A Necessary Clarification

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Created on Thursday, 27 March 2014 18:31

The Unifying Ecclesiological Document

Original Text – Translations – Misinterpretations

Since there has been much talk on various websites (mostly in non-Greek languages) concerning the correct meaning of certain paragraphs of the Unifying Ecclesiological Document: The True Orthodox Church in Opposition to the Heresy of Ecumenism: Dogmatic and Canonical Issues which was cosigned by the Greek – Romanian – Russian Genuine Orthodox Churches on Friday March 8/12, 2014 the Holy Synod of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece makes the following clarifications:

a) Only the Greek text, which was signed, is the authentic text.

b) The translations which are circulating are subject to continuous adjustments as soon as it noted that there is a departure from the meaning of the Greek original.

c) Even the Greek original, given that it was written in “Kathareuousa” as the official ecclesiastical document, is not readily accessible to the public and is susceptible to misinterpretations. For this reason, the Holy Synod already “examined the necessity of paraphrasing the text in a simpler language in the near future” in a meeting which convened on February 21/March 6, 2014. The paraphrasing will not be a simple reiteration but it will also contain explanations where necessary.

d) Finally, we note that the Ecclesiological Document is obviously not put forward as having the validity of a Decree (Ὅρος) of a Pan-Orthodox Council, and it is subject to improvements. The debate on this Document will greatly aid the better formulation of the Decree (Ὅρος) and the Canons of the Major Synod of the Genuine Orthodox Church, when it convenes.

Translated from the Greek