THE RUSSIAN IS THE SERB’S FRIEND FOREVER?

[Ephrem]

Was such a reply received?

[Despotovac]

Answer to the memorandum of the Serbian Clergy
http://www.serbiantrueorthodox.org/2011 ... st_24.html

[Ekklisiastikos]

In English:
http://ecclesiagoc.gr/en/announcements/ ... n-klirikwn

[Ephrem]

Thank you. What is the Serbian response to this memorandum from the Synod of the GOC? Are they dissatisfied with particular points in the memorandum?

[Ekklisiastikos]

Thank you. What is the Serbian response to this memorandum from the Synod of the GOC? Are they dissatisfied with particular points in the memorandum?

Their answer is their trip to Odessa...apparently!

[Despotovac]

SHORT REVIEW
“1.Does the Synod of the GOC of Greece recognize that it has no canonical right to govern the Serbian Church?

1. Is it the intention of the Synod of the GOC to enable the Serbian True Orthodox Church to have its own episcopate and to govern its own affairs without interference from the hierarchy of the Greek Church?
2. If the answer to both of these questions is Yes, will the Synod of the GOC of Greece take concrete and swift action, beginning soon after Pentecost of this year, to confirm the authority of the Main Governing Council of the STOC and without delay to work with Main Governing Council to establish and execute a formalized plan with a stated time-line for the Episcopal consecration of a Serbian clergyman and the independent governing of the STOC?”
   None of these questions asked in the Memo of three Serbian hierarchs with their flock (in January 2011), were answered by the Synod of TOC of Greece.
   It should be noted as very strange that in the whole document the name of Serbian Church was used not in accordance with traditional and centuries-long used name of Serbian (True) Orthodox Church, but imaginary name of Church of true orthodox Christians (TOC)of Serbia (or in Serbia). Such names awake a painful reminiscence of centralized Roman Catholic Church with its centre in Rome, i.e. the Vatican, and in other countries the names are Catholic Church in Croatia, Catholic Church in France… If this method is transferred to Orthodoxy, does it raise the question of the autonomy and autocephality of Local Churches, or are they submitted to one Centre too?
   The instructions of the Greek Bishops to Serbian True Orthodox Church, in short, are as follows:
   First they insist on the registration of parishes and monasteries and our whole Church before the State. This registration is not possible because the official SOC holds a monopoly over the words “Orthodox”, “Orthodoxy”, “Orthodox Church” and so forth. Registration is only possible as non-profit organization or Citizen’s Association. But these forms of registration do not fulfill the religious needs of our faithful flock, parishes or monasteries, the Church itself least of all. These forms are very limited lawful adjustments allowing us to become recognized subjects in law, but giving us no religious rights to build churches and other religious necessities. The Greek bishops know this well, so they offered a third solution:”The impediment of the lack of your legal recognition from the Serbian government as the Church of T.O.C. of Serbia can be bypassed through its recognition by the Church of T.O.C. of Greece.”
   What does this mean? This old proposition of the Greek TOC has already been rejected several times by Serbian Church. As the Greek TOC is recognized by the Greek State (a member of European Union) and in its Church Constitution has the option of forming Metropolias outside Greece, the idea is to found such a Metropolia of the Greek TOC in Serbia – one which Serbian Government will not be able to reject.
   This proposition was rejected by Serbian TOC for one reason: we do not wish that the Greek Church should form its Metropoli within the canonical borders of the jurisdiction of the Serbian Church. The recognition of our Church by the State does not have any impact on our prosperity, there is a number of our faithful who are opposed to this act. This means that recognition of the Greek Church by the state and the European Union does not have any impact on our prosperity.
   There is, too, a suggestion to form a Ruling Board or Council in which all (underlined by Greek Synod) the priests serving within the borders of ex-Yugoslavia would take part. This body should be, in their view, under the complete control of Greek bishop. This is hardly acceptable for the Serbian church since in Serbia there are some priests who live and serve in Serbia but recognize Greek authority over the canonical territory of Serbian Church. And, more important, some of these priests are untrustworthy, inconstant and not firm in faith, so it is impossible to accept them in this governing body of our church.
   “5. When The Church of the true Orthodox Christians in Serbia is organized and sufficiently developed, the Holy Synod of the T.O.C. of Greece will elect a Bishop for the T.O.C. of Serbia.” This fifth point is completely imprecise since the future of the Serbian TOC would depend completely on the Greek evaluation of the readiness of our homeland Church to receive a Bishop, which may never come to be.
   The development and growth of the Serbian TOC is hindered for this reason already. The Bishop was always elected from among the finest and most experienced among monks, the one who knew his people well as well as his flock, so that he could, with his priests and faithful, solve the problems among them and organize the Church. The number of parishes and faithful were never a condition to elect the Bishop, but the Bishop is a necessary condition for a Church to grow and improve.
   In accordance with all this, the answer of Greek Church is unsatisfactory and unacceptable for the Serbian Church.
   This is short critical comment on the Greek answer.
   The Serbiantrueorthodox.blog editor

[Ephrem]

Thank you. It would be interesting to see an article written from the Greek perspective, instead of just the dryness of a synodal resolution.