Communiqué of the Council of the Archdiocese of 8th February 2019

This is a reminder that the Extraordinary General Assembly has been convened in response to the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to change the status of the Archdiocese, that is to say, to withdraw its title of Patriarchal Exarchate. It is certainly the responsibility of the Patriarchate to grant or not the status of Exarchate to our Archdiocese; on the other hand, it is the responsibility of the Archdiocese and, in this case, of its sovereign statutory body, the EGA, to decide on its dissolution.

As announced on 30 November 2018, depending on the response that the EGA will bring to this crucial question, His Eminence Archbishop John will be able, in the name of the whole ecclesiastical body which is the Archdiocese, to give the appropriate answer to His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch concerning this decision of 27 November 2018.

Prior to the vote, His Eminence Archbishop John and the Council of the Archdiocese will provide all the information possible to the delegates and answer their questions. Depending on the result of the vote, the EGA will then deliberate on the future prospects for our parishes. Nevertheless, it should be noted that no other decision than the one on the agenda will be able to take place during this EGA of 23 February.

If the EGA refuses dissolution and decides to maintain its existence, the ecclesiastical life of the Archdiocese will continue according to alternative scenarios that should be considered and discussed in a later EGA, responsible for reviewing the current statutes. In the event of a vote favourable to a dissolution, the necessary measures would be taken for the liquidation of the Diocesan Union and the devolution of its assets.