The Dialogue between the Church of the G.O.C. of Greece and the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Community of Those in Resistance
Twelfth Joint Statement
Thursday, January 22/February 5, 2014, the Twelfth Joint Deliberation of the Committees for Dialogue Between the Church of the G.O.C. of Greece and the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Community in Resistance took place in the in the hall of church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Daphne, Athens.
All of the appointed members of both committees were present.
During the six-hour Deliberation, the draft of the common, historical/ecclesiological document entitled The True Orthodox Church in Opposition to the Heresy of Ecumenism Dogmatic and Canonical Issues, but especially the proposals of each side so that this document can take a final form. After a lengthy discussion also of the necessary additions and revisions, the draft of the document was formulated and agreed upon which will be submitted to the Hierarchs of both sides for its evaluation and final approval.
From the process of the Formal Dialogue which has been positive so far, indeed during this Twelfth Common Deliberation, it was determined that the expected union is closer to being achieved after the common approval and agreement (October 18/31, 2013) of the "Schedule of Steps in the Union Process” Plan (§ § 1-9), the first of which steps places the basis on the completion of the effort, in that the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Community in Resistance through these steps does not advocate the ecclesiological formula concerning the Ecumenists as "ailing members of the Church", nor do they ascribe a dogmatic character to this formula (§ 1).
The next “Steps” foresee the following:
• The ecclesiological issues should be discussed, but especially the Ecclesiological Positions of Those in Resistance. (§ 2)
• There should be an exact wording of our common Orthodox Faith, specifically in relation to the Calendar Innovation and the heresy of Ecumenism. (§ 3)
• The Dialogue between the two sides should be completed on the basis of the established agenda. (§ 3) Both Committees are already approaching its completion.
• This common agreement of ours should be formulated in cooperation with the Genuine Orthodox Churches of Romania, Bulgaria, and ROCOR-A with whom we desire, by the Grace of God, to have Eucharistic Communion. (§ 4)
• In this regard, the Committee of the Orthodox Community in Resistance undertook the translation of the above-mentioned draft of the common document (“The True Orthodox Church in Opposition to the Heresy of Ecumenism Dogmatic and Canonical Issues”) into English, Russian, Romanian, and Italian in view of a better preparation of a multimember Discussion/Deliberation in order to achieve a broader convergence upon the ecclesiological basis of the sacred struggle of True Orthodoxy in opposition to the heresy of Ecumenism.
The next Joint Deliberation will take place on Thursday February 7/20, 2014 Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina in Phylē, Attica.
From the Joint Secretariat of the Committees for Dialogue.
Daphne, Athens - Phylē
January 28/February 10, 2014
Translated from the Greek
This miracle of Saint Spyridon took place in Mandra, Greece in 1926.
It was 12/25 December, 1926. The state Church of Greece adopted the Papal calendar and with the help of the Greek government persecuted all those who did not accept the Papal calendar. The faithful Orthodox Christians of Mandra woke up and headed to their Church to celebrate the Feast of Saint Spyridon. When they reached the Church they saw that the door to the Church had been secured with chains and the faithful could not enter. Before leaving the Church to return to their homes they stuck their candles on the door. As soon as the last person placed his candles on the door
the chains broke and fell. The faithful, confirmed in their Faith, entered the Church and celebrated the Feast of Saint Spyridon.
The miracle was reported the next day by the newspaper Skrip.
Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church is a beautiful mission parish near downtown Tucson, a city in southern Arizona. It was started in 1997 by Father John Bockman, who was a missionary Priest formerly serving missions in Tennessee and Massachusetts since 1990. Father John served the faithful in Tucson and the surrounding area in his home Chapel until his repose in November of 2000. His wife, Presbytera Valerie, continued to make her home Chapel available for the mission, with clergy from Saint Nectarios Orthodox Church in Seattle and His Eminence, Metropolitan Moses of Toronto (then of Portland), visiting to provide the Divine Services.
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