GOAA - Decisions on Some Palestinian and Jordanian Communities in the USA

[Worldwide Faith News]

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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Tel: (212) 570-3556
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Email: communications at goarch.org




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2008

Contact: Ecumenical Office
Tel.: 212.570.3593
Email: ecumenical at goarch.org


Decisions on Some Palestinian and Jordanian Communities in the USA

New York, NY - After a long process that began in 
1993 related to the ecclesiastical status of a 
portion of the Palestinian and Jordanian 
communities in the USA, the portion connected to 
the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, there has been a 
final agreed decision by the Ecumenical 
Patriarchate of Constantinople and the 
Patriarchate of Jerusalem concerning these 
communities. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and the 
Jerusalem Patriarchate have agreed that the 
canonical and pastoral supervision of these 
communities and their clergy should belong to the 
canonically established jurisdiction in the 
United States which is the Eparchy of the 
Ecumenical Throne in America, that is, the Greek 
Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  Henceforth, the 
Patriarchate of Jerusalem no longer asserts any 
jurisdiction in the Western Hemisphere.

On Tuesday, April 1, 2008, His All Holiness 
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received His 
Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, 
together with the senior member of the Holy Synod 
of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Metropolitan 
Vasilios of Caesaria (Palestine) and other 
clergy. Final details for the implementation of 
the agreements were completed, with a mutual 
decision that these communities come under the 
canonical jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of 
America. Following the meeting at the Phanar, His 
Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America was 
directed to proceed with the implementation of 
the agreements by the creation of a Vicariate for 
the inclusion of the clergy and communities 
within the Archdiocese of America. The official 
name of the Vicariate is: “Vicariate for 
Palestinian/Jordanian Communities in the USA.”

The clergy and communities of the Vicariate will 
be directly under the Archbishop of America and 
will report to the Archdiocese through the Vicar. 
Through the Archdiocese, all of these clergy and 
communities will be able to participate in the programs and agencies of SCOBA.