaning self-governing). The Orthodox Churches are united in faith and by a common approach to theology, tradition, and worship. They draw on elements of Greek, Middle-Eastern, Russian and Slav culture. Each Church has its own geographical (rather than a national) title that usually reflects the cultural traditions of its believers. The word 'Orthodox' takes its meaning from the Greek words orthos ('right') and doxa ('belief'). Hence the word Orthodox means correct belief or right thinking. The Orthodox tradition developed from the Christianity of the Eastern Roman Empire and was shaped by the pressures, politics and peoples of that geographical area. Since the Eastern capital of the Roman Empire was Byzantium, this style of Christianity is sometimes called 'Byzantine Christianity'. The Orthodox Churches share with the other Christian Churches the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The Orthodox Church differs substantially from the other Churches in the way of life and worship, and in certain aspects of theology. The Holy Spirit is seen as present in and as the guide to the Church working through the whole body of the Church, as well as through priests and bishops.
Are Orthodox Churches the same as Eastern Orthodox Churches?
Not all Orthodox Churches are 'Eastern Orthodox'. The 'Oriental Orthodox Churches' have theological differences with the Eastern Orthodox and form a separate group, while a few Orthodox Churches are not 'in communion' with the others. Not all Churches in the Eastern tradition are Orthodox - Eastern Churches that are not included in the Orthodox group include the Eastern Catholic Churches.
What can you tell us about the Great Schism?
The doctrine of the Christian Church was established over the centuries at Councils dating from as early as 325CE where the leaders from all the Christian communities were represented. The Eastern Church recognizes the authority of the Councils of Nicea 325 CE, Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431) Chalcedon (451) Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680) and Nicaea II (787). Although initially the Eastern and Western Christians shared the same faith, the two traditions began to divide after the seventh Ecumenical Council in 787 CE and is commonly believed to have finally split over the conflict with Rome in the so-called Great Schism in 1054. In particular this happened over the Papal claim to supreme authority and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The break became final with the failure of the Council of Florence in the fifteenth century. However, in the minds of most Orthodox, a decisive moment was the sack of Constantinople in 1204 during the (Western Christian) Fourth Crusade. The sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders eventually led to the loss of this Byzantine capital to the Muslim Ottomans in 1453. This has never been forgotten. The divisions between the East and Western Churches happened gradually over the centuries as the Roman Empire fragmented. Eventually, while the Eastern Churches maintained the principle that the Church should keep to the local language of the community, Latin became the language of the Western Church. Until the schism the five great patriarchal sees were Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. After the break with Rome Orthodoxy became 'Eastern' and the dominant expression of Christianity in the eastern Mediterranean, much of Asia Minor, Russian and Balkans.
Whenever I read about the Orthodox Church, the word Tradition always comes up. Can you explain briefly how you explain Tradition?
The ongoing life of God’s People is called Holy Tradition. The Holy Tradition of the Old Testament is expressed in the Old Testamental part of the Bible and in the ongoing life of the People of Israel until the birth of Christ. This tradition is fulfilled, completed and transcended in the time of the Messiah and in the Christian Church. The New Testamental or Christian Tradition is also called the apostolic tradition and the tradition of the Church. The central written part of this tradition is the New Testamental writings in the Bible.
The gospels and the other writings of the apostolic church form the heart of the Christian tradition and are the main written source and inspiration of all that developed in later ages. This Christian tradition is given over from people to people, through space and time.
Tradition as a word means exactly this: it is that which is “passed on” and “given over” from one to another. Holy Tradition is, therefore, that which is passed on and given over within the Church from the time of Christ’s apostles right down to the present day. Although containing many written documents, Holy Tradition is not at all limited to what is written; it is not merely a body of literature. It is, on the contrary, the total life and experience of the entire Church transferred from place to place and from generation to generation.
Tradition is the very life of the Church itself as it is inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. Not everything in the Church belongs to its Holy Tradition for not everything in the Church is done by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and not everything in the Church pertains essentially and necessarily to the Kingdom Of God. Some things in the Church are just temporal and temporary things, merely human customs and traditions of no eternal and everlasting value. Such things in themselves are not sinful or wrong. On the contrary, they may be very positive and very helpful to the life of the Church as long as they are not taken to be what they are not. Thus, it is very important in the Church to make the distinction between traditions which are merely earthly and human and passing away and the genuine Holy Tradition which pertains to the heavenly and eternal Kingdom of God. It is also important to recognize that there are also things in the Church which not only do not belong to Holy Tradition, but which are not even to be counted among its positive human traditions. These things which are just sinful and wrong are brought into the life of the Church from the evil world. The Church in its human form, as an earthly institution, is not immune to the sins of its unholy members. These deviations and errors which creep into the life of the Church stand under the judgment and condemnation of the authentic and genuine Holy Tradition which comes from God. Among the elements which make up the Holy Tradition of the Church, the Bible holds the first place. Next comes the Church’s liturgical life and its prayer, then its dogmatic decisions and the acts of its approved churchly councils, the writings of the church fathers, the lives of the saints, the canon laws, and finally the iconographic tradition together with the other inspired forms of creative artistic expression such as music and architecture. All of the elements of Holy Tradition are organically linked together in real life. None of them stands alone. None may be separated or isolated from the other or from the wholeness of the life of the Church. All come alive in the actual living of the life of the Church in every age and generation, in every time and place.
As the Church continues to live by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Tradition of the Church will continue to grow and develop. This process will go on until the establishment of the Kingdom of God at the end of the ages.
Do you recognise the Ecumenical Patriarch?
We are paternally affiliated with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, based on A Tomos of Autocephaly (self-government) that was issued by the Ecumenical Patriarch +GREGORIOS VII (Zervoudakis) to the Orthodox Church of Poland which was headed by Metropolitan +DIONISIJ (Valedynsky). Due to the political circumstances (and territorial partitions) between the First and Second World Wars, most of the ancient Kyivan Metropolitanate was located within Poland. In this Tomos, the previous transfer of the Kyivan Church to the jurisdiction of Moscow (1685) was declared uncanonical and the independence of the Kyivan Metropolitanate (The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church) was fully restored.
How do you understand the universality of the Church?
All men are called to be part of the Church, hence the salvific plan of God to gather His scattered children in unity (cf. Jn 11:52). It is for this purpose that God became Man to take possession of the universe and snatch us from the power of the rebellious angels who, however, believe in Him and tremble (cf. Jas 2:19). The Holy Spirit who is God and who gives life is, for the whole Church, for each one of the believers, the principle of their gathering and their unity in the doctrine of the Apostles, and the fraternal communion, in the fraction bread and prayers (cf. Acts 2:42). The people of God cannot be divided if they allow themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit and therefore the need for reconciliation in the Holy Spirit is essential to eradicate all the divisions which have struck the Church. All the faithful, in fact, scattered throughout the world, are, in the Holy Spirit, in communion with others. But since the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world (cf. Jn 18:36), the Church remembers that it must act as a unifier with this King to whom the nations have been given as an inheritance (cf. . . Ps 2, 8) and in whose city gifts and presents are brought (cf. Ps 71 [72], 10; Is 60, 4-7; Rev 21, 24). The members of the People of God are called to share their goods and to each of the Churches the words of the Apostle also apply: "Let each put at the service of others the gift he has received, as befits good dispensers of divine grace which is so diverse” (cf. 1 Pet 4, 10).
What do you say about the Apostles?
The twelve disciples/apostles of Jesus were the foundation stones of His church, several even wrote portions of the Bible. As we study these courageous first century lives, and what discipleship meant in the time of Jesus, we may expect to be aided in developing a Spirit-directed twenty-first-century discipleship as Christ must have meant it to be. Although we remember each of the Twelve Apostles at different times throughout the year, on June 30th we celebrate the Synaxis o, f the 12 Apostles, a general remembrance for all of them with liturgical services and hymns that honour their contributions to the Church.
What is your Divine Liturgy?
The Divine Liturgy is the central experience of Faith in the Byzantine tradition. Through it, we participate in the supernatural life, receive inspiration for our spiritual lives, and are catechized in a profound and foundational way. Simply meditating on the prayers of the Divine Liturgy totally immerses one in the mysteries of salvation and the teaching of the Church. The Liturgy connects the whole Church - Her past, present, and future, uniting us with all the saints and angels, as well as the believers from all times (the Pilgrim Church, Suffering Church, and Glorified Church). The Divine Liturgy is composed of three main parts: The Prothesis (or proskomedia), the service preparing the holy gifts The Liturgy of the Catechumens, or the Liturgy of the Word The Liturgy of the Faithful, or Liturgy of the Eucharist We have three Liturgies that are used throughout the year: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated on most Sundays throughout the year and most weekdays The Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, celebrated only ten times during the liturgical year, most notably on the first five Sundays of Lent and Christmas Eve The Divine Liturgy of St. Gregory the Dialogist, also known as the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, celebrated during the weekdays of Lent especially on Wednesdays and Fridays.
How you explain Liturgy?
When the Church, which means literally the gathering or assembly of people who are called together to perform a specific task, assembles as God’s People to worship, this gathering is called the liturgy of the Church. As a word, liturgy means the common work or action of a particular group of people for the sake of all. Thus the divine liturgy of the Christian Church means the common work of God done by the people of God.
The liturgy of the Old Testament people was the official worship in the temple of Jerusalem according to the Mosaic Law, as well as the annual feasts and fasts and the private prayers and services held by the Israelites at home or in the synagogues. Synagogues by definition are houses of gathering; they are not temples since, according to the Law, there was just the one temple in Jerusalem where the priestly worship was conducted. In the synagogues the Israelites gathered for prayer and scriptural study, preaching, and contemplation of the Word of God. In the New Testament Church the liturgy is centered in the person of Christ and is primarily a “christening” of the Old Testament liturgical life.
The Christian Church retains the liturgical life of the Old Testament in a new and eternal perspective. Thus, the prayers of the Old Testament, the scriptures and the psalms, are read and sung in the light of Christ. The sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ replaces the Old Testament sacrifices in the temple. And the Lord’s Day, Sunday, replaces the old Jewish sabbath which is Saturday. The Jewish feasts also take on new meaning in the Christian Church, with the central feast of Passover, for example, becoming the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection; and the feast of Pentecost becoming the celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit, which fulfils the Old Testamental Law.
The Christian liturgical year is also patterned after the Old Testamental prototype. From the basic foundation of the Old Testament liturgy, the Church developed its own sacramental life with baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity, chrismation, holy communion, marriage, repentance, healing, and the Churchly ministry and priesthood taking on specifically Christian forms and meaning. In addition, a great wealth of specifically Christian prayers, hymns, and blessings were developed, together with specifically Christian feasts and celebrations in remembrance of New Testamental events and saints. The living experience of the Christian sacramental and liturgical life is a primary source of Christian doctrine. In the liturgy of the Church, the Bible and the Holy Tradition come alive and are given to the living experience of the Christian people. Thus, through prayer and sacramental worship, men are “taught by God” as it was predicted for the messianic age (Jn 6.45). In addition to the living experience of the liturgy, the texts of the services and sacraments provide a written source of doctrine in that they may be studied and contemplated by one who desires an understanding of Christian teachings. According to the common opinion of the Orthodox Church, the sacramental and liturgical texts-the hymns, blessings, prayers, symbols, and rituals-contain no formal errors or deformations of the Christian faith and can be trusted absolutely to reveal the genuine doctrine of the Orthodox Church.
It may well be that some of the historical information contained in church feasts is inaccurate or merely symbolical, but there is no question in the Church that the doctrinal and spiritual meaning of all of the feasts is genuine and authentic and provides true experience and knowledge
What do say about the Saints?
The Church Fathers included the commemoration of many Martyrs and other Saints in the liturgical year. The Second Vatican Council reminds us that the Martyrs and Saints, being “raised to holiness by abundant graces of God and already in possession of their eternal salvation, sing constant praises to God in heaven and offer prayers for us” (ct. Decree on the Liturgy, n. 104). By celebrating the passage of the Saints from the earth to heaven, the Church also proposes them to us as so many examples of genuine Christian living. The veneration of the Saints has a similar purpose. This began in the first century, first the Veneration of the Martyrs and then of the Apostles. Soon other Saints were added. Between the fourth and the fifth centuries the veneration of the Saints became a general practice, ceding the first place to St. John the Baptist (after the Blessed Mother and the Angels), in view of Christ’s testimony: “There is no one greater than John!” (Lk. 7:28). The Saints usually are commemorated on the anniversary of their death, since the departure of those “that died in the Lord” (Rom. 14:8) was considered by the Christians as a day of birth to a new and happy life with God.
What can you tell us about Icons & Iconography?
Icons play a central role in the liturgical and spiritual lives of Byzantine tradition. They adorn the walls and sanctuaries of our Churches and are frequently carried in processions. It is not uncommon for a Byzantine Christian to have an "icon corner" in their home designated for prayer. Rich theology of icons manifests to us something of the hidden spiritual realities that they represent. Icons are windows into the spiritual world. They help us to look into eternity and they make the historical events of our salvation, as revealed in Scripture, present to us. They are truly "theology in colour." Through their many symbols, icons allow us to touch the mysteries they represent. They tells us the story of what happened in the events they depict. It is common to hear of someone "writing icons" rather than "painting" them. We do not worship the icons, but only persons they depict. As a picture of a loved one helps us to keep him or her close to our heart, so too do the icons help in our prayer to be in the presence of God, to feel close to Him, the Mother of God, and all the saints and angels. They help us to know that God, the Theotokos, and the saints and angels are always close to us.
How many Sacraments you have?
The Byzantine Orthodox Church have Seven Sacraments. We recognize and affirm the seven Mysteries or Sacraments of the Church: Baptism. Chrismation (Confirmation). Communion (Holy Eucharist). Holy Ordination. Penance. Anointing of the sick (Holy Unction of the sick and Extreme Unction for the dying). Holy Matrimony / Marriage.
What do you say about the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos?
We believe that Mary, the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Theotokos, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church and the Queen of Heaven and earth, holds a special place in the faith, the lives and the liturgy of our Church.
The Virgin Mary, holds a central place in the hearts and devotion of Orthodox Christians. To understand why she is so important, it is necessary to delve into the teachings and beliefs of Orthodoxy.
First and foremost, Orthodox Christians believe in the Incarnation, which is the belief that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ. This is an essential aspect of Orthodox theology, as it affirms the belief that God fully entered into human experience in order to redeem and restore humanity.
The Virgin Mary played a crucial role in the Incarnation, as she was the one chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. This means that she was not just a vessel for the conception and birth of Jesus, but rather a fully human and fully divine being. She is therefore seen as a crucial figure in the salvation history of the Orthodox Church, as she played a key role in the redemption of humanity through her son, Jesus Christ.In addition to her role in the Incarnation, the Virgin Mary is also revered for her holiness and her devotion to God.
She is seen as an example of what it means to fully embrace one’s faith and to live a life dedicated to God. She is often depicted as the “new Eve,” as she is seen as reversing the sin of the first woman and becoming a model of obedient faith.
The Virgin Mary is also a source of comfort and intercession for Orthodox Christians. She is seen as a mother figure who is always ready to listen and to offer her maternal love and protection.
Many Orthodox believers turn to her in times of need, asking for her intercession before God on their behalf.
Finally, the Virgin Mary is also revered for her role in the Church. She is seen as a model for the Church itself, as she exemplified the virtues of humility, obedience, and faith. She is also seen as a symbol of the Church’s unity, as she is the mother of all believers and is therefore a unifying figure for the Orthodox Church.
The Virgin Mary holds a central place in the hearts and devotion of Orthodox Christians due to her role in the Incarnation, her holiness and devotion to God, her role as a source of comfort and intercession, and her role in the Church. She is a deeply revered and beloved figure within Orthodoxy, and her influence and importance cannot be overstated.
What do you say about the Filioque Position?
We reject the addition clause to the Nicene Creed, which states that the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father and the Son. We maintain, the solid and unquestioning beliefs as set out in the Creed of Nicaea/Constantinople of AD 381. We maintain that no Church, no Bishop or Bishops, nor successive Synods or Councils may change, alter, add to, or take away from, a Creed once it is proclaimed by a legitimate General Ecumenical Council.
What your understanding on abortion?
The abortion of a child already conceived is strictly forbidden in the Orthodox Church, and cannot be justified in any way, except perhaps with the greatest moral risk and with the most serious penitence in the most extreme cases such as that of irreparable damage to the mother or her probable death in the act of childbirth. In such extreme situations, the mother alone must take upon herself the decision, and all must be prepared to stand before God for the action, asking His divine mercy.
What is your understanding to marriage?
In the Orthodox Church, marriage is considered to be the oldest institution of divine law because it was instituted simultaneously with the creation of Adam and Eve, the first human beings (Gen 2:23). Since its origin, this union not only implies the spiritual communion of a married couple a man and a woman but also assured the continuation of the human race. As such, the marriage of man and woman, which was blessed in Paradise, became a holy mystery, as mentioned in the New Testament where Christ performs His first sign, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, and th us reveals His glory (Jn 2:11). The mystery of the indissoluble union between man and woman is an icon of the unity of Christ and the Church (Eph 5:32). The Church consider the union of man and woman in Christ constitutes “a small church” or an icon of the Church. Through God’s blessing, the union of man and woman is elevated to a higher level, for communion is greater than individual existence because it initiates the spouses into the order of the Kingdom of the All-Holy Trinity. A necessary condition of marriage is faith in Jesus Christ, which must be shared by the bridegroom and the bride, man and woman. Consequently, unity in Christ is the foundation of marital unity. Thus, marital love blessed by the Holy Spirit enables the couple to reflect the love between Christ and the Church as a mystery of the Kingdom of God—as the eternal life of humanity in the love of God. As for civil marriage between a man and a woman registered in accordance with the law lacks sacramental character since it is a simple legalized cohabitation recognized by the State, different from a marriage blessed by God and the Church. The members of the Church who contract a civil marriage ought to be regarded with pastoral responsibility, which is necessary to help them understand the value of the sacrament of marriage and the blessings connected with it. The Church does not allow for her members to contract same-sex unions or any other form of cohabitation apart from marriage. The Church exerts all possible pastoral efforts to help her members who enter such unions understand the true meaning of repentance and love as blessed by the Church. The grave consequences brought about by this crisis of the institutions of marriage and the family are manifested in the frightening increase in the number of divorces, abortions, and other problems of family life. These consequences constitute a great challenge to the mission of the Church in the modern world, which is why the shepherds of the Church are obligated to make every possible effort to address these problems. The Orthodox Church lovingly invites her children and all people of good will to defend this fidelity to the sacredness of the family.
The Orthodox understanding to suicide?
As Orthodox Christians, we believe that life is a gift from God. The All-Holy and Life-Giving Trinity created all things and granted life to all living creatures. Out of His love, God made us, human beings, in His own divine image and likeness, entrusting us as stewards–not owners–of our lives, blessing us with the capacity of freedom, and calling us to a life of loving communion. Christ identifies the very purpose of His incarnation and earthly mission with the gift of life, proclaiming, “I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Remaining faithful to the Lord’s Gospel, the Orthodox Church invites all human beings to enter in the living body of Christ, to be sustained through the life-giving sacraments, and to preserve and perpetuate both spiritual and physical life. Suicide is the intentional causing of one’s own physical death through a decisive act. Suicide is regarded generally with the Orthodox Tradition as a rejection of God’s gift of physical life, a failure of stewardship, an act of despair, and a transgression of the sixth commandment, “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). On one hand, the Church condemns acts of suicide and declines to offer a funeral service and burial to a suicide victim. On the other hand, the Church acknowledges that while human freedom was not annihilated by the Fall, both spiritual factors (like acedia- spiritual torpor) and physical factors (like depression) can severely compromise a person’s ability to reason clearly and act freely. Regarding suicide, the Church takes very seriously such spiritual and physical factors and responds pastorally by offering a funeral service and burial to suicide victims whose capacities for judgment and action were found to be significantly diminished. Depression is an illness caused by both medical and psychological factors. It is characterized by physical changes such as loss of appetite, weight loss, and in some cases, weight gain. Both insomnia and hypersomnia are common symptoms. The primary focus of the Church and its pastoral ministry in cases of suicide is on the living, the family and friends of the deceased. Those left behind carry a great burden–of hurt, guilt, and shame–with the realization that their loved one has taken his/her own life. They look to the Church and especially to the parish family, for strength and hope regarding the deceased, and for the support and love they themselves urgently need. Far more cases of suicide than previously recognized involve spiritual and/or physiological factors that significantly compromise a person’s rationality and freedom. The parish priest should always consult with his diocesan hierarch to discern the proper course of action, the general pastoral recommendation being that a church burial and memorial services could be granted unless there were an absence of significantly diminished capacities.
Which liturgical Calendar you follow?
We follow the Revised Julian Calendar that is followed and adopted by: the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Cypriot Orthodox Church, the Church of Greece, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Orthodox Church in America and the Orthodox Church of America.
In your literature, you speak about a Patriarchal & Synodical Tomas, what is this Tomas all about?
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, November 13, 1924, concerning the declaration of the Orthodox Church in Poland as an Autocephalic Church. +GREGORIOS VII, by the grace of God Archbishop of Constantinople -the New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch The Holy Orthodox Church in the God-Protected Polish State, endowed with an autonomous system and administration and proving its firmness in faith, zealousness by charitable works has requested our Holy Apostolic and Ecumenical Patriarchal See to bless and confirm its autocephalous administrative system, considering that in the new circumstances of political life, only such a system can satisfy and guarantee its needs. Examining this request with love, taking into consideration the structions of the holy canons, which have established that the system of church affairs should correspond with the political and community forms (IV Ecumenical Council, canon 17, VI Ecumenical Council, canon 38), as well as the reasoning of Photius: "It is acceptable that laws which relate to church affairs, and especially parish matters, should correspond with political and administrative changes", from another point of view, bowing before the demands of canonical obligations, which impose upon our Holy Ecumenical See concern for Orthodox Churches, who are in need; considering also the fact, which is not contradicted by history (for it is recorded that the first separation from our See of the Kyivan Metropolia and the Orthodox Metropolia of Lithuania and Poland, dependent upon it, as well as their incorporation within the Holy Moscovite Church was accomplished contrary to canon law, as also all that which was agreed upon regarding the full church autonomy of the Kyivan Metropolitan, who at the time had the title Exarch of the Ecumenical See), We and our Holy Metropolitans, Our beloved brothers and co-workers in the Holy Spirit, considered it our obligation to give ear to the request presented to Us by the Holy Orthodox Church in Poland and to give Our blessing and approval to its autocephalous and independent administration. As a consequence of this conciliar decision, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, We have decided: to recognize an autocephalic administration for the Orthodox Church in Poland and give our blessings to this, so that from this day on It may be governed as a spiritual Sister, and decided Its affairs independently and in an autocephalic manner, according to the regulations and unlimited rights of other Holy Autocephalic Orthodox Churches, recognizing as its Supreme Church Authority, the Holy Synod, composed of orthodox canonical bishops in Poland, whose president shall at all times be the Blessed Metropolitan of Warsaw and of all Poland. To preserve and canonically maintain united with Our Holy Apostolic Ecumenical Patriarchal See, as well as with all other Autocephalic Orthodox Churches, We mention here the obligations which every Metropolitan of Warsaw and of all Poland will have: ie. to inform, according to the regulations of the Holy Orthodox, of his election and enthronization by an enthronization letter Our Great Christian Church as well as all other Autocephalous Orthodox Sister-Churches: To retain everything related to a firm maintenance of the Faith and Orthodox piety, as well as all that is commanded by the holy canons and regulations of the Orthodox Church; to also commemorate in accordance with regulations in the Diptychs the name of the Ecumenical Patriarch and other Patriarchs as well as the Hierarchs of other Autocephalic Churches. In addition to this we decree, that the Autocephalous Orthodox Sister-Church in Poland must obtain its Holy Myrh (oil) from Our Great Christian Church. We advise at this time, that in matters concerning church order and in matters of a more general nature, which are beyond the jurisdictional limits of every Autocephalous Church acting individually, that the Blessed Metropolitan of Warsaw and of all Poland to apply to Our Holy Ecumenical Patriarchal See, through whose mediation union with every Orthodox Church, "... rightly teaching the word of truth" and request authoritive opinions and help from Sister-Churches. Having carefully reviewed and considered all this at canonical meetings of the Holy Synod on the sixth and eleventh of November, 1924, We have entrusted, after the approval of the Synod, this Synodical and Patriarchal Tomos, accurately and unalterably copied, as it is recorded in the Codex of Our Great Christian Church, to the Blessed +DIONISIJ, Our beloved brother and co-worker in Christ, Metropolitan of Warsaw and of all Poland and President of the Holy Synod of the Autocephalic Orthodox Church in Poland. May the Lord God strengthen unto the ages, by the grace and merits of the First Great and Supreme Pastor, Christ our God, the Autocephalous Sister-Church in Poland, so fortunately organized, may He raise and increase everything in it to the glory of His Holy Name, for the benefit of Its pious flock and for the joy of all Autocephalous Orthodox Sister Churches. In the year of Our Lord 1924, November 13th.
The Patriarch of Constantinople, +GREGORIOS VII (Approved).
The Metropolitan of Kiza, +KALYNYK
The Metropolitan of Sardia and Pisidia, +HERMAN
The Metropolitan of Nicea, BASIL
The Metropolitan of Chaldea, +JOAKIM The Metropolitan of Philadelphia, +PHOTIUS
The Metropolitan of Derkos, +CONSTANTINE The Metropolitan of Syliria, +EUGENE
The Metropolitan of Brus, +NICODEMOUS
The Metropolitan of Rodopolia, +CYRIL
The Metropolitan of the Princes Islands, +AHAFANAHEL
The Metropolitan of Neocesarea, +AMBROSIOS
The Metropolitan of Anea, +THOMAS
The Ecumenical Patriarchate, November 13, 1924 Chancellor HERMAN, Metropolitan of Sardia
What is your understanding to the special pastoral care for young people?
The Church’s special pastoral care for young people represents an unceasing and unchanging Christ-centered process of formation. Of course, the pastoral responsibility of the Church also extends to the divinely-granted institution of family, which has always been and must always be founded on the sacred mystery of Christian marriage as a union between man and woman, as reflected in the union of Christ and His Church (Eph 5:32).
This is especially vital in light of attempts in certain countries to legalize and in certain Christian communities to justify theologically other forms of human cohabitation that are contrary to Christian tradition and teaching. The Church hopes for the recapitulation of everything in the Body of Christ, it reminds every person coming into the world, that Christ will return again at His Second Coming judging the living and the dead (1 Pet 4, 5) and that His Kingdom shall have no end (Lk 1:33)
Where do you stand on Science and world exploration?
For the Orthodox Church, the ability to explore the world scientifically is a gift from God to humanity. However, along with this positive attitude, the Church simultaneously recognizes the dangers latent in the use of certain scientific achievements. She believes that the scientist is indeed free to conduct research, but that the scientist is also obliged to interrupt this research when it violates basic Christian and humanitarian values. According to St. Paul, All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful (I Cor 6:12), and according to St. Gregory the Theologian, Goodness is not goodness if the means are wrong (1st Theological Oration, 4, PG 36, 16C). This perspective of the Church proves necessary for many reasons in order to establish proper boundaries for freedom and the application of the fruits of science, where in almost all disciplines, but especially in biology, we can expect both new achievements and risks. At the same time, we emphasize the unquestionable sacredness of human life from its conception.
How do you understand Freedom?
Freedom is one of God’s greatest gifts to the human being. He who created man in the beginning made him free and self-determined, limiting him solely by the laws of the commandment (Gregory the Theologian, Homily 14, On Love for the Poor, 25. PG 35, 892A). Freedom renders the human being capable of progressing toward spiritual perfection; yet, it also includes the risk of disobedience as independence from God and consequently the fall, which tragically gives rise to evil in the world.