A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY
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| Volume 6 Number 19 - Tuesday, May 11th, 2004 |
A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY |
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The Orthodox Christian News Service |
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Meeting of the Romanian Orthodox Hierarchs of Western Europe and America in Paris, France, April 15-19, 2004 1. THEME OF THE MEETING Between April 15-19, 2004, a Meeting of Romanian Orthodox Hierarchs of Western Europe and America took place at the Administrative Centre of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of Western and Southern Europe at Paris (Limours), France, having as its Theme: The orthodox Church between immigration and localization in the west the prospect of establishing local churches. 2. PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING In this meeting, the first of its kind in the history of Romanians outside Romania, all seven Romanian Orthodox Hierarchs (four ruling hierarchs and three auxiliaries) from Western Europe and America participated: · His Eminence, Seraphim, Metropolitan of Germany and Central and Northern Europe · His Eminence, Iosif, Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe · His Eminence, Nathaniel, Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America · His Eminence, Nicolae, Archbishop of America and Canada · His Grace, Sofian, Auxiliary Bishop: Metropolia of Germany & Central/Western Europe · His Grace, Siluan, Auxiliary Bishop: Metropolia of Western and Southern Europe · His Grace, Irineu, Auxiliary Bishop: Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America Romanian Orthodoxy in Western Europe and America refers to all Romanians living in these lands, whether they are recent immigrants or were born there and have been established for two or more generations, as well as those who have embraced the Orthodox faith within these dioceses. The European and American Orthodox Church of Romanian origin, begun between 100 and 150 years ago, just as all of the Orthodox diaspora (a subject which has been placed on the agenda for the future Pan-Orthodox Synod), needs to consider her goals as the Local Church in formation. The term, diaspora, applied to the Romanian immigration, whether through total integration (America) or in the course of so becoming (Europe), has become inappropriate in this actual context. 3. THE PROGRAM OF THE MEETING This meeting was hosted by His Eminence, Metropolitan Iosif, and it took place over five days, having the following program: · worship services of Bright Week · visits to appropriate sites · meetings with clergy, faithful and young people of the area · discussions based upon the theme. Bright Thursday, April 15, 2004, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Metropolitan Chapel at Limours followed by visits to local Orthodox monasteries and Christian sites in France. Bright Friday, April 16, 2004, all the hierarchs concelebrated the Divine Liturgy in the St. Paraschiva and St. Genevieve Parish, Paris, hosted in the Church of St. Sulpice. After lunch, Rev. Deacon Nicolas Lossky, Professor of the Orthodox Theological Institute of St. Serge, Paris, delivered a presentation about Orthodox immigration and in-culturalization in the West. Discussion followed. In the evening, the seven hierarchs paid a visit to His Eminence Emanuel, Metropolitan for the Greek Orthodox of France and Presiding Officer of the Conference of Orthodox Hierarchs in France. They visited the cathedral and were supper guests of His Eminence at his residence in Paris. Bright Saturday, April 17, 2004, the Divine Liturgy was offered in the Metropolitan Chapel at Limours. Rev. Fr. Marc-Antoine Costa de Beauregard, Dean of France for the Romanian Metropolia, held a conference for the hierarchs in which he expounded on the theme of the meeting. Following lunch, the hierarchs met with the clergy from Greater Paris. In the evening, Great Vespers for the Sunday of Thomas was served in the St. Paraschiva St. Genevieve Parish in Paris, the Church of St. Sulpice. Following the service, the hierarchs held a dynamic and fruitful open-forum with the faithful in attendance, including many university students. Sunday of Thomas, April 17, 2004, all seven hierarchs, including His Eminence, Adrian (Hristcu), former Archbishop of Western Europe, concelebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Holy Archangels in Paris, rue Jean de Beauvais, at which time the young deacon Dan Savan, a doctoral student in Theology, was ordained a priest for said parish. Archbishop Nathaniel expressed words of thanks on behalf of the hierarchs to Metropolitan Iosif for the invitation and preparations. Metropolitan Iosif explained the significance of the meeting. The service was the occasion for great rejoicing and happiness for those present, many of whom came to greet the hierarchs in Romanian national costume. The concelebration will be written in the history of the Romanian Orthodox Churches in Western Europe and America as an unforgettable day of prayer and celebration of fraternal unity which surpasses geographic limitations and even diverse mentalities. After the service, the hierarchs present met with members of the Parish Council of the church who each expressed their joy in living through these unique days in their history. In the evening, after the celebration of Vespers at the Metropolitan Chapel at Limours, Metropolitan Iosif offered his traditional Paschal reception for the clergy and faithful of the Metropolia. Thomas Monday, April 19, 2004, was dedicated to inter-hierarchal discussions on the theme of the meeting and the conclusions which make up the basis for this press release. Diverse problems of concrete pastoral subjects in the various territories were also discussed. 4. CONCLUSIONS OF THE MEETING Based on the discussions held, the participants came to the following conclusions: 1. The presence of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the West is a response to the concrete needs of her faithful and represents a witness and a way of transmitting Orthodox spirituality. The reality and successful integration into the society in which we live and our significant contribution brings to mind also the local culture of the faithful Orthodox Romanians established in Western Europe and America, and this represents a positive experience and shows the openness and compatibility of the Orthodox Christian message within the contemporary world and in its structures. 2. Orthodoxy is not bound to any particular culture nor any particular people; it is faith in the Son of God who took on flesh, died and arose for the life of the world, ever-present in the Church through the Holy Mysteries, making divine and giving eternal life to all the faithful. Through her profound spirituality and mysticism, Orthodoxy makes concrete and proposes authentic humanity to the West in the divine-humanity of Christ. 3. Romanian Orthodoxy is an ancient heritage with apostolic roots, with practices and diverse local traditions full of meaning; the preservation of these traditions represents a respect and appreciation for the identity of our origins. 4. Romanian Orthodoxy is open to local culture and searches for the integration of her lasting values into it, through partial or even total use of the language of the land in the services (in many parishes in America), through the rediscovery of local Christian roots, and through the expression of her theology in the linguistic terms of the people. This confers a local identity on the present generations and on future Romanian immigrations and also on those who discover the Orthodox faith through their own intermediary, to whom we feel responsible. 5. Our Dioceses respond in this manner with all the other local Orthodox jurisdictions, to whom we express our desire to intensify our collaboration, to associate and engage in more sustained and consistent involvement at the local pan-Orthodox level (hierarchs and people, adults and youth, children, etc.) through unified organizations (Episcopal conferences: SCOBA in America, AEOF in France, KOKID in Germany, Orthodox fellowships and inter-parochial activities; Youth organizations: SYNDESMOS, AROY, ACER, OJB, NEPSIS). We appreciate with distinction the intensity with which they work in the Conference of Orthodox Bishops in France, which can serve as a model. 6. The advanced state and rich experience of the Romanian Orthodox Church in America, favored by the greater age of immigration, but also because of the different political, canonical, social and economic conditions as compared to those in Western Europe, represents an example for the rest of the Romanian Orthodox Church outside of Romania, especially in relation to in-culturalization and the organization of catechism (Sunday school), and the construction of appropriate church buildings, which absolutely preserve and affirm the Orthodox tradition. 7. We seek an exchange of views in regard to pastoral activities in the nations in which we live to contribute to a harmonization of canonical and liturgical practices. 8. With all the above in mind, we the Romanian Orthodox Hierarchs of Western Europe and America propose, promote and sustain the creation of Synods and local Churches for every place where Orthodoxy exists, in conformity with the Orthodox spirit and pan-Orthodox decisions. 9. We consider this kind of meeting to be very beneficial and express our desire to continue in the future, as much for the reason of conciliarity in front of the faithful, of local Orthodoxy and of other Christian confessions and public authorities, as well as for a united voice with which we can speak about the many delicate aspects of Romanian Orthodoxy in the West. A second meeting is proposed to be held in America during the third week after Pascha next year (May 15, 2005).
Paris, April 19,
2004 |
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