Eastern Bishops ArriveDelegations of Autocephalous Churches at Synod of KathuraThe Patriarch of Sharba and the Patriarch of Astoria with their delegationsSeptember 4232 - Responding to the call of the Patriarch of Kathura and High Patriarch of the Apostolic Church Daniel IV, bishops representing the five autocephalous Churches comprising the
Apostolic Church of the East have arrived in Kathura. The agenda of the Synod convened by Maran Mar Daniel IV has attracted its fair share of criticism and controversy, and Patriarch of Sharba Marqos III and Patriarch of Qart Qildar Hannibal XXXVI, leading the delegations of the
Tewahedo Church and the
Church of the Isles respectively, have been among the most critical of the proposed jurisdictional changes, which would most significantly impact their Churches . Particularly, His Holiness Abune Marqos III has called the Kathuran Patriarch's initiative a "Barmenian power-play", condemning what he considers "men playing politics with the Church of God". The Tewahedo Church had actually been part of the Barmenian Apostolic Church until 3527, when it was
granted autocephaly by Barmenian Patriarch Wrntukai II, but since then the Coburan Church has maintained its independence while also being involved in global Apostolic issues, including by the unofficial sponsorship of the
Apostolic Army in Majatra. Given that the Barmenian Patriarch aims to remove his Church's autocephaly, it is unlikely Marqos will approve of these ecclesiastical changes.
The Coburan Patriarch is joined by the Patriarch of Qart Qildar in his criticism of Daniel IV's agenda. The Apostolic Church of the Isles was created in 3981 as a result of the
Synod of Qart Qildar, widely seen at the time as a Cildanian power-play at the time when the Cildanian regime had invaded and occupied Badara. Given the circumstances under which Qart Qildar gained its primacy and jurisdiction over the Majatran Isles, the Cildanian Patriarch can be expected to be less critical of the political implications behind the Barmenian Church's move, and will instead focus more on theological and moral issues.
And indeed there is much consternation among both Cildanian and Tewahedo bishops over the proposed Barmenian move to recognize the ordination of women as priests and even bishops. At the time of the Synod of Qart Qildar the ordination of women as deacons was implemented as a compromise measure between the reformist Barmenian clergy and their more conservative Cildanian counterparts, and it is likely that many in the Apostolic Churches would condemn this move away from the Qart Qildar compromise. For this challenge to the Barmenian Church's stance they have the backing of not only their own bishops, but clergy from within the other Churches as well. Arguing that the ordination of women goes against Holy Tradition, the conservative bishops argue that, given that it has been the consensus of the Church, continued unbroken over the centuries, that women cannot become priests, then this is the Spirit of God's leading. Arguing that the question of the ordination of women did not surface in the early Church, or indeed not until the Barmenian Reformation, the conservative bishops contend that the Barmenian Church is following recent trends outside the faith, and not acting in agreement with the Church Fathers and Holy Tradition.
But in spite of these challenges, the Kathuran Patriarch may still gain the needed majority and pass his proposed reforms. If he does, there is the risk of a schism emerging within the Apostolic Church of the East, the first since the old Barmenian Church broke from the Apostolic Church of Barmenia in 3878.