The Tomos of Autocephaly of the Church of Greece (1850)

Greek original below the translation.

The Holy and Sacred Synod in Constantinople,

Meeting in the year 1850 after Christ the Savior, in the month of June, 8 of the indiction, regarding the Orthodox Church in Greece.

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Master of all and our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night in which He was given up, set forth to His holy Disciples and Apostles His common and characteristic commandment to Christians — love for one another — and said, “the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine.” And, apprehending human weakness, our all-wise teacher again explained clearly that He is the true vine in which we are all commanded to remain. “Remain in Me.” Hence in the Orthodox Christian fullness, this unity is lauded and so zealously pursued by the divine Apostles and the seven Ecumenical Councils and is in particular fervently sought in the supplications of the faithful. “Remain in Me.” For one is the Lord whom we worship. One is the faith we have received and one is the baptism in which we have been baptized.

These are the covenants of the one true Flock of the Arch-Shepherd Christ, that is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, shepherded by His great multitude of assistants, keeping watch in the fields during the night of this errant life for the hope to which we have been called. But just as the wisdom of God brings together all creation in wondrous coherence and order, so too has His Church been well pleased to exercise oikonomia in this harmony; And the Holy Spirit, who ordained the Apostles, the Prophets, the Shepherds and Teachers, likewise through the laying-on of hands of the divine Apostles appointed in the service of the faith the Bishops, the Presbyters and the Deacons. Likewise the same Spirit, through the declaration of the Holy Ecumenical Councils legislated in the oikonomia of unity Patriarchs, Archbishops and Metropolitans, Archpriests, Archdeacons, etc. All of these, whether of equal honor in mutual brotherhood or ordered under each other as “governors” according to the service that each has received, having the same spirit of faith and the same apostolic ordination according to the canons, as ministering limbs joined together in the one body of Christ, in whatever land they may be, furnish one Holy Temple and bound by the bond of love, though they seem divided and absent according to the requirements of common life and vicissitudes of governments, are undivided and inseparable in the unity of the Church.

On the above basis, the Church of Christ, indeed the seven Ecumenical Councils, with a view to the temporal need of worldly government, either separated or joined ecclesiastical eparchies and either subjected them to others or raised them to autocephaly, while unity in faith and in ecclesiastical canonical order remained unblemished. And so accordingly, through a temporary vicissitude, although maintaining by the grace of God the unity of faith, those most holy Metropoles, Archbishoprics and Bishoprics of the Patriarchal, Apostolic, Ecumenical See of Constantinople which constitute today the divinely protected and divinely established Kingdom of Greece, nevertheless departed for a time from ecclesial and canonical relations and connection with their Orthodox Mother, the Great Church in Constantinople, on which they depended, and moreover with all the other Orthodox Churches of Christ. We, who by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit are gathered together in the full Synod for the restoration of the canonical unity of the Church in Greece with the other Orthodox Churches and hear through the distinguished letters sent to us by the pious Ministry of the God-protected Government of Greece about the request about this of the entire reverend clergy there, and the concurrent desire of the entire Orthodox Greek People, our much-beloved children in the Holy Spirit, and also perceiving the need in this case of the newly-established Government for service of faith and of the ecclesiastical economy of unity, and making careful examination, such that our holy Faith be maintained forever unblemished and the canons of the divine Fathers undefeated and unshaken, so that we all may be as in the same faith and also in that economy of unity and inseparable branches of the divine vine, we have determined in the power of the All-Holy Spirit, the Source of Perfection, through the present SYNODICAL TOMOS, that the Orthodox Church in the Kingdom of Greece, having as head and Originator, like the entire Catholic and Orthodox Church, our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, from this point on be canonically autocephalous, recognizing as supreme ecclesiastical authority a permanent Synod, composed of Hierarchs appointed sequentially according to seniority of ordination, having as President the current Most Reverend Metropolitan of Athens and administering the affairs of the Church according to the divine and holy canons freely and unimpeded by any wordly interference.

Thus established by the present Synodical Tomos, we recognize the Holy Synod in Greece and proclaim it to be our spiritual sister and we enjoin pious and Orthodox children of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church everywhere to recognize it as such from this point on and to commemorate it by the name “Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.” We also generously bestow upon it all the privileges and all the sovereign rights that accompany the highest ecclesiastical authority, so that moreover it may be commemorated by the Hierarchs in Greece when they celebrate in their own dioceses, while its President commemorates each Bishop of the Orthodox, and so that it may provide the necessary canonical announcements for the ordination of Hierarchs. So that canonical unity with the Great Church in Constantinople and the other Orthodox Churches of Christ may be maintained according to the divine and sacred canons and the customs handed down by the fathers of the Orthodox Catholic Church, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece should commemorate in the holy Diptychs the Ecumenical Patriarch at the time and the other Patriarchs according to the order, as well as every Bishop of the Orthodox, and also receive as often as necessary the holy chrism from the Holy Great Church of Christ. According to the canonical patterns handed down by the fathers, the announced President of the Holy Synod should send synodical letters to the Ecumenical and other Patriarchs, as they likewise do the same when they are announced. Moreover, in in ecclesiastical matters that may occur, which require joint examination and joint action for the stronger economy and support of the Orthodox Church, it has resolved that the Holy Synod in Greece refer to the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Holy Synod Around him. The Ecumenical Patriarch with the Holy and Sacred Synod around him will readily provide his assistance, communicating the things that are necessary to the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. Matters pertaining to internal ecclesiastical administration, for example regarding the election and ordination of Hierarchs, their number and the title of their see, the ordination of priests and hierodeacons, marriage and divorce, the administration of Monasteries, the good order and education of the sacred Clergy, the preaching of the divine word, and the condemnation of anti-religious books, all these and similar things are regulated by the Holy Synod through synodical praxis, in no way transgressing the sacred canons of the holy and sacred Councils, the customs handed down by the fathers, and the patterns of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Therefore, on the basis of these decisions,  this Mother noble-born from of old, who is like a vine growing straight on the sides of the house of the Lord, the Great Church of Christ in Constantinople, declaring synodally in the Holy Spirit, proclaims and announces the Church in Greece to be autocephalous and the Synod there to be her sister in the Spirit and of each other Orthodox Church in turn. Furthermore, she recognizes as full, valid and Apostolic the ordination that has taken place of most holy Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops in Greece by election and scrutiny, which they thence received from this Apostolic Ecumenical See, from another Apostolic See or from autocephalous Synods which are in the pleroma of Orthodoxy. Furthermore, she holds all their laying-on of hands to be full and valid, as well as every lawfully-performed sacred rite and such is to be held worthy by all the Orthodox.

The Orthodox Holy Synod in Constantinople has determined these things in the Holy Spirit, praying with boundless yearning and ardent love for her beloved sister in Christ for a support in faith and in unity, progress in the instructions of the Lord, and wakeful attention to the Orthodox teaching of the Flock to which the Holy Spirit entrusted shepherding, so that those opposed to piety might say, “Who is this peeping out like dawn, beautiful like the moon, chosen like the sun, a wonder like ones arranged in order.” May the God of Peace, who made many one and dissolved the wall of partition, give us the same mind in each other everywhere, by the grace and compassion of the First, Great, High Archpriest Christ our God, the intercessions of His All-Pure Mother the Ever-Virgin and Theotokos Mary, the honorable and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, of the Holy glorious All-praised God-announcing and Spirit-bearing Apostles, of our Holy and God-bearing Fathers and all the Saints. Amen.

In the year of salvation 1850, June 28.

+ Anthimos, by the grace of God Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch in Christ God declares.

+ Former [patriarch] of Constantinople Constantios I in Christ God likewise declares.

+ Former [patriarch] of Constantinople Constantios II in Christ God likewise declares.

+ Former [patriarch] of Constantinople Gregorios in Christ God likewise declares.

+ Former [patriarch] of Constantinople Germanos in Christ God likewise declares.

+ Former [patriarch] of Constantinople Anthimos in Christ God likewise declares.

+ Kyrillos, by the grace of God Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem in Christ God likewise declares.

+ Paisios of Caesarea.

+ Anthimos of Ephesus.

+ Panaretos of Herakleia.

+ Dionysios, also holding the opinion of the reverend elder of Chalcedon, Kyr Hierotheos.

+ Neophytos of Derkon.

+ Meletios of Didymoteicho.

+ Leontios of Neocaesarea.

+ Chrysanthos of Crete.

+ James of Serres.

+ Gregorios of Vize.

+ Procopios of Sozoagathopolis.

+ Former [metropolitan] of Mesembria Samuel.

+ Constantinos of Stavroupolis.

ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΥΝΟΔΙΚΟΣ ΤΟΜΟΣ

Τῆς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Ἁγίας καὶ Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου,
τῆς συγκροτηθείσης ἐν ἔτει ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ Σωτῆρος χιλιοστῷ ὀκτακοσιοστῷ πεντηκοστῷ,
ἐν μηνὶ Ἰουνίῳ, Ἰνδικτιῶνος Η´, περὶ τῆς ἐν Ἑλλάδι Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας.

Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Ἀμήν.

† Ὁ δεσπότης τῶν ἁπάντων καὶ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν τῇ νυκτί, ᾗ παρεδίδοτο, διατιθέμενος τοῖς ἱεροῖς αὐτοῦ Μαθηταῖς καὶ Ἀποστόλοις τὴν κοινὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ χαρακτηριστικὴν τῶν χριστιανῶν ἐντολήν, τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγάπην, «οὐ δύναται», ἔφη, «τὸ κλῆμα καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐὰν μὴ μείνῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ». Καὶ ἀντιλαμβανόμενος τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀσθενείας, αὐτὸς πάλιν ὁ πάνσοφος διδάσκαλος ἡμῶν ἠρμήνευσε τρανῶς, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, εἰς ἣν ἐντέλλεται ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς μένειν. «Μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί». Ἐντεύθεν ἐν τῷ χριστιανικῷ ὀρθοδόξῳ πληρώματι ἡ ὑμνουμένη ἐκείνη, καὶ τοσοῦτον φιλοτίμως σπουδαζομένη ὑπό τε τῶν θείων Ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν σεπτῶν Οἰκουμενικῶν Συνόδων, καὶ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἐν ταῖς δεήσεσι τὼν πιστῶν θερμῶς ἐξαιτουμένη ἑνότης. «Μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί». Εἷς γὰρ Κύριος, ᾧ λατρεύομεν· μία πίστις, ἣν παρελάβομεν καὶ ἓν βάπτισμα, ὃ βεβαπτίσμεθα. Ταῦτα εἰσὶν αἱ συνθῆκαι τῆς μιᾶς ἀληθοῦς Ποίμνης τοῦ Ἀρχιποίμενος Χριστοῦ, ἤτοι τῆς Μίας, Ἁγίας, Καθολικῆς καὶ Ἀποστολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ποιμαινομένης ὑπὸ πολυπληθῶν ὑπηρετῶν αὐτοῦ, ἀγραυλούντων καὶ φυλασσόντων φυλακὰς ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ τοῦ πλάνου τούτου βίου, ἐπὶ μιᾷ ἐλπίδι, εἰς ἣν καὶ ἐκλήθημεν ἅπαντες. Ἀλλ᾽ ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς ἅπασαν τὴν κτίσιν συνέχει, ἐν θαυμασίᾳ ἀλληλουχίᾳ καὶ τάξει διέπουσα, οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν αὐτοῦ Ἐκκλησίαν, ηὐδόκησε τῇ αὐτῇ ἁρμονίᾳ οἰκονομεῖσθαι· καὶ τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, τὸ θέμενον τοὺς μὲν Ἀποστόλους, τοὺς δὲ Προφήτας, τοὺς δὲ Ποιμένας καὶ Διδασκάλους, ὥσπερ διὰ τῆς τῶν θείων Ἀποστόλων χειροθεσίας ἀνέδειξεν ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς πίστεως, τοὺς μὲν Ἐπισκόπους, τοὺς δὲ Πρεσβυτέρους, τοὺς δὲ Διακόνους· οὕτω τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀποφάνσεως τῶν Οἰκουμενικῶν Ἁγίων Συνόδων ἐκανόνισεν ἐν τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τῆς ἑνότητος τοὺς μὲν Πατριάρχας, τοὺς δὲ Ἀρχιεπισκόπους καὶ Μητροπολίτας, τοὺς δὲ Ἀρχιπρεσβυτέρους καὶ Ἀρχιδιακόνους κ.λ.π. Οὕτοι δὲ πάντες, εἴτε ὁμότιμοι ἐν ἀδελφικῇ ὑπαλληλίᾳ, εἴτε ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις ὡς «ἡγουμένοις», κατὰ τὴν διακονίαν, ἣν ἕκαστος ἔλαχεν, ἔχοντες τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀποστολικὴν κατὰ τοὺς κανόνας χειροτονίαν, ὡς μέλη ὑπουργικὰ συναρμολογούμενοι εἰς ἓν σῶμα Χριστοῦ, ὅπου γῆς ἂν ὦσιν, ἕνα Ναὸν Ἅγιον καταρτίζουσι, καὶ συνδεόμενοι τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς ἀγάπης, κἂν κεχωρισμένοι καὶ ἀφεστηκότες δοκῶσι κατὰ τὰς τοῦ κοινωνικοῦ βίου χρείας τε καὶ περιπετείας τῶν πολιτευμάτων, ἀδιάστατοι καὶ ἀχώριστοι εἰσὶν ἐν τῇ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἑνότητι. Ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ βάσει ἀνέκαθεν ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησία, ἤτοι αἱ σεπταὶ Οἰκουμενικαὶ Σύνοδοι, ὤς γε πρὸς τὴν τοῦ βιωτικοῦ πολιτεύματος καιρικὴν χρείαν ἀφορῶσαι, ἤ ἐχώρισαν ἤ συνήψαν ἐπαρχίας ἐκκλησιαστικάς, καὶ ἤ ἄλλοις ὑπέταξαν ἤ αὐτοκεφάλους ἀνέδειξαν αὐτὰς τῆς ἐν τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησιαστικῇ κανινικῇ τάξει ἑνότητος ἀλωβήτου διαμενούσης. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν καί τινες τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν κυριαρχίαν τοῦ Πατριαρχικοῦ, Ἀποστολικοῦ, Οἰκουμενικοῦ Θρόνου τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἁγιώταται Μητροπόλεις, καὶ Ἀρχιεπισκοπαὶ καὶ Ἐπισκοπαί, αἱ ἀπαρτίζουσαι σήμερον τὸ θεόσωστον καὶ θεοστήρικτον Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος, διὰ καιρικὰς περιπετείας, καίπερ διατηροῦσαι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι τὴν τῆς πίστεως ἑνότητα, ἀπελείφθησαν ὅμως ἐπί τινα καιρὸν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς καὶ κανονικῆς σχέσεώς τε καὶ συναφείας πρός τε τὴν Ὀρθόδοξον αὐτῶν Μητέρα, τὴν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Μεγάλην Ἐκκλησίαν, ἐξ ἧς ἤρτηντο, καὶ δὴ πρὸς πάσας τὰς λοιπὰς Ὀρθοδόξους τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίας· ἡμεῖς οἱ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Παναγίου Πνεύματος συνελθόντες ἐν πλήρει Συνόδῳ πρὸς καταρτισμὸν τῆς κανονικῆς ἑνότητος τῆς ἐν Ἑλλάδι Ἐκκλησίας μετὰ τὼν λοιπῶν Ὀρθοδόξων Ἐκκλησιῶν, ἀκούσαντες διὰ τῶν ἐπισήμων γραμμάτων, τῶν ἐπισταλέντων ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ εὐσεβοῦς Ὑπουργείου τοῦ Θεοσώστου Κράτους τῆς Ἑλλάδος τήν τε περὶ τούτου αἴτησιν τοῦ ἐκεῖ σύμπαντος εὐλαβεστάτου Κλήρου, καὶ τὴν συντρέχουσαν ἐπιθυμίαν παντὸς τοῦ Ὀρθοδόξου Ἑλληνικοῦ Λαοῦ, τῶν ἐν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι τέκνων ἡμῶν ἀγαπητῶν καὶ περιποθήτων, συνιδόντες δὲ καὶ τὴν χρείαν τῆς κατ᾽ ἐκείνῳ τὸ νεοσύστατον Κράτος διακονίας τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς οἰκονομίας τῆς ἑνότητος, καὶ συσκεψάμενοι, ὅπως ἥ τε ἁγία ἡμῶν Πίστις διατηρηθῇ ἐσαεὶ ἀλώβητος, καὶ οἱ κανόνες τῶν θείων Πατέρων ἀπαραβίαστοι καὶ ἀπαρασάλευτοι, ὥστε εἶναι πάντας ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ πίστει, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τῆς ἑνότητος, καὶ κλήματα ἀδιάσπαστα τῆς θείας ἀμπέλου, ὠρίσαμεν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Παναγίου καὶ Τελεταρχικοῦ Πνεύματος, διὰ τοῦ παρόντος ΣΥΝΟΔΙΚΟΥ ΤΟΜΟΥ, ἵνα ἡ ἐν τῷ Βασιλείῳ τῆς Ἑλλάδος Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία, Ἀρχηγὸν ἔχουσα καὶ κεφαλήν, ὡς καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Καθολικὴ καὶ Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία, τὸν Κύριον καὶ Θεὸν καὶ Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, ὑπάρχῃ τοῦ λοιποῦ κανονικῶς αὐτοκέφαλος, ὑπερτάτην ἐκκλησιαστικὴν ἀρχὴν γνωρίζουσα Σύνοδον διαρκή, συνισταμένην ἐξ Ἀρχιερέων, προσκαλουμένων ἀλληλοδιαδόχως κατὰ τὰ πρεσβεία τῆς χειροτονίας, Πρόεδρον ἔχουσα τὸν κατὰ καιρὸν Ἱερώτατον Μητροπολίτην Ἀθηνῶν, καὶ διοικοῦσαν τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κατὰ τοὺς θείους καὶ ἱεροὺς κανόνας ἐλευθέρως καὶ ἀκωλύτως ἀπὸ πάσης κοσμικῆς ἐπεμβάσεως. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις καθισταμένην διὰ τοῦ παρόντος Συνοδικοῦ Τόμου τὴν Ἱερὰν ἐν Ἑλλάδι Σύνοδον, ἐπιγιγνώσκομεν αὐτήν, καὶ ἀνακηρύττομεν πνευματικὴν ἡμῶν ἀδελφήν, καὶ πάσι τοῖς ἁπανταχοῦ εὐσεβέσι καὶ ὀρθοδόξοις τέκνοις τῆς Μίας, Ἁγίας, Καθολικῆς καὶ Ἀποστολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐπισυνιστῶμεν ὡς τοιαύτην τοῦ λοιποῦ ἀναγνωρίζεσθαι καὶ μνημονεύεσθαι τῷ ὀνόματι «Ἱερὰ Σύνοδος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ἑλλάδος»· δαψιλεύομεν δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ πάσας τὰς προνομίας καὶ πάντα τὰ κυριαρχικὰ δικαιώματα τὰ τῇ ἀνωτάτῃ ἐκκλησιατικῇ ἀρχῇ παρομαρτοῦντα, ἵνα τοῦ λοιποῦ μνημονεύηται ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Ἑλλάδι Ἀρχιερέων ἐν ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπαρχίαις ἱερουργούντων, τοῦ Προέδρου αὐτῆς μνημονεύοντος πάσης Ἐπισκοπής Ὀρθοδόξων, καὶ χορηγῇ τὰς πρὸς χειροτονίαν Ἀρχιερέων ἀπαιτουμένας κονονικὰς ἐκδόσεις. Ἵνα δὲ ἡ κανονικὴ ἑνότης πρός τε τὴν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Μεγάλην Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πρὸς τὰς λοιπὰς Ὀρθοδόξους τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίας διατηρήται κατὰ τοὺς θείους καὶ ἱεροὺς κανόνας καὶ τὰ πατροπαράδοτα ἔθιμα τῆς Καθολικῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, ὀφείλει ἡ Ἱερὰ Σύνοδος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ἑλλάδος, μνημονεύειν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Διπτύχοις τοῦ τε κατὰ καιρὸν Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριάρχου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν Πατριαρχῶν κατὰ τάξιν, καθὼς καὶ πάσης Ἐπισκοπῆς Ὀρθοδόξων· λαμβάνειν δέ, ὁσάκις ἂν χρήζῃ, καὶ το ἅγιον μύρον παρὰ τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ Μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας. Κατὰ δὲ τὰς κανονικὰς καὶ πατροπαραδότους διατυπώσεις, ὁ Πρόεδρος τῆς Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου ἀναγορευόμενος ὀφείλει ἐπιστέλλειν τὰ ἀναγκαία συνοδικὰ γράμματα πρός τε τὸν Οἰκουμενικὸν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς λοιποὺς Πατριάρχας, καθὼς καὶ οὗτοι ἀναγορευόμενοι τὸ αὐτὸ ποιήσουσιν. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς συμπίπτουσιν ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς πράγμασι, τοῖς δεομένοις συσκέψεως καὶ συμπράξεως πρὸς κρείττονα οἰκονομίαν καὶ στηριγμὸν τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας, ἤρεσεν, ἵνα ἡ μὲν ἐν Ἑλλάδι Ἱερὰ Σύνοδος ἀναφέρηται πρὸς τὸν Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριάρχην καὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν Ἱερὰν Σύνοδον· ὁ δὲ Οἰκουμενικὸς Πατριάρχης μετὰ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν Ἁγίας καὶ Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου παρέχει προθύμως τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σύμπραξιν, ἀνακοινῶν τὰ δέοντα πρὸς τὴν Ἱερὰν Σύνοδον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Ἑλλάδος. Τὰ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐσωτερικὴν ἐκκλησιατικὴν διοίκησιν ἀφορῶντα, οἷα φερ᾽ εἰπεῖν τὰ περὶ ἐκλογῆς καὶ χειροτονίας Ἀρχιερέων, περὶ ἀριθμοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ὀνομασίας τοῦ θρόνου αὐτῶν, περὶ χειροτονίας ἱερέων καὶ ἱεροδιακόνων, περὶ γάμου καὶ διαζυγίου, περὶ διοικήσεως Μοναστηρίων, περὶ εὐταξίας καὶ ἐκπαιδεύσεως τοῦ ἱεροῦ Κλήρου, περὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος τοῦ θείου λόγου, περὶ ἀποδοκιμασίας ἀντιθρησκευτικῶν βιβλίων, ταῦτα πάντα καὶ τὰ τοιαύτα κανονισθήσονται παρὰ τῆς Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου διὰ συνοδικῆς πράξεως, μὴ ἀντιβαινούσης τὸ παράπαν τοῖς ἱεροῖς κανόσι τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἱερῶν Συνόδων, καὶ τοῖς πατροπαραδότοις ἐθίμοις, καὶ ταῖς διατυπώσεσι τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἀνατολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς οὖν τοῖς ὅροις, αὕτη ἡ ἀρχήθεν καλλιγόνος Μήτηρ, ἡ ὡς ἄμπελος εὐθυνοῦσα ἐν τοῖς κλίτεσι τοῦ οἴκου Κυρίου, ἡ ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Μεγάλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησία, ἐν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι συνοδικῶς ἀποφαινομένη, ἀναγορεύει καὶ κηρύττει τὴν ἐν Ἑλλάδι Ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοκέφαλον, καὶ τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ Σύνοδον ἀδελφὴν ἐν Πνεύματι ἑαυτῆς τε καὶ πάσης ἄλλης ἀνὰ μέρος Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας· ἔτι ἀναγνωρίζει πλήρη καὶ κυρίαν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν τὴν ψήφῳ καὶ δοκιμασίᾳ τῶν ἐν Ἑλλάδι ἱερωτάτων Μητροπολιτῶν καὶ Ἀρχιεπισκόπων καὶ Ἐπισκόπων γινομένην χειροτονίαν, ἣν ἔλαβον ἐντεύθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστολικοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ τούτου Θρόνου ἤ καὶ ἀφ᾽ ἑτέρου Ἀποστολικοῦ Θρόνου ἢ καὶ Συνόδων αὐτοκεφάλων, τῶν ἐν τῷ Ὀρθοδόξῳ πληρώματι· ἔτι δὲ κατέχει πλήρη, κυρίαν καὶ ἀποστολικὴν πᾶσαν χειροθεσίαν αὐτῶν, καὶ πᾶσαν ἱερὰν τελετὴν νομίμως τελουμένην, καὶ τοιαύτην ἀξιοῖ κατέχεσθαι καὶ παρὰ πάντων τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων. Ταῦτα ὥρισεν ἐν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ἡ ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Ὀρθόδοξος Ἱερὰ Σύνοδος, εὐχομένη ἀπλέτῳ πόθῳ, καὶ διαπύρῳ ἀγάπῃ τῇ φίλῃ αὐτῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφῇ, στηριγμὸν ἐν τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐν τῇ ἑνότητι, προκοπὴν ἐν τοῖς παραγγέλμασι τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ἄγρυπνον προσοχὴν εἰς τὴν Ὀρθόδοξον διδασκαλίαν τοῦ Ποιμνίου, εἰς ὃ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον ἐπέστησε ποιμαίνειν, ὅπως ἂν εἴπωσι καὶ οἱ ἀντικείμενοι τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ «Τὶς αὕτη ἡ ἐκκύπτουσα ὡσεὶ ὄρθρος, καλὴ ὡς σελήνη, ἐκλεκτὴ ὡς ὁ ἤλιος, θάμβος ὡς τεταγμέναι»· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ ποιήσας τὰ ἀμφότερα ἕν, καὶ τὸ μεσότειχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, δῴη ἡμῖν τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις πάντοτε, χάριτι καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς τοῦ Πρώτου καὶ Μεγάλου καὶ Ἄκρου Ἀρχιερέως Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, πρεσβείαις τῆς Παναχράντου αὐτοῦ Μητρός, τῆς ἀειπαρθένου καὶ Θεοτόκου Μαρίας, τοῦ τιμίου ἐνδόξου Προφήτου Προδρόμου καὶ Βαπτιστοῦ Ἰωάννου, τῶν ἁγίων ἐνδόξων Πανευφήμων Θεοκηρύκων καὶ Πνευματοφόρων Ἀποστόλων, τῶν Ὁσίων καὶ Θεοφόρων Πατέρων ἡμῶν καὶ πάντων τῶν Ἁγίων. Ἀμήν.

Ἐν ἔτει σωτηρίῳ ‚αων‘ Ἰουνίου κθ‘

†Ἄνθιμος ἐλέῳ Θεοῦ Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Νέας Ρώμης καὶ Οἰκουμενικὸς Πατριάρχης ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ ἀποφαίνεται.

† Ὁ πρῴην Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Κωνστάντιος ὁ Α´ ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ συναποφαίνεται.

† Ὁ πρῴην Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Κωνστάντιος ὁ Β´ ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ συναποφαίνεται.

† Ὁ πρῴην Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Γρηγόριος ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ συναποφαίνεται.

† Ὁ πρῴην Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Γερμανὸς ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ συναποφαίνεται.

† Ὁ πρῴην Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Ἄνθιμος ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ συναποφαίνεται.

† Κύριλλος ἐλέῳ Θεοῦ Πατριάρχης τῆς Ἁγίας πόλεως Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ συναποφαίνεται.

† Ὁ Καισαρείας Παΐσιος.

† Ὁ Ἐφέσου Ἄνθιμος.

† Ὁ Ἡρακλείας Πανάρετος.

† Ὁ Νικομηδείας Διονύσιος, ἔχων καὶ τὴν γνώμην τοῦ σεβ. γέροντος Χαλκηδόνος Κυρίου Ἱεροθέου.

† Ὁ Δέρκων Νεόφυτος.

† Ὁ Πρόεδρος Διδυμοτείχου Μελέτιος.

† Ὁ Νεοκαισαρείας Λεόντιος.

† Ὁ Κρήτης Χρύσανθος.

† Ὁ Σερρῶν Ἰάκωβος.

† Ὁ Βιζύης Γρηγόριος.

† Ὁ Σωζοαγαθουπόλεως Προκόπιος.

† Ὁ πρῴην Μεσημβρίας Σαμουήλ.

† Ὁ Σταυρουπόλεως Κωνσταντῖνος.