THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

WILL DECIDE ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION

ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS' STATEMENT TO "PROINI"

By Dimitri Tsakas

Proini (NY) 17/4/00

NewYork -.  The Constitutional map of the Archdiocese, as we have brought to your attention in prior articles, was discussed at length during a meeting of the Provincial Synod last week and it is due for discussion within a broader meeting which will include the members of the Holy Synod and the Editing committee, as well as one cleric and lay person from each Diocese after Easter, but it will not end there, as the Archbishop revealed there is also the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Invited by Proini to comment on the articles pertaining to the approval of the constitution and to tell us a little more about the path the discussions are taking, the Archbishop at first did not wish to make any statement, though later he stated that he will not get into any other commentary other than the official announcement and among other things he emphatically stated. "There is no such issue as approval or disapproval, this subject is not for discussion." The announcement states that such and such was done and now we have come to another level as we invite a broader conference.

"The basis remains an official announcement that states what it states and is not up for discussion. I cannot tell you anything more than that because the announcement was not written haphazardly, nor carelessly, it was written with great care to cover the facts exactly."

Asked about the next step, Archbishop Demetrios noted: "What we know is that the next step is to invite this broader conference and it does not end there. There is the Patriarchate, there is discussion.

As we have written many times when the issue of the Constitution was broached at the Clerical Laity Congress in Orlando (with special focus on the elevation of Dioceses to Metropolises) Phanar noted, in writing, that the issue is canonical and not under the jurisdiction of the Clerical Laity Congress. Given the differing opinions which exist in the Hierarchy, it is certain that the constitution –on canonical issues- will be edited at the Patriarchate and its endorsement in July in Philadelphia will be a formality only.