Kallistite Synod
Template:Infobox organization 120px The Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece - Kallistite Synod (Greek: Ἐκκλησία Γνησίων Ὀρθοδόξων Χριστιανῶν) was a short lived Greek Orthodox Old Calendarist jurisdiction, which broke with the main body of the Florinite Genuine Orthodox Church of Greece after some under the leadership of Metropolitan Kallistos Makris became discontented with Archbishop Auxentios Pastras as primate in 1979 (due to purported irregular actions pertaining to ordinations, including simony). They saw themselves as traditional Orthodox Christians upholding their faith against renovationist and ecumenist innovations.
The Kallistites entered into communion with the True Orthodox Church of Romania in 1980, which was under the presidency of Metropolitan Glicherie Tanase. Kallistos, the leader of the Synod, quit in 1983 over the question of grace in the sacraments in the New Calender sacraments (he had previously been a Matthewite) and reposed two years later. After a brief period under Metropolitan Antonios Thanasis, most of the membership rejoined with the main body of Florinites and essentially "won" the dispute, as Archbishop Auxentios was deposed and in 1986 set up his own rival Auxentios Synod.
Perhaps the most lasting legacy of the Kallistite Synod, is it's afterlife as giving birth to the Holy Synod in Resistance. Two members of the Kallistite Synod opposed the rejoining with the rest of the Florinites; Bishops Cyprian Koutsoumbas of Orope and Fili and John Bascio of Sardinia. They proclaimed their own synod and consecrated some bishops. Later on this organisation came into communion with the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and spawned Cyprianism, which, taking a less harsh position than much of the Old Calendarist movement towards World Orthodoxy, allows communion for New Calendarists and is open to the possibility of the New Calendar sacraments still having grace.
External links
- A Short History of the True Orthodox Church of Greece, 1969-2005 by Vladimir Moss
- In Everlasting Remembrance - Metropolitan Kallistos of Corinth at Orthodox America
- Who Are the Cyprianites? How Did They Arise? by Stavros Markou
