Překlad níže uvedeného prohlášení biskupů do angličtiny

Proclamation after ordination of bishop in Brno

With great joy we announce to all the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church in the Czech lands and Slovakia that today, 22 February, 2015 in the Cathedral Church in Brno, archimandrite Izajáš (ThDr. Igor Slaninka) was ordained vicar bishop of the eparchy of Olomouc and Brno with the given title bishop of Šumperk.

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The ordination took place pursuant to a Four-Article Agreement concluded in Vienna (in the Austrian Metropolitan Office) on 6 February, 2015 by H.E. Simeon, archbishop of Olomouc and Brno and H.E. Jiří, archbishop of Michalovce and Košice, who, at that meeting, held on Patriarchate of Constantinople land, represented not only himself but also H.E. Rostislav. According to his statement, his delegation in Vienna represented also eparchies of Prešov and Prague. The Agreement was later confirmed by two present bishops, representatives of the Holy Synod of Ecumenical Patriarchate, H.E. Emmanuel, metropolitan of France and H.E. Arsenios, metropolitan of Austria.

The content of the Agreement follows that the Slovakian part of our Church has no objection against archimandrite Izajáš’s ordination and so – especially in connection with the return of H.E. Simeon into the Holy Synod – it is possible to consider the consent of our Holy Synod to be beyond any doubt. The canonical qualification of archimandrite Izajáš was, after having been judged by Ecumenical Patriarchate, approved with no objections. Archimandrite Izajáš has a complete Orthodox theological education and was properly elected by the Eparchy Assembly of the Eparchy of Olomouc and Brno for the position of a vicar bishop of the Eparchy of Olomouc and Brno. Therefore, in the spirit of the Agreement, pursuant Article 4. of the Agreement, today’s ordination could take place.

Also we were pleased by the support of the bishop of Russian Orthodox Church, H.E. Mark, archbishop of Berlin and All Germany, who, because of his health could not participate in the ordination himself, but who expressed his joy and consent by an eloquent gesture: several days before H.E. Izajáš’s ordination he gave him on the occasion of his ordination a complete set of bishop vestments, a mantia, a panagia and bishops‘ blessing candlesticks.

At this solemn moment both H.E. Simeon and newly-ordained bishop Izajáš want to declare that they are ready to fulfill Articles 1. and 3. of the mentioned Agreement of Vienna: i.e. to participate in an immediate bishop ordination of igumen Michal (Dandár) and his prompt enthronement as the eparchial bishop of the Eparchy of Prague and to recognize H.E. Rostislav as the Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in the Czech lands and Slovakia. A necessary preconditon for the above mentioned is that the other bishops of our Holy Synod shall follow Article 2. of the Agreement saying that, simultaneously with that, H.E. Simeon, as an eparchial bishop of Eparchy of Olomouc and Brno, is becoming a full member of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in the Czech lands and Slovakia again.

To avoid possible misunderstanding we state that the reasons of immediate bishop ordination of H.E. Izajáš, which took place according to the Four Article Agreement today, are these:

1. The first reason is given by the state of need in our eparchy in connection with the age and health of H.E. Simeon. The above mentioned Four Article Agreement does not state any terms. However H.E. Simeon needs the help of a vicar bishop immediately and necessarily now. Moreover he publicly declared that he could not work without the help of a vicar bishop at the last Eparchy Assembly.

2. The second reason is based on the need to resolve the situation of the Eparchy of Prague as soon as possible as there are many existing problems and others are arising now. It is not possible to wait any longer for the settlement of conditions. Any time new complications may arise and may have a destructive impact on church life. All these are because there is no properly elected eparchial bishop in the leadership of Eparchy of Prague. Considering the developing threats, it is not wise to wait for the Synod Meeting to discuss the situation, as there are no terms set or given in the Four Article Agreement. Since the Agreement was concluded in Vienna there have been no other obstacles in ordaining father Michal (Dandár) the bishop of Prague and so there is no reason to delay. Only when the situation in Eparchy of Prague has been consolidated can we consider the crisis within the Orthodox Church in the Czech land and Slovakia to be resolved.

The recent ordination of the bishop has changed nothing in the will of H.E. Simeon to fulfill the other articles of the Agreement of Vienna. Here, present bishops propose that igumen Michal (Dandár) be ordained as soon as possible, even on the next Sunday, and are ready to participate in the ordination together with H.E. Izajáš and H.E. Rostislav and other bishops who are cordially invited. The preliminary consent of Slovakian part of our Church to such a solution arises from the spirit of Article 3. of the Four Article Agreement.

H.E. Simeon is ready to participate in fulfilling of the rest of the Four Article Agreement with no delay. He is now waiting for the Holy Synod to be called where he will be invited as a full member according to the Agreement. We do hope we have entered a rapid pathway to put a quick end to the long crisis of our Local Church. We do urge all the people of good will to join us, and together – as typical for an Orthodox community – we shall restore peace and general reconciliation.

+ Simeon,
Archbishop of Olomouc and Brno

+ Tichon
Bishop emeritus of Komárno

+ Izajáš
Vicar bishop of Šumperk

Original in czech