Russian Tradition in Western Europe
Exarchate of the Ecumenical Patriarch
Communiqué
N° 04-13 of the Archdiocesan Council
Meeting of 19 March 2013
The Archdiocesan Council
met on the 19 March 2013, under the chairmanship of His Eminence of
the Locum tenens of the
Archiepiscopal throne, Metropolitan Emmanuel. Among points
discussed where:
- Reactions to the decisions of the Council meeting of 6 March 2013
The Council took note of the various letters and reactions to the postponement of the election of the new Archbishop (see Communiqué of the Council of the Archdiocese. Meeting of 6 March 2013). His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel stated that the proposal contained in the letter of March 4, 2013 submitted by His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for the attention of the Assembly of the Archdiocese was of both an exceptional and temporary nature. He suggested that this temporary situation should not extend beyond the autumn and in the meantime, the Council of the Archdiocese would be able to establish a new list of candidates to proceed to the election of the new Archbishop in accordance with the statutes of the Archdiocese. - Assembly 30 March 2013
Accordingly, the Council of the Archdiocese decided that the Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 2013 would be replaced by a Diocesan Assembly with the participation of clergy and lay delegates who had initially been invited to the EGA. The actual EGA responsible for holding the election of a new Archbishop is, in the meantime, postponed until the autumn, probably on 1 November on which date the Ordinary General Assembly (OGA) should also have been held.
The Diocesan Assembly will take place on March 30 at the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky in Paris, from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm. The one item on its agenda will be the presentation and discussion of the proposal contained in the letter of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, dated March 4, 2013. At the end of the Diocesan Assembly a reply will be sent to His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
This Assembly will be preceded by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy (from 7.00 am), in the crypt of the cathedral. On the eve Matins will be celebrated at 18.00.
