Relative Regulations and Charter Articles to the Election of Archbishop

 

PROCESS SUMMARY FOR ELECTION OF ARCHBISHOP

STEP ONE:

Appointment of the senior member of Holy Eparchial Synod as Locum Tenens.

Article 12 [Charter]
Locum Tenens

1. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Archbishop, the member of the Eparchial Synod first in order of seniority of episcopal ordination, or--if he is impaired--the next in rank, becomes the locum tenens by designation of the Ecumenical Patriarch, until the election of the new Archbishop.

STEP TWO:

An advisory opinion must be submitted to the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Article 13 [Charter]
Election of the Archbishop

a. The election of the Archbishop is the exclusive privilege and the canonical right of the Holy Synod. The Eparchial Synod, as well as the Archdiocesan Council, have an advisory opinion regarding the person of the Archbishop to be elected. This opinion will be submitted in writing to the Holy Synod in a timely fashion or it may be submitted by a special delegation so that it may be duly evaluated on the basis of meritocratic criteria.

Archdiocesan Regulations, Article 5, Section 6 B

B. Election of the Archbishop:

1. The provisions of Section 6.A. [see below] shall be followed and, the Consultation Committee shall:

a. Assist the Synod and the Executive Committee of the Council in

evaluating the responses and determining the candidate(s) for inclusion in

the Advisory Opinion for submission to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical

Patriarchate.

b. Prepare the Advisory Opinion which consists of the names recommended

by the Synod and the Archdiocesan Council in a form and format for

submission to the Holy Synod ("Summary Report"). The list of candidates

should include no fewer than five (5) names, listed in alphabetical order.

 

2.  A special delegation shall be designated to submit the Advisory Opinion to

the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in person. The delegation

shall be comprised of the following:

 

a. Three (3) members of the Synod designated by it but not a member of the

Synod or other person who may himself be designated as a candidate in

the Advisory Opinion;

b. The Vice President of the Council and two (2) additional members of the

Council designated by the Executive Committee; and

c. The Secretary of the Consultation Committee.

 

3. The delegation shall report to the Council in writing on the substance of its

discussions with the Ecumenical Patriarchate within ten (10) days of their

conclusion.

Regulations, Article 5, Section 6 A

Advisory and Consultative Role in Hierarchical Elections

A. Procedure for Obtaining and Reporting Results of Consultative Process:

1. Each member of the Council shall be requested to provide his or her advice,

in writing, regarding his or her recommendation of the person(s) for election

to Hierarchical Office.

 

2. The Secretary of the Synod and the Chancellor of the Archdiocese (or, in the

event one or both are eligible candidates, their substitutes, as designated by

the Archbishop) and the Consultation Secretary, who shall be appointed by

the Archbishop and who is a licensed attorney (collectively the “Consultation

Committee”), shall administer the Advisory Process. The Advisory Process

shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Notifying the members of the Council that their advice is being sought;
2. Providing appropriate privilege and security for the consultation process;

c. Designating the time limit within which the responses must be received;

d. Requiring that each response shall be supported by the reasons for the

statements made and signed by the person making the response;

e. Requesting that the Archdiocese and every Metropolis in which a

candidate for hierarchical office has served make available to it all files

pertaining to the candidate;

f. Requesting information from any other jurisdiction or communion in which

the candidate may have served;

g. Reviewing the files provided to it in order to compile a complete biography

of the candidate’s qualifications. In a case where the candidate’s record

identifies any material issues that pose a reasonable impediment to the

candidate’s serving in a hierarchical capacity, further administrative

review will be required. In conducting this administrative review, the

Consultation Committee shall have the right to interview any persons and

to request any additional information from the Archdiocese, the

Metropolises and/or any other persons or entities as it may deem

necessary.

 

3. Following the foregoing, the Consultation Committee shall:

a. Compile and analyze the responses in a summary report in order to

reflect the number received, the sources, and disposition of any

unfavorable comments received with respect to any candidate, including

copies of all of the comments.

b. Submit the summary report of the Advisory Process to the Synod.

 

4. Except as provided otherwise herein, the Consultation Committee shall treat

personnel files as confidential and shall disclose the information contained in

such files only to the Synod and the Legal Counsel of the Archdiocese if it deems

it necessary.