Page 8 - Western Diocese Annual 2023

DIOCESE OF WESTERN AMERICA
Communique of the
Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Message of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from
the regular meeting held in the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade from 14 to 20 May 2023
This year’s regular meeting of the Holy Assem- bly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church began with the Holy Conciliar Hierarchical
Liturgy and the invocation of the Holy Spirit at the Memorial Church of Saint Sava on Vračar, on Sun- day 14 May 2023. His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch kyr Porfirije presided over the Holy Liturgy, with the concelebration of all the present Hierarchs of the Serbian Church from the homeland and the diaspo- ra. The Hierarchs of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Ohrid and all Vicar Hierarchs also attended the As- sembly.
The next day, on 15 May, in the Saint Lazar Crypt of the Church of Saint Sava on Vračar, the Holy As- sembly of Bishops, under the presidency of His Ho- liness and with the participation of Their Eminences and Their Graces, Diocesan Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, began its working part of the meet- ing. At the beginning of the first working session, following established practice, His Holiness the Ser- bian Patriarch kyr Porfirije addressed the attending Bishops with a welcoming speech, emphasizing the essence of the Church’s service through active preach- ing of the Gospel to the contemporary world and her mission of witnessing God’s love and presence in this time of great spiritual challenges and trials.
At this year’s meeting of the Holy Assembly of Bishops, particular attention was paid to the topic of
the final resolution of the canonical status of the Hi- erarchs of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Ohrid in light of last year’s decision of the Holy Assembly of Bishops to return to canonical status and establish liturgical unity with the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Archdiocese of Ohrid, and the subsequent decision to grant a Tomos of autocephaly to this Church. To this end, the Assembly rendered a deci- sion of granting a canonical release to the Hierarchy of this autonomous Church by the Serbian Ortho- dox Church and its integration into the Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, in accordance with the sacred canons and Constitutions of our two local Churches, as well as the previously reached agree- ment of the Synods of all three ecclesial structures.
During the Assembly sessions, reports on the work of the Holy Synod of Bishops and the Diocesan Hierarchs, as well as reports on the work of the Pa- triarchal Library, the Museum and Archive of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as the charity foundation “Philanthropy” and other foundations, institutions and services of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the past period were heard and analyzed.
The Assembly carefully and attentively consid- ered possibilities for improving the spiritual life and organization of our Church abroad. In that spirit, special attention was given to reports on the arch- pastoral work of Hierarchs in the diaspora, as well as
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