His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America convened a special meeting of the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Archdiocese of America through videoconference for the purpose of considering current issues concerning the life of the Church in America.

The Archbishop first informed the members of the Holy Eparchial Synod about the decision of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to establish a Mixed Commission for the new Charter of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and to appoint members on behalf of the Mother Church. Therefore, the Archbishop submitted for discussion the need for the Archdiocese to appoint its delegates to the Mixed Commission.

The Holy Eparchial Synod decided to propose the following members for the Archdiocese:

a) His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros,

b) His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco,

c) Very Rev. Archimandrite Bartholomew Mercado,

d) Rev. Protobresbyter Paul Kaplanis

e) Archon Mr. Demetrios Logothetis,

and

f) Mrs. Anita Kartalopoulos, Esq.

In addition:

1) The Holy Eparchial Synod decided to propose to the Mother Church additional names for inclusion on the list of candidates eligible for election to the Office of Metropolitan or Auxiliary Bishop.

2) Noting that the extraordinary danger posed by the coronavirus pandemic that affected the country has largely passed, to the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Who Is Physician of both Souls and Bodies, the Holy Eparchial Synod decided to discontinue the corresponding specific petitions in the Litany of Peace during the Divine Liturgy and the other Church services which had been exceptionally added as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

3) Finally, best wishes for the upcoming Nativity Fast and Thanksgiving national holiday were exchanged between the Archbishop and the synodal hierarchs in a spirit of brotherly love.

From the Chief Secretariat