Assembly of Bishops’ sixth annual meeting opens today in Chicago

Assembly Bishops

The sixth meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America is opening today—September 15, 2015—with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, Des Plaines, IL.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon and members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America are participating in the annual gathering, which brings together some 60 hierarchs from all canonical US jurisdctions.

Following the Divine Liturgy, the opening session will convene at the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel, during which His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Assembly Chair, will deliver his address.

A Pan-Orthodox Doxology will be celebrated at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral tonight at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Pan-Orthodox Youth Rally and Forum in which high school and college students will engage in dialogue with the hierarchs and share in fellowship.

This year’s meeting features two sessions—the first this evening and the second on Wednesday—devoted to canonical regional planning.  In the first of these sessions, the Assembly’s 12 jurisdictional first hierarchs will have the opportunity to offer their comments on a proposal prepared by the Committee for Canonical Regional Planning for presentation to the Great and Holy Council in 2016.  In the second session, the Assembly’s hierarchs will engage in a facilitated discussion about the proposal.  On Wednesday, a working session will be devoted to reviewing pastoral practices with regard to marriage and divorce.  The Assembly’s final session will take place on Thursday, September 17.

The Assembly agenda is available in PDF format.