Constantinople Patriarchate official elected head of Conference of European Churches

Moscow, December 17, Interfax – Official of the Constantinople Patriarchate, Metropolitan Emmanuel of France was elected new President of the Conference of European Churches.

He was elected the day before the next session of the CEC Central Committee, website of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations has reported on Thursday.

In his acceptance speech, Metropolitan Emmanuel mentioned among his priorities as CEC head the work “to reinforce the involvement of the Orthodox Churches and to encourage their constructive presence in the life of CEC.”

The Russian Church suspended its participation in the CEC on October 11, 2008 as leaders of the organization refused to consider an application for membership in the Conference from the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

However, the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church under jurisdiction of Constantinople, unrecognized in Orthodox world, was earlier accepted in the organization.

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