An Orthodox Council or a coup d'état against Orthodoxy?

An Orthodox Council or a coup d'état against Orthodoxy?

In order to understand the destruction of Mt Athos monasticism and the persecution of Athonite monks, it is necessary to have an objective presentation of the facts regarding the Orthodox Council of 2016 on Crete.

The Pan-Orthodox Council of Crete

The Pan-Orthodox Council is officially referred to as the Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Σύνοδος τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας or Η Πανορθόδοξη Σύνοδος της Κρήτης; also sometimes called the Council of Crete),

It should be said at the outset that "Pan-Orthodox" is a misnomer as not all patriarchates participated including some of the most important, for example that of the Russian Church. Secondly, the Council of Crete has been annulled by the fact that Orthodox Churches have officially proclaimed it invalid. In spite of this, the Council of Crete has been presented as valid and political, administrative and judicial decisions have been taken.

Among other issues on the agenda was the relations of the Orthodox Church with the rest of the Christian World.

On the team advising Patriarch Bartholomew at the Council was Elizabeth Prodromou, an American professor and advisor to Washington DC on state-religion relations. Her thesis was that the Council would enable the Orthodox church to express a "robust theology of global engagement"

In dealing with local (Balkans?) disputes she "said there were more-complex factors at play, including questions of economic and military control, Western involvement, and the quality of local leadership." (MIT Technology Review)