ŒCOCW Calls for International Religious Freedom for Exiled Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch

SOURCE:www.your-story.org
Author: +Catholicos Scholarios-Gennadius III, OSB (Jan 21, 2011)

The Holy Synod of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide (ŒCOCW) joins the faithful of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church in demanding religious freedom for its exiled Patriarch.

According to a report by George Alexander, Secretary of the Orthodoxy Cognate Media Network, a significant portion of the Christian population in Eritrea are being severely persecuted for their religious faith and approximately 2000 to 3000 Orthodox Christians are being detained in Eritrean prisons.  Unfortunately, many Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians are also being brutally attacked for their faith as well.

Of great significance is the extremely disrespectful manner in which the Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, His Holiness, Abune Antoios, who was reportedly forcibly removed from his patriarchal residence and throne.  Since that time Patriarch Antoios has been reported to be illegally detained by government officials at an undisclosed location.  Patriarch Antoios’ major offense apparently was his strong resistance to Government intrusion into Church affairs such as his refusal to excommunicate three thousand members of the Medhane Alem, an Orthodox Sunday School movement.

The Holy Synod of the ŒCOCW views religious freedom as a universal right that all governments should respect, as well as a human right that is inalienable and proper to the existence of humanity as we all seek to actualize the greatest essence of our human potential and spiritual energies for the betterment of both society and government within their rightful spheres of operation.

The Holy Synod of the ŒCOCW calls on all Christian Churches, leaders and the faithful of all religions to petition the World Court to intervene on behalf of Patriarch Abune Antoios and all peoples and religious communities being denied their rightful international religious freedom.

Let all the faithful remember that” freedom denied to one religion is freedom denied to all religions!”

†The Holy Synod of the Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide

Website: www.ecumenicalcanonicalorthodoxchurch.com

For more information, please contact:

†SCHOLARIOS-GENNADIUS III, OSB
Protohierarch
Email: bpscholarios@yahoo.com

HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS:

†CATHOLICOS SCHOLARIOS-GENNADIUS III, Ph.D., OSB
Protohierarch
Archbishop New York & East Coast of America
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Metropolitan-Archbishop,
The Holy Orthodox Catholic Church
San Rafael, California/Washington, DC

†GREGORY
Protosyncellus
Archbishop of Canada
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

†MAR MARTIN SEVERIUS, SBL, M.Div., Ph.D., D.D.
(Bishop Craig M. Davis)
Bishop Emeritus
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Bishop of Indiana
Bishop, Christian Mission of the Ascension, a Syriac-rite local assembly
Hagerstown, Indiana

†ARCHBISHOP MATTHEW
Archbishop of Portland
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Archbishop, Anglican Rite Catholic Church
Portland, Oregon

†THE RT. REV. THOMAS DAVIS
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Bishop of Nevada
Old Catholic Orthodox Church Nevada

†ARZOBISPO ANTONIO CLAVIJO
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Iglesias Apostolica Universal
Old Catholic Orthodox Church, Colombia

†ARZOBISPO ANTONIO RAMON CAMACHO DIAZ, D.D.
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Arzobispo of Mexico and Vicar Apostolic of OCOC
Old Catholic Orthodox Church, Mexico

†OBISPO GUILLERMO QUINTERO
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church, Ecuador

†MOST REV. MASSIMO MONTOVANI
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Archbishop, Bologna, Italy

†MOST REV. EMMANUEL COLTRO
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Verona, Italy

†MOST REV. AURELIO PALMIERI
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Locri, Italy

†MOST REV. ANGELO LENCI
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Rimini, Italy

†MOST REV. GUISEPPE JERACE
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Polistena, Italy

†MOST REV. NICHOLAJ FRISVOLD
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Oslo, Norway

†MOST REV. OEYSTEIN MIKKELSEN
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Oslo, Norway

†MOST REV. LUIS ASCENCIO CRISTOBAL
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Madrid, Spain

†MOST REV. GILDARDO JARAMILLO
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Medellin, Colombia.

†MOST REV. FABIO ANDRADE
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop for the Religious Communities in Colombia

†MOST REV. RAFAEL SANTIAGO PEREZ PARDO
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Bishop, Bogota, Colombia

†ARZOBISPO ANTONIO MATHEU
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Arzobispo of Haiti

†MOST REV. JUAN CARLOS PLATA JAIMES
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Iglesia Apostólica Antigua
Obispo Presidendte
Diócesis Misionera de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
Bogotá-Colombia

†OBISPO LUIS ALBERTO PACHON ARIAS
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Our Lady of the Sorrows Church
Bogota, Colombia

†MAR DAWAD MARYAM ELIAS
(Rev. Dr Lowell Greer)
Bishop of Toledo, Ohio
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide/
Old Catholic Orthodox Church
Vistula Chapel
Toledo, OH

†MOST REV. HEYWARD B. EWART, Ph.D., D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop,
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
Holy Catholic Church International

†MOST REVEREND WILLIAM F. MALLOY, JR., M.Div., M.A., D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop,
Œcumenical Canonical Orthodox Church Worldwide
American Independent Old Catholic Church