The Archdiocesan Council decides to convene an EGA

Communiqué N° 02-13 of the Archdiocesan Council

Meeting of 24th January 2013

The Archdiocesan Council met on 24 January 2013 under the chairmanship of His Eminence the locum tenens, Metropolitan Emmanuel. Among questions discussed :

1. Archbishop Gabriel’s retirement.

Archbishop Gabriel’s request to retire has been accepted by His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Holy Synod. A letter of the 16 January to this effect has been received.

2. Appointment of a locum tenens.

In accordance with the request of the Archdiocesan Council, the Holy Synod has appointed His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France as locum tenens. Metr. Emmanuel has taken office, and has held working meetings with the Diocesan Administration, and presided at the Divine Liturgy at the St. Alexander Nevsky cathedral on 19 January, the Feast of the Theophany (Julian calendar).

3. Preparations for the EGA for the selection of a new Archbishop.

The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Archdiocese (EGA) responsible for making the selection of a new archbishop is to convene on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 March 2013. This assembly will be held at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris with the following agenda: Friday, March 29 (Friday of the second week of Great Lent) – opening of the diocesan assembly at 7.00 pm : introductory address by His Eminence the Metropolitan Emmanuel, Locum tenens, reminder of the statutes, nomination of candidates; Saturday, March 30 (Saturday of the second week of Great Lent) – Divine Liturgy at 7.00 am; the EGA session for the election of the Archbishop will be held on 30th March from
9.00 am after the celebration of the Divine Liturgy

In addition, the Council resolved to start the process for the call for candidates from within the body of the Archdiocese. All parishes and communities are invited to submit in writing the name of the candidate they wish to submit for scrutiny by the Archdiocesan Council, in keeping with the conditions for eligibility formulated in art. 41 of the Archdiocesan Statutes. The Council will then draw up a list of names which will be presented for election at the EGA (art. 41 and 42 of the Statutes). The final date for submission of such proposals is set for 12 February this year. No other candidacy can be submitted at the EGA.

Participants with the right to attend the EGA are all members of the clergy, and lay delegates of parishes and monastic communities who were entitled to attend the previous OGA (May 2010), or in their absence alternates selected for that occasion. Postal or proxy votes are not allowed.

4. Postponement of the Ordinary General Assembly

The Ordinary General Assembly (OGA) initially set for 8-9 May 2013 is postponed until the autumn of this year to give the new Archbishop time to familiarise himself with the affairs of the Archdiocese and to prepare for the Assembly as well as possible. Parishes will be given advance notification of the arrangements for appointing their delegates for the OGA.