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Communiqué No. 08-08 of the Council of the Archdiocese
Meetings of 13 and 22 April 2008
The Council of the Archdiocese met on 13 and 22 April 2008, with His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel in the chair. Among the topics discussed were:
1. Archbishop Gabriel’s visit to Poland
Archbishop Gabriel told the Council about his visit to Poland, which took place from 9 to 13 May, where he represented the Ecumenical Patriarchate at events organised in honour of the jubilee of His Beatitude Metropolitan Sava of Warsaw, head of the Polish Orthodox Church.
2. Preparations for Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) of the Archdiocese
The Council of the Archdiocese discussed various questions concerning the practical organisation of the EGA, which has been called for Saturday, 31 May 2008, and agreed the text of the resolution that will be put to the vote at the meeting.
3. Plans for the St Sergius Foundation
The Council of the Archdiocese studied the proposals drawn up by the Diocesan Administration on the one hand, and a commission of the Academic Council of the St Sergius Theological Institute on the other. These concerned different ways in which the future foundation might function, as well as the various opinions gathered from lawyers and the civil bodies concerned. The Council decided to ask the Diocesan Administration and the ad hoc commission of the Academic Council of the Institute to pursue their drafting work together, with a view to achieving a final plan which would then be submitted to the competent bodies.
4. The opening of a Moscow Patriarchate Seminary in Paris
The Council of the Archdiocese examined the announcement of the opening of a seminary by the Moscow Patriarchate in Paris, and the circumstances around that announcement. Archbishop Gabriel emphasised that, at the time, neither the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in France, nor he himself had been officially informed. The Council stressed that any decision concerning eventual cooperation between this seminary and the St Sergius Theological Institute could not take place without the prior agreement of the Archbishop, who is, by right, the Rector of the Institute.
5. Ordinations
- Having been made reader and subdeacon, Yannick Provost was ordained deacon by Archbishop Gabriel on Lazarus Saturday, 19 April 2008, during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the church of the Monastery of St Silouan the Athonite, at Saint-Mars-du-Locqueray. He will carry out his ministry alongside Archimandrite Symeon, in the Orthodox community of Plonivel, near Guilvinec (Finistère).
- Having been made reader and subdeacon, Vladimir Bronnikov was ordained deacon by Archbishop Gabriel on Thomas Sunday, 4 May 2008, during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St Alexander Nevsky, at Liège (Belgium). He will be attached to that same parish.
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