From 21st to 28th January 2016, at the invitation of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Synaxis of Primates of the Orthodox Autocephalous Churches took place at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, in preparation for the Holy and Great Synod.
The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania was represented by its Primate, Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All Albania, the Metropolitan of Korca, His Grace John and Metropolitan of Gjirokastra, His Eminence Demetrios.
The following Primates were unable to attend: Their Beatitudes Patriarch John X of Antioch and Metropolitan Sawa of Warsaw and All Poland, for health reasons, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, for personal reasons. Nevertheless, all three were represented by official delegations of their Churches.
On Sunday, 24th January, a Divine Liturgy was held at the Holy Stavropegic Church of St. Paul. Along with the Ecumenical Patriarch, who presided, Their Beatitudes and Heads of the delegations of the Orthodox Churches concelebrated the Liturgy.
In the synaxis, the Primates dealt with issues related to the preparations for the Great and Holy Council which will be held this year at the Orthodox Theological Academy of Crete, in Hania, from June 16th to 27th, 2016. The Ecumenical Patriarch will lead the council in the presence of Orthodox Primates and representative delegations from all the Orthodox churches. Also, on June 19, the Sunday of Pentecost, there will be a cocelebration of all Orthodox Primates in Agios Minas Cathedral in Heraklion.
