Episcopacy

Published by Ekathimerini.com, October 1, 2004

Book: "Married Episcopacy" and the New Century

A rich literary work which impacts powerfully on the status quo

"After the creation of the world and of man, marriage is the first act of God, and for that reason it constitutes an obligatory institution and irrevocable commandment to humanity by the Creator. In contrast, celibacy does not have any essential significance and constitutes a matter of personal predilection, being acceptable only for reasons of devotion to God. Therefore, no one is obliged to observe celibacy, since it does not constitute an institution established by God for human beings."

In a few words, that is the general conclusion drawn by a newly published and significant spiritual work of Protopresbyter Emmanuel Schoiniotakis, previously general director of Christian Welfare of the Archdiocese, a distinguished and dynamic clergyman and scholar.

Under the general title "Married Episcopacy" [O Gamos tou Episkopou], Fr. Emmanuel in 260 pages of his book deals with this significant subject which must necessarily concern all of Orthodoxy given the challenges of the twenty-first century. The question of whether "it is preferable and more fruitful for the Church to have married or unmarried bishops," notwithstanding the efforts to degrade it by those who govern the Church today, has been raised by society itself and contemporary needs. How can a celibate bishop, essentially cut off from the immediate struggle of daily life, and thus from the problems of both the wider society and of course the family, understand these needs? In contrast, a married bishop, who apart from his pastoral ministry must also deal with family issues, will surely know the problems first hand and therefore will also face pastoral issues more effectively. Fr. Emmanuel Schoiniotakis, going over a rich bibliography, succeeds in documenting the erroneous view of celibate episcopacy which has developed in the Church "because of historical circumstances" and [which] is not an institution established by the Founder of the Church and the great Fathers who held a completely different view from the prevailing one.

Writing in excellent literary Greek, the author in this admirable and substantive work of 22 chapters, provides a historical survey on the topic of clerical celibacy in the Old and New Testaments and then reviews developments on the subject during the early Christian centuries and the Ecumenical Synods. He reaches the final conclusion that, on the one hand, Christ, the Apostles and the Church Fathers endorse marriage and simply tolerate celibacy, and that, on other hand, there is no dogmatic impediment for the marriage of bishops since no synodal decision makes it obligatory.

This new literary work by Fr. Emmanuel Schoiniotakis appears in a most timely fashion, as we would say, because the Church must have the courage to place on its agenda great issues such as this. It is also so irrefutably documented that as a consequence its conclusions impact powerfully on a status quo which wants to...sleep because it is well served by the prevailing conditions in the ecclesiastical realm. We hope that this book will be the beginning of an awakening for some and, of course, a source of knowledge on the subject for the ordinary faithful...



Volume 6 Number 40 - Tuesday, October 4th, 2004	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY