Republic of Greece
CHURCH of the G.O.C. of GREECE
HOLY SYNOD
KANINGOS 32 (3rd floor)
106 82 ATHENS
TEL. 21038 28 280 - FAX 21038 47 365
ΕΛΛΑΣ - GREECE

Protocol no. γ-1879

In Athens March 7/20, 2014

Announcement

To all the clergy and the people of the True Church of Christ

“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Luke 2:10

Beloved Children in the Lord,

During the 90 years of our Holy Struggle on behalf of the Patristic Traditions, there have been mostly instances of external persecutions as well as internal divisions rather than joyous occasions.

Today however, according to the goodwill of God, we are experiencing a great event. A thirty year division has come to an end. The years of eruptions and divisions have passed. Behold, the day of peace and harmony has shined upon us.

This past Tuesday, March 5/18, 2014 in the church of the All Holy Theotokos “The Unfading Rose” in Piraeus, the Holy Synod of the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece convened under the presidency of His Beatitude Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens and all Greece, exclusively to address the issue of the union and incorporation of the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Community in Resistance with the Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece which was accomplished by the Grace of God.

After the confirmation of ecclesiological agreement based on the findings of the foregoing official dialogue between the two sides, and the removal of canonical impediments, the Bishops of the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Community in Resistance are now full, canonical members of our Holy Synod and the pious faithful of this Community finally belong to the one, sole ecclesiastical body of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece.

Furthermore, the Holy Synod appointed the Hierarchical concelebration to take place this coming Sunday the Veneration of the Holy Cross, March 10/23 in the Monastery of St. Nicholas in Paiania presided over by His Beatitude Archbishop Kallinikos of Athens and all Greece, to solemnize the union which was accomplished.

Our hearts turn with love and forbearance towards those who in various ways have cooperated and continue to cooperate with the truly worldwide scandal of the division of the Orthodox in the name of unity with the heterodox, and have breached the ecclesiological and soteriological exclusivity of Orthodoxy. We call them to repentance and to return to the immovable borders of the True Faith and the True Orthodox Church of Christ, where the fullness of Grace and Truth is found exclusively.

In this regard, we paternally urge all our spiritual children to participate in the joy of our Church, and to pray for the stability of this union, and also that this unity may expand among all the True Orthodox in the Truth and Love of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

By the command of the Holy Synod.

The Chief-Secretary

† PHOTIOS of Marathon