Monday marks nine years since the opening of the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, which brought together hierarchs from ten autocephalous Orthodox Churches in Crete.
The Romanian delegation included 25 hierarchs. The Council took place between June 16–26, 2016, preceded by a preparatory working committee from June 9–16.
Key topics addressed included:
- The unity of the Orthodox Church and the confession of faith
- The importance of inter-Christian and interfaith dialogue
- Secularization
- Marriage
- Natural sciences, technology, and the ecological crisis
- Respect for fellow human beings
- Politics
- Youth and openness to the world
Patriarch Daniel and the other hierarchs of the Romanian Orthodox Church significantly contributed to affirming Orthodox identity in ecumenical dialogue.
Orthodox Testimony
Upon returning to Romania, Patriarch Daniel said that the Romanian Orthodox delegation was appreciated for its active involvement, and through their presence, they were “witnesses of Romanian Orthodoxy.”
The Romanian hierarchs emphasized the belief that Christian unity can be restored only on the foundation of the true faith of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers, as expressed by the seven Ecumenical Councils.
They insisted on the inclusion of a key clarification in the final document regarding the Orthodox Church’s relations with the broader Christian world:
“Non-Orthodox churches and confessions have gradually departed from the Orthodox faith of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.”
“Dialogue with other Christian entities is carried out primarily to confess our Orthodox faith and the apostolic and patristic understanding of the Church, to help bring Christians closer together by highlighting the eternal values of Orthodoxy,” said the Patriarch on his return from Crete on June 26, 2016.
Given the unavoidable interaction with other Christians, particularly in Western countries where Catholics and Protestants are the majority, the Romanian Patriarch added:
“We must confess the true faith not with confessional hatred, but with humility and Christian love.”
The Value of Synodality
Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios later highlighted the vital role played by the Romanian Orthodox Church at the event:
“In general, the Romanian Patriarch impressed all Council members with his theological knowledge and how he addressed topics. Also, Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia made significant contributions, speaking with an Orthodox ecclesial mindset grounded in Church teaching. I believe the Romanian Church made a powerful impression with its overall presence,” the Greek metropolitan wrote in 2016.
Although the Patriarchates of Antioch, Moscow, Bulgaria, and Georgia were absent, their observations were included as improvements in the draft documents presented for deliberation and approval.
Upon his return from the Council, Patriarch Daniel also said:
“We learned even more that Orthodoxy is not only beautiful, but dynamic, when we work for unity in co-responsibility. We should not blame others but commit all our strength, conviction, and love to making Orthodoxy known in the world and to show the value of synodality.”
Photo: Basilica.ro Files / Robert Nicolae
