wfn.org | [SCOBA] SCOBA Hierarchs Convene For Spring 2009 Session

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STANDING CONFERENCE OF THE CANONICAL ORTHODOX BISHOPS IN THE AMERICAS

>8-10 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075

>Press Release July 1, 2009

SCOBA Hierarchs Convene For Spring 2009 Session

New York — The Spring Session of the Standing Conference of the Can onical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) met on June 25, 2009 from
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., hosted by the Representation of the Moscow  Patriarchate in the USA at the St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral, 15 East  97th Street in New York City. This was the first time that SCOBA had conven ed at this historic Cathedral. It was also the first time that the Moscow P atriarchate participated since re-joining the SCOBA after a nearly 40 year  hiatus. This session was attended by the following Members of SCOBA: Archbi shop Demetrios, Chairman (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), Metropolitan Philip,  Vice-Chairman (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese), Metropolitan Christopher,  Secretary (Serbian Orthodox Church), Archbishop Nicolae (Romanian Orthodox  Archdiocese), Metropolitan Jonah (Orthodox Church in America – who  was attending for the first time as Primate of the OCA), Archbishop Antony  (proxy, Ukrainian Orthodox Church) and Archpriest Alexander Abramov (Repre sentation of the Moscow Patriarchate in the USA – who was the host  and also attending for the first time). Also present were the General Secre tary and members of the SCOBA Study and Planning Commission representing th e SCOBA member Churches.

Archbishop Demetrios opened the meeting at 10:30 a.m. with prayer and he we lcomed the newest Members of SCOBA: Metropolitan Jonah of the Orthodox Chur ch in America and Archpriest Alexander Abramov of the Representation of the  Moscow Patriarchate in the USA. He continued with an informational present ation on the following significant events that occurred since the last meet ing of SCOBA and general conditions that the Church faces in the world:

• The Synaxis of the Prokathemenoi of the Autocephalous Churches in  Phanar in October 2008, including the Text of the Synaxis. (Oct. 2008) 
• The accompanying Symposium on St. Paul sponsored and hosted by th e Ecumenical Patriarchate. (Oct. 2008) 
• The death of Patriarch Alexy (Dec. 5, 2008) and the election of P atriarch Kirill (Jan. 27, 2009) 
• The departure of Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk from America (May, 2 009) 
• The inauguration of the new Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OC MC) in St. Augustine, FL. (May, 2009) 
• The New Testament Military Edition, which will be distributed to  all Orthodox Christians serving in the Armed Forces of the USA, and publish ed jointly by the American Bible Society and SCOBA (April 2009)

He then invited Metropolitan Jonah and Fr. Abramov, both first time partici pants in a SCOBA meeting, for any initial response. They both offered their  thanks and joy for their participation in such a meeting.

There were presentations on the SCOBA Website (www.scoba.us) and on a new a nd independent not-for-profit organization called FOCUS North America, whic h proposes to engage in Pan-Orthodox philanthropic ministries and is seekin g to become a chartered Agency of SCOBA. It was decided unanimously by the  SCOBA Members that an authorization to FOCUS for the status of a chartered  agency should follow a process in close collaboration with the Study and Pl anning Commission. Nevertheless, FOCUS received a warm endorsement from the  SCOBA Hierarchs for this welcomed initiative. Following this, there was an  approval of a Statement prepared by the Social and Moral Issues Commission  of SCOBA (SMIC), under the title: DISABILITY AND COMMUNION, Embracing Peop le with Disabilities within the Church, and which will be issued in the nex t few weeks.

There was also discussion of the Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conferen ce that met at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chamb ésy, Switzerland from 6 – 13, June 2009 and the accompanying C ommuniqué.

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