The Holy Synod promised to punish the priests for Easter services after 22:00

The collection of evidence and the submission of proposals for action against the “rebellious” bishops during the Easter period were adopted by the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.

As it is emphasized, “there were intentional actions different from the unanimous decisions of the Synod”, and in this context, “after a long sadness, he decided to ask the Synodal Committee on Dogmatic and Canonical Issues to form files and submit proposals regarding the actions of the Eminent Metropolitans Seraphim of Kythera and Metropolitan of Aetolia. and Akarnania Kosmas, with whom the indicated Hierarchs showed disobedience and disrespect for the unanimous decision of the collective governing body of the Greek Church regarding Holy Communion in connection with health restrictions. ”

At the same time, it is reported that Metropolitan of Kythera, in particular, insists that he does not realize the importance of difficult and extraordinary decisions of the Permanent Holy Synod for public health and the protection of human life, isolates himself and becomes isolated, thanks to the collective efforts of the Church of Greece.

Statement detail:

“On May 11 and 12, 2021, a meeting of the Permanent Holy Synod of the Greek Church of the 164th synodal period was held under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Mr. Jerome.

At yesterday’s and today’s meetings, the Council of Hierarchs examined in detail the past Easter period of behavior and discipline of all clergy in decisions session of April 20, 2021, concerning the work of the Holy Temples, and expressed regret and disapproval over those cases in which deliberate deviations from the unanimous decisions of the Synod were observed.

That is why, after a long grief, he decided to ask the Synodal Committee on Doctrinal and Canonical Issues to form an evidence base and submit proposals for its further actions in relation to the Honorable Metropolitans Seraphim of Cythera and Metropolitan of Aetolia and Akarnania Kosmas, who expressed disrespect for the unanimous decision of the colleague Greek Church on the extraordinary procedure for holding Holy Communion due to health limitations.

With regret this fact was stated by His Beatitude the Chairman of the Permanent Holy Synod, and the Eminent Synodal hierarchs acknowledged that, in particular, His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera, and in his last address pointed out the incorrectness of the decisions of the Permanent Holy Synod in relation to public health and the protection of human life. isolating itself and separating itself from the collective efforts of the Church of Greece, which as a whole strives and works so hard for the smooth conduct of worship, as well as for the observance of sanitary measures.

He also decided to send a circular note to the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and the Saints of the Dioceses of the Greek Church regarding the observed cases of non-compliance with its decisions in several Holy Temples throughout Greece, ordering the receipt of a decision to act accordingly, and urged parishioners to contact the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, with denunciations regarding those churches where atypical liturgical habits and unprecedented ritual arbitrariness take place and spread.

As we reported earlier, according to the decision of the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, which was published on April 20, the beginning of the Easter Liturgy was postponed to Holy Week. In particular, the Holy Synod, taking into account the current state of the pandemic and the ban on traffic, decided to start services half an hour earlier: at 18.30 pm from Palm Sunday to Clean Wednesday, Clean Thursday at 17:30 and on Good Friday at 18:00, at temples at the rate of 1 person per 25 sq.m. and a maximum of 100 people.

As for the Easter service, the Holy Synod unanimously decided to adjust the start time of the Easter service at 21:00 on Holy Saturday. The ceremony took place in the courtyards of the Holy Temples, according to tradition, and was accompanied by the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection of Christ in the Holy Temple.

Many priests in Greece, especially in the periphery, did not obey this decree, claiming that it contradicted church canons and common sense. And if in the center of Athens and other large cities of Greece Easter services ended at about 10 pm, then on the outskirts, in small towns and villages, services were going on, as it should be according to the canon, until late at night.

As for the Easter service, the Holy Synod unanimously decided to adjust the start time of the Easter service at 21:00 on Holy Saturday. The ceremony took place in the courtyards of the Holy Temples, according to tradition, and was accompanied by the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection of Christ in the Holy Temple.

Many priests in Greece, especially in the periphery, did not obey this decree, claiming that it contradicted church canons and common sense. And if in the center of Athens and other large cities of Greece Easter services ended at about 10 pm, then on the outskirts, in small towns and villages, services were going on, as it should be according to the canon, until late at night.

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