On November 11, 2021, the International Reflection-Action Conference on the Conciliarity of the Church: Theological, Canonical and Historical Dimensions opened at the assembly hall of the Kiev Lavra of the Caves. It is chaired by His Beatitude Onuriy, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine.
The conference is organized by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and devoted to a discussion on the principle of the conciliarity of the Church, the issue of primacy among the Local Churches and the crisis in the Ukrainian and world Orthodoxy caused by the actions of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
The academic forum is attended by representatives of seven Local Orthodox Church from nine countries: the Churches of Antioch, Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Poland, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia and the Orthodox Church in America.
After the common prayer and introductory remarks by chancellor Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary, the participants were addressed by His Beatitude Onufriy, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine.
The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church pointed in particular to the need for the Local Churches to discuss problems together in order to resolve the crisis that has put the Orthodox world on the brink of schism.
Representatives of the Local Churches read out messages of greetings from His Holiness Porfirije, Patriarch of Serbia, His Beatitude Sava, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, and His Beatitude Tikhon, Metropolitan of All America and Canada.
A message of greeting was also sent to the organizers and participants of the conference by the chairman of the Department for External Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.
Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovary presented a paper on the Conciliarity of the Church in Face of Contemporary Challenges.
Bishop Irinej of Novi Sad and Bac, PhD, professor at the University of Belgrade, presented through video communication a paper on the Theme of Autocephaly - the Only One Needed for a Pan-Orthodox Council.
Archbishop George of Wroclaw and Szczecin spoke on the theological-liturgical dimension of the catholicity of the Church.
In conclusion of the plenary session, rector of Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary Bishop Silvestr of Belgorod read a paper on the Issue of the Ordination of Schismatics in the Canonical Tradition of the Church.
After the lunch break, the forum continued its work. Seventeen more papers will be presented physically and virtually, reports the Information-Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
DECR Communication Service/Patriarchia.ru