To the Hieromonks Akakios Stankovic, Nectarios Ivankovitc and the Presbyter Steven Nikolic and those monastic and faithful True Orthodox Christians in Serbia.
Beloved children of the True Church of Christ,
As you know, on Friday, 5/18 February [2011], at the offices of the Holy Synod, a meeting took place between the Serbian clergy of the Church of the T.O.C. and His Beatitude Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens, with the participation of His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Attica and Boeotia and His Grace Bishop Photios of Marathon, during which the issues of the Church of the True Orthodox Christians in Serbia were discussed extensively, misunderstandings were solved, and the ways to improve the organization and growth of the local True Orthodox Church of Christ in Serbia were decided. Concerning this meeting an announcement was published on the official website of the Church of the T.O.C. of Greece. Seeing that at this meeting you submitted a written memorandum wishing also to receive a written Synodal response, the subject was examined synodally on 2/15 March 2011, during which all of His Beatitude’s remarks of 5/18 February were reaffirmed. We remind you that at this meeting His Beatitude pointed out to you that the different local Autocephalous Churches formed on the basis of geographic and not ethnic criteria (usually within state entities).
The Church of the T.O.C. of Greece extended a helping hand to whatever souls from the surrounding countries that wished to find a haven from the modern heresy of Ecumenism without desiring to abolish the established right of autocephaly of these churches.
You, thus, unjustly worry about the possible absorption of the local Church of the T.O.C. in Serbia by the Church of the T.O.C. in Greece. Clearly—as you may perceive—there are practical problems on account of which it is not possible at the present for the two or three parishes in Georgia or Bulgaria, for example, to operate as Autocephalous Churches in that an Autocephalous Church presupposes an enlarged administrative body and the existence of a Synod of Hierarchs.
What concerns us now is that you implement the directions which His Beatitude, the other Hierarchs, and now the entire Holy Synod counsel to do you for the betterment of the Church of the True Orthodox Christians of Serbia. Specifically:
That you establish legal entities (corporations) through which may function the parishes and monasteries of the local Church of the T.O.C. in Serbia. Already two communities, the parish in Smederevo and the Holy Monastery of Novi Stjenik, are incorporated. It is also needed for the parish in Belgrade, which is now beginning to be reorganized, and for the Holy Monastery of Sts Cyril and Methodius to be incorporated.
That you organize an Administrative Council with the participation of ALL the T.O.C. clergy who serve in the geographic borders of former Yugoslavia with an elected representative from each parish, just as his Beatitude has repeatedly suggested.
The impediment of the lack of your legal recognition as the Church of the T.O.C of Serbia from the Serbian government can be surmounted through its recognition by the Church of the T.O.C of Greece.
This Administrative Council would work harmoniously with the Bishop of the Holy Synod of the Church of the T.O.C., who is responsible for the Church of the T.O.C. of Serbia (presently his Beatitude Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens).
When the Church of the True Orthodox Christians in Serbia is organized and is sufficiently developed, the Holy Synod of the T.O.C. of Greece will elect a Bishop for the T.O.C. of Serbia.
Praying that He Who sent down from Heaven the All-Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire upon His Holy Disciples and Apostles, Christ our true God enlighten you and always guide you to do His Divine will.
By order of the Holy Synod
The Chief-Secretary
† Photios Bishop of Marathon
