Church Organizations

The Synodal Decisions During the Papacy of His Holiness the Pope

The Synodal Decisions During the Papacy of His Holiness the Pope

The Secretariat of the Holy Synod collected all the regulations issued by the Synod during the papacy of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III and printed them for publication as an important document of this era. These regulations include:

The Holy Synod Bylaws:

For the first time, bylaws for the Holy Synod were issued.

They were proposed by the Pope, who set out their main elements and sent them to all the metropolitans and bishops to express their suggestions. The suggestions were then collected, indexed, and presented to the members of the Holy Synod in June 1985. They were discussed article by article, and it was decided to adopt them after examining them and obtaining the approval of the Fathers.

These bylaws consist of eleven chapters containing seventy articles.

The first consists of general definitions and an introduction. Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 deal with the membership of the Holy Synod, its competencies, its presidency, and its secretariat.

Chapter 6 concerns the committees of the Holy Synod, which are eight committees: the Committee on Faith and Education, the Legislative Committee, the Committee on Diocesan Affairs, the Committee on Church Rites, the Committee on Relations with Other Churches and Ecumenical Organizations, the Public Relations Committee, the Pastoral Care and Service Committee, and the Projects Committee (such as development and similar matters).

Chapter 7 concerns the convening of the Holy Synod and its decisions. It stipulates that a meeting shall be legally valid if attended by at least two-thirds of the members, and that a Synodal decision shall be legally valid if approved by at least three-fourths of those present.

Chapter 8 concerns the President and members of the Synod.

Chapter 9 concerns the metropolitans and bishops of the dioceses.

Chapter 10 concerns the general bishops.

Chapter 11: Final provisions.

Here is the literal English translation:

Synodal Decisions:

Decisions Concerning Monks and Monasteries:

The decisions included the recognition of the Monastery of Saint Demiana, the Monastery of Anba Pachomius at Hager Edfu, the Monastery of Saint George at El-Rizeikat, the Monastery of the Virgin at Mount Akhmim, the Monastery of Saint Anthony in California, and the Monastery of Saint George at El-Khattatba.

Many decisions concerning monks were also issued, including a decision regarding the pledge of the new monk.

Decisions Concerning Church Relations:

Concerning Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the establishment of a diocese for the French and another for the British Orthodox.

Personal Status:

Many decisions concerning personal status were issued, including that divorce is not permitted except on the grounds of adultery or change of religion, together with the grounds for nullity and the prohibited degrees of kinship. These also included the prohibition of marriage to a brother’s wife or a wife’s sister, the requirement that marriage be between an Orthodox man and an Orthodox woman united in the faith, the prohibition of marriage by proxy, and the issuance of a unified certificate confirming the absence of marital impediments. Attention was also given to establishing new documentation offices and to not permitting Holy Communion for anyone who married outside the Church.

Priests:

Decisions were issued that a priest may not be judged except by an ecclesiastical council, while allowing for his temporary suspension. The Synod also rejected the idea of the itinerant priest. It approved the enrollment of the Fathers, the priests, in the social insurance system as employers, and priests were instructed not to respond to invitations to participate in conferences of Evangelical denominations without prior knowledge.

Here is the literal English translation:

Bishops:

The following regulations were approved:

A bishop may not designate who will succeed him after him, nor who will remain in the episcopal residence after his repose.

For his responsibility ends with his departure.

A bishop may not bind his successor with anathemas concerning certain pastoral matters. He may leave advice, but not anathemas.

Recognition of Saints:

The sanctity of the martyr Sidhom Bishay was officially recognized, and it was approved that he, together with Archpriest Mikhail El-Behairy, be included in the Synaxarium of the Church.

With Other Churches:

The Synod examined the relations between us and the Catholics, the Byzantine Orthodox, and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and approved the agreements that had been reached between us and them.

It also approved—following the agreement of the theologians of the two Orthodox families—that the Church which accepts our Baptism, has its Baptism accepted by us.

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists:

The Holy Synod decided that Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Seventh-day Adventists are not Christians, did not recognize their translation of the Holy Bible, and instructed our people not to attend their meetings.

The Assyrians:

The Holy Synod declared that the Assyrians are Nestorians, that they condemn Saint Cyril the Great and anathematize him in their rites, and that they do not recognize the decisions of the Third Ecumenical Council.

The Synaxarium:

A Synodal committee was formed to review the current Synaxarium. It was decided that the work prepared by this committee would be distributed to the members of the Synod to submit their observations in preparation for printing a new Synaxarium to be approved by the Synod.

Consecrated Women:

The Synod decided to establish bylaws for the consecrated women and approved them. It also approved the pledge recited by the newly consecrated woman.

Rites:

• The Holy Synod approved the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony during the Holy Fifty Days (Pentecost), as well as the consecration of churches and the ordination of priests and deacons during this period. There is nothing in the Church canons that prohibits this.
• Marriage is not permitted on the Sunday of the Farewell before the Great Lent, nor on the farewell day before any of the other fasts.
• It is not permissible for the bride and groom to enter the church accompanied by Western melodies.
• With regard to the churches in the diaspora, the Holy Synod decided that the litanies for the waters, the crops, and the air should be combined into one litany because of the difference in climate there.
• The Holy Synod decided not to allow the eating of fish on Wednesdays and Fridays, because they are first-degree fasts, with the exception of the Holy Fifty Days.
• In the Fraction Prayer for the Apostles’ Fast in the Euchologion, the Holy Synod decided to correct the phrase “Paul and Peter, the heads of the apostles” to “Peter and Paul, the two apostles.”
• The Holy Synod approved that the Litany of the Departed should be given priority over any other litany in the prayers for those who have departed, even during the Holy Fifty Days (while observing the melody of the Holy Fifty Days). There is also no objection to adding the Litany of the Sick if time permits.
• Only one prosphora is to be brought into the sanctuary for consecration during the Divine Liturgy, and no other bread is to be brought into the sanctuary.
• The plate containing the Lamb is not to be placed on the altar carrying all the offering bread; rather, only one prosphora is to be placed on the paten upon the altar.
• After the selection of the Lamb, the remaining offering bread is not to be kept inside the sanctuary, but rather in the deacons’ choir, for example.
• No one is to enter the sanctuary except the altar ministers. Even anyone wishing to take photographs must be a deacon wearing the vestments of service. Therefore, neither laymen nor women are permitted to enter the sanctuary.
• A candidate for ordination as a priest must not wear secular clothing. Rather, he is first ordained as a full deacon and wears the black garment as a consecrated deacon before putting on the priestly vestments.
• A deacon is not permitted to wear the tunia until it has been blessed for him by the father bishop or the priest.
• Whoever wears the tunia should be serving at the altar of the Sacrifice and should not leave the Divine Liturgy to perform another task.
• It is recommended that senior deacons be ordained as Epsaltos and wear the tunia.
• Whoever arrives late with a valid excuse should have the Absolution of the Servants read over him by the priest, and the tunia should be blessed for him.
• Visiting deaconess associations serving in churches must adhere to the proper order of the deaconess ministry.
• Everyone who wears the tunia must partake of the Holy Mysteries.
• The newly ordained priest returns to his own congregation. Therefore, it is not acceptable for his wife to be escorted with him in the rite of welcoming the new priest, as was practiced in certain periods.
• No names of saints are to be added to the Commemoration of the Saints in the Divine Liturgy other than those recorded in the Holy Euchologion. However, it is permissible to add the patron saint of the church bearing his name or a saint well known in the diocese, provided that his sainthood has been officially recognized by the Church.
• The Holy Synod decided not to allow anyone to change the wording of the liturgical prayers, add anything new to them, or introduce hymns without first referring the matter to the Holy Synod and obtaining its approval.
• The Holy Synod decided that the Nicene Creed should be recited in its entirety on every occasion throughout the year (except during Holy Week).
• The Holy Synod decided to add the phrase “or in the air” to the Litany of the Travelers because of the frequent use of air travel today.
• It is not permissible to print, reprint, or use liturgical books employed in worship within the Church without the approval of the Synodal Liturgical Committee.
• The response, “Through their holy blessings… etc.,” shall be prayed according to the established practice of the Church, with its use standardized in all churches.
• His Holiness the Pope approved the correction of the Katamaros and its republication.
• The cowl is considered the official vestment for service for a bishop or a monk-priest.
• The Holy Synod instructed priests to adhere to wearing the recognized priestly vestments (especially in the churches of the diaspora).
• The Holy Synod instructed that the three major litanies (Peace, the Fathers, and the Assemblies) be prayed aloud and not silently, so that they may not be neglected.

Church Commitments and Texts:

The Holy Synod approved a collection of liturgical texts (the texts are attached), namely:

• The Commitment of the General Bishop.
• The Commitment of the Diocesan Bishop.
• The Commitment of the Newly Ordained Priest.
• The Rite of the Oushies Epsaltos.
• The Rite of the Epsaltos.
• The Rite for the Appointment of a New Abbess of a Convent.

Sinai:

At the session of 13/6/1996, His Grace Anba Ignatius requested attention to the ordination of a bishop for Sinai, to provide spiritual care for the regions of Dahab, Nuweiba, Ras Sidr, South Sinai, the city of El Tor, and El Arish.

He submitted a request to His Holiness the Pope regarding this matter (and has repeated it at the present time).

It is most likely that His Holiness the Pope will ordain a bishop for Sinai during the Jubilee celebration.

Seminars:

At the session of 18/6/1994, the Holy Synod decided to hold seminars for the fathers who are members of the Synod on specific topics, which they would discuss together with the aim of reaching a unified opinion in those seminars.

The first seminar dealt with Church membership and pastoral care, and the issue of redemption together with the erroneous ideas surrounding it.

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