The Romanian Patriarchate continues to be the best source of information about the developments at the synaxis. The following link conveys some very exciting news. http://basilica.ro/sfantul-si-marele-sinod-panortodox-se-va-intruni-in-creta-grecia–111604.html I have pasted the Google translation below:
His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church said Sunday, January 24, 2016, that the Holy Great Pan-Orthodox Synod in June this year will meet in Crete (Greece) and not Constantinople (Turkey), as it was established so far. His Beatitude announced this today during a visit to the Chapel of the Romanian community in Geneva.
“We hope that the joy of the Holy and Great Pan-Orthodox Synod will be held in June, close to Pentecost or Pentecost. This time we can say that it will not take place in Constantinople as planned, but in Crete because it should be in a Christian Orthodox country. Turkey is now eminently a Muslim country, and we hope that in the coming days to finalize the text for which a consensus has not yet been reached and conclude the work that lasts 50 years or more. We said that this future council is not the last, it is not an eschatological council preceding the end of the world, but a good start for other councils every 5, 7 or 10 years, because new problems appear, ” said the Patriarch of Romania .
As you know, Crete is a part of the nation of Greece, but it is not under the jurisdiction of the Church of Greece. Rather, it is under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The church in Crete goes back to apostolic times. Saint Paul visited Crete on his fourth missionary journey, and Titus became the first bishop of Crete. Let us hope and pray that the words of Patriarch Daniel are not overly optimistic and that the synaxis will successfully complete its work this week. Romfea.gr has reported, based on unspecified sources, that certain matters have now been resolved and that progress is being made at the synaxis. http://www.romfea.gr/diafora/6091-ekleise-to-kommati-tis-thematologias-tis-panorthodojou
A 6-minute video showing Patriarch Daniel’s address to the synaxis may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_ZLybirSVo .
The primates celebrated together the Divine Liturgy this morning at Chambesy. Photos of the liturgy can be seen at http://www.romfea.gr/epikairotita-xronika/6082-diorthodojo-sulleitourgo-sto-sampezu-tis-geneuis and http://www.amen.gr/article/labri-diorthodoksi-theia-leitourgia-sto-sabezy . The latter link states that the delegation of the Patriarchate of Antioch did not participate in the liturgy because Antioch has severed communion with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Patriarch of Jerusalem was involved in the liturgy. This certainly indicates that the Qatar jurisdictional dispute has not yet been resolved.
Peter Anderson, Seattle USA