DRAFT DOCUMENTS OF THE FUTURE PAN-ORTHODOX COUNCIL IN THEIR PRESENT FORM DO NOT VIOLATE THE PURITY OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH – THE ROC COUNCIL OF BISHOPS STATES

10/2/16 – Pravoslavie.ru

According to the decisions of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church:

1. The Council of Bishops approves the stance of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the meeting of primates of Local Orthodox Churches in Chambesy on January 21-28, 2016, along with that of the delegations of the Russian Orthodox Church at the meetings of the Inter-Orthodox Preparatory Commission, the Special Inter-Orthodox Commission, and the Pan-Orthodox Pre-Council Conference which in the period between the Councils prepared the documents on the agenda of the forthcoming Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church.

2. The Council of Bishops states with satisfaction that all the necessary amendments and additions have been made to the Pan-Orthodox Council’s draft documents in accordance with the propositions of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Local Orthodox Churches.

3. The participants of the Council of Bishops witness that in their present form the draft documents of the Holy and Great Council do not violate the purity of the Orthodox faith and do not depart from the canonical tradition of the Church.

4. The Council of Bishops charges the Holy Synod with forming of a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church for participation in the Pan-Orthodox Council.

5. The Council of Bishops calls upon the fullness of the Russian Orthodox Church to a special prayer so that the Lord might reveal His will to participants of the coming Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, His providence might strengthen the unity of Orthodoxy and serve for the good of the Church of Christ, for the glory of God, and for the undamaged preservation of the Orthodox faith.

6. The Council of Bishops expresses its conviction that the free participation of delegations of all the universally recognized Autocephalous Orthodox Churches in the impending Pan-Orthodox Council is a prerequisite for holding of this Council. In connection with this settlement of the problem in relationships between the Patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem prior to the Pan-Orthodox Council is of a special importance.

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