Metropolitan Savas to be enthroned Dec. 8 in St. Nicholas Cathedral in Pittsburgh

Mega Minima Ceremony held today at the Phanar
NEW YORK – The special services known as Mikro Minima and Mega Minima (the official announcement of election) were held today at the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George in Constantinople. In the presence of ten hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne the Great Ecclesiarch Archimandrite Benjamin read the official decision of the election followed by the reading and signing of acknowledgement, of acceptance and gratitude by Metropolitan Savas.
Earlier on, in the Patriarchal office, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressing the new Metropolitan, first praised retired Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh, for his long and faithful service to the Church. His All Holiness said that the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has expressed their preference and trust to you and Archbishop Demetrios has expressed his love and esteem for you and all these expressions are well justified because of  “your ethos, your love of the Church and your splendid education.”
On Thursday, Dec. 8,  4 p.m., His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, will preside at the enthronement of Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 419 South Dithridge Street, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
A reception in honor of Metropolitan Savas will follow the enthronement, hosted by the Metropolis of Pittsburgh and the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. The next morning, Friday Dec. 9 Metropolitan Savas will celebrate his first liturgy as Metropolitan of Pittsburgh, assisted by clergy of the Metropolis. Members of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Orthodox Metropolitans and Bishops, Ecumenical Leaders, dignitaries and other invited guests are expected to be present at the Enthronement.
The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople elected on November 3, His Grace Bishop Savas of Troas as the Metropolitan of Pittsburgh to succeed Metropolitan Maximos, who retired on September 1, 2011.
The entire Enthronement ceremony will be broadcast Live on the Internet Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011 beginning at 3:30 p.m. (EST) and a link will be available on the home page of the Archdiocese on that day www.goarch.org
For a Biographical Note of Metropolitan Savas visit: http://www.goarch.org/news/metropolitansavasbio-11152011 a photo gallery is available at http://photos.goarch.org/main.php?g2_itemId=5053

Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America creates a legal entity

(Wichita, KS – 18 October 2011) The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America has created a legal entity with the filing of its Articles of Incorporation in Washington, D.C. This action follows the second annual meeting of the Assembly of Bishops held May 25-27 in Chicago, Illinois. For details of that meeting, see http://assemblyofbishops.org/news/releases/2011-meeting.
The Assembly has been hailed as a major development for the canonical administrative unity of all Orthodox Christian jurisdictions, which together represent over three million church members.
The Assembly of Bishops is a council of all active, canonical Orthodox bishops whose purpose is to preserve and contribute to the unity of the Orthodox Church by helping to further Her spiritual, theological, ecclesiological, canonical, educational, missionary and philanthropic aims. To accomplish this, the Assembly has as its goals: the promotion and accomplishment of Church unity; the strengthening of the common pastoral ministry to all the Orthodox Christian faithful; and a common witness by the Church to all those outside Her. In addition, the Assembly has as an express goal the plan for the organization of the Church in North and Central America in accordance with the ecclesiological and the canonical tradition of the Orthodox Church.
The Assembly hopes to deepen the ties of brotherhood among the bishops, give them a common and united voice, and create a greater unity of action among all the Orthodox faithful, thereby strengthening the Church’s witness to Her faith in Jesus Christ.
The Assembly of Bishops is one of twelve bishops’ assemblies which have been established in different geographical regions throughout the world. It was established in accordance with the decision of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference, convened in ChambŽsy, Switzerland in June of 2009, attended by representatives from all the universally-recognized autocephalous Orthodox Churches.
The Assembly is a transitional body. If it achieves its goal, it will make itself obsolete by developing a proposal for the canonical organization of the Church in North and Central America. This proposal will in turn be presented to the forthcoming Great and Holy Council, which will consist of all canonical Orthodox bishops throughout the world. Should this proposal be accepted, it is expected that the Assembly of Bishops would then come to an end and be succeeded by a canonically regularized Church in North and Central America.
The Assembly, which meets annually, functions by a consensus of all its members. It has established a number of committees to help further its work. These committees are charged by the Assembly with specific tasks; they are made up of member bishops, and are assisted by over 100 lay and clergy advisors. The Assembly has assumed oversight of all the agencies, dialogues, and other ministries of the former Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA).
In the ensuing months, the thirteen committees of the Assembly of Bishops will be working in earnest. The chairmen of the committees will be calling upon the many priests, deacons, monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen who have been recommended to them as expert consultants so that they may join together with the bishops who are members of the committees in accomplishing the many important responsibilities and tasks assigned to them.
For more information about the Assembly of Bishops and its thirteen committees, please see the website, http://www.assemblyofbishops.org.
Contact: The Secretariat of the Assembly of Bishops, at 316-687-3169 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Agreement on Rebuilding of St. Nicholas reached

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA AND PORT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT ON REBUILDING OF ST NICHOLAS
 
NEW YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announces today an agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey regarding the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo invited Archbishop Demetrios and the Hierarchs of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, together with leadership of the St. Nicholas Parish and the Archdiocesan Council to his New York City office for the official signing of the agreement by Archdiocesan Council Vice-Chairman Michael Jaharis and Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward. Archbishop Demetrios and Governor Cuomo signed as the formal witnesses to the agreement.
 
Archbishop Demetrios expressed particular praise for Governor Cuomo and said, “We are grateful to our esteemed Governor and precious friend Andrew Cuomo for bringing to reality the dream we have nourished for ten long years. St. Nicholas Church, rising again with the help of God at Ground Zero - where it stood spiritually important for 85 years, is an affirmation of the significance of religious freedom and experience for all New Yorkers and all Americans. The covenant stands firm. We will again light many candles in the new St. Nicholas Church and remember those who were lost to us, and those heroes who so nobly sacrificed their lives. Our pledge is to be a witness for all New Yorkers, that freedom of conscience and the fundamental human right of free religious expression will always shine forth in the resurrected St. Nicholas Church.” The Archbishop also expressed deep appreciation to Michael Jaharis and Dennis Mehiel and the other members of the joint committee who had labored so diligently to accomplish this historic agreement.
 
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, “We lost St. Nicholas Church in the destruction of September 11 and for too long its future has been uncertain. Rebuilding St. Nicholas Church, with a nondenominational bereavement center, is not just good news for the Greek Orthodox community, but for all New Yorkers. With this agreement, we are continuing New York’s collective healing, restoration, and resurgence. Now we are finally returning this treasured place of reflection to where it belongs.”
 
According to the Port Authority Press Release, “The agreement … permits the rebuilding of the Church with a nondenominational bereavement center at the east end of Liberty Park, at 130 Liberty Street. The agreement follows a four-month independent engineering study commissioned by the Port Authority and the Archdiocese, which found that the Church could be built on the site with minor modifications to the original plan and with no impact on the World Trade Center construction schedule.”

Archdiocese supports Coptic Christians of Egypt

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA EXPRESSES SINCERE SUPPORT FOR THE COPTIC CHRISTIANS OF EGYPT
NEW YORK – At the Fall 2011 meeting of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the Most Reverend Members of the Holy Synod unanimously adopted the following statement:
"On behalf of the faithful Clergy and Laity of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, we, the Members of the Holy Eparchial Synod, cognizant of our responsibility to speak the truth in love, hereby state and declare our sincere support for the pious Coptic Christian Faithful of Egypt, during this most difficult transition in the life of the Egyptian Nation.
Furthermore, we deplore all acts of religious violence by any community or persons, knowing that, as His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has stated so eloquently, “A crime committed in the name of religion is a crime against religion.”
We call upon the leaders of all Christian and Faith Communities, especially our Orthodox Christian Communities and the  Ancient Oriental brethren, to support the struggling Coptic Christians of Egypt, and for all of the Christians of the Middle East, who are encountering extraordinary challenges of diminution and the restriction of the exercise of religious liberty, in the face of rising religious fundamentalism and political retrenchment."

Interview with Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

The latest interview as part of our series of "Conversations with our Bishops" is now available for you to hear online or download. Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia offers his reflections on the Assembly.

"Conversations With Our Bishops" is a series of audio interviews of the Assembly's fifty-three member hierarchs by Archpriest Josiah Trenham (proïstamenos of St Andrew Church in Riverside, CA and director of "Patristic Nectar Publications") for the purpose of providing a broad swath of perspectives to the Church-at-large on the significance and work of the Assembly.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	{enclose episcopal_assembly/07_bphilarion.mp3}
	{simpledownload href=stories/podcast/episcopal_assembly/07_bphilarion.mp3} Download {/simpledownload}

Interview with Bishop Benjamin of the Orthodox Church in America

The latest interview as part of our series of "Conversations with our Bishops" is now available for you to hear online or download. Bishop Benjamin of the Orthodox Church in America offers his reflections on the Assembly.

"Conversations With Our Bishops" is a series of audio interviews of the Assembly's fifty-three member hierarchs by Archpriest Josiah Trenham (proïstamenos of St Andrew Church in Riverside, CA and director of "Patristic Nectar Publications") for the purpose of providing a broad swath of perspectives to the Church-at-large on the significance and work of the Assembly.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	{enclose episcopal_assembly/08_bpbenjamin.mp3}
	{simpledownload href=stories/podcast/episcopal_assembly/08_bpbenjamin.mp3} Download {/simpledownload}

Interview with Bishop Longin of the Serbian Orthodox Church of North and South America

The latest interview as part of our series of "Conversations with our Bishops" is now available for you to hear online or download. Bishop Longin of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America offers his reflections on the Assembly.

"Conversations With Our Bishops" is a series of audio interviews of the Assembly's fifty-three member hierarchs by Archpriest Josiah Trenham (proïstamenos of St Andrew Church in Riverside, CA and director of "Patristic Nectar Publications") for the purpose of providing a broad swath of perspectives to the Church-at-large on the significance and work of the Assembly.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	{enclose episcopal_assembly/09_bplongin.mp3}
	{simpledownload href=stories/podcast/episcopal_assembly/09_bplongin.mp3} Download {/simpledownload}

Interview with Bishop Jerome of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

The latest interview as part of our series of "Conversations with our Bishops" is now available for you to hear online or download. Bishop Jerome of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia offers his reflections on the Assembly.

"Conversations With Our Bishops" is a series of audio interviews of the Assembly's fifty-three member hierarchs by Archpriest Josiah Trenham (proïstamenos of St Andrew Church in Riverside, CA and director of "Patristic Nectar Publications") for the purpose of providing a broad swath of perspectives to the Church-at-large on the significance and work of the Assembly.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	{enclose episcopal_assembly/10_bpjerome.mp3}
	{simpledownload href=stories/podcast/episcopal_assembly/10_bpjerome.mp3} Download {/simpledownload}

Interview with Bishop Melchisedek of the Orthodox Church in America

The latest interview as part of our series of "Conversations with our Bishops" is now available for you to hear online or download. Bishop Melchisedek of the Orthodox Church in America offers his reflections on the Assembly.

"Conversations With Our Bishops" is a series of audio interviews of the Assembly's fifty-three member hierarchs by Archpriest Josiah Trenham (proïstamenos of St Andrew Church in Riverside, CA and director of "Patristic Nectar Publications") for the purpose of providing a broad swath of perspectives to the Church-at-large on the significance and work of the Assembly.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	{enclose episcopal_assembly/12_bpmelchisedek.mp3}
	{simpledownload href=stories/podcast/episcopal_assembly/12_bpmelchisedek.mp3} Download {/simpledownload}

Interview with Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

The latest interview as part of our series of "Conversations with our Bishops" is now available for you to hear online or download. Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA offers his reflections on the Assembly.

"Conversations With Our Bishops" is a series of audio interviews of the Assembly's fifty-three member hierarchs by Archpriest Josiah Trenham (proïstamenos of St Andrew Church in Riverside, CA and director of "Patristic Nectar Publications") for the purpose of providing a broad swath of perspectives to the Church-at-large on the significance and work of the Assembly.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	{enclose episcopal_assembly/13_bpantony.mp3}
	{simpledownload href=stories/podcast/episcopal_assembly/13_bpantony.mp3} Download {/simpledownload}