Demission of Gabriel (de Vylder) of "Comana" Paris

[Jean-Serge]

Update : yesterday, the exarchate elected is new Archbishop (or more exactly the candidate proposed to the Phanar) and the winner is Archimandrite Job Getcha:

• 109 votes for the winner
• 33 for Father Bessarion
• 9 for Father Mykhaylo
• 40 people chosed not to vote with non valid votes, which is 20% of electors; that means something

The interesting is the following. The diocese has proposed 3 candidates to the Phanar archimandrites Job; Symeon and Grigorios. Everybody knows that the first one was the man of Bartholomew, the second one was seen closed from the Fraternité, a group of laymen that has had much influence in the exarchate (ruling it) would say the other, and the third one, who could say?

According to the Exarchate statuses as a French association, the exarchate proposes candidates that the Phanar can accept or refuse; but the Phanar cannot propose his own candidate. But yesterday, the Phanar only accepted the candidature of Father Job Getcha, refusing the other two competitors, which is abiding the statuses and proposed two additional candidates, Fathers Bassarion and Mykhaylo, unknown by almost anyone, which is a violation of the statuses. Surprisingly, in spite of such gross violation, the election took place with the 3 candidates of the Phanar, and the one who was meant to win won... Bartholmoew is really cunning...

Some Eulogians who were boasting about their freedom etc must be crying now. The game is over...

http://www.orthodoxie.com/actualites/no ... cidentale/

[Maria]

Update : yesterday, the exarchate elected is new Archbishop (or more exactly the candidate proposed to the Phanar) and the winner is Archimandrite Job Getcha:

• 109 votes for the winner
• 33 for Father Bessarion
• 9 for Father Mykhaylo
• 40 people chosed not to vote with non valid votes, which is 20% of electors; that means something

The interesting is the following. The diocese has proposed 3 candidates to the Phanar archimandrites Job; Symeon and Grigorios. Everybody knows that the first one was the man of Bartholomew, the second one was seen closed from the Fraternité, a group of laymen that has had much influence in the exarchate (ruling it) would say the other, and the third one, who could say?

According to the Exarchate statuses as a French association, the exarchate proposes candidates that the Phanar can accept or refuse; but the Phanar cannot propose his own candidate. But yesterday, the Phanar only accepted the candidature of Father Job Getcha, refusing the other two competitors, which is abiding the statuses and proposed two additional candidates, Fathers Bassarion and Mykhaylo, unknown by almost anyone, which is a violation of the statuses. Surprisingly, in spite of such gross violation, the election took place with the 3 candidates of the Phanar, and the one who was meant to win won... Bartholmoew is really cunning...

Some Eulogians who were boasting about their freedom etc must be crying now. The game is over...

http://www.orthodoxie.com/actualites/no ... cidentale/

This is the same way bishops are elected in Roman Catholic dioceses. Ultimately, the Universal Supreme Pope of Rome or the Ecumenical Patriarch (who thinks he has supreme powers) select whom they want regardless of the wishes of the clergy and people in the diocese. Both have become a monarchy of sorts.

This is a change from the original Orthodox practice of the local diocese selecting their own bishop-elect and then going to the three adjacent diocese and asking those bishops to bless and consecrate their newly elected bishop. Rome departed from the traditional Orthodox practice in 1870 with the dogma of Papal Supremacy and the subsequent revision of all the Canon Laws to fit this new scheme. When did the EP change its own canon laws? Or are they simply parroting the Vatican.

By the way, the OCA also follows the practice of the EP. Instead of a bishop being locally elected, the local diocese must select three candidates, but the choice is given to the Synod as to which one candidate will be elected. Currently, the OCA has many dioceses that do not have bishops, as local elections have been canceled or delayed by the Chancellor of the OCA (who seems more powerful than the Metropolitan), but that has all been hashed out at Monomakhos.

[Jean-Serge]

This process of election is specific to this Russian exarchate because it is inspired by the resolutions of 1917-18 Russian council. Elsewhere, the synod of the Constantinople elects the bishops without a proposal by the diocese.

[Maria]

This process of election is specific to this Russian exarchate because it is inspired by the resolutions of 1917-18 Russian council. Elsewhere, the synod of the Constantinople elects the bishops without a proposal by the diocese.

When did the Synod of Constantinople start electing the bishops without any input from the vacant dioceses?

The Vatican started doing this just before the promulgation of the 1917 Code of Canon Laws following the 1870 dogma of Papal Supremacy.

[Jean-Serge]

I may have to check if there are inputs from vacant dioceses and which is the level of this input. In the Russian exarchate, it is a theory a strong input. The diocese proposes its candidates. The synod accepts or refuses the candidates. The election takes place in the diocese. The elected candidate is proposed to the synod that makes the real and formal election, and can refuse to elect the proposed candidate.

[Barbara]

Was it mentioned elsewhere in the Forum about this Archbishop Gabriel of Comana's repose very recently ?
I was sorry to hear that.

Interesting about the election for his successor.
That's VERY Byzantine, indeed !
Thanks, Jean-Serge, for your report and both Maria and Jean-Serge for helpful insights.

[Jean-Serge]

Indeed, he died from cancer on October 26th