Patriarchal Vicar and Locum Tenens appointed for the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America

Metropolitan Silouan of Buenos Aires and all Argentina

Archbishop Joseph Auxiliary- Diocese of Los Angeles and the West

21/3/14

Read Arabic original and an English translation in two parts (Letter to Archbishop Joseph; Patriarchal Decision).

USA: His Beatitude Patriarch John X through official letters have appointed  Metropolitan Silouan of Buenos Aires and all Argentina as the Patriarchal Vicar until such time as a new Metropolitan is elected by the Holy Synod of Antioch. The Patriarchal Vicar is responsible for the administration of the Archdiocese until a new Metropolitan is elected. Archbishop Joseph will serve as the Locum Tenens of the Archdiocese. Archbishop Joseph will arrive in New Jersey on Friday March 21, and Metropolitan Silouan will arrive on Monday March 24.

Effective immediately and until the election of a new Metropolitan, all clergy of this Archdiocese are instructed to commemorate His Beatitude John, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East during divine services as follows: Great Entrance “Our father and Patriarch John and our bishop (name), the Lord God remember them in His Kingdom always now and ever and unto ages of ages”. Also during the Great Entrance, the first name that is commemorated among the departed will be His Eminence Metropolitan Philip as follows “Our father and Metropolitan Philip”.

The remembrance of Metropolitan Philip will be done for 40 days, which ends on Sunday April 27. For the Great Ektenia “Our father and Patriarch John and our bishop (name), for the venerable priesthood, etc.”.  After the Megalynarion “Among the first be mindful O Lord of our Father and Patriarch John, and our bishop (name),whom do thou grant unto thy holy churches etc.”.

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