Lo
#0
My best friend from Romania just wrote me this morning and told me that her Patriarch has died. As an American and not having a Patriarch here I am having a hard time understanding the depths of her loss. But that aside I think its important that we all offer up a prayer for those effected and for blessings and support in the days to come.
This does beg a question and excuse my ignorance (and perhaps if this is improper to ask) but how does a country appoint a new Patriarch? Does it vary from country to country? (or should I say patriarch?)
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SS
#1
Eternal Memory to His Holiness Patriarch Teoctist of Romania; God grant him peace and rest in Christ.
How is a Patriarch chosen? Do bishops
chose? Is he selected from among the
higher bishops? Isn\'t a Patriarch chosen
from someone who is already a bishop?
Is there any additional laying on of hands?
I am not sure how that works.
Wouldn\'t it make sense for the other
Patriarchs: Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, Moscow, etc. to be
involved in the accession of a new Patriarch?
Just wondering.
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Lo
#2
I have no idea, I think all those were the questions I was posing. Some things seem obvious to me.
Why would there need to be additional laying of hands? Aren\'t all Overseers/Presbyters equal, but just have different roles (administrative)?
I don\'t think any other Patriarch would have any say as isn\'t each jurisdiction autocephalous?
Does anyone at all know the process?
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MS
#3
Memory Eternal!
While I don\'t know the process specifically for the selection of a Patriarch, I\'m sure it would be similar to the selection of a Metropolitan. I know that when His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman (OCA) was chosen, it was during a gathering of all the Bishops and Archbishops of North America. Of course this was following the retirement of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Theodosius.
If anyone else does know, however, I too am interested in finding out!
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EP
#4
Memory Eternal and may God grant him rest with the Saints and forgiveness of sins!
Patriarchs are usually chosen by a vote of the Holy Synod. As far as I know, the Church of Cyprus is the only autocephalus Orthodox Church whose chief hierarch is chosen by the election of all the people. It is a very old and, in my opinion, appealing practice. In post-February Revolutionary Russia, bishops of cities were elected by the whole populace, communists and all. Such was St. Benjamin, Metropolitan of Petrograd (St. Petersburg), who was elected by all the people, even revolutionaries. This popularity, however, did not prevent the godless Soviet authorities from staging a show trial and ordering the holy Metropolitan\'s execution.
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GT
#5
Memory Eternal!
I was in Romania last year and I saw his church. It is big and beautiful.
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