ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

Exarchate of Parishes of Russian
Tradition in Western Europe

The Council of the Archdiocese met on 27 September 2007, with His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel in the chair.

Among the questions addressed were:

1. Archbishop Gabriel’s visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate

Archbishop Gabriel participated in the Synaxis (plenary assembly) of diocesan bishops of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, which was held on 31 August and 1 September at the Patriarchate in Instanbul. His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew was in the chair. On Sunday 2 September Archbishop Gabriel took part in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy for the patronal feast of one of the churches in the city. The following day, he had a meeting with his All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew and Metropolitan Constantine of Derkos, president of  the Commission for Dioceses throughout the world.

2. Visit of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow

His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow and All Russia will make an official visit to Paris on 3 October, at the invitation of the French Catholic Episcopate. The programme of his visit will include services and meetings with the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church in France, as well as with representatives of other Orthodox jurisdictions and other Christian denominations, in particular with the members of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in France. On 4 October, before returning to Moscow, His Holiness will celebrate a Panikhida (office for the departed) at the Cemetery of St-Geneviève-des-Bois (Essonne).

Archbishop Gabriel informed the Council that on 13 July he had addressed a letter of invitation to His Holiness Patriarch Alexis, inviting him, during this visit, to come to the St Sergius Theological Institute, an important aspect of Orthodox witness in Western Europe, to pray there and to meet teachers and students and members of the Exarchate, and to give a talk. Archbishop Gabriel has been informed by a message from the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate on 19 September, that the very busy schedule of His Holiness the Patriarch during his visit to Paris would not permit him to consider ‘any other kind of engagement’.

Archbishop Gabriel confirmed that he would go to the Church of Three Holy Doctors to meet His Holiness the Patriarch on 3 October, together with other members of the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in France. He said that he would also be present at the Cemetery of St-Geneviève-des-Bois on 4 October, in order to welcome His Holiness the Patrriarch to the Church of the Dormition, if His Holiness expressed a wish to visit and pray at the tombs of those hierarchs of  blessed memory who repose in the crypt of the church.  Archbishop Gabriel had issued an invitation to do this in a further letter dated 21 September.

3. Episcopal Vicariate of Great Britain and Ireland.

A group from the Vicariate of Great Britain and Ireland had made a pilgrimage to Constantinople / Istanbul in September, led by Bishop Basil of Amphipolis, Assistant Bishop responsible for the Vicariate. Together they had visited churches there, and other places of interest from the Byzantine era. They had also been received by His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew,  who had been accompanied by Metropolitan John of Pergamon

4. Parishes and Clergy

Archpriest Georges Ahskoff has been relieved of his duties as third priest of the parish of St Nicholas the Wonderworker in Nice, and assigned to the Parish of St Alexander Nevsky and the Protection of the Mother of God in Biarritz, in order to assist Archpriest Alexis Struve.

Christophe D’Aloisio, president of Syndesmos, had been ordained deacon by Archbishop Gabriel on Saturday 7 June, during a celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St Panteleimon in Brussels. He had been ordained priest on Saturday 8 September during the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the crypt of the Holy Trinity in Paris. He will serve in the parish of Sts Cosmas and Damian in Brussels.

Serge Mainoldi had been ordained deacon on Saturday 8 September during the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the crypt of the Holy Trinity in Paris and priest on Sunday 9 September during the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky. He will have charge of the parish of Christ the Saviour in San Remo (Italy).

Alexander Zanemonetz had been ordained deacon on Sunday 16 September in the Cathedral of St Alexander Nevsky. He has been placed temporarily at the disposition of Archbishop Gabriel.

5. Forthcoming tasks

Michel Sollogoub, Secretary of the Council of the Archdiocese, presented a report on the forthcoming tasks scheduled for the coming three years in the areas of communication, the formation of clergy and laity, the enlivening of provincial parishes and pastoral work in scattered communities, and catechism for both new Russian arrivals and adolescents and young people. A pastoral assembly as well as a diocesan conference were scheduled for 2008.