§ 98. The Installation of the Present-Day Autocephalous Bishops

The Installation of the First Bishops of the Present-Day Autocephalous Churches.

In the greater part of today’s autocephalous churches, the installation of the first bishop follows that legal practice which was established in the Middle Ages: namely, the synod concerned elects one or three persons and submits the record of its election to the state authority, to which belongs the right to confirm the person concerned as first bishop and to issue him the corresponding charter of recognition. In some churches, however, the older form of installing the first bishop has been retained; that is, participation of representatives of the people in the election is permitted, while the state authority’s right of confirmation is still preserved. Finally, in two churches the state authority itself appoints the first bishop concerned, whereupon the hierarchs concerned subject the person so appointed to a canonical examination and, finding him worthy, carry out the prescribed ecclesiastical rite of installation.

The Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem are elected by their respective synods, and the persons elected receive confirmatory charters from the state authority.[1] The same holds for the Archbishop of Cyprus.[2] In Russia the first bishop is held to be the Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, who is called the ‘first-ranking member of the Most Holy Synod.’[3] He is usually chosen from among the existing bishops; or, if he is not a bishop, the synod proposes three persons to the state authority, and one of them is confirmed.[4] In the Kingdom of Greece the Metropolitan of Athens is president of the synod and as such first bishop of the autonomous church of the kingdom.[5] He is installed in the same manner as in Russia.[6] The Archbishop of Sinai is elected by the monks of the Sinai monastery, is confirmed by the state authority, and the rite of installation, after a canonical examination, is performed by the Patriarch of Jerusalem together with his synod.[7]

With the participation of the people, the first bishops of the following six autocephalous churches are elected:

1. The Patriarch of Constantinople. The election of the Patriarch of Constantinople today follows the kanonismos promulgated and confirmed in September 1860. The electoral assembly consists of ecclesiastical and lay persons. The ecclesiastical persons are: the members of the synod and the other hierarchs residing in Constantinople, and also the Metropolitan of Heraclea, who by established custom must hand the patriarchal staff to the one elected. Of laymen, the electoral assembly is made up of: the three principal members of the patriarchal council, the members of the mixed council, eight representatives of the official class, the governor of the island of Samos, three representatives of the Danubian principalities, four noted men of letters, sixteen representatives of the merchant and artisan class, two representatives of the parish churches of Constantinople, and twenty-eight deputies from the subordinate eparchies. All these members of the electoral assembly, each of whom has one vote, propose three persons from among the designated candidates, regarding whom the Sultan’s government has previously officially declared that it has no objection; and from among these three proposed persons the hierarchs then themselves choose one by secret ballot, and he becomes patriarch, to whom the ruler immediately thereafter issues his official recognition.[8]

2. The Metropolitan of Karlovci. The right to elect the Metropolitan of Karlovci belongs to the church-national assembly (sabor),[9] which, under the assembly constitution of May 1875, consists of seventy-five deputies, namely: 25 of the clerical and 50 of the lay estate. The election is by free vote, and if all the deputies agree upon one person, the imperial commissioner proposes that person to the ruler for confirmation; but if the votes are divided among several persons, then usually the one who received the greatest number of votes is confirmed. After the ruler’s confirmation, a solemn enthronement follows according to the prescribed ceremonial.[10]

3. The Metropolitan of Sibiu. Under the organic statute of 28 May 1869, the Metropolitan of Sibiu is elected by a church-national assembly which, for this business, is composed of one hundred and twenty deputies (that is, a quarter more than the number of deputies at an ordinary assembly), namely 80 of the lay and 40 of the clerical estate. The archeparchy of Sibiu sends to the assembly one half of the whole number of deputies, and the other two eparchies (Arad and Caransebeș) send the remaining half. The election is held under the presidency of a delegate of the metropolitan consistory, and is by free vote. If no absolute majority is obtained in the voting, then a run-off election is held between the two who received the greatest number of votes; and if even then no result is reached, the matter is decided by lot. The record of the election is submitted by the assembly to the ruler for approval, and after confirmation is obtained, the enthronement of the new metropolitan follows.[11]

4. The Metropolitan of Belgrade. The law of 27 April 1890 regulates how the Archbishop of Belgrade and Metropolitan of Serbia is installed. The electoral assembly is composed of: all members of the council of hierarchs, all archimandrites, all district archpriests and the archpriests of Belgrade and Niš, the president of the council of ministers, the minister of education and church affairs, the president and vice-president of the national assembly, the president of the council of state, the president of the court of cassation, the president of the chief control, the rector of the Great School, and the rector of the theological seminary. The lay persons of this electoral assembly may take part only if they are of the Orthodox faith. This electoral assembly is presided over by the eparchial bishop senior by consecration. The assembly is convened by the minister of education and church affairs, and this at the latest within three months from the day the metropolitan’s see fell vacant. For the assembly to be able to hold a valid election, there must be present, besides the president, at least twenty members. The election is by secret ballot. Whoever receives two-thirds of the votes is deemed elected; and if at the first sitting no bishop receives two-thirds of the votes, then at a second sitting the election is held again, and whoever now receives more than half the votes of the members present is deemed elected. The record of the election is submitted to the King, upon whom the confirmation of the one elected depends.[12] After the King’s approval of the election, the proclamation of the new metropolitan follows, according to the established ceremonial.[13]

5. The Bulgarian Exarch. The election of the exarch follows the exarchate statute promulgated on 4 February 1883, and resembles, both in substance and in formalities, the existing rules by which the Patriarch of Constantinople is elected. When the exarchal see falls vacant, the synod calls upon all the eparchial bishops to propose the names of persons whom they consider worthy to occupy the exarchal see. At the same time the exarchal council calls upon these same bishops to choose, according to the existing norms, together with the people, two lay persons each, who will represent the eparchy concerned in the electoral assembly. This electoral assembly, composed of all the members of the synod and of the exarchal council, and further of the eparchial bishops and the lay deputies from the eparchies, having heard the government’s opinion regarding the political conduct of the proposed persons, and having given that opinion due consideration, proceeds by secret ballot to the election of the exarch. Whoever obtains an absolute majority of the votes remains elected; and once he receives confirmation from the Sultan, he is enthroned according to the established ceremonial. The Bulgarian Prince, upon receiving official notice from the new exarch that he has taken the exarchal throne, issues a proclamation to the people concerning it.[14]

6. The Metropolitan-Primate of Romania is elected under the law of 14 December 1872. The electoral assembly is composed of all the eparchial and titular hierarchs, and further of all the deputies of the national assembly and all the senators who are of the Orthodox faith. Only one of the existing bishops may be elected metropolitan. Whoever obtains a majority of the votes remains elected, and in case of an equal number of votes the matter is decided by lot. The confirmation of the election belongs to the ruler.[15]

The Metropolitan of Bukovina-Dalmatia is appointed by the Austrian Emperor,[16] and likewise the Metropolitan of Cetinje is appointed by the Prince of Montenegro.