Metropolitan Pavel: BOC self-government gets on agenda due to mic
Minsk Archdiocese asked Moscow for self-government and then gave up these plans.
Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl Pavel, Head of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, explained why the the BOC self-government issue was taken off the agenda.
On December 16, 2014, the General Meeting of dioceses of the Minsk archdiocese expressed its wish for the Belarusian Orthodox Church to receive self-governance. Moscow has not received such requests from the BOC during the whole time of Belarus independence. Self-governance makes it possible to choose the head of the Church and to resolve most issues without the permission of the Synod in Moscow.
However, in the Kontury program on ONT TV channel, broadcast on January 18, Metropolitan Pavel suddenly said that "this issue should be put off indefinitely. We are not going back to it for another 25-50 years".
On January 20, Metropolitan Pavel spoke to clarify the issue. He said that, at a meeting of the dioceses, someone turned on the mic during the workshop. As a result, all those present heard the discussion of the self-governance issue which was not fully worked out. "Of course, it is a disciplinary and canonical disorder," BELTA quoted the Metropolitan.
After that, "everything went wrong" at the meeting, says Metropolitan Pavel. Such decisions should be made at the BOC Synod first, and only then put to the level of the patriarch.
"All decisions taken by the church should be in the spirit of unanimity. Further work in this situation is meaningless," said the head of the BOC. He explained that it was for this reason that he used his veto power and removed the issue from the agenda.
Metropolitan Paul said that "the Church has never addressed issues on the barricades or in the markets".
Metropolitan of Ryazan Pavel was appointed Head of the BOC Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church at the end of 2013. His predecessor, Metropolitan Filaret, retired.
