Communique of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America
The Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, meeting under the presidency of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon via teleconference, on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, issued the following communique:
At numerous points in recent years, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America has reiterated its commitment to the unity of Orthodox Christians in North America, in fulfillment of the charge given to the Orthodox Church in America in the Tomos of Autocephaly, the witness of the canonical tradition, and the command of the Lord Himself, who wills that His followers be united together in a bond of love as He and His Heavenly Father are.
This Sunday, October 3, prior to the meeting of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops that will begin next week in Washington, DC, the Executive Committee of the Assembly will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington. With one accord, the Holy Synod rejoices that His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon will concelebrate the Divine Liturgy with the heads of the Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States and members of the Executive Committee: His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochian Christian Archdiocese of North America, His Grace Bishop Irinej of the Eastern American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas, and His Grace Bishop Saba of the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church in North America; together with His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa, Secretary of the Assembly.
The Holy Synod also gives thanks to God and confirms the decision of His Beatitude to accept the invitation from the Moscow Patriarchate to travel with a delegation in November to Moscow, in order to celebrate the seventy-fifth birthday jubilee of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. In doing so, the Holy Synod reaffirms the fundamental relationship between the Orthodox Church in America and the Russian Orthodox Church, and the warm ties that these two Churches share.
The Holy Synod states once again, unequivocally, that it desires and intends to maintain full communion with all the universally recognized autocephalous Orthodox Churches. Further, the Holy Synod exhorts the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America fervently to offer prayers that the unity and communion of Orthodox Christians throughout the world be restored, and that all schisms be resolved according to the canonical tradition and discipline of the Church.