April 16, 2013
SYNAXIS OF ORTHODOX BISHOPS IN CANADA
On April 11, 2013, the annual meeting of the Canadian Conference of Orthodox Bishops took place at the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada), with 12 bishops participating.
The agenda had many issues, all of which were discussed in detail with the necessary decisions taken in order to enhance the continued cooperation of the Orthodox Churches in Canada and to promote their spiritual endeavours. The Synaxis began in the morning at 10:00 and concluded in the afternoon at 5:00, with the Metropolis offering a Lenten luncheon to all participants. Invited to the lunch were six Consuls Generals based in Toronto representing the following countries: Greece; Cyprus; Serbia; Romania; Bulgaria; and, Ukraine. Each of the six diplomats briefly offered greetings and thanked Metropolitan Sotirios for the invitation, commenting with admiration on the great cooperation amongst the hierarchs and the Orthodox Churches in Canada.
Before the lunch, the 12 bishops along with the six Consuls Generals are pictured in the Church of St. John the Theologian located within the Metropolis.
Seated from the left are: Archbishop Gabriel, ROCOR; Bishop Christoforos, Ecumenical Patriarchate; Bishop Ilia (Albanian), Ecumenical Patriarchate; Archbishop Nicholaj, Romanian Patriarchate; Bishop Iov, Russian Patriarchate; Metropolitan Sotirios, Ecumenical Patriarchate; Bishop Georgije, Serbian Patriarchate; Bishop Alexander, Antiochian Patriarchate; Metropolitan Yurij (Ukrainian), Ecumenical Patriarchate; Bishop Andriy (Ukrainian), Ecumenical Patriarchate; Bishop Ioan Casian, Romanian Patriarchate; Bishop Irenee, OCA. Diplomats standing from the left are: Tatiana Popa, Romania; Iakovos Giragosian, Cyprus; Dimitrios Azemopoulos, Greece; Vladimir Pavlov, Serbia, Ivo Mouskourov, Bulgaria; and Anatoliy Oliinyk, Ukraine.
Source: Gometropolis (pdf)
