ecumenism" "
Relations between the Greek Orthodox Church and the Patriarchate of Constantinople have become ever more difficult. The reason for the dissension is the question of control over the metropolitan churches in the region of Thrace. According to an accord signed in 1928, from a canonical point of view the dioceses in question form part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but from an administrative point of view they are situated in the territory of the Greek Republic. The difficulties between the two churches began last year with the death of the bishop of Salonica. SirEurope (cf. no.15/2004) reported at the time that the Holy Synod of the Greek Church led by archbishop Christodoulos of Athens had decided to send to Patriarch Bartholomew I a list of the candidate bishops for this and other zones vacant in Northern Greece so that the Patriarch could exercise “his right” to be kept informed. But after months of waiting, the Synod decided on Monday 26 April to meet to elect this time without the Patriarch’s agreement the candidates of the sees of Salonica, Eleuthéroupolis and Cozane. Following this decision, Patriarch Bartholomew I called an extraordinary Synod, at which it was decided to pronounce as “illicit” the elections of the three bishops, suspend eucharistic and administrative communion with archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, urge the elected bishops not to take possession of their dioceses and ask the Greek government not to publish the edict.
